Chapter 1

After setting up the camera, I realize the clients for the family portrait are my parents and sister—the very people I ran away from five years ago.

The moment we make eye contact, the smile on my mother's face freezes.

Her eyes turn red-rimmed, and she hesitates before asking, "Mora… Is that you? You're alive?"

Placing my finger on the shutter, I remind them, "Keep smiling. Look at the camera."

My father shoots to his feet. "Are you still mad at us? You've avoided us for five years. What kind of grudge between family members can't be resolved after all that time?"

I look at Mora, the dog who shares my name, as it stands beside my sister.

I don't understand why Dad's angry. After all, they're the ones who spent years brainwashing me into believing I'm nothing but a bone marrow provider for my sister, Eva Fletcher.

Even the dog makes it in the family photos that I wasn't allowed to be in as a child.

I've long given up on needing such a family.

Chapter 1

As my sister, Eva Fletcher, swept her gaze over my dust-covered work clothes, her tone became filled with both pity and mockery.

"What happened back then was indeed my fault. But how did you end up like this after you just walked away?"

I continued adjusting the focus on my camera without a care, too uninterested to argue further. "If you still want to do the shoot, please hurry. Otherwise, the deposit is non-refundable."

Joan Kennedy, my mother, repeatedly wiped the corners of her eyes and reached out to pull me over.

"A family photo only counts when the whole family is together. Mora, come stand with me."

I dodged her hand. "When you made the appointment, didn't you say it was a family of four, consisting of three people and a dog? I see the dog is already in position. Would you mind returning to your seat and cooperating with the shoot?"

The face of my father, William Fletcher, instantly turned livid. "How outrageous!"

He jabbed his finger at me, almost poking my forehead. "When you were a child, you cried and threw tantrums just to take photos. Who exactly are you putting on airs for now?"

Just as I was about to call security, Eva quickly stood up and calmed Dad down. "Don't get so worked up. We still have dinner with the Harrisons later."

She glanced at her watch, then wrote down a phone number and handed it to me. "We're in a hurry today. Let's find a chance to talk things through. We're family. There's nothing we can't get past."

I didn't take the slip of paper. "If you want to book a photo session, contact the shop's landline.

"You took my bone marrow for 18 years. I don't owe you anything anymore. From the moment I was born, I wasn't even registered in the same household as you. So don't act like we're close."

The color drained from my parents' faces. They looked like they wanted to say something more, but Eva glanced at her watch again and placed the note on the worktable.

"I'm about to marry into the Harrison family. Out of consideration for our past, I can still help you out. You've been surviving on your own for five years now. Think it over carefully."

After saying that, she pulled our parents with her and left, her chin held high.

I had just asked my assistant to throw away the note when my fiance, Caleb Harrison, called.

"I'm sorry, honey. There's a dinner tonight that I've already tried to cancel several times, but I couldn't get out of it. I can only go with you to look at wedding dresses tomorrow."

"That's alright. Who are you having dinner with tonight?" I asked.

Caleb immediately started venting. "A supplier we've worked with many times before is about to renew their contract. They suddenly want to renegotiate the terms.

"It's really strange, and it's getting in the way of me spending time with you."

I immediately understood what was happening. Just as I was about to respond, Caleb noticed something amiss and asked, "Why do you sound upset? Did you run into another difficult customer?

"We only started this shop to have some fun. If there's a customer you don't like, just ban them!"

I smiled. "My biological parents and sister came to the shop for a family portrait.

"And from the looks of it, the people you're having dinner with tonight are probably them."

Chapter 2

The screech of brakes came from Caleb's end of the line.

He said, "Honey, wait for me at the shop. I'll have my secretary cancel the dinner. I'm coming to you right now."

Caleb only knew that my relationship with my biological parents was bad and that we had cut ties long ago. He didn't know the details of my past.

Hearing the panic in his voice, I suddenly changed my mind and said, "Don't cancel it. I'll go with you tonight."

After hanging up the phone, I stared at the photo I had accidentally taken when my hand shook just now and fell into deep thought.

In the picture, Mom was frowning, Dad had his fists clenched, and Eva stood with her arms crossed. Next to them, the dog had its tongue hanging out, wearing the same eager-to-please expression I used to have as a child.

The fact that my family didn't love me was something I had understood since I was a child. Back then, the sentence I heard the most from Mom and Dad was, "Your life exists because of Eva's pain."

Eva had severe aplastic anemia and had never been able to find a suitable bone marrow match.

With no other options left, my parents chose to give birth to me.

Their original plan was to send me away right after the transplant, so they didn't even register me into the family.

Then, after finally making it through the transplant surgery, they were hit with devastating news—my bone marrow was unable to produce red blood cells in Eva's body.

For the rest of her life, Eva could only survive through regular transfusions of blood produced from my bone marrow.

At the time, Mom held young Eva close and cried her heart out, devastated by the suffering Eva would have to endure in the future.

Dad's eyes were bloodshot as he slammed his fist against the wall, cursing the heavens for putting his precious daughter through such torment.

No one paid attention to me lying on the other bed, already so severely dehydrated that I couldn't even make a sound.

That was the earliest memory I could recall in my life. The unbearable thirst I felt that day had also followed me through the first half of my life.

My parents believed that it was because I stubbornly insisted on staying in this family that Eva couldn't recover.

To punish me, they left me out of the family registry altogether. They even named me Mora—as though my very name existed to remind me I was more than they had ever wanted.

I never had a room of my own. I slept in the living room my entire childhood, and the clothes I wore were always the ones Eva had outgrown.

Sometimes, Mom would soften and give me a cookie when she handed out snacks. Eva would cry until she could barely breathe, only stopping after Mom and Dad promised that all their love belonged to her alone.

I tried imitating her. I cried and threw tantrums, but all I got in return were slaps.

It was then that I truly realized my ability to receive any love at all depended entirely on Eva. So I began trying desperately to please her.

When she was old enough to start elementary school, Eva demanded that our parents put us in the same class, despite the two-year age gap between us.

She also told our classmates I was the maid Mom and Dad had birthed for her. Carrying her backpack, running errands, and doing her classroom chores for her—I did everything without complaint.

I had longed for Mom and Dad to take notice of me, longed to be considered a part of this family.

The monthly bone marrow extraction day became the day I anticipated the most. On that day, my parents would stay by my side, watching my blood flow inch by inch into the bag. They'd then cradle it like a precious treasure and bring it to Eva.

That half hour of being fully seen was enough to sustain me through all the days when I was regarded as invisible.

Just when I thought I would live like this forever, things suddenly changed. I had somehow made it into the honors track in the state's top high school.

On the day the results were announced, someone's parent patted Dad heavily on the shoulder and congratulated him. "Your younger daughter is amazing! She's so young, yet she managed to get into the honors track."

Dad was slightly taken aback. "My younger daughter?"

It took him a moment before he remembered my name. "Mora?"

Mom pointed toward the school gate in surprise. "They even hung a banner up. Mora is the top student?"

For the first time, they didn't look at me like I was a sinner or a human blood bag. Dad even patted my head and praised me for doing well.

A jolt went through my body, and I felt like I was in a dream. I was so overwhelmed that I forgot to pay attention to Eva's reaction.

Mom and Dad's joy lasted all the way home, and it wasn't until dinner that they realized Eva was missing.

Chapter 3

Eva hadn't actually run away at all. She was just lying in the bathtub with a shallow wound on her wrist.

Beside her was a suicide note that read, "Mora said I'm stupid and weak and that I don't deserve to be Mom and Dad's daughter. She told me that I'm a parasite on this family and should just die."

Dad scooped Eva into his arms and rushed out, his knees so weak that they almost gave out several times.

Mom's face instantly drained of color. She applied pressure against Eva's wound, sobbing loudly as she desperately flagged down a car to take them to the hospital.

In their frantic hurry, they had rushed past me, knocking me down the stairs without even realizing it.

The pain was so intense that I could barely stand. Still, the overwhelming panic kept me moving, and I limped all the way to the hospital.

As soon as Mom spotted me, she lunged over and landed a slew of furious slaps across my face. She hit me so hard that I could barely catch my breath.

"If it weren't for Eva's illness, you would've never been born! How dare you say such things to my daughter!"

Mom's screams pierced through my ears, which were already ringing nonstop.

Dad grabbed me by the neck and hauled me into the examination room, where an icy needle stabbed into my arm.

His expression was terrifyingly dark as he said, "We gave birth to you only to save Eva. We've fed and clothed you all these years, yet this is how you repay my daughter?"

The loss of so much blood made my head spin, leaving me unable to speak. I opened my mouth, but in the end, I still couldn’t tell them that I hadn't hurt Eva—that I was their daughter too.

After the blood transfusion, Mom and Dad left again without even looking back. I developed a high fever due to the stress, and the unbearable thirst returned once more.

The nurse on duty noticed me. With just one glance at me, she panicked and shouted, "Whose child is this? She's burning up so badly that she could become delirious. Why aren't her parents here yet?"

I strained to point toward the neighboring ward. When the nurse helped me up, I crashed heavily to the floor.

Upon hearing the commotion, Mom and Dad finally came over.

The nurse immediately berated them. "How can you call yourselves parents? Your child has a high fever and a broken leg, but you didn't even bother to check on her!"

It was only then that they noticed my dislocated calf and my blood-soaked pants.

A brief look of distress flashed across Mom's face as she took my burning body from the nurse's arms.

It was the first time I had ever leaned against her. Just as I greedily breathed in the scent of her coat, Eva's crying suddenly echoed from the ward next door.

"Dad, Mom, you should just stop caring about me. Every time you pay attention to me, Mora deliberately hurts herself. She's a healthy child, unlike me. I'm just a sick burden dragging everyone down. Just let me fend for myself!"

Hearing this, Dad flung me to the ground. He looked at me with anguish and fury.

"Mora, how can you be this calculating? Eva is so kind. Why aren't you the one who's sick?"

The last trace of guilt in Mom's eyes disappeared, replaced by disappointment and contempt.

"When I gave birth to you, you caused me to suffer a massive hemorrhage during labor. You nearly took my life.

"During the in-vitro test, your bone marrow was clearly shown to be a perfect match. But after the transplant, it couldn't produce red blood cells for Eva, leaving her dependent on you for the rest of her life.

"And now, you're even trying to kill my daughter and take her place. Mora, the family has no need for your bone marrow anymore. Leave!"

I felt my blood run cold. For a moment, I almost forgot how to breathe too.

I fell to my knees and desperately grabbed Mom's hand, using it to hit myself.

"Mom, please don't abandon me. I was wrong. I shouldn't have fought Eva for your affection. It's my fault. I deserve to die. I'm the reason she can't be cured. I'm a sinner. Please don't drive me away!"

I don't remember how long I knelt that day. All I knew was that I had cried until I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I learned that my broken leg was left with a permanent limp. It was because I had walked too far without getting treated in time.

Chapter 4

For the sake of not being abandoned and for Eva to stop targeting me, I tore up my acceptance letter to the honors track right in front of Mom and Dad.

I joined the regular class Eva was in and once again took on the responsibility of looking after her.

Over the years, Mom and Dad had grown increasingly busy trying to pay for Eva's treatment.

And so, most of the housework fell to me—laundry, mopping the floors, grocery shopping, and cooking meals tailored to everyone's preferences.

Mom and Dad's resentment toward me gradually faded with each passing day. On rare occasions, they praised me for being so considerate, but they would also immediately observe Eva's reaction afterward.

Three years had passed, and Eva had grown more composed. Whenever our parents gave me a passing compliment, she no longer threw a dramatic fit like she had when we were children.

Because of Eva's illness, the whole family took a family photo every year on her birthday.

I never again brought up wanting to go. However, Eva eventually couldn't hold it in any longer.

While Mom and Dad were out, she stood over me with her arms crossed and questioned, "What are you up to? I refuse to believe you're willing to spend the rest of your life working yourself to the bone!

"Are you planning on lying low until you become an adult, waiting for Mom and Dad to realize I'm a total deadbeat and you're the only one they can rely on?"

I paused for a moment but didn't answer. I merely reminded her to take her medicine.

Eva laughed in frustration. "I won't let you get what you want, Mora. Mom and Dad have always belonged only to me, from beginning to end. The most you'll ever be is a dog I keep around!"

Strangely enough, after Eva said those harsh words, my parents started treating me better instead. Dad began taking the initiative to ask about my studies, and for the first time in my life, Mom even bought me several new outfits.

For so many years, all of my clothes—even my underwear—had been Eva's hand-me-downs.

When Mom saw me wearing new clothes that actually fit, she reached out and gently ruffled my hair. "You really have grown up."

I stood there, overwhelmed by her touch while also trying desperately to relax my frozen body.

Mom's gaze fell on my right leg. "It's just a shame about your leg."

I immediately stood up. "I've raised the heel of every right shoe I own. As long as I walk slowly, people won't notice my limp!"

My voice grew urgent as I added, "I haven't embarrassed you and Dad."

Mom froze for a moment before giving me a smile. "Tomorrow is your 18th birthday. Let's take a family photo together, all of us."

My eyes instantly reddened. After 18 years, Mom and Dad were finally accepting me as a part of this family!

I was so excited that I couldn't sleep the entire night.

Sometime in the middle of the night, I heard Mom and Dad arguing in their bedroom. However, I couldn't catch what they were fighting about.

The next morning, I quickly got dressed in my new clothes. I was so eager that my whole body trembled slightly.

When we arrived at the photo studio, Mom hesitated, wanting to say something, but Dad shoved me into a room.

Inside, a strange man looked me up and down before asking, "Are you of age?"

Dad replied loudly from outside the door, "She turns 18 today! It's just that she'll have to wait another three years before registering her marriage."

The photographer turned his head and shouted, "Can the newlyweds please stand in the center and look at the camera?"

I immediately understood that Mom and Dad had used the family photo as an excuse. They had lured me here to sell me off!

I lunged toward the door, frantically twisting the handle.

Mom pushedd against the door from the outside, pleading in a low voice, "Mora… I'm begging you. The only hope for Eva to be completely cured is with umbilical cord blood. I can't have any more children, so you're the only one we can count on.

"Just help Eva one last time. Help our family one last time! Once we get the blood, you'll be completely free. You'll never owe Eva anything again. In the future, you can go to college and do whatever you want!"

My voice was so choked up that I could barely get a single word out. "Mom, I just want you to love me. I'm your daughter too! Please don't do this to me, Mom!"

But there was no response from my mother.

The man came over and grabbed me. I struggled desperately, kicking, hitting, and biting him, but it was useless.

When the photo couldn't be taken, the man immediately hauled me into a van.

Mom hesitated, wanting to step forward, but Dad grabbed her and stopped her. "Don't forget why you gave birth to Mora in the first place!"

In the end, Mom gritted her teeth and shut the van door alongside the man.

I stopped struggling. I just looked intently at Mom, who didn't dare look my way again.

When the van reached a bridge, I suddenly pulled open the door. Without the slightest hesitation, I threw myself into the rushing river below.

As the wind roared past my ears, I faintly heard a heartbroken cry coming from somewhere in the distance.

"Mora!"

…

"What are you thinking about? You look so serious." Caleb pushed the door open and wrapped one arm around me with practiced ease.

I snapped back the the present and smiled faintly, shaking my head. "Just remembering some things from when I was younger."

"If you don't want to meet them, don't force yourself. I'll cancel the meeting," Caleb offered.

I held his hand. "Let's go. After all these years, it's time to settle things. Besides, now I've got you by my side."

When we reached the door of the private room, I took a deep breath. Caleb intertwined his fingers with mine, his thumb gently brushing over the back of my hand in reassurance.

The waitstaff pushed open the door.

As soon as my parents saw Caleb, they hurried over with wine glasses in hand. Meanwhile, Eva quickly put away her lipstick and slipped on her signature smile.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Caleb said flatly.

He lifted our clasped hands slightly. "This is my fiancee, Jewel Fletcher."

The ring between my fingers caught the light, its sparkle flashing across everyone's faces as their expressions instantly turned to shock.

Eva shouted in utter disbelief, "Mora?"