Chapter 5

The living room fell into a dead silence. No one could utter a word, clearly shocked that I, who had always been accommodating and agreeable, would suddenly say something so resolute. I didn't want to argue with them any longer, so I limped back to my room. Late at night, lying in bed, I picked up my phone and stared at the calendar. December 7th—only three days left.

Just then, my phone vibrated. It was a call from Hale. I answered, "What's the matter?"

"Lyanne," Hale's familiar, pleasant voice came through, "Mona once saved my life. She even gave me her kidney. So, even if you disagree, I'm still going to marry her."

Lying on the bed, his words hit me like a heavy blow. It was me who had saved him. It was my kidney he received. How had it become Mona? "Hale, back then when you were injured, it was me who saved you. It was me who gave you my kidney," I couldn't hold back anymore and spoke the truth.

A brief silence followed on the other end of the line. Then Hale spoke, "Lyanne, after seven years in prison, when did you learn to lie? Mona was the one who saved me. Your parents and the doctors can all confirm that. You've really let me down."

I lay on the cold bed, suddenly unable to say another word.

Eight years ago, Hale had been injured by a rival company's people and rushed to the operating room, needing a kidney transplant. Without hesitation, I got tested for a match, and when it was confirmed, I didn't hesitate for a moment to give him my kidney. But now, Mona had taken credit for it. And I couldn't even prove the truth!

After a long pause, I finally told Hale, "It doesn't matter if you don't believe me." After all, I had already decided to let him go. I ended the call and closed my eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

The second-to-last day. I continued working my part-time job at the restaurant. To my surprise, Chloe showed up there. When she saw me in my server's uniform, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by indifference. "Didn't the family give you money? Have you really been working here all this time, embarrassing us?"

I didn't understand why she had suddenly come here. "I didn't steal or rob anyone. What's there to be embarrassed about?"

Chloe was momentarily speechless. She stood up and said, "Mom and Dad are already planning Mona's wedding. I hope you won't upset her again this time." As she was about to leave, her gaze landed on my limping leg, and for once, she showed a hint of concern. "If you have time, you should get your leg checked at the hospital."

Watching her back as she walked away, I didn't feel moved. When I first returned to the Miller family and saw Chloe, who was younger than me, I had been genuinely happy. I still remember the first year after I came back, on Chloe's birthday, I used the money I had earned from six months of part-time work to buy her a necklace. She casually handed it to a servant, saying, "What brand is this? I never wear cheap stuff. Don't waste money on these things in the future."

Meanwhile, Mona had simply given her a small birthday cake, and Chloe was over the moon. "Mona, you actually remembered my birthday and even knew I love cake," she had said with delight.

In that moment, I realized one thing—I didn't have a sister named Chloe.

Tomorrow night, I would be leaving. So today, I finished my last shift, collected my wages, and walked out of the restaurant. The familiar Rolls-Royce Phantom was parked at the mall entrance. Before I could approach, fireworks lit up the sky above the western commercial street. Soon after, countless drones appeared in the dark night, arranging themselves into a sentence.

"Hale, forever loving Lyanne."