My parents and my younger sister, Mable Munroe, are diagnosed with severe illnesses one after another. As I stare at the astronomical sum of medical bills, I can only grit my teeth and deal with them by taking on ten part-time jobs in one go.

After stirring awake from collapse caused by exhaustion, I realize that I can hear the thoughts of everyone around me.

My mom, who's too busy coughing up blood, has something else going on in her mind.

"This low-quality fake blood really is disgusting! Why isn't that stupid brat giving us her salary of the day? I need the money to buy new bags!"

My dad, who's already crippled from his disease, thinks, "I'm about to get cramps from all the cripple-faking I have to do! Once Talia clears my debt, I'm going to get myself a nice proper massage for a few days straight!"

Meanwhile, the weakened Mable has already cooked up a plot in her mind.

"Hurry up and tell that broke boyfriend of mine to stay awake from me! I want Talia to break up with him on my behalf! That way, I'll be able to reel in my next boyfriend without any guilt!"

As I stare at my family, I choose to not expose their lies. Instead, I retrieve all the money that I've planned on paying their "medical bills" with.

Later on, I track down Mable's boyfriend, Kyle Hargrove. There, I can hear his thoughts echoing loudly in my mind.

"Did Mable get her sister to send the message that she wants to dump me? I'll have her know that I'm the only son of the richest man in town! Mable and that family of hers shall live in regret for the rest of their lives!"

A bold thought pops into my mind all of a sudden. I twist my ankle on the spot and use the opportunity to collapse right into Kyle's arms.

The world spun around me for a moment. I calculated the angle perfectly and let myself flop gently toward Kyle Hargrove.

"Oops…"

I let out a quiet exclamation as my entire body landed squarely in his arms, my forehead pressing right against the hollow of his neck.

A sharp, pleasant scent instantly enveloped me—not the sterile disinfectant of the hospital, but more like expensive cedarwood.

I sneered inwardly, but outwardly, I acted utterly frail and weak.

My hands appeared completely devoid of strength as they clung to his shoulders. But secretly, I was bracing myself, twisting and turning, making sure I couldn't stand up on my own.

While I was squirming like this, I suddenly heard a low, heavy grunt from above me.

I froze.

Wait, that wasn't right. Wasn't he… disabled?

For someone in a wheelchair, certain bodily reactions should technically be much slower, but this response…

Just as my face heated, a scorching, large hand suddenly clamped down on my waist. The grip was shockingly strong—nothing like someone who'd been sick and weak for a long time.

I looked up in shock, and my eyes collided with a pair of deep, intense ones. There was no trace of the gentle concern he'd feigned earlier, only a dark, surging current beneath the surface.

On the surface, he wore the look of a man devastated by the news of having been dumped, but inside, he was scoffing.

"This playing-hard-to-get act is really pathetic. But… Talia's got quite a nice waist," he thought.

Before I could fully process his two-faced behavior, Kyle's lips were already pressing down against mine.

A night of pure abandonment followed.

When I regained consciousness, my entire body ached like it had been run over by a truck.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains. I jolted upright, realizing the space beside me was already empty.

The mess on the couch silently testified to the recklessness of the night before.

The culprit himself was now sitting impeccably dressed in his wheelchair, right beside the bed, looking at me with a complicated expression.

He had reverted to that fragile, helpless persona again, as if the aggressive, dominant man from last night had only been a hallucination.

"I'm sorry," he said first, his voice hoarse and thick with guilt. "When I heard that Mable wanted to break up with me, I couldn't accept it in that moment, and I lost control of my emotions. That's why I…"

He paused before continuing with difficulty, "I did something so unforgivable to you. It's all my fault. You can hit me or yell at me—I deserve it."

On his face was the picture of sincere remorse, but inside, he was thinking, "How troublesome. It was just one night, so why is she looking like she's about to burst into tears? Although… she wasn't half bad."

A surge of anger rose in me. As expected, they were all cut from the same cloth! My younger sister, Mable Munroe, faked her illness to scam money, and her boyfriend, Kyle, faked being poor and disabled to test true love.

No wonder they started dating each other!

But outwardly, I quickly suppressed every trace of emotion.

I pulled the blanket up to cover myself. My eyes reddened instantly, my voice trembling with sobs and disbelief.

"You… We… How can we ever face Mable again?"

When Kyle noticed the tears in my eyes—the tears I'd forced out—he froze for a moment, and a look of shame crossed his face.

Inside, though, Kyle was calling me an idiot.

"She's the dumbest one in the family, isn't she? She can't even see through her family's fake illnesses, and here she is, feeling all guilty about it. Who does she think she is? A saint?

"And after what we did last night, she still hasn't realized I'm only pretending to be disabled?"

When I heard Kyle's thoughts, I instinctively clenched my fists.

Me? Dumb? Yes, the old me had indeed been dumb.

To earn money for my family's medical bills, I had worked myself to the bone. If I hadn't unexpectedly gained the ability to hear inner thoughts, I might still have been left in the dark.

But now that I could hear their thoughts, I'd just play along.

The broke, useless boyfriend whom Mable doesn't want? I'd gladly take him.

I was going to let them know what it meant to dig their own graves.

…

For the next few days, life seemed to slip back into that same suffocating routine. I continued to wake up before dawn every day to brew medicine, cook, and work.

However, I did quietly quit the three exhausting part-time jobs that had been crushing me.

Mom, Dad, and Mable noticed I suddenly had more free time, so they put even more energy into their performance.

That night, as I was slicing an apple, Dad sighed heavily.

"I heard from another patient today," he started, almost offhandedly. "They have a relative abroad who has the same illness as us, and they managed to get cured."

Mom's eyes lit up in response, only to dim again as she said in a frail voice, "Abroad? How much would that cost… With our family's situation… Forget it, we can't add to Talia's burden."

"Yeah, Talia," Mable chimed in at just the right moment, her tone filled with despair but also understanding.

She added, "Medical care might be better abroad, but it's not guaranteed to work. Besides, the medical bills will definitely be sky-high."

I watched as the three of them put on this perfectly coordinated act while I scoffed inwardly.

Whenever the old me heard the word "cured", I would've grabbed it like a lifeline and given everything I had to try, even if the chance was only one in ten thousand.

They knew me too well. That was why their performance was so precise.

I set down the knife and discreetly gave myself a hard pinch, forcing my eyes to redden quickly.

My voice trembled slightly, yet carried unshakable determination.

"Mom, Dad, Mable, what nonsense are you all talking about?"

I stood up and looked at each of them earnestly.

"As long as there's even a sliver of hope, I'll never give up! Money can be earned again, but once a person's gone, that's it!"

Mom looked at me worriedly. "But… how much money would that take?"

I gritted my teeth, my face set with fierce determination.

"Don't worry! Even if I have to sell my blood or a kidney, or even borrow from loan sharks, I'll make sure to send you three abroad for treatment! As long as you can get better, I'm willing to do whatever it takes!"

In an instant, the hospital room fell silent.

Then, three pounding hearts, racing with ecstasy, sounded clearly in my head.

"It worked! The fool really took the bait!"

"Loan sharks? Sell a kidney? This idiot really is way too easy to fool!"

"Perfect! We can finally go abroad and live the good life!"

They quickly plastered fake expressions of gratitude and concern across their faces.

Mom struggled to sit up, then reached for my hand. "Talia, how could we bear to let you do so much?"

Dad was in tears as well. "I'm a useless father… I've dragged you down…"

"It's nothing," I said. "I'm happy to do anything for this family."

I pulled my face into a gentle, meek smile, then carefully pulled my hand free from theirs.

"You all rest well. I'll go find out exactly how much money we need so we can start preparing."

With that, I turned and stepped out of the hospital room.

The moment the door clicked shut behind me, the smile vanished from my face, replaced by a cold, sharp chill.

Sell blood? Sell a kidney?

The old me would've done something that foolish. But now, since they wanted money that badly, I'd just have to give them a little "help".

Over the following days, under the pretext of processing documents for overseas medical treatment and needing to verify their identities, I easily obtained all three of their passports, along with the forged medical records and diagnostic reports they had created for the sake of their act.

I didn't go to the bank, nor did I ask anyone for help.

Instead, I took those documents straight to the illegal lenders tucked away in the city's shadowy corners—places that charged terrifyingly high interest rates.

Minutes later, an enormous sum of money with astronomical interest landed in the brand-new account Mom, Dad, and Mable had just opened.

The sunlight was blinding as I stepped out of the lending office. I took out my phone and dialed the familiar number.

"Hello, Mable?"

My voice was so gentle it could melt butter.

"Tell Mom and Dad the good news. I've raised the money. It's enough for the three of you to go abroad for treatment."

Hearing their joy, the corners of my mouth curved into a cruel smirk.

Hopefully, when they were finally "cured" and came back to discover the massive debt under their names, they'd be just as joyous.

…

As I left the area, I caught sight of a familiar figure sitting at an outdoor cafe, leisurely sipping coffee—Kyle.

I sneered inwardly, but I instantly plastered a look of concern on my face and rushed straight over.

"Kyle?" I called out, my voice filled with anxiety. "Where's your wheelchair? It's dangerous for you to come out by yourself!"

Kyle visibly froze for a second. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes before he quickly composed himself.

"This idiot still hasn't realized I was just faking it?" he thought.

I pretended not to notice and continued to fret over him.

He set his cup down.

"The wheelchair's being serviced," he said, his voice hoarse. "I got bored, so I came out for some fresh air."

His sharp gaze, however, swept over the folder in my hands.

"What are you doing here?" he asked casually.

I pretended as if I didn't want to answer.

Seeing this, Kyle reached for the folder, so I could only blurt out in a panic, "I… I just came to borrow some money!"

I looked up at him, eyes red-rimmed. "But I saw you before I borrowed anything… Please don't tell Mable. She'll worry!"

Kyle looked at me like I was an idiot, while his inner voice mocked me relentlessly. "She wants to borrow from loan sharks for those three con artists? Does she have a saint complex, or is she just plain stupid?"

We stared at each other in silence for a long moment before I stood up and held out my hand.

"It's about to rain. I'll take you home."

This time, Kyle was genuinely stunned.

I added helpfully, "I forgot about your legs. In that case, I'll get a taxi. I'll carry you on my back to the curb to wait, okay?"

"Carry me on her back? How many brain cells does she have?" he thought to himself.

However, he didn't mock me out loud. Seeing that I was insistent, he stayed silent for a few seconds before finally leaning forward and getting onto my back.

He was heavy. I gritted my teeth and held steady, staggering as I flagged down a taxi.

By the time we reached his rental apartment, the storm had begun.

I struggled to help him out of the taxi, then held an umbrella as I guided him toward the covered entrance.

The moment I opened the door, my strength gave out, and I tumbled to the ground, bringing Kyle—whom I was holding on to—down with me.

"I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

Ignoring my own pain, I scrambled over and kneeled beside him, cupping his face with both hands to check on him. Rainwater mixed with tears streamed down my face.

Kyle closed his eyes and frowned. He was soaked through and looked utterly dejected.

"I'm fine… You're the one who went through all the trouble…"

I held his face, my gaze sincere as I said, "Don't you dare say that. You're not useless or broken. I just know you'll get better!"

His eyes snapped open.

Rain streaked his face. The mockery that usually filled his gaze was gone, replaced by a mix of unreadable emotions.

"She…" he thought.

Seeing his lips so close and his gaze so confused, I leaned down and—in the midst of the pouring rain—kissed him.

…

When I woke up again, the space beside me was empty.

That was when I heard Kyle's low voice coming from the balcony, seemingly on a call.

"Got it. I'll be back within a week."

I pretended to still be asleep, listening as he hung up and walked closer.

His footsteps stopped by the bedside. A burning gaze fell on me, and his inner thoughts came through crystal clear.

"The family's urging me to go back and take over the business. It's time to wrap up this little game. Mable's gotten boring, but this fool… Maybe I'll pretend to be ill and have my fun with her. Let's see how stupid she really can be."

My eyelashes fluttered slightly, but I kept my eyes closed. Inside, I was scoffing coldly.

Once he turned and left, I opened my eyes slowly, my gaze sharp with calculation.

…

The next day, I showed up at Kyle's door with a thermos in hand and a gentle smile on my face.

"Mom, Dad, and Mable have all gone abroad for treatment. Maybe they'll get cured. For the time being, I'll help Mable take care of you."

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He quickly plastered on a grateful expression, but inside, he was sneering at my foolishness.