On the day of my birthday, after I stormed out in anger, my brother went looking for me—only to be kidnapped and murdered. All that was left was a bloodstained suicide note. I refused to believe he was dead. I plunged headfirst into the dark world of human trafficking. I survived brutal beatings and unimaginable torture, barely clinging to life. I scoured every red-light district and remote mountain village, rescuing countless trafficked victims, but I never found Liam’s shadow. Five years later, my body was covered in scars, and I couldn't search anymore. But just as I was about to collapse from starvation, I saw him holding a cake, celebrating our adopted sister's birthday with the rest of the family. My adopted sister, Chloe, cheered with delight: "Thank you, Liam! You're the best!" "Because Maya refused to share her birthday with me five years ago, you punished her for five whole years. But today, I’ve decided to forgive her!" My brother smiled and praised her: "Chloe is so kind. Your birthdays are only a day apart; what's the big deal about celebrating early together?" "But after this, she should have learned her lesson. She'll even thank you for bringing me back." "But... is Maya going to be okay out there all by herself?" "Don't worry, I pulled some strings. She's just going through a little hardship. When she comes back, we'll throw her a solo birthday party. It's her only wish; she'll be thrilled." My empty stomach cramped with hunger, and the scar where my kidney had been removed throbbed with a dull ache. They didn't know I was a "System Traveler," and I still had one wish remaining in my balance. [System: Host, are you sure you want to use this wish?] My voice was hoarse: "I'm sure. Let Liam and Chloe's lie become reality." ······ [Ding~ Granting wish...] Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the family looked like the picture of happiness. But soon, my brother Liam received a phone call. "Yes, I'm Liam." "What do you mean, 'your husband'? I'm not married! Who is this scammer?" I knew the wish had started to take effect. He hung up the phone impatiently and smiled, reassuring Chloe: "It's nothing, just a spam call. But it reminded me, I should check in on Maya." He dialed his phone while handing Chloe a slice of cake. "Is Maya still looking for me?" "Find a way to let her know I've been rescued. A five-year punishment is enough; it's time she came home..." He wore a relaxed smile, but the moment he turned his head and saw me, his entire body froze. Standing outside the window, I forced a mocking smile through my cracked lips. The joyous atmosphere inside shattered as my brother and the rest of the family rushed out. "Maya! What happened to your hand?!" Liam's hands trembled as he grasped my left arm—it was nothing but a twisted stump. It was the price I paid to rescue a boy who looked just like him. The villagers had hacked it off. My mother supported me, her face pale with disbelief as she sobbed hysterically: "Call an ambulance! Maya, Maya, stay awake!" My body had reached its absolute limit. I completely lost consciousness. When I woke up, I heard a doctor asking in surprise: "Is this the young girl you rescued? She's severely dehydrated and malnourished; her body is failing on multiple fronts." Liam’s lips moved, but no sound came out. The doctor explained the treatment plan, using Chloe as a comparison: "Take this young lady, for example. You can tell she's well-nourished and comes from a wealthy family." "This poor girl's digestive system is incredibly fragile. She's starved for too long. We can't just give her rich food; her body can't handle it..." I offered a silent, bitter smile. It was true. Chloe had been raised in the lap of luxury. Five years ago, the moment Liam got home from work, Chloe had begged him to cook a lavish dinner. I had scolded her for being so demanding, mimicking how my parents used to discipline me. But Liam instantly frowned in displeasure: "Maya, who do you think you are? Chloe has a poor appetite. It's a good thing she's willing to eat my cooking!" He then casually informed me: "Tomorrow is Chloe's birthday. We're celebrating yours together to save time." I just glared at Chloe. The next day, she cried secretly on her birthday, which resulted in my birthday privileges being revoked for ten years. I left in a fit of rage on my birthday. I never expected that my mother would arrive, smash my cake on the ground, and tell me that Liam had been kidnapped and murdered while searching for me. From that moment on, my entire family had orchestrated a massive lie against me. Just moments ago, looking through that window, I heard them refer to my five years of living hell as an "educational method." A burning pain pierced my heart. I forced myself off the hospital bed, intending to leave. Liam rushed to hold me back: "Maya, lie down! Your body is too weak..." I looked up at him, my expression devoid of emotion: "Didn't you always say I need to be strong even when I'm sick? I can manage." I saw the tears in my family's eyes. They choked back sobs and said: "You've been incredibly strong. Thanks to Chloe, we finally found your brother. You can rest now." Liam grasped my hand, his eyes welling with tears: "Tomorrow is your birthday. We'll throw a party just for you, okay?" I didn't say a word, just gave a slight nod. After tomorrow, everything would become a reality anyway. There was no rush. Through the crowd, I caught Chloe's venomous glare. Chapter 2 In the past, even blowing out candles was a luxury for me. This time, however, it was a lavish affair, with all our relatives invited. For the first time, I had a cake entirely to myself. But just as I closed my eyes and prepared to make a wish amidst the chorus of "Happy Birthday"— "Liam, save me!" A blood-curdling scream pierced the air. Chloe stumbled into the room, collapsing as if she had lost all her strength. My first, exclusive birthday cake was destroyed. "Maya, I already promised to give everything back to you! I don't want anything anymore!" "Why did you still hire someone to kidnap me?!" Chloe's face was ashen. She clutched her hand, blood spurting from the wound. Liam's face drained of color. He lunged forward to apply pressure to her wound. Chloe sobbed, her voice filled with agony: "Maya, it's not my fault you lost your hand! Why did you tell the kidnappers to chop mine off?! Please, let me go! Let me go!" The room erupted in a gasp of shock. Liam glared at me, his eyes full of rage: "Maya, how could you be so evil?!" The relatives joined in, hurling accusations: "She's your sister! How could you do something so horrific?!" "She's an ungrateful wretch! Today she kidnaps her sister and chops off her hand; tomorrow she might kill us all!" Liam gritted his teeth: "Maya, if you hadn't thrown a tantrum and run away, I never would have been kidnapped!" "If it weren't for Chloe, I would have died a hundred times over! How could you hurt her? You don't deserve to be my sister!" The crowd pulled at me, labeling me a murderer. Chloe fell to her knees, slapping herself hard and kowtowing until her forehead bled: "I was wrong! I shouldn't have competed with my sister for your love! Please, I'll leave—no, I'll go abroad right now! I promise you'll never see me again!" I looked at my parents and brother, anxiously comforting her. I finally couldn't hold back a scoff: "Chloe, you're still as dramatic as ever." The next second, I was kicked brutally to the ground. My internal organs felt like they had been shattered. Liam stepped heavily on my stomach, grinding his heel into me with fury: "You haven't learned a damn thing in five years! You're ruthless enough to do this to your own sister!" He pointed at Chloe's bleeding hand and demanded: "Look at her injuries! Do you think she's faking this? You refuse to admit your mistakes, and out of sheer jealousy, you took revenge on Chloe!" "You should have died out there!" A sharp pain tore through my abdomen, and I coughed up two mouthfuls of blood. I smiled. So, this was his true feeling. Seeing me smile, my mother’s face twisted in profound disappointment. She smashed a glass cup against my face: "You will kneel and apologize to Chloe right now! Sign the papers transferring all your shares to her!" "Otherwise, you can crawl back to wherever you came from and get your limbs chopped off! You are no longer part of this family!" Blood blurred my vision. Liam ordered coldly: "Sign it now! Stop pretending to be half-dead. Nobody owes you anything!" With blood pouring down my face, I took the transfer agreement and ripped it to shreds! "I will never apologize!" Liam's face darkened: "Can't you just bow your head for once? Do you really want to pay her back with your own hand?!" His next words choked in his throat, turning into a horrified scream. I yanked off my functional right arm and threw it into his chest: "Here's my hand!" I hunched over, forcefully detaching one of my legs: "Here's my leg!" Both of these prosthetics were the price I paid. I was caught and brutally dismembered after rescuing trafficked women. The old injuries from years of beatings caused me to spit up more blood. "Maya!" Liam's hands trembled as he reached to support me. I pulled away in disgust, lost my balance, and crashed to the floor. I could only pull up my shirt, gasping for air: "What else do you want? My liver or my kidney?!" Liam's sobbing voice echoed in my ears: "Impossible! I arranged for people to protect you..." Before I completely lost consciousness, I caught a glimpse of the supposedly weak Chloe; a flash of panic crossed her face. Chapter 3 I woke up in the hospital again. Liam was sitting by my bed, trying to convince me: "Chloe made a mistake. That kidnapper was just after ransom; you didn't orchestrate it." I pressed my lips tightly together. As expected, Liam looked at me with a conflicted expression: "It's partly your fault for always competing with Chloe. You scared her with your deformed hand, and she's had nightmares for days." "Let's just forget this ever happened." Even though I anticipated this, fury still surged within me: "Why?! I'm your biological sister! Why am I punished half to death for every mistake, while she gets a free pass?!" Blood seeped through my bandages. Liam quickly tried to soothe me, his voice carrying a sense of finality: "Once you've recovered, we'll throw you a proper birthday party and transfer your residency registration back to our family!" My parents, standing by the bed, nodded through their tears. I was stunned. So, they all knew. When they adopted Chloe, they had personally removed my residency registration. Just because she said she liked my name, my identity was given to her when I turned 18. For years, my stubborn insistence on celebrating my birthday was simply a desperate plea for them to accept me back into the family. But after over a decade, I was still an outsider. My parents cast a sympathetic glance at my prosthetics: "Don't worry, Maya. Once you're discharged, we'll sort out the paperwork." "We'll make Chloe give you back your name and your identity!" Crash! Chloe stood in the doorway, her eyes red, a shattered water glass at her feet: "Mom, Dad, Liam..." Liam tightened his grip on my hand, his voice unwavering as he looked straight ahead: "It's decided!" "Liam!" "Get out, Chloe! Maya is my biological sister!" Chloe burst into tears, just like she always did. But this time, when she turned and ran, no one stopped her. Their attitude towards me became incredibly cautious: "Maya, when you're better, we'll fix your registration, okay? We're a family." Family? I closed my eyes, a suffocating pain gripping my chest. "Okay." It didn't matter. They were all going to die anyway. I would be the sole heir to the family fortune. Only by getting my registration back could I inherit the estate. Liam let out a sigh of relief. He thought I was compromising. Worried that I might change my mind and go after Chloe, he immediately issued a public statement announcing a formal recognition banquet for me. The wealthy family drama of the true and fake heiress. But while the internet was buzzing with speculation, another trending topic exploded out of nowhere. The fake heiress had committed a hit-and-run, and the true heiress had taken the fall! There was a signed confession as proof. I was shocked. Almost no one knew about this. When Chloe was underage, she stole a family car and hit someone. My family immediately forced me to switch identities with her, using my grandfather's belongings to blackmail me into taking the blame and going to prison. "Maya! Why won't you leave Chloe alone?!" Liam stormed into my hospital room and slapped me hard across the face. He gritted his teeth: "Are you trying to destroy her? Chloe just wants a family! What did she do wrong?!" Chloe, standing behind him with red eyes, pleaded: "Sister, I've already given everything back to you. Are you trying to drive me to suicide?" The stinging pain on my face confirmed my suspicions. It was another one of Chloe's manipulative ploys. Liam was frantic and furious: "You pushed Chloe into the crosshairs! She made a mistake when she was young and foolish, but she's done her best to make up for it!" "Why are you never satisfied? Do you have to ruin her reputation completely?!" She made up for it? What about me? What about the two years I spent in prison for her? I clenched my fists and demanded: "So what? Am I supposed to take the fall for her again?!" "Yes!" My burning rage turned to ice. Chapter 4 Liam took a deep breath, staring intensely at me: "The only option now is for Chloe to attend the recognition banquet in your place! We need everyone to believe she is the true heiress!" My heart froze completely. He glanced at my twisted left hand, unable to bear the sight, and looked away: "Don't worry, the family will still transfer your registration back, we just won't change your name back yet!" For the same crime, he wanted me to be Chloe's scapegoat twice. My voice trembled as I asked: "Liam, do you remember what you promised me when we were kids?" He seemed to have forgotten. After a few seconds of silence, he awkwardly avoided my gaze: "Don't worry, I'll get your registration sorted out as soon as possible." "Be reasonable. Both you and Chloe are my sisters!" But Liam... I closed my eyes, feeling like my heart was being carved out with a dull knife. When we were little, you stood in front of me and swore I was your only sister. You promised you would never let anyone take what was mine. My mother rushed into the room, urging impatiently: "What is there to talk about? The public backlash is huge right now, we need to issue a clarification immediately!" Her words hung in the air, completely oblivious to my torn bandages. They hurried out, protecting Chloe, leaving me entirely alone. The eve of the recognition banquet was the anniversary of my grandfather's death. I saw Liam kneeling guiltily at his grave for a long time. I waited until he left before I approached to pay my respects. "Grandpa, I'm sorry..." Tears slid past the scars on my face as I whispered: "I can't be a forgiving person. Liam swore to you that he would only ever have one sister." "But for Chloe's sake, he sent me to prison and doomed me to a life of hell." "I made a malicious wish, and I have absolutely no regrets." I didn't attend the banquet. I only received the occasional abusive text message. It wasn't until Liam mentioned someone was spreading rumors and blackmailing him, and that he needed to deal with it. Only then did Chloe and I go downstairs. Before the final step, she shoved me violently. I stumbled and was caught by Liam. He thought I was just worried, wrapping an arm around me reassuringly: "It's just someone trying to extort money. I have bodyguards, and Chloe is with me. Nothing will happen." "You're still recovering, don't move around too much. Once I handle this, I'll come back and we'll go sort out your registration." I gently pushed him away: "Okay." He drove off with Chloe. Before leaving, he told me to rest, his eyes full of brotherly concern. I watched the car until it disappeared from sight. My heart gave a slight twinge. A silent farewell. Goodbye, Liam. No, this is farewell forever.
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