Six months after my supposed biological parents found me, I started getting frequent nosebleeds and seeing black spots in my vision.
A hospital check-up revealed the grim diagnosis: brain cancer.
My ‘mom’ sobbed uncontrollably, lamenting my cruel fate. My ‘dad’ clutched my hand, firmly declaring he’d spend every last penny to cure me.
But as I feigned sleep, I overheard Mom whispering outside the door:
“Richard, Chloe’s symptoms are getting worse. Should we keep giving her the pills?”
“Of course,” Dad’s voice was devoid of its usual warmth. “For Britney’s sake, Chloe *must* be so sick she can’t get out of bed! Ideally, she’ll willingly give her heart to Britney before she dies.”
“But…”
My dad cut her off sharply. “If we stop the medicine, her symptoms will ease. Don’t you want Britney to make a full recovery?”
After a long silence, my mom finally responded, “I understand.”
Lying in the hospital bed, I couldn’t stop trembling. My hands clutched the hospital gown over my chest, and I could barely breathe.
It turned out there was no genuine affection whatsoever. All they ever wanted was my heart, from the very beginning.
…
“Chloe, time for your medicine.” My mom held a glass of water, offering the pill to my mouth.
I held back tears, turning my head away. “Mom, do I have to take it?”
I couldn’t see her face, but I heard her soft, coaxing voice:
“Chloe, how can you not take your medicine when you’re sick? Take your medicine, and you’ll get better.”
I shook my head defiantly, refusing.
My dad walked into the room, took the pills from Mom, and squatted down in front of me, his voice sincere. “Listen to Dad, Chloe, take your medicine. I promise, once you’re well, you won’t have to take them anymore.”
His face, the face of a dad who had been so doting and kind to me since I’d come home, blurred through my tears.
His persistence was unyielding. I just felt defeated, so I took the water and swallowed the pill.
‘Real heiress,’ ‘biological daughter’ – it was all pretense.
They brought me back into the Lu family, but their only goal was to use me as a heart donor for Britney. They drugged me, colluded with the hospital to falsify records, all for Britney!
Even the mother who gave me life believed her adopted daughter was more important than her biological one.
The tears I’d been holding back finally streamed down. The medicine I swallowed seemed to be taking effect; black spots appeared again in my vision, and my head was buzzing.
Mom noticed my state and tenderly pulled me into her embrace.
“Shh, it’s okay, Chloe. Don’t cry, don’t cry. Just sleep, you’ll feel better after a nap…”
Dad quickly called for the doctor. “My daughter is very uncomfortable, can you give her an injection or an IV drip to ease her discomfort?”
In front of outsiders, the couple put on a show of loving parents deeply concerned for their daughter.
But peeking through my lashes, I saw the doctor in the white lab coat exchange a glance with my dad.
In that instant, they seemed to reach some unspoken agreement.
Then, the doctor calmly stated, “We can give the patient an IV drip first to alleviate the pain.”
My dad gazed at me intently, not breaking eye contact for a second, as if I was the most precious thing in the world.
“Then hurry!”
The doctor hurried out and returned quickly. Moments later, a sharp sting on the back of my hand, and there was a needle and bandage.
The cold liquid flowed into my veins, but I couldn’t help but tremble.
They had drugged me for Britney; what are they injecting into me now?
I forced myself to stop trembling, shrinking further into the bed.
It took a while for my heart rate to slow and my breathing to gradually steady.
My dad, thinking I was asleep, whispered to the doctor, “What’s in this drip?”
“Just saline solution,” the doctor replied.
My dad sighed almost imperceptibly.
The doctor joked with a smile, “Don’t worry, I know the limits. Even for Britney’s sake, we can’t let anything happen to *this* body.”
My dad sighed again. “As long as you understand. If it weren’t for Britney…”
He didn’t finish, but the doctor understood his implication. He patted my dad’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, with me on the case, everything will be fine.”
They exchanged a knowing glance and chuckled simultaneously.
Thank goodness, it was just saline solution…
My heart eased, but my leg involuntarily twitched.
Mom immediately noticed, gestured for them to be quiet, and leaned closer, whispering my name: “Chloe?”
Her voice was soft, just testing if I was awake. I didn’t respond.
The tense atmosphere in the room vanished in an instant. Soon after, they left. I was alone in the room.
Ever since I’d overheard my ‘parents” scheming, I was horrified. More than that, I felt a deep pain and anguish.
It was so clear now. I was their *biological* daughter.
I had been maliciously abandoned by my father’s business rival right after birth, grew up in an orphanage, and was only found half a year ago. During my time back home, my ‘parents’ had been so good to me, and for the first time, I felt what it was like to have a family.
Why… why was it all a lie?
The footsteps outside the door grew fainter, and I started to sob quietly. I cried for the unfortunate two decades of my tragic life.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.
I quickly wiped away my tears, pretending nothing was wrong, and muttered dully, “Come in.”
A middle-aged couple entered. They looked somewhat familiar. Strangely, both their eyes were red and swollen.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, confused.
The moment our eyes met, the woman burst into tears, rushing over to hug me, murmuring, “My daughter, my child, you’ve suffered so much…”
“It’s my fault, Mom’s fault, for finding you so late!”
This sudden turn of events left me completely at a loss, my hands hovering awkwardly. It was only after the middle-aged man’s explanation that I understood what was happening.
“You mean… I’m actually *your* daughter?!” My eyes widened.
The man nodded, handing me some DNA test results. I quickly flipped through them; it was a report from a reputable public hospital, highly credible.
It showed that David and Sarah were my *real* biological parents.
“But… what about Richard and Karen?”
Half a year ago, Richard and Karen had found me at my university, claiming I was their biological daughter who had been lost for years. They’d also provided DNA test results like these, so I hadn’t doubted them, following them back to the Lu estate and enjoying what I thought were six wonderful months.
Now, another couple pops up, claiming I’m *their* child?
The woman hugging me had finally managed to suppress her sobs, but at my words, she nearly cried again. “Child, they tricked you!”
“They were after your heart from the very beginning!”
David and Sarah had already uncovered the truth. Britney, the Lu family’s daughter, suffered from a congenital heart disease. She had been sickly since childhood, and no matter how wealthy the Lu family was, they were helpless against her illness.
Unable to find a compatible heart donor, they had turned their attention to young adults who had just undergone their initial health screenings. It just so happened that I was a perfect match for Britney. That’s when the Lu family targeted me, bringing me home under the guise of their ‘long-lost daughter.’ In reality, it was all to drug me and then collude with the hospital to ‘diagnose’ me with cancer, all to naturally replace Britney’s heart with my healthy one.
After hearing it all, I felt a chill down my spine. They were bold enough to go to such lengths, harming another’s life for the sake of their own child. If I hadn’t overheard their conversation outside the hospital room, if David and Sarah hadn’t found me in time, I probably would have “willingly” given up my heart…
“Dad, Mom.” I looked up at my true biological parents. “You two should leave first and arrange for a room across the hall. Once I’ve handled things here, I’ll join you.”
The Lu family had evil intentions, plotting against me, and I couldn’t just leave like that.
They exchanged glances. Although they didn’t fully understand my plan, they trusted me and quickly left.
In less than half a day, I’d experienced parental betrayal and this whole twisted ‘real vs. fake daughter’ scenario. My mind was still reeling, so I closed my eyes for a brief, restless sleep.
When I opened my eyes again, I was awakened by Britney’s shrill, cutting voice.
She was wearing a beautiful long dress, impeccably made up, followed by Richard and Karen, both with expressions of deep concern. Richard said in a gentle voice, “Chloe’s awake. Britney insisted on coming to see you, knowing you were sick.”
“It’ll be good for her to keep you company.”
*Hah*. Ever since I’d come back to the Lu family, my relationship with Britney, the ‘fake heiress,’ had been strained, to say the least. Her visit now was clearly with ill intentions.
I rolled my eyes internally, but my expression remained cold. “Okay.”
Britney must have said something before they came in. She simply glanced at them, and Richard and Karen left the room. Before leaving, Karen even held both our hands, admonishing us, “You two sisters shouldn’t argue. Talk things through calmly.”
Britney impatiently pulled away, ushering them out of the room. The room became completely silent.
Britney crossed her arms, sizing me up. “Tsk tsk, how pathetic. You’ve only had a good life for half a year and now you’re sick with *this*? Truly unlucky!”
I sneered. “Well, that’s still better than being constantly sickly for over two decades like you. At least I’ve enjoyed a healthy life for two decades.”
Britney hated her fragile body the most, unable to do anything. Provoked by my words, her eyes widened, and she spat out recklessly, “You don’t know, do you? Once you’re dead, your heart will be mine!”
Her overly long manicured finger tapped against my chest, the sharp nail digging into my skin. A jolt of pain shot through me. Thinking of how Britney had repeatedly sought trouble with me these past six months because of Richard and Karen’s attitude towards me, I felt a surge of suffocating anger. I used to overlook her antics because our ‘biological parents’ favored her. Now, things were different.
With a sharp crack, I slapped Britney across the face.
“You *dare* to hit me?” Britney clutched her face, disbelief written all over it.
I sneered. “Why wouldn’t I dare?”
“Let me tell you, Britney, as long as I don’t agree, this heart will never be yours.”
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