It was the fifth anniversary of my death, coinciding with the day Estrella Cole, Skyler Thomas's childhood friend, had her leukemia relapse. He finally remembered me because I was the only compatible bone marrow donor.

"Izabella Bryant, you have one day to get to the hospital and donate your bone marrow."

"Don't forget, this is what you owe Estrella!"

"If you're late and something happens to her, don't blame me for cutting off your mother's medical funds."

On the other end of the line, my mother, her hair as white as snow, listened quietly. After a long pause, she finally replied:

"Izabella passed away five years ago, on the very day she donated her heart to you."

Five years later, Skyler Thomas walked into my mother's hospital room again. She lay on the bed, pain etched across her face, and struggled to ask, "Skyler, why can't you just leave us in peace?"

Skyler looked down at her with contempt. "Leave you in peace? Izabella did this to Estrella. How could I just let it go?"

"I told you, as soon as Izabella donates bone marrow to Estrella, we can move on."

"Is Izabella really so selfish, willing to watch Estrella suffer?"

My mother's eyes widened, her voice hoarse and pained: "I've already told you over the phone!"

"Izabella passed away! Five years ago!"

Skyler frowned and slapped my mother across the face. "Enough! Are you still trying to deceive me?"

"Izabella must have convinced you to say this, right? She’s still as crafty as ever."

"You have one day. Tell her to come see me, or else you'll regret it!"

My mother turned her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was not lying. I had already died, five years ago.

Back then, Skyler and I were just barely holding on to a semblance of a relationship. His heart condition was worsening, and when I visited him in the hospital, he simply said, "Take care of yourself, you still need to donate marrow to Estrella."

"This is your only chance to make things right."

I clutched the report in my hand, denying once more, "I wasn’t the one who hurt her."

"Enough!" Skyler's face was dark, his voice sharp. "Are you still refusing to take responsibility?"

I was taken aback. Skyler took a deep breath, rubbed his tired eyes, and softened his tone. "Alright, once Estrella gets better, you can apologize to her properly."

"We can still get back to where we were."

Everyone believed I had locked Estrella in an abandoned paint factory out of jealousy. They said I was the one who caused her leukemia, worsened by the chemicals and her genetic predisposition. They labeled me vicious, a lunatic, demanding I kneel and apologize to her.

Even Skyler, who had just proposed to me, looked at me with shock and thinly-veiled disgust, saying, "I never knew you were capable of this."

If my bone marrow wasn't a match for Estrella, he probably wouldn't want to see me ever again.

But only I knew the truth... I had never done such a thing.

I wanted to speak, but Skyler grew impatient once more. He said coldly, "If you have time, you should visit Estrella more often. I don't want to see you right now!"

I laughed at myself, took a step, and left the room.

As I walked out the door, I turned to look at Skyler one last time.

Tears began to fall unwittingly, soaking the report in my hands.

The report showing my heart was a match for Skyler.

I couldn't give Estrella my bone marrow, nor could I ever return to how things were with Skyler.

I wanted to trade my life for Skyler's survival.

A frail figure rushed into the hospital room. A young boy, his face set in determination, spread his arms wide as if to shield his mother, casting a wary glance at Skyler Thomas. He was Kyro, my little brother.

Skyler took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and crouched to meet Kyro’s gaze. Once, Kyro had adored him, calling him "brother-in-law" with a sparkle in his eyes. But after I was gone, Skyler took his frustrations out on my family. This innocent boy became isolated, bullied, and eventually expelled from school.

The warmth in Kyro’s eyes was now replaced with hatred. Skyler spoke, his voice cold and demanding, "Kyro Bryant, tell me where your sister is."

"If you can convince her to come back and donate her bone marrow, I'll make sure you get to return to school. Does that sound good?"

Kyro’s eyes filled with tears. The day the principal announced his expulsion to the entire school, he had run to Skyler’s home, begging for help. But Skyler never came to see him. Instead, the guard mocked him, saying, "Some people have no shame. Even after their sister put Miss Cole in such a state, they still come begging Mr. Thomas."

Kyro had wanted to wait, but the guard slapped him and threw him out. "The brother of a disgrace is just as disgraceful! What bad luck!” They insulted me without restraint, driving Kyro to the brink of collapse.

And now, facing Skyler’s "deal," Kyro choked out, "How can I tell you where my sister is?"

"She’s already gone! She died to save you!"

"I regret it so much. I wish I had never introduced you to her!"

Yes, it was through Kyro that I met Skyler. Kyro had attended one of his business lectures and was starstruck, eagerly chatting with him afterward. I had come to pick Kyro up, and that’s when I bumped into Skyler.

He tilted his head, looked at me with surprise, then smiled, extending his hand. "Hello, I’m Skyler Thomas."

Back then, his smile was charming, and his gaze gentle. We grew close, eventually falling in love. Everyone thought it was a classic fairy tale of a prince and a commoner. Who could have predicted things would end up like this?

Hearing Kyro’s words, Skyler’s face darkened. He laughed bitterly, "Regret? She was always plotting to get close to me. What's there to regret?"

Even now, as a mere spirit, I couldn’t help but shiver. The emptiness in my chest ached with a familiar sting. Once, Skyler’s parents had advised him to be cautious, claiming someone like me only wanted money.

Skyler would always frown and argue back, "Izabella isn’t like that!"

When did his perception of me change? It was probably when Estrella Cole, his childhood friend, returned from abroad. She greeted me with a smile, then tearfully complained to Skyler, "I’m not trying to take him away, so why is Izabella targeting me?"

She gave me expensive jewelry and then lamented to Skyler, "You should give more gifts to Izabella; it's not right for her to keep taking mine."

This beautiful yet fragile girl even pushed a drunken Skyler into my room one night, then led his parents there the next day. The Thomases were livid, pointing at me in fury, "Is this how desperate you are to marry into our family? Doing such shameless things?"

"You’re not fit to be a Thomas!"

I looked helplessly at Skyler, but his face was stony, and his eyes held a cold gaze of judgment. In their minds, I was nothing but a greedy, unscrupulous person.

And such a person, in their eyes, had driven the Cole family’s precious daughter to the brink and refused to donate bone marrow to save her. Skyler’s hatred for me seemed justified.

His harsh words left Kyro speechless with rage. Shaking with anger, Kyro clenched his fists tight. Skyler, losing interest in further confrontation, stood up and declared, "Regardless, I want to see Izabella Bryant tomorrow."

"I doubt Izabella would just sit back and watch as I tear you all apart."