After I turned sixteen, I inherited the huge fortune my parents had left behind.

As soon as the money was in my account, I hired a fake family online.

A dad, a mom, and an older brother. Then, I gave them their instructions.

"My dad doesn't say much, but he always lets me have my way."

"My mom is gentle and a wonderful cook, especially when she makes barbecue ribs."

"My older brother has poor health, and he doesn't like me. Just act like I don't exist."

The three of them froze, and their expressions darkened.

A long time passed before the woman playing my mother took my hand and asked softly, "Why did you hire a family? Do you miss them that much?"

I avoided the guilt in her eyes, buried my face in her arms, and smiled. "Being alone is too boring."

They were obviously relieved, but when no one was looking, I quietly wiped away my tears.

What I did not tell them was that…

I was dying.

So, please.

Don't hypnotize me into forgetting your faces again this time.

The three people standing in front of me were all the people closest to me. But the most ridiculous part about all of this was that if I wanted to see them, I could only do it by hiring them.

The moment I wiped away my tears, my mom reached out without thinking and patted my head.

"Behave, Rena. From now on, just treat us like your family."

My dad nodded. "We signed a six-month contract. For the next six months, we'll take good care of you."

I thought I was ready for this.

I thought that no matter what they said, it would not hurt.

But when I actually heard those words, my chest still tightened with pain.

Six months…

What about before that?

What about after that?

Were you going to fake your deaths again and leave me behind just to make Zack happy?

I almost blurted those words out, but in the end, I forced them back down and did not ask a single question. I simply could not. If I did, they would realize I already knew the truth, and they would hypnotize me again.

So, I pulled away from my mom's arms and forced a smile. "Alright. Just act natural, like a real family. Don't be so stiff."

"Tsk."

The second I finished speaking, my brother clicked his tongue before laughing mockingly. Then, he dropped the act and went straight back to his bedroom. Mom and Dad exchanged a look and hurried after him.

As soon as the door closed, I quietly walked over and listened to the discussion inside.

My brother still hated me just as much as ever.

Even when he said my name, his voice was full of disgust.

"Mom, Dad, why did you sign that contract with Rena? Didn't we agree that during the five years of my treatment, we'd move away and never see her again?"

"Zack, didn't you see how Rena looked? She looks so miserable." Mom spoke to him gently. "It's only one month. Your health is almost back to normal, too. Just hang in there. It'll be over before you know it. Once the month is over, we'll leave. After that, we'll take you abroad for two years, alright?"

My stomach dropped, and I felt a chill run through my spine.

My brother said in annoyance, "I just can't stand it. Why is she so healthy? She hardly ever even gets a cold. I've been sick since the day I was born. It's always one thing after another. It's not fair!"

Dad, who had been quiet the whole time, let out a sigh. "Zack, this isn't Rena's fault. When your mom was pregnant with you, we had just started our company. She went through a lot, so your health was poor from the beginning. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I didn't take good care of either of you..."

"I just can't move on." Gentleness always worked better with my brother than brute force.

After hearing Dad say that, his tone softened a little as he said, "Fine. It's only one month, anyway. After one month, we'll hypnotize Rena into forgetting all this, and then we'll leave!"

The moment I heard the word "hypnotize", my body started shaking.

I was just about to walk away when the door behind me suddenly opened.

When Mom saw me standing there, her expression changed immediately. "I'm sorry, Rena. My son still isn't very good at this. He didn't mean to lose his temper..."

I glanced into the room. Zack was still visibly biting his lower lip, and his eyes were full of contempt.

I let out an awkward laugh and said, "It's alright, Mom. He's doing a great job. My brother has always hated me like this. Sometimes, I wonder if he wants me to die that badly."

By the time Mom had gotten pregnant with me, Dad and his company had already made a foothold in Oceanton, so money was no longer a problem. Mom had been careful from the very beginning of her pregnancy this time, and everything she ate and used was the best.

That was why I had always been healthy, from the day I was born all the way through childhood. I was lively and cheerful too, always laughing and running around.

But when Mom was pregnant with Zack, she had worked too hard. He had been born weak, with one health problem after another.

He had always found me annoying. He hated the fact that I was always smiling and never got sick. Even when I caught a cold, a couple of pills were enough to make it go away. What he hated even more was that when he felt miserable, I could still bounce around and pester Dad and Mom.

That annoyance built up day after day until it slowly turned into disgust.

Back then, I did not understand.

I had never imagined that being healthy could become a sin, not until Zack sank into severe depression and slit his wrists. When he was rushed to the hospital, I was standing beside him, crying in panic.

Dad, who had never even raised his voice at me before, suddenly slapped me across the face when he heard me cry.

"You've still got the nerve to cry?! Your brother ended up like this because of you! If anything happens to Zack, I'll kill you!"

I was stunned and terrified.

Thankfully, Zack was saved. He survived, and nothing else happened.

From that day on, I grew more careful around him. I never dared to run around again. I even pretended to be sick on purpose a few times. That was because I realized that whenever Zack saw me looking unwell, he would give me a rare smile. He believed that a sister as unwell and delicate as he was was the kind of sibling he wanted.

Still, that did not last long because I was just too healthy.

Even after I deliberately took a cold shower before my physical exam, the results would still show that I was completely healthy.

The experienced doctor frowned and gave Mom some advice. "She's fine. She just gets cold easily. She's only twelve, so stop giving her anything cold to eat or drink all the time. You had her take a cold shower yesterday, didn't you?"

Mom and Dad froze.

I nervously clenched my fingers and looked at Zack. His face darkened. He shot me a glare and ran off.

After that day, the plan that haunted me for three years officially began.

I was only thirteen when I suddenly learned that my whole family had died in a car accident, and I completely fell apart.

Their plan was thorough.

They arranged for someone to help me with the funeral from start to finish, hired a nanny to take care of me and make sure I stayed in school, and had a lawyer tell me they had already made a will so that I would inherit everything after I turned sixteen.

I was too naive.

It never crossed my mind that they were lying to me.

I just kept grieving, falling apart, pulling myself back together, then grieving all over again...

Repeatedly without end.

Until two years ago, when I ran into them at a theme park in Oceanton.

That day, they were having fun with Zack. When I threw myself at them, weeping, their faces had turned grim. Mom had pushed me away in a panic and said I had the wrong people.

But how could I have gotten their faces wrong?

How could I mistake my own parents?

I cried and shouted, "You're my parents! I know I didn't get it wrong! Haven't I behaved enough? If I did something wrong, you can hit me or scold me! But why don't you want me anymore?!"

Mom's face went pale, and when I tried to hug her again, she brushed my hand away. "Rena, just wait a few more years. When you turn eighteen, we'll come home. So… Just behave."

I felt a chill down my spine as I became hysterical, and I screamed, "Why? Is it just because I'm healthier than Zack?!"

No one answered as they just stood there and watched me break down. That chill that I felt did not just make me angry—it made me panic.

I dropped to my knees and crawled to them as I cried, "Please come home! I was wrong! It's my entire fault! You're my family. Please come back!"

My knees were bloodied, and still no one paid any attention to me. I even started to think that this was all a dream, and everything in front of me was a fake scenario I had conjured up in my head because I missed them too much.

Then, Zack coughed twice.

Mom and Dad grabbed his hands at once.

"Zack, are you alright? Are you feeling sick again?"

"We told you not to come out today. Let's go home!"

Then, all three of them started to leave.

Lost and helpless, I asked, "Where are you going? Are you really abandoning me?"

Dad stopped. When he turned back, his face was full of sorrow. "Rena, go home for now. You'll forget all about this tomorrow."

I stared at them leaving in disbelief, my face pale.

Sure enough, it was not long before a hypnotist came to see me. Unfortunately for them, they underestimated how alert I was.

The hypnosis failed.

I only pretended to forget.

For the next two years, I never brought it up again, and I never went looking for them either. Even after I was diagnosed with stomach cancer last year, I told no one. I kept it buried inside me.

Only after my inheritance landed in my account did I make a post online to hire a family.

I knew they would see it.

If they did not come, then I would die quietly.

If they came, then I would consider it as life's last little surprise for me.

"Rena, let's have barbecue ribs today." Mom's voice pulled me out of my thoughts as she smiled at me gently. "You haven't had them in a long time. I'll make them for you in a little while."

I almost started crying again as my eyes turned red. "I'll have something soupy. Meat makes my stomach hurt."

"Why would your stomach hurt?" Mom frowned right away. Dad and Zack, who were both in the room, looked over as well.

I gave them a gentle smile and said, "I've just got a little stomach problem. It's nothing."

The three of them let out quiet sighs of relief as I quickly returned to my bedroom. The moment I shut the door behind me, I covered my face with my hand.

That was close.

My tears had almost fallen just now.

Mom, Dad, you lied to me for three years.

Today, let me lie to you, too.

Just this once...