When my cousin Violet came to live with us, I was only thirteen. She wore tattered clothes and cried in my mother's arms.

I later learned she was my mother's older sister's daughter. My mother's sister had eloped with a poor scholar against the family's wishes, thinking she found true love. But he turned out to be a gambler and drunkard, who tried to pawn his wife when he had no money. My mother's sister narrowly escaped with her life and entrusted her daughter to my mother on her deathbed.

My mother, feeling sorry for Violet who had suffered a lot, treated her with great affection. Even my usually stern father told me, "Annie, Violet has had a hard life. You should be more considerate of her."

I nodded.

I was the only child and had always been lonely. I was happy when my cousin came.

But gradually, I realized my cousin wasn't as kind as I imagined.

In public, she always acted scared of me, timid and compliant, but in private, she would pinch me. If I fought back, she would cry and complain.

After many incidents like this, my mother believed I was secretly bullying her.

Once, she deliberately fell into the lake in front of me. When I tried to save her, my mother rushed over and slapped me hard!

My face was turned sideways from the blow. My ears were ringing, and I experienced a moment of deafness.

It hurt so much.

I looked at my mother in disbelief as she held the soaked Violet, pointing at me and cursing, "Annie Parrish, how can you be so wicked at such a young age! She's your cousin! You tried to drown her out of jealousy!"

She left with Violet without hesitation. I looked up and saw Violet smirking at me from my mother's arms.

Later, rumors spread that I was jealous and wicked. Neither my father nor mother stopped it. They just scolded me, saying I deserved it, and let me be isolated.

Unnoticed, a light rain began to fall as I knelt on the stone path. I heard soft footsteps and turned to see my father returning.

Seeing me kneeling, he frowned and said, "Upset your mother again? Why can't you be as obedient as Violet?"

I stayed silent. In his eyes, Violet was obedient and gentle, while I was jealous and unruly.

The more I explained, the more he thought I was making excuses and challenging his authority, and the punishment would be harsher. After experiencing it multiple times, I learned to endure silently.

Disappointed in me for not living up to his expectations, he summoned the butler and said, "Watch her. She's cunning! Don't let her up until she's knelt for two hours."

The butler hesitated. "Sir, it's about to rain..."

Father waved dismissively. "A little rain won't kill her! Sometimes I wish she wasn't my daughter!"

I smiled. The little rain will hasten the death of a tuberculosis patient like me.

But the good news for them was that I, the disobedient daughter, would die soon, so they wouldn't be upset by me anymore.

After the heavy rain, I developed a mild fever, just as I had predicted.

The room was filled with the bitter smell of medicine.

I lay in bed coughing lightly. When my mother came to see me and found me pale and weak, she frowned and said, "Why is your health so frail? Just a bit of rain and you get a fever? If it were Violet, she wouldn't be like this…"

I pursed my lips and stayed silent. Maybe because I looked too pitiful, my mother's expression softened slightly. She said, "If you were more obedient, things wouldn't have turned out this way."

I couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by being more obedient?"

She answered without hesitation, "To be like Violet."

I fell silent. My mother had often lamented more than once that it would be wonderful if Violet were her biological daughter.

I fell silent. My mother had often lamented that it would be wonderful if Violet were her biological daughter. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but smirk. Oh well, now they are like a real family. Without me being a nuisance, they would probably be even closer.

My mother touched my forehead and, for once, said with concern, "It's still a little hot. You..."

"Aunt Clara? I heard Annie is ill?" Violet's clear voice rang out.

My mother immediately withdrew her hand and rushed out anxiously. "Hey, why did you come here? This place is full of bacteria. You might be infected."

I looked up and saw my mother holding Violet's hand outside. Her face was filled with a concern I had never seen before. Violet held her arm intimately, whispering something that eventually made her laugh. Without looking back, my mother left my room.

Pain gripped my heart as if a dull knife were tearing at my insides. I couldn't help but press my head against my chest and gasp for air.

But the dreadful suffocation didn't ease. Instead, my throat grew dry and painful, my coughing louder and more violent. The white handkerchief I held tightly in my hand couldn't suppress my coughs or stop me from feeling overwhelmed by despair. After a while, I stared at the bright red bloodstain on the handkerchief, dazed.

At that moment, I was acutely aware that I was going to die.

I silently hid the handkerchief under my pillow and thought, if my parents punish me again, I'll just cough up blood on them and make a scene.

What their reactions would be then? Would they regret, worry, or find me disgusting and unlucky?

They would probably find me disgusting and unlucky.

But soon, I couldn't concern myself with these thoughts anymore.

Violet had caused significant trouble.

I hadn't fully healed when the butler summoned me to the main hall. Before I entered, I heard Violet's crying and my mother's wailing.

"What are we going to do? My poor Violet!"

I pushed open the door, and the crying stopped abruptly. My father, who looked worried, glared at me.

I bowed my head. "Father, Mother."

It turned out Violet had angered the regent, a man with absolute power. He had requested an imperial decree to take her as his concubine.

I asked, "So, why did you call me here?"

A trace of hesitation flashed across my mother's face before she braced herself and said, "I want you to marry the Regent in place of Violet!"

The thunder outside roared. I looked up and stared at my mother in disbelief.

She wrung her hands. "I know this request is excessive, but everyone knows how violent the regent is! Your cousin is too weak to endure it.

"Annie, don't be afraid. You are my daughter. I wouldn't harm you! I just want you to marry him temporarily. When your uncle returns, I'll ask him to get a decree of divorce."

She clutched my hand tightly, her sharp nails digging into my skin. I looked at her and said sadly, "And if my uncle can't do it? If… If I die before the decree comes? Isn't my chastity worth anything? Isn't my life worth anything?"

...

These days, my illness had worsened. I coughed through the nights and couldn't eat, growing increasingly frail and looking haggard. My mother, staring at my pale face in shock, showed a rare moment of hesitation and said, "Are you still not well? You…"

The next second, Violet's cries drew her attention away.

Violet wiped her tears. "Aunt Clara, don't trouble Annie. It's all my fault. I couldn't stand the regent riding his horse in the street packed with people and impulsively tried to stop him. I'll bear the consequences myself!"

"How can this be your fault?" My father exclaimed. "You did nothing wrong, Violet. With your bravery and integrity, you embody the qualities of our family."

My mother gritted her teeth. "Annie! I beg you!"

Overwhelmed with grief, I watched her kneel before me, crying. "Annie, please! My sister has only one daughter! I can't watch her die! I promise to get that decree. If it isn't granted, I'll die with you! I beg you—"

Seeing my mother kneel, my father panicked and tried to pull her up. He shouted at me, "You unfilial girl! You're only asked to protect Violet this time, not to give up your life! How dare you make your mother kneel? You might as well be dead! We'd be better off without a daughter like you—"