Chapter 3

As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I felt my body grow colder and heavier. My chest tightened, and my breaths slowed until there was nothing left.

Through the haze, I saw the boy being rescued by a passerby, crying in his mother’s arms.

I also saw my parents and sister.

They were sitting at our dining table, surrounded by the supplies I had worked so hard to gather.

I heard my father sigh, “I’m so disappointed in Wendy. From now on, I only have one daughter.”

I heard my mother scoff, “Don’t mention her. She’s nothing but bad luck.”

And I heard my sister laugh, saying, “Mom, Dad, don’t worry about her. She texted me earlier—she’s with some guy. She doesn’t need us!”

I stared in disbelief.

All my life, I thought that if I worked hard enough, my parents would love me just as much as they loved Emily.

I thought my sister was kind and supportive, the best sister anyone could ask for.

But behind my back, they wished I would disappear.

And the sister I had always looked up to was happy to tarnish my name in front of them.

Fine.

If that’s how they felt, they’d never see me again.

But still…

I couldn’t accept it.

Before my consciousness faded completely, I heard a voice ask me:

“Do you want another chance at life?”

I summoned every last bit of strength and answered:

“Yes.”