I was eighteen when I got together with Sam Bennett. We were in love for two years—at least, that was what I thought—until I found out I was nothing more than a stand-in for someone else. After a huge fight, we broke up.

Not long after, Paxton Gibson, the warm and caring senior who had always looked out for me, began pursuing me passionately. He was persistent, unwavering, and so sincere that I finally let down my guard and accepted him.

Just when I thought I had finally found true happiness, I overheard a phone call between Paxton and Sam.

“Don’t worry, Leah trusts me completely. Take good care of Georgina. The surgery will happen soon.”

In the end, when I really did disappear, they changed their minds.

“Leah, come home with me, please?”

I smiled, at peace with myself. “But I haven’t had a home for a long time.”

I carried a plate of freshly sliced fruit to the study, only to notice that the door was slightly ajar.

“I’ve got everything under control. Leah hasn’t noticed a thing.”

I was just about to push the door open when I heard my name.

“Relax, she trusts me completely. Take good care of Georgina. The surgery will happen soon. Sam, once the surgery is done, we’ll compete fairly. Georgina will choose for herself.”

The words left me stunned. Cold sweat broke out on my back as my mind spun in chaos, struggling to piece together the truth from the fragments of their conversation.

Sam Bennett’s and Paxton Gibson’s so-called love for me had never been real. Everything had been for one purpose, and that was to give Georgina Summers a healthy heart.

All this time, I thought I had finally found happiness, but in reality, Paxton had another woman in mind.

“Leah?”

Paxton had finished his call and was now standing at the door, looking at me in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Snapping out of my daze, I quickly pointed to the plate in my hands, forcing a smile. “I… I brought you some fruits.”

His eyes darkened slightly, studying me seriously for a moment before his gaze dropped to my left hand. I thought he was suspicious of me.

Instead, he took my hand and frowned. “You cut yourself. Why didn’t you say anything?”

I blinked and looked toward the hand he was holding. Only then did I notice the thin red scratch on my index finger. I had no idea when it had happened.

Paxton sighed. “You’re always so careless. Next time, let me do it.”

Setting the fruit aside, he pulled me to the living room to tend to my wound. He carefully applied a bandage, his touch gentle. However, my mind was still ringing with the words I had just heard. Everything felt surreal.

His eyes were warm and full of affection as he looked at me. “Does it hurt?”

I couldn’t reconcile this considerate, gentle man with the one who had just been discussing my fate so coldly.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Do you feel unwell?” He sounded concerned.

I shook my head. “No, I just didn’t sleep well last night. I feel a little dizzy.”

He rubbed my head, his voice soft with worry. “I’ve told you many times not to stay up late. Now you’re suffering for it.”

Was he only concerned about my health to make sure Georgina’s new heart would be in perfect condition?

“I know. I’ll sleep early tonight,” I replied with a smile.

Satisfied, Paxton walked me back to my room before returning to his study.

The moment he left, my smile faded. A dull ache spread through my chest—a painful reminder of the truth I had just uncovered. My whole body felt cold as I sat there and stared blankly at the framed photo on my nightstand.

Sam and Paxton, the two men who claimed to love me, were both lying to my face. I wanted to laugh, but my eyes burned. When I reached up to wipe them, my fingertips were wet with tears.

Forget it. I didn’t want anything anymore. Right now, the only thing that mattered was staying alive.

Paxton didn’t seem suspicious. He was still as patient and gentle as ever, but I had no intention of staying by his side anymore. I packed my things, and when he came home from work that evening, I told him I wanted to break up.

He froze for a moment. Then, in that same affectionate tone, he coaxed me like always. “What’s wrong? Did I do something to upset you, my Leah?”

He pulled me into his arms, his fingers gently rubbing my earlobe.

I stared at him in silence. His acting was flawless. It was no wonder I hadn’t seen through him before. But now, all I saw was deceit.

“Paxton, do you love me? Or do you love Georgina?”

His expression stiffened as he hadn’t expected me to bring up her name so directly. A full minute passed, but he didn’t answer.

“Can you even tell the difference between us?” I tilted my head, watching him closely.

I had seen Georgina once by chance. We looked almost identical.

So that’s what this was, wasn’t it? Sam and Paxton both treated me as a substitute, a tool to keep Georgina safe and healthy.

“You heard everything.”

Paxton finally let go of me, his face returning to its usual calm.

“Leah.” He sighed and lowered himself to my eye level, his dark gaze unreadable. “Your heart is the perfect match. Sam and I will take care of everything. You don’t have to worry about anything happening to you. I promise you won’t die. After the surgery, I’ll stay by your side.”

His voice was steady and patient, as if he were explaining something reasonable. However, every word felt like a knife slicing through me. Even now, he was still lying.

“What if I don’t agree?”

He paused, as if the thought had never even occurred to him, or maybe because my opinion didn’t matter at all.

Just as he was about to speak, a sudden knock on the door shattered the tense silence. Paxton went to open it, and standing outside was a middle-aged couple, dressed in a sophisticated manner.

The woman, adorned in jewelry, stepped inside and gave me a scrutinizing look. Her gaze was anything but kind.

“Sir. Ma’am.” Paxton greeted them politely, but an uneasy feeling crept up inside me.

“I overheard everything,” the woman said coldly. “It doesn’t matter whether you agree or not. The surgery will happen.”

I looked at her face, which bore a resemblance to Georgina, and in that instant, I understood who they were.

The man beside her, who had been silent until now, suddenly smiled.

“You’re a smart girl,” he said. “I doubt we need to introduce ourselves.”

I frowned but didn’t answer, and he didn’t seem offended either.

“We’re Georgina’s parents, but we’re also your parents.”

I froze, stunned, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth. Then, from a stranger’s lips, I learned the truth about myself.

Georgina and I were twins. She was born just one minute before me. That was why we looked so much alike.

Georgina was born with a weak heart, but I was perfectly healthy. The Summers said I was a curse—that I brought bad luck to my sister and ruined the family’s fortune, so my parents resented me. Not long after I was born, they had someone abandon me by the side of the road, far from home.

Paxton remained indifferent, as if he had known that all along.

“That’s why you don’t have a choice,” he said calmly. “Whether you want to or not, you’re going through with this surgery. Georgina is your sister. Giving her your heart is what you should do.”

I bit my lip hard, trying to stay calm even as my body trembled.

By now, my face was soaked with tears, but the middle-aged man before me only looked at me with cold, ruthless eyes. There was no guilt or remorse—only disgust.

“Don’t you understand? You should never have been born. If it weren’t for you, our precious daughter wouldn’t have suffered all these years, and our family business wouldn’t have faced that crisis. You are nothing but a disaster.”

I felt lost, overwhelmed by the truth I had spent my whole life trying to understand.

Paxton’s eyes flickered with hesitation before he came over and took my hand.

“Leah, just get the surgery done. I’ll take you to Iceland afterward, okay? You’ve always wanted to go, haven’t you?”

I instinctively stepped back. Even now, his promises weren’t for me or his pity for me. They were still for Georgina.

“You knew this all along, didn’t you?”

I looked straight into his eyes, desperately searching for an answer. However, reality hit me harder than any truth ever could.

After a brief pause, Paxton nodded.

I refused to agree.

“Leah!” For the first time, Paxton’s expression darkened. “Just listen to me. I won’t abandon you.”

Still, I was stubborn.

The well-dressed woman—my so-called mother—had lost all patience. She stormed over and slapped me hard across the face.

“Do you not understand? This surgery is happening, whether you like it or not! Let’s not waste our breath. Watch her carefully. She’s not to leave this place before the operation.”

Paxton didn’t argue. His eyes were now filled with disappointment.

The three of them left, locking me inside Paxton’s apartment. They even stationed guards at the door.

I curled up on the cold floor, my cheek still burning from the slap.

We were both their daughters. Yet, one was pampered and sheltered, given everything she ever wanted, while the other was discarded like trash, left to fend for herself.

Should I blame my parents for being so heartless, or should I blame fate for choosing me as the cursed one?

Life at the orphanage was tough. Since I was little, I had held onto one dream—to find my parents and have a home. I never wanted riches or power but just a family that loved me.

Now that I had finally met my parents, I knew, once and for all, that I would never have that kind of home.

The next day, Sam appeared at the apartment. For a brief, foolish moment, I thought he had come to save me, but I was wrong.

“Leah, just go through with the surgery,” he said softly. “We won’t abandon you.”

His tone was gentle, careful not to upset me.

As I was too exhausted to feel anything anymore, I didn’t respond, and Sam didn’t try to convince me further. There was no need to either. The surgery was tomorrow, and I had no way to escape.

I was forced onto the operating table, with Sam and Paxton standing beside me. Their faces were calm and devoid of guilt.

As my consciousness faded, memories of my lonely years flashed through my mind.