I took out my phone.

"A stomach cramp? Let me just call 911 now and ask the doctor to give you a full physical exam in the meantime to see if you're a suitable candidate for bone marrow donation, Ian."

As soon as Ian heard about the physical exam, he immediately straightened up and exclaimed, "There's no need for that! This is just a recurring symptom from the past. I'll be fine with some meds."

"But how could I let that be?" I said, pressing the dial button. "You know that health is the most important thing after all. You still have to take care of me and Mindy in the future. You can't afford to collapse just like that!"

Mindy panicked when she saw I was really about to call for an ambulance.

She suddenly rolled her eyes up and collapsed to the ground in a soft heap.

"Mindy! Mindy, what's happened to you!" Mom screamed as she rushed over to her.

Ian couldn't be bothered to keep up with his sick act anymore and rushed over to pick Mindy off the floor. "Hurry! We have to get her to the hospital as soon as possible!"

…

Mindy was placed in a single VIP ward.

Her hospitalization fees alone over the past few years had been astronomical, and the weight of all of those fees had always fallen on my shoulders in the past, of course.

I arrived at the hospital but didn't go straight to her ward. Instead, I walked over to the nurse's station and swiped Mindy's recent medication list when nobody was looking.

Then, I went around to the hospital's back entrance leading to the trash disposal area.

The trash from Mindy's VIP ward was wrapped in special plastic bags, and sure enough, I found several torn-up packaging boxes inside.

They weren't chemotherapy drugs, nor were they anti-rejection drugs. Rather, they were just vitamin tablets and common iron supplements.

Ironically, I also found the bones and remains of some fried chicken, along with several crumpled-up boba milk tea receipts.

I took out my phone again and took photos of all the evidence, storing them away.

Just as I was about to leave, I heard familiar voices drifting from the hallway.

It was Dr. James Bean, Ian and Mindy's main physician.

"Cindy has been acting strange today. She insisted that I draw lots," Ian said, sounding annoyed.

"What are you afraid of? We can do whatever we want once she's under anesthesia in the operating room," Dr. Bean replied.

"I'm just afraid that things will get complicated if we wait any longer," Ian replied in a low voice. "That accident insurance policy will take effect soon. Something just needs to happen to her while she's on the operating table…"

"Don't worry about it," Dr. Bean said with a sinister smile on his face. "Medical accidents happen all the time. I can guarantee that she'll never come off the operating table as long as you pay me."

I hid in the corner and felt a chill run down my spine.

I have been Mindy's personal blood bank ever since she "fell ill" five years ago, and my body was already at its limit.

I had been afraid that I wouldn't be able to last for a long time, and I didn't want Mom to die at a miserable old age with no money to her name, so I bought an insurance policy and named her as the only beneficiary.

However, I never imagined that this very insurance policy would turn out to be my death warrant after all.

I gripped my phone tightly as the recording light continued flashing red.

When I returned to Mindy's ward, she was leaning back weakly against the headboard, eating the oat porridge in her bowl.

Mom was feeding her lovingly and affectionately the entire time.

A dark look appeared in Ian's eyes as soon as he caught sight of me. However, he quickly put on a gentle expression and said, "You're here, Cindy."

His tone carried a deliberate attempt to ingratiate himself. "I didn't mean to be so rude and impatient with you earlier. Don't take it to heart."

I rolled my eyes inwardly when I saw the obviously ill-intentioned look in his eyes.

"What did the doctor say?" I asked.

"The doctor said that Mindy's condition has worsened," Mom said, wiping her tears away. "She must undergo bone marrow transplant surgery immediately! It can't be delayed any further!"

She continued crying while stealing glances in my direction, worried that I wouldn't buy her performance and agree to her request.

"Yeah."

Ian sighed. "You and Mindy are both sisters. You can't possibly bear to watch her suffer like this, can you?"

He paused for a bit and softened his tone even more.

"Mindy will get better as soon as this transplant is over, and you'll finally be free from it all. You won't have to continuously donate blood to her every two weeks anymore after that.

"And when you're finally recovered enough, we'll go on a trip around the world."

I looked at his expectant eyes and suddenly chuckled. "Sure."

The three of them were shocked. They probably never thought that I would agree to their request that easily.

"Really?" Mom was overjoyed. "Cindy! You've finally come to your senses!"

"However, I have a condition."

"What is it?" Mom asked, feeling uneasy about it.

"I want the bone marrow donation surgery to be broadcast live on the internet."

"Live?" Mindy squealed in terror. "No way! I'm too ugly to be shown on camera! I can't be on TV!"

"What's more important to you, Mindy? Your face? Or your life?" I asked, sounding earnest with my plea.

"Also, with the media paying attention to the surgery, the hospital will definitely send its best team of experts, and the success rate of the surgery will be much higher."

Ian exchanged a glance with Mom.

Mom was still hesitant about it. However, Ian gritted his teeth and spoke first.

"Then, we'll do as you say!"

The surgery was scheduled for three days later.

I contacted an online media company and sent them the photos of the things I'd found in Mindy's trash, the voice recording, and also Mindy's spending records over the past few years.

They immediately replied, "Holy shit, this is an interesting scoop! We'll take on this job!"

I then contacted my old college friend, Phil Stewart, who worked in the hematology department in Luxora Hospital.

"Hey, Phil, I need you to do me a favor. Could you bring a few experts to observe the surgery that day?"

"Sure. Just say the word, and I'll be right there!"

…

I went through all sorts of tests before the surgery. However, I was careful and secretly replaced all the blood samples with those Phil had prepared for me beforehand.

The night before the surgery, Mom made me a bowl of cheddar soup for the first time in as long as I could remember.

"Here, Cindy. Have some of this soup before you go for the surgery tomorrow."

She looked at me with a rare hint of dilemma in her eyes. "I'll… I'll always think of you fondly after this."

I held the soup to my nose and sniffed it. There was a faint smell of bitter almonds in it.

Was she trying to drug me?

I sneered inwardly. So, this was why she was already waiting here like a vulture.

I knew that something had to be off the moment Ian agreed so easily and quickly to my request back then. They were up to no good after all.

"It's a little too warm, Mom. I'll drink it after it's cooled down a little."

I then placed the bowl on the bedside table and smiled at her.

Mom didn't want to linger and left after another line or two.

Once the door closed behind her, I immediately poured the soup into the toilet bowl before smashing the bowl on the floor, making it seem as though I had passed out completely right after drinking it and dropping the empty bowl to the floor.

I slept fully clothed that night with my phone tightly clutched in my hand.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but I suddenly heard the sound of the door being unlocked while I was still in a hazy state.

I held my breath at once.

Two pairs of footsteps entered my room and stopped before my bed.

"She's already drunk everything in the bowl. What are you still so worried about?"

It was Mom. She spoke in a very low voice as she said, "It's a very powerful drug. She probably won't even wake up the next morning. Must we really take action now?"

"She's been acting too strangely this time," Ian replied, his tone as cold as ice and tinged with a sinister edge.

"She never used to question anything when we made her draw the first lot in the past. But she's too calm about everything this time. It's as if she's a completely different person altogether.

"Also, her conditions for the live-streaming won't do. If the media come, I'm afraid that things will get out of control. And the longer this drags out, the more complications will arise. I don't think I can wait until tomorrow morning anymore.

"I've already made all the necessary arrangements with Dr. Bean on his side to bring forward the surgery by a few hours. There's now less than an hour to the scheduled time. We should get her wheeled to the operating theatre now."

"Now?" Mom exclaimed in shock before clapping a hand over her mouth. "But… but the anesthesiologist hasn't arrived yet…"

"Dr. Bean will handle everything. Once Cindy's behind the operating theatre door, her life and death will entirely be up to us."

After speaking, Ian pulled off my bed covers. Then, I felt a cool sensation on my arm followed by the sharp piercing of a needle into my skin.

He was giving me an extra injection!

Almost instantly, I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me like a tidal wave, and my consciousness began to blur.

"Alright. Take her away."