Panic seized him. In that moment, Jonathan realized he couldn't recall what I used to look like—the vibrancy, the fire I once held.
A sharp pain struck his chest. An indescribable unease and guilt rose like bile in his throat.
His hands trembling, he grabbed his phone and dialed.
The next day, I took Jonathan to the hospital for his follow-up.
Dr. Jordan Armstrong, his attending physician, practically vibrated with excitement. "Miss James, incredible news. A private research institute abroad has developed an experimental ALS treatment. Clinical trials are showing remarkable results—only two spots left, and I secured one for your brother."
He was selling it hard. I simply nodded. "What are the odds of recovery?"
"Eighty percent."
Jonathan played his part perfectly, tears welling in his eyes. "Hazel, did you hear that? I can get better. I can stay with you forever."
I forced the corners of my mouth up. "That's good. If only one of us can survive, I want it to be you."
Jonathan froze.
Perhaps the gravity in my voice startled him. For a split second, he forgot to slur his speech or feign weakness.
His frown deepened, voice sharp and clear. "Don't talk nonsense. We'll both live long lives. When I recover, I'll rebuild the James Corporation. You'll be the princess of the James family again."
But I don't want to be a princess anymore.
I don't want the title, and I don't want you, Jonathan.
I'm giving it all to Valerie.
"We need to run pre-admission tests," Dr. Armstrong interrupted. "It'll take some time, Miss James. Why don't you wait outside?"
In the past, I would have believed him. I would have left Jonathan in their care and sprinted to my part-time jobs, racing against the clock to earn pennies for his "treatment."
Now, I knew better. It was just a pretext to get rid of me.
I stood at the corner of the deserted corridor, hidden in shadow. I watched my brother—the man who supposedly couldn't walk without support—change his clothes with fluid ease. He strode toward the elevator, impatience evident in his gait.
Downstairs, a sleek luxury car waited. He slid into the backseat and sped away.
I stared at the empty space where the car had been, then walked into a different doctor's office.
"Miss James," the oncologist said, voice heavy. "The tumor has grown too large. Inoperable. If you'd come two weeks ago, maybe... but now..."
He sighed, removing his glasses. "It's a matter of days. You should say your goodbyes."
I sat in silence for a long time, numbness spreading through my limbs. Finally, I nodded.
"After I die, cremate me immediately," I said, voice steady. "Send my ashes to the James Estate. Deliver them personally to Jonathan James."
I left the hospital with the last of my money. Just as I stepped onto the sidewalk, my phone buzzed.
A message from Valerie.
Come to the estate. There's something you need to see.
I hailed a taxi to the most exclusive villa district in the city.
For five years, I believed our family home had been seized by the court, auctioned off to pay debts. But as I stood before the carved iron gates, the mansion blazed with light—more lively and opulent than I'd ever seen it.
Guests swarmed the lawn, a sea of designer gowns and tailored suits. Luxury dazzled at every turn.
Standing outside the gate in my worn, cheap clothes, I felt like a ghost from another world.
Valerie stood in the center of it all. She wore a sparkling tiara and haute couture, looking every bit the heiress, her arm linked possessively through Jonathan's.
They stood before a six-tier cake, surrounded by a wall of wrapped gifts. Valerie's face glowed with triumph.
She clasped her hands together, closing her eyes to make a wish loud enough for the crowd. "I hope to be Jonathan's only sister in this life, and to remain his little princess forever."
Jonathan smiled warmly and pulled a velvet box from his pocket.
The moment the lid snapped open, the blood in my veins turned to ice.
The Jade Pendant.
When Jonathan and I were born, our parents commissioned an eminent monk to consecrate two matching jade pendants. They were chanted over for a full year, carved with our names, and placed around our necks as infants. A blessing from Mom and Dad. A symbol of our lineage. The only tangible connection I had left to them after they died.
Even in my darkest, most desperate moments, I had refused to sell mine.
But now, Jonathan held the matching piece—the one that belonged to the James bloodline.
He had erased the original engraving.
It now bore the name Valerie James.
In front of the cheering crowd, he solemnly fastened the clasp around her neck—stripping me of my history and handing my birthright to the woman who destroyed me.
