My family hates me for causing my brother's death. From then on, I become a child no one loves. Meanwhile, my cousin, Evelyn Green, who looks like my brother, becomes the apple of my parents' eyes.

From the age of ten to 18, my days are a cycle of beatings and forced apologies.

On my 18th birthday, Evelyn wears a gorgeous gown and basks in everyone's adoration, while I'm shoved around in a maid's uniform and hit like I'm not even human.

In my darkest moment, Morgan Oakley, the mafia boss, saves me. He takes me home, and step by step, wins his way into my heart. Because of him, I learn what love can feel like. He treats me like a treasure and promises me forever.

However, on the day we're supposed to register our marriage, he keeps me waiting for a whole day and night. He never shows up.

As I'm about to leave, my phone starts buzzing. A text from Morgan pops up. "Jasmine, I'm sorry. I ran into an enemy and couldn't make it to the city hall. A storm's coming, so make sure you get home quick!"

My heart clenches in panic. I'm about to text back and ask if he's okay when Evelyn's message comes right after his. "Jasmine, I'm the one he loves. He skipped marrying you today because of me. You must be devastated, right?"

Then, she sends a video. In it, Morgan holds her gently, his voice soft as he comforts her. "Evie, don't cry. You once saved my life, so I'll do anything for you. If you don't want me to marry Jasmine, then I won't. I love you. I only took her in so I could keep her close. That way, she'd be right there when you needed blood."

My parents were off to the side. They chimed in tenderly, "Don't cry, Evie. Morgan loves you. He only pursued Jasmine because of your condition. You have a coagulation disorder and need transfusions of Rh-negative blood whenever you get hurt."

I stagger back when I hear that, dropping my phone to the ground.

So, Morgan's sudden passion is laced with poison. He only pretends to love me just so he can turn me into Evelyn's walking blood bank! Everyone goes to so much trouble to hide the truth from me just so Evelyn doesn't need to suffer from her condition!

Rain mixes with my tears as they slide down my face. I stare at my phone on the pavement as bitterness floods me.

A thought forms—I want to leave them forever. I want to disappear so they'll never find me again.

A downpour hit without warning, leaving me soaked to the bone. I trudged along the street, feeling numb and heartbroken as my mind replayed scenes from the past.

When I was ten, my brother, Jeremy Hurst, and I were in a car accident. Only I survived.

When I woke up, my cousin, Evelyn Green, stormed in and slapped me. "Why didn't you take care of Jeremy?"

The moment she said that, Mom and Dad erupted. Their fingers dug into my throat as they spat, "Why wasn't it you who died?"

From then on, they treated me like I was their enemy. I was too young to fight back, so I was helpless when they targeted me with their beatings and insults and locked me in the basement. I was forced to kneel in a corner while they brushed Evelyn's hair with tenderness, fed her, and celebrated her birthdays…

I thought my whole life would be bleak and loveless.

On my 18th birthday, when Evelyn's friends beat me so badly my head was split open, my entire family stood by without lifting a finger.

I begged Dad for help, but he said I deserved to die. I pleaded with Mom, but she merely turned and walked away.

Just as I was about to be beaten to death, Morgan Oakley, the mafia boss, walked in and saved me. He didn't just pummel the ones hurting me; he even draped his coat over my torn dress and kissed my forehead with aching care. "Jazz, I'm sorry I came late."

He showed proof of his secret love for me and confessed to me with sincerity. I fell for him instantly.

After we got together, he spoiled me so openly that everyone knew about us. For the first time, life tasted sweet. His love felt too good to be true, and I guarded it like something fragile. However, in the end, I learned it had all been a lie.

Morgan didn't love me. He was just using me to save the woman he really cared about—Evelyn.

Three years ago, Evelyn was diagnosed with a coagulation disorder. Any injury would make her bleed nonstop, and she constantly needed transfusions of Rh-negative blood. That was when Morgan "rescued" and pursued me.

Once we were together, he took me to donate blood all the time. Each time, I'd have 800ml of blood drawn from me.

I stumbled on a rock at that thought and hit the ground. The bandage on my arm was scraped off, exposing a cluster of needle marks.

So, Morgan had calculated everything from the moment we'd met. He'd planned on trampling my heart and draining my blood.

How could Morgan be so cruel?

I had no idea how I made it home, but as soon as I reached the door, I heard Evelyn screeching at the top of her lungs. "I can't let Morgan know the person who saved him back then was Jasmine, not me! He'll stop loving me! I can't let him know I'm faking being sick, or I won't get to watch Jasmine suffer through transfusions!

"I hate every fiber of Jasmine's being! How did she manage to survive that car crash? If she'd died in it, Morgan's heart would be all mine now!"

I froze when I heard that, and my blood turned to ice.

So, the little boy I'd saved all those years ago was Morgan. I hadn't even recognized him. All this time, Evelyn had deceived him. He'd loved the wrong person.

And Jeremy's death wasn't an accident. Evelyn had caused it!

When she'd stayed with my family, she'd hated that my parents loved me and Jeremy more than her, so she'd plotted to have us run over.

She never had any illness. She'd just invented it to torture me.

I secretly saved the surveillance footage to my phone and quickly slipped away from home. I had to find Morgan and my parents. I wanted to tell them the truth.

I didn't just want to clear my name. I also wanted to expose Evelyn's crimes.

Just then, I received a message from my professor. He invited me to further my studies in Orzelia, and the departure would be in three days.

It was an opportunity I'd dreamed of.

I slowed down. If I told everyone the truth right now, they would definitely stop me from leaving. It'd be better for me to wait three days and tell them only after I was gone.

I was about to turn around when a car sped toward me. Shock hit me like a wave, and I blacked out.

When I woke, Morgan was holding me tightly with red-rimmed eyes. It was almost as if I were his treasure.

A mixture of hurt and bitterness rose in my chest. I rasped, "Would you be sad if I got hurt?"

He said, "Of course! My heart's aching for you right now. It stopped when I saw you unconscious! Jazz, promise me one thing—don't get hurt again. It breaks me to see you wounded."

His words seem to make the needle marks on my arm throb all at once.

Morgan claimed seeing me hurt made him sad, but the needle marks on my arm were his fault. He had to stop lying.

Anger and humiliation piled up until I was ready to blurt out everything.

Just then, his bodyguard pushed the door open, looking anxious as he hurried over to whisper in his ear. I'd always had sharp hearing, so I clearly heard the bodyguard say Evelyn refused to eat and would only do so if Morgan coaxed her.

When I saw the flicker of panic in Morgan's eyes, my heart sank again.

"Jazz, I've got some work to attend to. I need to go, so take care of yourself," he said.

I didn't answer. Instead, I turned my head and let the tears fall. I wondered if he would feel regret when he realized one day that he'd loved the wrong person.

I decided not to tell him the truth now. If I did, he would never let me leave. I would only tell him that I'd saved him all those years ago after I left. I wanted him to drown in regret. By then, he would've lost me forever.

An hour later, my phone chimed. It was a video from Evelyn.

In the video, Morgan blew on the food to cool it and fed it to her, his eyes full of a tenderness I'd never seen. My parents, who were always stern and proper, put on a goofy show just to make her smile. The laughter on the screen clashed harshly with my quiet sobbing in the hospital room.

Only then did it hit me—after all these years, I was still the invisible person that nobody bothered to care for when sick.

Grief tore through me. I cried until my body shook and my breath came in short gasps.

When I finally stopped, I called my professor, a world-renowned doctor. "Professor Lakeworth, I've decided. I'll leave for Orzelia in three days to further my studies. I'll never return here."

…

I quickly arranged to be discharged from the hospital after a day of recovery. I wanted to wrap things up and get out of this hellhole as soon as possible.

While packing, I stared at a photo of me and Morgan. My eyes were full of longing, resentment, and the sting of betrayal. However, none of it mattered anymore. I was leaving, and I would forget him.

I'd barely composed myself when Morgan pulled me into a tight embrace. "Why didn't you call me to pick you up when you got discharged, Jazz?"

I flinched at his voice. Then, I said calmly, "I know you're busy with work. I didn't want to bother you."

He kissed my forehead, feeling touched. "Why are you packing?"

I clenched my fists loosely. "I want to redecorate the place a bit."

He didn't question it. Instead, he just leaned close and started telling me stories from his day at work. I looked at his tender expression, unable to untangle the knot in my chest. This was all a tender performance for Evelyn's sake.

As I swallowed my bitterness, Evelyn's sickly sweet voice rang out. "Jasmine, Morgan's so busy as the mafia boss. You're being childish by clinging to him every day."

Morgan's body went rigid. He quickly stepped away from me before defending me dotingly. "It's not like that. I'm the one clinging to her."

Evelyn didn't get mad. She merely giggled and said, "You spoil her so much. I'm jealous."

Then, she naturally slipped her arm through his and asked, "By the way, Morgan, which room am I staying in?"

My expression went cold. Morgan hurriedly explained, "Your parents were the ones who wanted her to stay here. They're going on a business trip for a few days and want us to look after Evelyn."

I saw Evelyn flash a victorious grin at me, and I thought about the day after tomorrow—when I would be leaving. I sighed softly and calmly agreed.

At dinner that night, Morgan remembered every single thing Evelyn liked to eat and kept serving her without even thinking about it. The two of them chatted away, leaving me on the sidelines. Every bite of food tasted like cardboard to me.

Noticing I was upset, Morgan immediately had someone set off a luxurious fireworks display to cheer me up.

Under the dazzling fireworks, Morgan stooped down to tie my shoelaces. He also smoothed my hair and fussed over me.

I felt bitter and in turmoil. I honestly couldn't figure out how he could put on an affectionate act so convincingly that I couldn't tell what was real anymore.

Just as he leaned in to kiss me, Evelyn walked over carrying a mango cake that would trigger my allergies. "Jasmine, I noticed that you didn't eat much at dinner, so I brought you cake. Come on, dig in!"

I caught the mango scent immediately and refused. "I'm allergic to mango. I can't eat it."

The moment I rejected her, she started tearing up. "Are you still upset with me, Jasmine?"

Morgan couldn't bear seeing her tears and tried to persuade me. "Evelyn means well, Jazz. Just eat it."

My heart turned to ice at his words. He knew she was bullying me, yet he was taking her side.

My nose stung. I wanted to refuse again, but Evelyn forced the cake into my mouth. The instant the cake touched my tongue, my breathing hitched.

I was about to call for help when she suddenly crumpled to the floor and accused me dramatically, "I just wanted to be nice to you, Jasmine. Why would you reject me?"

I shook my head to deny it, but Morgan pushed me aside in disappointment. He scooped Evelyn into his arms and carried her off. I caught the shape of her lips as she mouthed, "You're trash. You'll never beat me."

I collapsed on the ground, convulsing as I forced myself to throw up until I could finally breathe again. The fireworks were still bursting overhead, but all I felt was irony and heartbreak.

I didn't want the love Morgan had thrown my way like it was charity anymore. Just two more days and I could leave. I was so close.

…

The next morning, after Morgan left for work, I was rudely awakened by Evelyn slapping me.

She gripped my throat tightly. I thrashed, but it was in vain. She only loosened her hold on me when I was on the brink of suffocating.

"You know Morgan loves me, so why did you act so flirty with him yesterday? How pathetic can you be, Jasmine? He doesn't love you! He loves me! Get this straight—he's only thrown you a few scraps of affection because of me. You should be happy with that!" she screeched.

I touched my bruised neck, saying nothing as my tears flowed uncontrollably. I listened as Evelyn listed the ways Morgan loved her. It was only then that I realized he'd been giving me what she had rejected.

The million-dollar necklaces were cheap pieces she'd turned her nose up at, the designer gowns were in styles she didn't like, and every one of our intimate moments was just him venting on me after she'd refused him.

The more I heard, the more hollowed out I became. Yet Evelyn didn't stop rubbing salt into my wounds.

"I'll be frank with you. Your precious Morgan isn't the only one who loves me. Your parents do, too! They said that they'll give me your family's fortune once I'm fully recovered. Then, I'll marry Morgan in grand style!"

That was the last straw. I finally snapped and lunged at her without thinking. "You know exactly whether everything you've gotten was because of you or because of me!"

Evelyn didn't flinch. Instead, she became more brazen as she sneered and asked, "How do you think Morgan will destroy you when he finds out you hit the woman he loves?"

I didn't stop. I went at her like a madwoman, clawing and striking with everything I had.

"Stop this! Are you out of your mind?" Morgan's roar tore through the room. I turned and met his cold, vicious glare.

Evelyn rushed to twist the truth. "Morgan, I was worried because Jasmine wouldn't get out of bed. I was worried she might be sick, but she started hitting me the second she saw me. I…"

He gathered her tenderly into his arms and shot me a look of pure disappointment. "I can't believe you're incapable of tolerating your own cousin, Jasmine! When did you become so jealous? I don't even recognize you anymore!"

Grief and rage washed over me, leaving me unable to speak. All I did was stare him down, staying stubborn to the end.