My neighbor's daughter is sick, and my mother forces me to donate a kidney to her.

I've been malnourished since childhood—just drawing blood is enough to cost me my life. However, my mother says, "What does your death matter to me? Rhea is my actual daughter!"

Only then do I learn that my mother switched me and our wealthy next-door neighbor's daughter at birth! I glance at my neighbor's daughter, but she's calm and unaffected.

I watch as my mother signs the consent form for the operation. My father ties me to the operating table, and my brother performs the surgery. I have no strength to retaliate, so I make one last request—a DNA test with my mother.

She agrees—she wants me to stop holding out hope.

Later, I forget everything after the surgery, but she breaks down.

When I opened my eyes, Mom was standing in front of me. I tried to get up, only to realize that my arms were tightly bound to a hospital chair.

Before I could say anything, Mom suddenly spoke up. "I've raised you for so many years, and now it's time for you to repay me! I want you to save Rhea."

I couldn't help but feel a rising sense of panic as I asked, "Mom… what are you talking about?"

A young man's voice interjected, "Mom wants you to donate your kidney to Rhea."

That voice sounded all too familiar to me.

I turned my head and, sure enough, saw that it was my older brother, Jeremy Campbell.

"Jeremy?" I called out, and instantly, tears welled up in my eyes.

All my life, Jeremy was the only one who cared for me and treated me the best.

But at that moment, his expression made me feel extremely terrified—it was as if I were a complete stranger to him.

I cried and pleaded with him, "Jeremy, please let me go! It hurts! What do you mean by kidney donation?"

"Rhea is sick and needs a fresh kidney donation. And you just happen to be a match—at least you can be considered useful."

As he spoke, he retreated behind Rhea.

It was only then I noticed that my neighbor, Rhea Sinclair, and her mother were there too!

A while back, Rhea was diagnosed with a serious illness, and shortly after, Mom took me to get tested.

Mom had despised me since I was a child. Instead, she cherished the neighbor's daughter far more than she did me, her own flesh and blood.

Just then, a terrifying thought formed in my mind. Would Mom really sacrifice me for an outsider?

I refused to believe it and struggled, shouting, "What does that have to do with me? I'm your biological sister! How can you force me to donate my kidney?"

But Jeremy just sneered coldly while staring at me. "You're not my real sister—Rhea is. You're nothing but a fake!"

I was dumbfounded. I understood every word he said, but why couldn't I make sense of them when strung together in that sentence?

What did he mean by saying Rhea was his real sister?

Even Rhea herself was slightly taken aback, and she turned to look at him. Jeremy, however, only gently smiled at her.

The nylon straps binding my arms grew tighter. It began cutting into my flesh, and blood seeped out.

But what hurt even more was the way Jeremy smiled at her—it felt like a knife was slicing me open.

Mom stood up. "I didn't want to say anything at first, but since Rhea's sick, I can't keep it a secret any longer."

She approached Rhea and gently took her hand, as if she were holding the most precious treasure in the world. "Rhea is my real daughter!

"You're the neighbor's daughter. I was the one who swapped you two at birth!"

My mind buzzed as if I had been struck with lightning, and I shook my head frantically. "No! That's impossible!"

Mom coldly said, "Why isn't it possible? If you don't believe me, I even recorded a video back then, just in case I ever needed to reclaim Rhea!"

I bit my lip and cried with reckless abandon. My voice seemed to drip with desperation as I pleaded, "Mom, Mom… I was wrong! I must've upset you again, right? Please don't abandon me! I'm your daughter!"

Frantically, I begged, "Mom, look at my hand. I'm bleeding… Mom, hold me… It hurts so much…"

However, Mom only coldly looked at me with disgust and firmly shouted, "Don't call me that! I'm not your mother! I've hated you since you were a child. Every time I saw you, I thought of Rhea! I hate you!"

I opened my mouth and said in a trembling voice, "But yesterday night, you even… even brought me out to eat some cake…"

That cake was one I had dreamed of for 20 years. Why did they have to take away my happiness so soon? I had just gotten it…

Upon seeing no other option to seek help from, I turned to Rhea. But the next words she said instantly shattered the world I once knew.

Rhea said, "Mom, you already owe me so much. You must save me this time!"

That crying voice unquestionably shattered my fantasies.

I turned around in shock and saw Rhea struggling to stand up from her wheelchair. She was trembling as she threw herself into Mom's embrace!

It was then that I could get a clear look at Rhea's body—even with Rhea's mother's meticulous care, she was still tormented by her illness and looked in a terrible state.

She had told me countless times that she wanted to be able to live a healthy life.

Now that an opportunity that came at no cost was presented before her, she would naturally seize it without hesitation.

Jeremy also tenderly approached to hug her, comforting her nonstop, "I'm sorry, Rhea. All these years, I've been caring for the wrong person. In the future, I'll treat you even better!"

Mom cried as she hugged her, "I'm so sorry, my daughter! Whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with me. I will definitely save you!"

I watched as the little bit of affection I had barely gotten in 20 years went toward her effortlessly.

Suddenly, a wave of bittersweet feelings surged within me, but I forcefully suppressed it. I laughed self-deprecatingly.

Most people could usually donate a kidney and not die from it. But Mom had never loved me since I was little, and I grew up neglected—my body had long broken down.

Even bleeding just a little could cost me half my life.

I watched them embrace and suddenly remembered something. Instinctively, I lifted my gaze to the neighbor, Rhea's mother, Wilma Shaw.

Wilma stood there looking indifferent, as if all this absurdity had nothing to do with her. She neither wept for her daughter's betrayal nor showed any desire to save me, who might be her biological daughter.

Shakily, I asked, "Don't you care at all? I might be your biological daughter. Why won't you save me?"

She merely shrugged. "So what if you're my biological daughter? What feelings do I have toward you? I've raised Rhea for so many years, and she's the real daughter I acknowledge. I don't mind if I can use you to save her."

As expected, this was probably the most normal reaction of a mother who loved her daughter.

My eyelids quivered as I lowered my head. So it turned out love only went to those who already had it. Meanwhile, I was just trash abandoned by the whole world.

Still, even if I was trash, I still wanted to live!

I mustered all my strength to shout at the people who were practically my family, "You can't do this! This is illegal!"

Mom looked at me. "It's fine. Legally, I'm your birth mother. I will sign your kidney donor consent form."

"I agree as well." Wilma raised her hand. "It doesn't matter if Rhea is the real or fake daughter. I'll still love her."

Just like that, the two mothers casually handed out my death sentence.

I hoarsely called out to Mom with determination. I refused to believe that, after all these years, there were no feelings for me. Was our bond really worth nothing more than a mere blood relation?

Perhaps it was my anguished cry that caused her to hesitate, but she remained still for a long moment.

Jeremy frowned and grabbed Mom's wrist, but she gently patted his hand. She turned to face me, her eyes red-rimmed. With a trembling voice, she said, "Faye, Rhea is my flesh and blood—my biological daughter.

"I've waited and loved for her all these years. You must donate your kidney, no matter what."

She took a deep breath and added, "I've already asked. You won't die. You might just be rendered unable to care for yourself. When you leave the hospital, I'll definitely love you and properly make up for everything."

My 20 years of longing had instantly turned to dust at that moment. All I got at the end was, "You won't die."

I laughed in self-despair, cruelly cursing myself, "I can't live on like this. I will definitely die."

Mom yelled at me, terrified, "No! That's impossible! I'll have your brother personally perform the surgery!"

Even if a medical expert like Jeremy tried, he wouldn't be able to save someone who was determined to die.

Dad, who had been silent this entire time, held me up and tied me to the operating table like a lamb awaiting its slaughter.

Jeremy presented the surgery consent form, and Mom quickly signed it.

I lay there, staring at them weakly, up until Jeremy started to wheel me into the operating room.

I blinked and stared blankly up at the ceiling, allowing my tears to slip down my face.

With a forced smile that looked uglier than if I cried, I said, "I can give it to her, whether it's my kidney or my life. Either is fine, but I have one request… I want to have a paternity test done with Mom."

Jeremy frowned, loudly scolding, "What's the point of doing all this? You still want to resist?

"Rhea has suffered for you all these years and hasn't returned to Mom's side for 20 years, yet you dare to make demands?"

She suffered? Who was the one who endured so many years of suffering, only to now be reduced to risking their life?

I only wanted that one answer.

Dad sighed. "It's been so many years. Let's just let Faye know the truth. It's best if we can end it here. Then we can all be united as a family."

Mom spoke up in agreement. "Alright. From now on, don't call me 'Mom' anymore."

I smiled with relief. After over 20 years of effort, it was also time for me to give up completely.