Chapter 1 She Will Die It was a scorching summer day. Angela Kins wiped away her sweat, poured the chicken soup into a thermos, covered it, and made her way to Mercy Hospital. As she reached the entrance of the ward, she overheard a conversation between a mother and daughter inside. “Mom, how did I get this illness? If I can’t find a kidney donor soon, I will die. What should I do?” It was her adopted sister, Fanny Kins. She was holding the examination report in her hand and burst into uncontrollable tears. Their mother Scarlet Square, trying to console her, panicked and said, “Joseph is a doctor. He will pay more attention and find a kidney donor for you soon.”
The Joseph Scarlet mentioned was one of Angela’s brothers. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to wait that long, Mom. I’m still young, I have children to raise, and I haven’t properly taken care of you yet, I…” Fanny hesitated, but her meaning was clear—she didn’t want to die. After enduring so much hardship, there are still good days ahead. How could I die now? She’s having such a serious illness but still thinking about filial piety, even more so than my real daughter Angela, thought Scarlet. She felt heartbroken. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and her eyes lit up. “Right, Angela has gastric cancer anyway, and she is terminally ill. Why not have her donate her kidney? That way, she can finally do something for the family.” Fanny got the answer she wanted but still pretended to worry. “But she won’t agree, and it won’t be easy to explain to the brothers.” Scarlet held Fanny’s hand and reassured her, “Just focus on the surgery. Your brothers love you so much, so they won’t object. As for Angela, I have a plan.” Standing at the door, Angela heard the conversation inside and felt as if she had been plunged into an icy cave. Over the years, as the newcomer to this family, she had tried hard to please them, working tirelessly in the family, playing the role of a sycophant to the fullest. But all she received in return was this. When she was ten years old, the Kins Family discovered that she and Fanny were switched at birth, so they took her back from the village. Everyone thought her good days were about to begin, and she believed so, too.
However, due to the difference in environment, it was difficult for her to integrate into this family. Angela became cautious and worked hard to please every member of the family. Although she didn’t gain their recognition, because of her sycophantic nature, she managed to maintain a relatively ‘harmonious’ relationship with the family members. Angela had four older brothers, all of whom were outstanding and doted on their younger sister. However, the one being doted on was not Angela but the adopted girl, Fanny. Whenever there’s a fight between Fanny and Angela and the former began crying, the entire family blamed Angela and demanded an apology from her, even though it wasn’t her fault in most cases. If Fanny made a mistake, it was all Angela’s fault. If Fanny bumped into something, it was all Angela’s doing… Sometimes, Angela even thought that Fanny was the true family member, while she was just an outsider. The Kins Family was one of the first to venture into business in the neighborhood, so their financial situation was quite good.
However, as more and more people entered the business world, the family faced financial difficulties. It was Angela who worked day and night to solve the financial crisis just to please her family. She exhausted herself and even fell ill, but instead of receiving their sympathy, they wished to take her life. Angela laughed bitterly. She should have realized long ago that no matter how hard she tried over the years, she could never gain their care, not even a little bit. Her stomach ached, and Angela’s hand trembled, causing the thermos bottle in her hand to fall to the ground, interrupting the conversation between the mother and daughter inside. Footsteps came from inside, and Angela quickly turned and ran away, but due to the intensifying pain, she couldn’t run fast. Scarlet soon caught up with her at the stairwell. Seeing Angela in unbearable pain, she remained indifferent and said something that was indeed hurtful. “Angela, listen to me. You don’t have any attachments or worries. You have been diagnosed with gastric cancer, and your life is coming to an end. But Fanny is different. She has a family and children. You can’t be so heartless and let her die!” Angela laughed, tears streaming down her face. Her heart shattered into pieces. The woman would ask her own daughter to sacrifice herself for her foster daughter. The doctor said I have discovered it early, and with proper treatment, a complete cure is certain, but my own mother wished for my death. And she’s even claiming I’m heartless! How ridiculous! Fanny took everything that originally belonged to me. First, she took my parents’ and four brothers’ love, then she seized my fiancé and, together with one of my brother Christopher, took away my shares in the company. Now, they wouldn’t even spare my life. Seeing Angela remain silent, Scarlet reached out and grabbed her hand. Angela, still filled with anger, struggled forcefully but unexpectedly lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs.
Everything spun, and Angela crashed into the corner of the wall, spitting out blood and gradually losing consciousness. Scarlet quickly rushed down, her face turning pale with fright. But in the next moment, Scarlet’s words struck Angela’s heart harder than the physical pain. Scarlet’s eyes darkened. “Falling down from such a high staircase, wouldn’t it affect the quality of her kidneys? With so much blood being vomited, she probably won’t survive. That’s good, though. Fanny’s illness can be saved.” Hearing these words, Angela stared at Scarlet with wide-open eyes, her hatred and unwillingness making it impossible for her to rest in peace, even in death. … When Angela opened her eyes again, she felt groggy and struggled for a while before finally seeing the scene in front of her clearly.
The mottled gray wall was adorned with a red cross, and there was a slightly old table next to the bed. A strong smell of medicine wafted into her nostrils, making her already throbbing head even heavier and dizzier. Didn’t I fall from the stairs and died? Why am I in the hospital? The red-painted wooden door was forcefully pushed open, causing the dust on the wall to fall continuously. Then, a group of people stormed in. One of them was her father, George. He glanced at Angela and questioned, “Angela, why did you let those bullies harm Fanny? Didn’t you know that your actions could have endangered her life?”