The Price of a Birthday: A Five-Year HellChapter 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.