The doctor said I only had three days left to live.

Acute liver failure.

My only hope was an experimental clinical trial. It was extremely risky, but had the faintest sliver of a chance to survive.

But my husband, David, gave the last available spot... to my adopted sister, Emma, also my daughter’s godmother.

Her condition was still in its early stages.

He said it was the "right decision," because she “deserved to live more.”

I signed the papers to forgo treatment and took the high-dose painkillers prescribed by the doctor.

The cost? My organs would shut down, and I would die.

When I handed over the jewelry company I’d poured my heart into, along with all my designs, to Emma, my parents praised me, saying, “Now that’s what a good big sister should do.”

When I agreed to divorce David so he could marry Emma, he said, “You’ve finally learned to be understanding.”

When I told my daughter to call Emma ‘Mom,’ she clapped her hands and said, “Emma is such a gentle and kind mother!”

When I gave all my assets to Emma, everyone in the family thought it was only natural.

No one noticed anything was wrong with me.

I’m just curious.

Will they still be able to smile when they find out I'm dead?

Under the sympathetic gaze of the doctor, I tilted my head back and swallowed the high-dose painkillers.

My life had entered its final three days.

Leaving the consultation room, I went to Emma's hospital room.

It was warm and peaceful inside. My mom, Marlene Smith, and my dad, Thomas Fulton, were sitting by her side, doting on her.

"Emma, try some of the cake I made."

"Drink more juice, you need the vitamins."

The moment I appeared, the atmosphere turned cold.

"What are you doing here?"

"So now you're here to bother Emma again when you can't fake being sick anymore?"

"Jasmine, we won't let you bully her anymore."

Mom stepped in front of me, her tone icy.

Dad followed, shielding Emma behind him.

"We can't believe we raised someone as petty as you. If we'd known, we never would've had you."

I gave a bitter smile. I used to argue, to shout, to expose Emma's lies. What did it get me? More favoritism for her and more blame for me. I was approaching my end; what was the point of fighting anymore?

"It's good you're here," said Dad coldly. "We need to talk."

"I'll go first," I said, cutting him off with a smile. "The company, the patents, the design drafts... Emma's always wanted them, right? They're all hers now."

They froze, utterly stunned.

"You really agree to this?"

"You're not plotting something again, are you?"

I lowered my head and chuckled. "Before, when I said no, you called me selfish. Now that I'm saying yes, you still think it's not good enough?"

For once, Mom looked pleased. "Now that's how a good big sister should act. Emma was always better at design than you in school. Once she's discharged, she'll make the company number one in the country."

I nodded silently and handed over the transfer documents.

Emma's eyes lit up. She grinned so wide her face could hardly contain it. She signed immediately, then shot me a triumphant look.

In this family, no matter how hard I worked, I was always the loser.

"Here, Jasmine, have some cake too. Emma left a small piece."

My throat tightened. I could only nod weakly.

Maybe if I gave them everything, they would finally talk to me with a smile.

I held back my tears.

I wondered… When they found out I was dead, when they learned what Emma had done, would they still be smiling?

Would they feel even the slightest bit of regret?

I discharged myself and went home.

David White, my husband, and our daughter, Betty White, were making handmade chocolates, and an apple pie was baking in the oven.

They were laughing happily, not noticing I had come in.

It was not until David washed his hands that he noticed me. His smile vanished instantly. "You should've called first."

I stared blankly at the card on the dining table.

It was made of pink paper, decorated with glitter and little stars.

Two neat lines of handwriting read:

"To the most beautiful godmother, Emma."

"To our dearest Emma, may you always be happy!"

It was signed with my daughter's name.

Beside it was David's messy but affectionate scrawl. "The apple pie I baked for you should be ready soon. No sneaking bites!"

I only found out David could cook when I was dying.

While I was alive, I worked myself to the bone providing for this family, handling the money, the meals, the house…

All I got in return was criticism and disdain.

Before, I would have broken down, demanded answers, or picked a fight.

At this point, I said nothing. I just went to the bedroom and began packing my things.

"Jasmine, there's something I need to discuss with you. It's... about your sister, Emma."

David came to speak with me. "After her surgery, Emma's health has been really weak. My parents found a fortune-telling master back home. He said Emma has to get married to recover. They haven't found a suitable guy on short notice, so... they want me to marry her first. They think it'll help her get better…"

"You agreed to it?" A sharp pain pricked at my heart. I could not believe what I was hearing.

David looked uneasy. "Jasmine, as her sister, you want her to get better too, right? The fortune-telling master said once she's married, Emma's health will recover quickly! And it's just for show. It won't affect our relationship. You're still Betty's mom, my wife. I'd never betray you."

Before I could say anything, our daughter grabbed my hand and looked up at me pleadingly. "Mom, Godmother Emma's been really sad lately. She cries alone all the time... Please let Dad help her, okay?"

I froze.

Yes, years ago, despite my protests and tears, they insisted on making Emma our daughter's godmother.

Even my daughter was closer to her than to me.

As I looked at this so-called family, my eyes welled with tears, but I forced them down.

One was the man I had loved for years. The other, the child I had risked my life to bring into the world.

In their world, Emma was family. I was just the 'overly emotional' mother.

I looked at David calmly. "Alright. As long as it makes you all happy."

David's eyes lit up with surprise and delight. He immediately pulled out the divorce papers he had clearly prepared in advance. "Just sign here."

"Mom, here's a pen!" My daughter eagerly handed it to me.

My heart sank. So they had been waiting for this moment.

I signed quickly and handed the divorce papers back.

"As soon as Emma recovers, I'll remarry you right away. Don't worry, you're the only woman I love. And Betty will always be your daughter," said David as he hurried to add his signature.

I felt wronged, but managed a strained smile. I would not live to see that day.

"Jasmine, you're so much more understanding than before. I wasn't perfect either. I'll make it up to you."

"Mom, you're so good to Godmother. I'm proud to have a mom like you!"

I felt nothing but bitter irony. I had still held onto a shred of hope. At this point, though, it was gone.

I turned to go upstairs. Just as I lifted my foot, everything went dark. I could not catch my breath, and collapsed.

I was jolted awake by cold water.

David and our daughter were standing over me. "Mom, why are you pretending to faint again? Mom, you're not even sick, and you keep faking it to trick us. We need to bring dessert to Godmother. Get up, you're wasting time!"

"Jasmine, I've told you over and over—the divorce is just for appearances. I'm not going to leave you. You don't need to fake illness to test me."

Their first reaction upon seeing me collapse was not to call an ambulance, but to accuse me of playing games.

"Mom, you look so healthy. How could you be sick? You're a grown-up, and I'm more mature than you."

Her words pierced my heart.

It seemed the doctor's medication really worked. I did not look sick at all.

Still, in three days, I would be dead.

"I'm fine now. I'll come with you. Emma still needs to sign some transfer papers."

David clearly did not want me going to the hospital, but hearing that some formalities were incomplete, he nodded.

At the hospital, Emma was leaning weakly against the bed, looking pale and frail.

She truly looked more like someone beyond saving than I did.

"Jasmine, you're here!" Emma greeted me warmly. "Jasmine, thank you for believing in me. Once I recover, I'll work hard to take our jewelry business global."

"Yes, Jasmine. Didn't you always love to travel? With Emma managing things, you can travel and still receive dividends from the company. Isn't that wonderful?" Mom beamed with genuine joy.

I smiled too. "Yes, it sounds perfect. So I've decided to transfer all the money in my accounts, and all the properties under my name, to Emma as well. That way, I won't need to worry about a thing anymore."

At that, everyone froze.

"You're not joking, Jasmine? Including the stock that's already gone public?" asked Emma again in disbelief.

I could not understand it. Emma always had her eyes on everything I owned.

Whenever I refused to give her something, she would call me selfish, accuse me of bullying her, saying I was not acting like a proper sister.

I was finally handing everything over to her without resistance, and they still did not believe?

"Jasmine, you've finally grown up. You finally understand how to be a good sister!" Dad was the first to react, praising me. "You two sisters being united and treating each other selflessly, that's all we ever wanted. Now we can finally enjoy our retirement in peace."

That was laughable.

Emma went through all that scheming to take everything from me. Was it really just to lighten my burden and let me enjoy life?

She deceived everyone with her pitiful act and fake kindness.

Suddenly, a sharp tightness gripped my chest, and I coughed twice. A metallic taste filled my mouth. "You're coughing up blood?! Is your throat inflamed?"

Mom noticed the blood on my handkerchief and came over to pat my back.

I wiped the corner of my mouth and asked softly, "Mom, Dad… if I die, would you feel sad?"

The room went quiet. "Who talks like that? Just when you started behaving, you're back to talking nonsense?"

Mom gave me a small slap.

"You look so healthy. It's probably just a sore throat. Take some anti-inflammatory meds, don't be so dramatic," added Dad impatiently.

"Yeah, Mom, look at Godmother's face. She's the one who really needs to take care of her health. Stop being so paranoid." My daughter spoke to me like a little adult, her tone scolding.

"That's right, Jasmine. Stop faking illness to gain sympathy. I've told you so many times. Set a good example for your child. You can't keep lying like this," David chimed in as well.

My eyes reddened, but I still managed to smile. "You really like Emma, huh, Betty? From now on, you'll be her daughter. Let your godmother be your mom."

Betty's eyes lit up. "Then Mommy Emma can take me to the amusement park and to tutoring sessions!"

She jumped into Emma's arms, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and started calling her 'Mommy'.

Betty had not been that happy in a long time.

Everything was different on this day because I let Emma become her mother.

She jumped around calling Emma 'Mommy' repeatedly while David gently stroked her hair.

My parents sat together, watching them with satisfaction.

They looked like one big happy family.

Me? I was just the extra.

I turned away, wiped my tears, and quietly left the room.

There was only one day left before I left this world.

I did not know where to go.

I unlocked my phone. The background had not changed. It was a photo of the three of us at an amusement park.

That day, the sun had been shining. I stood in the middle, holding hands with my daughter and David. We were all smiling like we truly had known happiness.

I drove to that very amusement park, the place from the photo.

The carousel was still there, spinning round as if nothing had changed.

I bought a ticket and sat on the same familiar horse.

The wind blew against my face. I closed my eyes.

For a moment, I could still hear my daughter's laughter… and David warning me, "Be careful."

This time, no one was with me.

I rode alone. A wave of dizziness washed over me. I knew death was near.

I forced my eyes open, but the world grew more and more blurred.

With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and used the last of my strength to dial a number I had not called in years.

Ring…

Ring…

I could not hold on any longer. The phone slipped from my hand, and darkness consumed everything.