Reborn,My Adoptive Sister's Schemes Turned Against Herself

I never imagined that on my eighteenth birthday, I would be diagnosed with stomach cancer. The only way to extend my life was through money, but the pain of treatment was unimaginable.

I stumbled into the house, barely feeling my legs as I dragged myself through the door. There, in the living room, sat Eva, glowing with that same innocent smile, accepting fruit from my parents.

My brother, ever the dutiful son, wiped the corner of her mouth as if she were a child, his gaze soft with affection.

As soon as they saw me, their smiles froze.

I stood there, heart hammering, feeling more invisible than ever.

Eva looked at me, eyes widening with feigned innocence, her lips curling into a perfect pout. "Is something wrong, darling? You don't look so well."

"Eva..." My voice cracked. "It's me. I'm... sick."

My father shifted in his chair, avoiding my gaze. "You're always so dramatic, aren't you, sweetie?" He didn't even bother to look up from his newspaper.

"Always the troublemaker," my brother sneered. He didn't even stand up. "What's this new act?"

I clenched the cancer diagnosis tightly in my hand, feeling my whole world slipping through my fingers. "Dad... Mom... I have cancer. I need money for treatment. Please."

The room fell dead silent.

Eva tucked her hair behind her ear, watching me like I was some kind of spectacle.

"Cancer?" My brother finally broke the silence.

He stood up, snatched the diagnosis out of my hand, and gave it a cursory glance. "Ha! This is rich! A great way to get attention, don't you think?"

"Stop lying!" My mother's voice cut through the air, sharp as ice. She stood from her seat, her eyes narrowing at me. "Eva was right. You're nothing but a drama queen. Always have been, always will be."

"Mom, I'm serious... I-"

"You've always been selfish, always stirring trouble. You think I'm going to buy this pathetic story?"

"Don't worry, darling. I'm sure you'll figure something out. You've always been good at... getting people to feel sorry for you."

Just as I was about to speak, Eva interrupted with feigned concern. "Dad, Mom, I saw her faking the cancer diagnosis earlier. I didn't understand it then, but now it's clear-she's trying to scam you for money. She's gone mad, even willing to lie about something as huge as cancer! I'm so glad I warned you about her, or you'd be fooled!"

She paused, acting like the saint, then softly handed over a tissue. "Please don't be angry, but you know how she is. She's always spending recklessly, racking up debts. This is just her desperate attempt to get money."

. "No! It's not true, I really have cancer! She's lying!" I rushed to explain.

Before I could say another word, my brother, Philp, slapped me across the face. "You're pathetic! And now you're dragging Eva down with you!" His voice was cold. "She's not like you. We know exactly who she is!"

This was the first time he ever hit me.

"Please, I'm not lying, I really-"

"Enough!" My father, Kinson, cut me off, his voice filled with disgust. "You have one month left before you marry John, so why can't you just stay quiet for once?"

With that, they turned their backs on me and left, taking Eva upstairs, their laughter echoing as they went.

Later, at dinner, they filled the table with fancy cakes, all for Eva. I couldn't stomach the sight of the cream-filled pastries-my stomach twisted in agony just from the smell. Since my diagnosis, even the thought of them made me nauseous. I silently retreated upstairs.

As I sat in my room, I couldn't take it anymore. I called John, my childhood friend, my rock. But as soon as I heard his voice, he sounded distracted.

"Emma, what's wrong?"

"Eva just called. Something urgent. I have to go."

For days, they kept me locked in my room, refusing to let me see a doctor. The pain from the cancer spread, and I could only swallow painkillers, listening to their laughter downstairs.

Finally, the day of my wedding arrived. John came to pick me up in a sleek black suit. His warm smile made my eyes well up.

He took my hand, his expression turning worried when he saw how pale I looked. "Are you okay? You don't look well."

Before I could answer, my parents rushed in, panic in their eyes. "John, Eva's gone!"

John's expression shifted immediately. "What's going on?"

But there were only ten minutes left before the ceremony was supposed to start. Panic gripped me. I grabbed his hand. "John, the wedding... let's just start the wedding."

Before I could say more, Sara shot me a venomous glare. "What are you talking about? Eva's missing, and you're still thinking about the wedding?"

In an instant, John made his decision. "Emma, the wedding's postponed. We need to find her first." He pulled his hand from mine and followed Sara out, leaving me standing there.

. Then, distant screams and cries from my parents echoed through the house.

The scene that greeted us in Eva's room was one of chaos. She lay on the bed, pale as a ghost, surrounded by empty pill bottles and a note that caught everyone's attention. It read:

"John, you're about to marry Emma, and I've never told you how I feel. I've loved you in silence. I hope you two will be happy, but in the next life, I will find a way to tell you how much I care."

We all waited outside the operating room.

John paced relentlessly. Every few seconds, his gaze shot toward the door. "How's she doing? Why hasn't it finished yet...?"

Time dragged on until, finally, the lights in the operating room went out. John rushed in, followed by the rest of us.

The surgeon removed his mask with a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, we acted quickly. The dosage wasn't lethal. After emergency stomach pumping and treatment, she's stable for now. However, we did discover signs of mild depression. You must be careful moving forward, avoid triggering any more emotional distress."

Eva was wheeled out, ghostly pale, her eyes closed, barely conscious. John rushed to her side, gently holding her hand. "Eva, you're okay..."

Sara and Kinson rush to her. "If anything happened to you, how could we live with ourselves? Why didn't you tell us you loved John? Why suffer in silence? You've caused us so much heartache."

Eva collapsed into Sara's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry, Mom, Dad... I didn't mean to fight with Emma for John. But I love him so much... seeing him with her... it hurts so much... I can't bear it anymore... Please... just let me go."

The Smiths cried together, lost in their grief, completely forgetting that today was supposed to be my wedding.

We stayed with Eva all day at the hospital, until finally, by evening, she was sedated. Philp stayed behind at the hospital with her, while the rest of us returned home.

The moment I stepped inside, Sara called my name. "Emma..."

She paused, her voice syrupy sweet. "Eva loves John so much. Why don't you just give him to her?"

The next moment, Sara was weeping, her voice full of pity for Eva. "She's suffered so much. She lost her parents, lived as an outsider, and now this depression..."

"You've got everything, Emma. Please... let Eva have John."

They were so focused on Eva's depression, but never once did they think about their own daughter, who had cancer, and was running out of time. "I can't let him go."

Before Sara could respond, the front door slammed open. John appeared, standing tall in the doorway.

"I disagree."

Hope flared in my chest. I knew it. Even if the world abandoned me, John would stand by me. But then.

"Eva's emotional state is unstable. I'm postponing the wedding. Once she's stable, we'll talk. And until then, I'll stay with her. I can't leave her until she's past the suicidal phase."

Postponing the wedding... did he even realize that with my cancer, I might not have much time left?

"Emma, please understand. Do you want Eva to die because of this?"

"I'll delay the wedding, but I need money, five million."

The Smiths' faces shifted, their expressions turning to stone. In the end, though, they caved, agreeing to the demand. They couldn't let Eva's life slip away.

In the days that followed, Eva became their world. John, the perfect protector, chauffeured her, checked on her daily, and even surrounded her with bodyguards. I became a shadow in my own home.

To please Eva, they threw her a lavish party. My parents had flown to South Africa to buy her a diamond necklace.

Philp drained his savings for a designer handbag. And when John presented his gift, Eva blushed and whispered, "John... could you kiss me?"

John's gaze met mine, torn, but then he leaned down and kissed Eva's cheek.

I stumbled to my phone, dialing the doctor, my hands shaking. "I've paid for the treatment... when can I check in?"

The voice on the other end was cold. "What payment? We haven't received anything."

I checked my balance. The screen mocked me with a cruel, empty 0.