I had been in a coma for three years, a sacrifice I made to save my brother and his three best friends. When I finally woke up, my parents, my brother, and the three boys who were my childhood protectors swarmed my bedside, their excitement a frantic whirlwind. But I met their joy with a cool detachment. I knew the truth. I knew that when the hospital called to tell them I was awake, they didn't rush to my side. They stayed to finish celebrating their adopted daughter’s birthday party first. In the three years I was gone, a new girl had quietly taken my place, inheriting my life, my family, my everything. A whisper of a memory, a premonition from my long sleep, had warned me of this. It told me I was destined to become the villain of this story, a girl consumed by jealousy, fighting to win back the affection of my family. A girl who would be despised by everyone and ultimately bring about her own tragic end. A cold smile touched my lips. Fight for them? No, thank you. A family and friends like that? I'd rather have nothing at all. 1 The television in my hospital room was broadcasting live from the lavish birthday party of the Rhodes family’s new "little princess." The young heirs of the city’s most powerful families—the Reeds, the Greys, the Shaws—were all in attendance. Four handsome, impeccably dressed young men surrounded a beautiful girl, singing to her, a perfect portrait of adoration. It was a scene straight out of a fairy tale. I stared at the familiar faces on the screen. My father, my mother, my brother, and the three boys who were once my entire world. They already knew I was awake. The nurse had called them from my room, right next to my bed. My father had answered. Yet, there they were, their smiles serene, their focus entirely on the party, ensuring it reached its perfect, sparkling conclusion before they even thought of me. The nurse had just finished a round of physical therapy with me, and I was settling back into bed to rest when a frantic pounding of footsteps echoed from the hallway. The door to my room burst open, shattering the quiet. “Rory!” “Rory, you’re finally awake!” A sea of emotional faces, a torrent of relieved words, all painting a picture that my waking was the most important event in the world. If I hadn't just seen their gentle, devoted gazes fixed on another girl on that television screen. If they hadn't taken so damn long to get here. Maybe then I would have believed they were still the same parents, the same brother, the same boys I once knew. My expression remained flat. I shifted my gaze to the girl standing hesitantly in the doorway, still wearing the beautiful white dress from the party on TV. My mother noticed my stare and quickly, gently, beckoned her forward. “Rory, darling, this is your sister, Celine. She’s the daughter of your father’s dear friend who passed away. We adopted her three years ago.” “These past three years… if it weren’t for Celine keeping us company, I don’t know how I would have survived the grief,” Mom said, her voice thick with emotion. “That’s right,” Dad added with a heavy sigh. “Celine was like a gift from heaven during our darkest time.” My brother, Alex, smiled warmly at her. “Celine, now you have an older sister. Go on, say hello.” Celine looked at me, her eyes shining with what looked like genuine emotion. “Sister, I’m so happy you’re finally awake. Mom, Dad, and Alex have been so worried. I’ve always said, if my sister waking up meant I had to leave this family, I would do it in a heartbeat.” “Celine, don’t say such silly things,” Mom chided, pulling her into a tight hug. “You are never to talk about leaving the Rhodes family, do you hear me? You are a part of this family. And now you have a sister to look out for you.” “She’s right, you silly girl. No one is ever making you leave,” Dad added, his voice full of affection. “You’re always talking about leaving. Don’t you want us anymore? You’d break our hearts,” Alex said with a mock-pout. “Alex, of course I want you all!” Celine blushed, stamping her foot playfully, which made everyone chuckle. “And if anyone in the Rhodes house gives you a hard time, you come straight to me. I’ll still treat you like a princess,” said Caleb Reed, one of my three childhood friends. “Hey, what about me? Why does she have to go to you?” Julian Grey chimed in with a huff. “Celine likes me best, so obviously she’d come to my place,” Leo Shaw declared. “Get lost, who said she likes you best!” the others jeered. “Alright, you can all stop dreaming. Celine is our family’s princess. No one would dare bully her,” my brother, Alex, announced proudly. My parents just smiled and shook their heads. Celine, blushing, leaned against my mother. And just like that, in my hospital room, the universe shifted to revolve around her. I, the girl lying in the hospital bed, was a mere afterthought. I turned my head away, bored, just in time to catch the look Celine shot me over my mother’s shoulder. It was a look of pure, unadulterated triumph. 2 I used to be the Rhodes family’s little princess. My brother and the three boys—Caleb, Julian, and Leo—loved to dote on me. They called me their little sister, their princess, and swore they would always protect me. If anyone ever dared to bully me, they’d make them pay. I grew up wrapped in a cocoon of love and affection. That’s why, three years ago, when a horrific car crash left my brother and the boys bloodied and unconscious, I, the only one who had worn a seatbelt, was the only one with minor injuries. I saw the car leaking gasoline, saw the first flicker of flames, and knew what was coming. Sobbing, screaming their names, I dragged them one by one from the wreckage. But I wasn't strong enough to get them all clear of the danger zone. I looked at these boys, my protectors, the ones who had cherished me my whole life, and made a decision. My body trembling with a fear so profound it was paralyzing, I climbed into the driver's seat of the mangled car. I slammed my foot on the gas, the nearly destroyed vehicle lurching away from them. When I finally brought it to a stop a safe distance away, I scrambled out, trying to run. It was too late. The force of the explosion behind me threw me into darkness. During the three years I was unconscious, I lived in a long, vivid dream. I dreamed that my family adopted a girl my age. At first, when she tried to touch things in my room, my brother would stop her, telling her those were his sister’s things and no one else could touch them. At first, the three boys ignored her, saying the only little sister they had was Rory Rhodes. But slowly, everything changed. The girl’s fragile, helpless, and eager-to-please act began to worm its way into their hearts. Their weekly visits to my bedside became monthly, then quarterly. The last time they came before I woke up in the dream, half a year had passed. They were too busy taking the new girl to amusement parks, to see the Northern Lights, helping her with her studies, celebrating her birthday… Then, in the dream, I woke up after three years. They arrived late, with the girl in tow. Having been spoiled by their affection my whole life, I watched them fawn over Celine at my bedside and angrily demanded she leave my room. But in that moment, no one cared about the feelings of a girl who had just woken from a coma. They spoke gently, but their words were firm, urging me to accept my new sister. After that, Celine framed me for one thing after another. They never listened to my explanations. They always believed her, scolding me for being difficult, expressing their deep disappointment in me. They had once spoiled and protected me, but when I, wronged and hurt, acted out with the same stubbornness they had once found endearing, their faces now held only disappointment and disgust. The last time, unable to bear it anymore, I ran out of the house and straight into the path of a car, ending my short, ridiculous life. When I woke up for real this time, I found that everything was happening exactly as it had in the dream. They had adopted a girl named Celine. They hadn't rushed to the hospital upon hearing I was awake; they had finished her birthday party first. In my room, the focus had instantly shifted to her. I understood then. The dream wasn't a dream. It was my past life. And this time, I had to change my fate. My father seemed to suddenly remember I was there. He turned to me, his voice gentle. “Rory, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?” All eyes turned back to me. I looked at the crowd around my bed and smiled faintly. “I seem to recall that three years ago, I was the one who saved my brother and the three of you, correct?” 3 My question hung in the air, making them all pause. They seemed to think it was something that didn't need to be said aloud. It was understood. That’s why they had rushed to the hospital in such a panic, wasn't it? “Of course, Rory. You were so brave that day. We’re all incredibly grateful to you for saving our lives,” Alex said softly. Caleb and the others nodded in agreement. “Sister, thank you. Thank you for saving Alex, Caleb, Julian, and Leo. Because of you, I get to see them standing here, whole and healthy. I don't know how I can ever thank you enough. If you needed my life in exchange for yours right now, I would give it willingly,” Celine said, grabbing my hand, her voice fervent and emotional. As she spoke their names one by one, the four boys looked at her with such tenderness it was practically pouring from their eyes. My own eyes held a flicker of irony. I gently pulled my hand away. “Don’t worry. I just woke up. Your life is of no use to me.” Their brows furrowed slightly at my words, a hint of displeasure in their expressions. I just looked at them. “In that case… could you perhaps convert that gratitude into cash? A million dollars from each of you would be enough. Is that okay?” They all stared at me, stunned again. “Rory, why would you say something like that the moment you wake up?” my mother said, frowning. “You’re a Rhodes. Do you really think you’ll ever have to worry about money?” “That’s right, Rory,” my father added gently. “The most important thing right now is for you to recover. When you come home, you’ll be the young lady of the house, living a life of luxury. You know that.” Another flash of irony in my eyes. In my dream, I hadn't cared about these things at first. I never brought up what I did three years ago; it felt too transactional for people who were supposed to be my family. But after I returned home, they used my "bullying" of Celine, my "mistakes," as an excuse to cut off my allowance, to freeze all my expenses, time and time again. I couldn't even pay for school activities. They punished me whenever they pleased. My life was miserable. So if I didn't secure a few million for myself now, the monumental act of saving their lives would soon be erased, canceled out by each and every time I "hurt" their precious Celine. In my dream, that voice had offered to help me, to help me win back the love of my parents, my brother, my friends. I had refused it. I had no desire to fight for such fickle affection. I spoke again. “I was in a coma for three years. I’m eighteen now. I’d like to have some money of my own, so I can buy whatever I want, whenever I want. Just to spend it recklessly for a while. Is that okay?” Hearing this, their expressions softened slightly. “Sister, Mom and Dad gave me some pocket money, it’s almost a million dollars. Why don’t I give it all to you? I’m so happy I can finally do something for the boys!” Celine offered, her face bright with eagerness. “Celine.” Alex shook his head with an amused smile. “We don’t need you to use your allowance.” “What a silly, sweet girl,” Julian said, lightly tapping her on the head. They all smiled and shook their heads. “I just wanted to do something for you guys…” Celine mumbled, sticking out her tongue playfully. My mother hugged her dotingly. In the end, of course, they each gave me a million dollars. And I would make very good use of this four million. I would not end up isolated, helpless, and miserable like I did in the dream. 4 After half a month in the hospital, my body had recovered to a normal state, and I returned to the Rhodes family home. “Rory, look at this room. Celine specially gave it up for you. She even put her favorite little bunny on your nightstand,” my mother said gently, leading me into the room. Gave it up. The phrase was laughable. This was the room I had lived in since I was a child. After being in a coma for three years, I now needed someone else’s permission to live in it. I smiled. “Thank you so much, sister. But since you’re already used to living here, I wouldn’t want to force you out. It’s better if you just find me another room.” My mother paused, seemingly taken aback by my politeness. “It’s okay, sister. This room is the biggest and brightest. It should be yours,” Celine said, stepping forward with a considerate expression. My parents and brother were already accustomed to Celine’s sweet and sensible nature, their gazes soft with affection. I shook my head again. “You’re already settled in. Why should you have to move out just because I’m back? If I took your room like this, Mom, Dad, and Alex would surely blame me for being inconsiderate.” I remembered in my dream, Alex had blamed me, saying Celine was suffering from insomnia and stress after giving up her room for me, yet I was still giving her a hard time. Ha. “So please, just give me another room. Or, I could even stay in the maid’s quarters. Anything is fine, as long as my sister isn’t put out,” I said, pre-empting any future accusations that I was making Celine feel wronged. They all hesitated, sensing something was off about my words but unable to pinpoint what it was. “Sister, I wouldn’t feel wronged at all, I—” “Then you should just stay put. You’re the little sister everyone adores, after all,” I interrupted her. And so, I was given another room. … I was in my new room, studying intently. Celine knocked once, then opened the door without waiting for permission and walked right in. “Sister, you weren’t coming downstairs, so I brought you some fruit.” She smiled, carrying a plate towards me. I glanced at her. “Thanks. Just leave it there.” “Okay.” Celine agreed but walked directly towards me anyway. Then, as if by accident, the fruit plate slipped from her hands. “Ah!” She let out a loud shriek and stumbled backward, falling to the floor. “What’s wrong? What happened?” My father, mother, and brother rushed in. “Oh, Celine!” They hurried over to help the fallen girl. “Sniff… Mom…” Celine threw herself into my mother’s arms, looking panicked and frightened. “I… I was just worried sister was working too hard, I wanted to bring her some fruit…” They looked at the scene and immediately understood what they thought had happened. “Rory, Celine was being thoughtful and brought you fruit. If you didn’t want it, fine, but why did you have to push her like that?” Alex accused, frowning. “Rory, you can’t treat your sister this way! How could you do something like that?” my mother said, cradling Celine with a look of disapproval aimed at me. “Rory, apologize to your sister right now,” my father commanded. From the safety of my mother’s embrace, Celine shot me a triumphant, provocative look. 5 I simply turned my laptop screen towards them, and pressed play on the security footage from my room. They all froze when they saw the video. Celine’s face went pale. She hadn’t expected me to have a camera. “As you can see, I didn’t touch her at all. So I don’t believe an apology is necessary, is it?” I turned to Celine. “But I should probably remind you, sister, to be more careful when you walk next time. Try not to trip over your own feet again.” Celine’s expression shifted again. “I… I was just so nervous. I know sister has been very cold to me, and I know she resents me for staying in this family, for no longer being the only daughter.” “And I know she’s upset that I’m so close with Caleb and the boys, so whenever I see her, I get scared. I’m so afraid of making her angry that I just panicked and fell. Sob…” She buried her face in my mother’s shoulder, crying. “Mom, I’m so scared that sister blames me, that she thinks I’ve stolen everything that was supposed to be hers. That’s why she’s so cold to me…” My mother immediately began patting her back comfortingly. “Don’t think such things. You are our other daughter. How could you have stolen anything from Rory? My love for both of you is the same.” “You silly girl, always overthinking.” Alex shook his head in exasperation, then looked at me. “But Rory, I hope you truly don’t hold these things against Celine. We all love you just the same. You have been far too cold to her.” “Rory, Celine is a very good girl. You can’t be so willful,” my father added, his tone weary, as if everything was always my fault. I was already used to this from my dream—no matter what, as soon as Celine opened her mouth, all blame shifted to me, even moments after I had just been proven innocent. The anger and resentment I once felt had long since vanished. I smiled at them. “Why would Celine think that? I don’t feel like anything has been stolen from me. Unless… does Celine think she’s stolen something from me? I’m just a girl who’s woken up from a three-year coma. I’m still getting reacquainted with everything. That’s why my personality is like this. I’m the same with everyone.” Celine froze, her eyes darting around before she started crying again. “I… I’m just afraid sister doesn’t like me. I know I’m not a real Rhodes, I can’t compare to her…” And so, another ridiculous drama concluded with the Rhodes family comforting the heartbroken Celine. 6 My uncle’s family came to visit. He asked my parents if they were planning a recovery party for me, now that I was out of the woods. It seemed the thought had only just occurred to them, and they quickly agreed it was a great idea. On the morning of the party, Celine appeared at the breakfast table dressed in plain, simple clothes. My parents and brother were shocked and immediately rushed to her side. “Celine, what’s wrong? Why are you dressed like this?” my mother asked anxiously. Celine bit her lip and glanced at me, who was calmly eating breakfast. “Today is sister’s big day. She’s the star of the party. I don’t want to steal her spotlight, so I thought I’d dress simply.” “You foolish child,” my mother said, hugging her tenderly. “Even though today is a party for your sister, it’s a celebration for our whole family. You should look just as beautiful as she does.” “That’s right, Celine. Go change into a pretty dress. We want everyone to see the two beautiful Rhodes sisters,” Alex said with a smile. Celine continued to bite her lip and look at me. “But I’m afraid sister will mind… I don’t want to upset her and cause disharmony in the family…” Alex frowned at me. “Rory, Celine is your sister. You shouldn’t be bothered by things like this. Between sisters, there’s no such thing as stealing the spotlight.” “Exactly, Rory. As the older sister, you can’t think that way. Two sisters living in harmony is what people admire,” my father added disapprovingly. I took a sip of milk and looked at them. “Excuse me, but have I said that I mind anything?” They all froze. “Sister, I really don’t want to steal your spotlight. Please don’t be angry…” Celine said anxiously. Alex’s expression turned sour again as he looked at me. I smiled. “Sister, I hope you’re not overthinking things. I just woke up from a three-year coma, my brain isn’t fully functional yet. I really don’t have the energy to mind anything at all.” Celine paused, feeling as though her efforts were being effortlessly deflected. “As long as Rory doesn’t mind, that’s all that matters. Come on, Celine, let’s go upstairs with Mom and pick out a beautiful dress and some jewelry to match.” My mother gently led her pitiable daughter away. At the hotel ballroom, I looked at myself in the dressing room mirror. My body was thin and pale from the coma, but thankfully, I had almost reached my full height of 5’3” before the accident, so it hadn't stunted my growth too much. I opened the door and walked out, only to see Celine with Caleb, Julian, and Leo in a small side lounge. “I really didn’t want to wear this dress. I think sister is a little upset, but Mom, Dad, and Alex all insisted…” Celine was saying. “Why would Rory be upset?” “Celine, you can’t always be the one to give in to your sister, you know?” “You should wear what you want to wear. You can’t let others dictate your choices.” They were all cooing over her. “It’s okay. Sister was in a coma for three years because she was saving you all. She’s been a little resentful of me since she woke up, probably because she thinks you’re all too nice to me.” “So I just want to use this opportunity to show her that I won’t compete with her for anything. I will only be grateful to her and serve her.” “Today, my sister will be the most radiant and beautiful one here. I will happily be her green leaf, just a part of the background…” Celine’s voice was so pitiful it could melt stone. “Celine! Don’t be ridiculous. We’re good to you because you deserve it. Rory was in a coma for three years, her mentality is probably still stuck in the past. She was always willful. You must have had a hard time at home.” “It’s true Rory saved us, but she demanded money the day she woke up, as if she was afraid we wouldn’t be grateful. So you don’t have to accommodate her for our sake.” “Even though today is your sister’s party and the focus is on her, you are always our focus, Celine.” I heard their words, let out a soft, contemptuous laugh, and walked away.
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