Confusion clouded Cielle’s mind, unable to make sense of what was happening.
But then, her father’s words hit her like a thunderclap. "Margaret! My dear daughter!
Thanks to all our efforts, your illness has finally been cured!"
Dear daughter?
The woman lying in the hospital bed... could it be?
Her mother, tears streaming down her face, added, "We’ve missed you so much, thought about you every day while you’ve been abroad all these years."
Cielle instinctively covered her mouth, more in bewilderment than anything else.
The Beckett Family had another daughter. Why had they kept this secret from her?
In that instant, the fragile girl in the bed broke the silence with a soft, trembling voice. "Did you truly miss me? Then why did you and Dad have another daughter?"
Magnus, who had remained silent until now, seemed to lose control. He rushed to explain, "There’s a reason for this! Margaret, we love you more than anyone!"
"Really?" The girl’s voice was filled with doubt, her head hanging low as tears fell.
But Laurent, ever gentle, reached out to stroke her hair, his voice soft but steady, "The one who holds our hearts above all others is you. Don’t you remember our childhood promise?"
The girl’s cry shattered the moment. "Then why did Cielle appear?"
"Because Cielle is your blood donor," Laurent said quietly. "For all these years, you’ve needed blood replacement. She was brought into existence to treat your illness."
In that instant, it was as though the world exploded in Cielle’s mind, her eyes widening in shock.
So, her entire existence had been nothing more than a vessel for someone else’s survival?
All those years, the kindness and love shown to her had been nothing but a facade, a cover for the fact that she was merely a walking blood bank…
No wonder, every year, when she went in for a routine check-up and blood transfusion, a wave of drowsiness would sweep over her and the next day, her parents would be "off on a business trip" abroad.
No wonder, every time she scraped her skin, no matter how small the injury, their panic was palpable, rushing her to the hospital over a mere cut.
No wonder her brother and childhood friend were always so protective, feeding her supplements, urging her to take medicine and guarding her like fragile glass.
It had all been for the sake of a lost sister, using her as nothing more than a mobile blood donor…
Outside the room, Cielle stumbled to a halt, unable to bear the weight of the revelation. The shock hit her with the force of a freight train and she collapsed onto the cold floor.
It felt as though her heart had been torn apart, each beat sending waves of pain through her body, suffocating her.
Suddenly, a deafening roar split the air and a torrential downpour unleashed, the sky itself weeping with her in a storm of thunder and lightning.
As the room fell silent, all eyes turned toward the window in shock. Without a word, Cielle bolted, her heart torn, her cries echoing into the storm.
The rain drenched her dress as she ran down the empty street, her emotions a hurricane of fury and sorrow, her voice carrying the weight of years of hurt.
It wasn’t until she collapsed, unable to rise that the storm inside her finally began to subside. There, on the cold pavement, memories once so sweet now felt like shards of glass, cutting into her heart.
The very next day, still in the clothes soaked with the previous night's anguish, she walked into the memory loss clinic, desperate for release. She opted for the quickest solution, electroshock therapy, ready to erase it all, no matter the cost.
One week later, Cielle was leaving the city behind. She had decided: she would forget everyone here, never to return. The city that had once been home would be nothing more than a distant echo.
When Cielle returned home, the door creaked open to reveal everyone gathered around Margaret, doting on her, serving coffee and showering her with attention.
The moment Cielle stepped through the door, every eye turned toward her. For a fleeting second, she saw the surprise flicker across their faces.
Had they forgotten about her now that Margaret was here? Or were they simply shocked to see her return?
Cielle couldn't make sense of it, nor did she want to. She stood frozen in the doorway, lost in confusion.
