Filmed Until the End

"Ms. Clarke, you have successfully purchased a Final Memories recording package. We have arranged hidden cameras to record you anytime and anywhere. From this moment on, no matter where you go or what you do, everything will be secretly filmed until the day you pass away." The staff member handed the contract to Lila Clarke and asked her to confirm everything one last time. Without hesitation, she signed her name. The reason she ordered Final Memories was because she had been diagnosed with cancer. She had no more than one month left to live. Chapter 1 She had already arranged for the agency to release her memoir after she died. She only wanted her biological parents, her fiancé Julian Everett, and her childhood best friend Miles Monroe to see what she had gone through before her death. As soon as the staff left, Julian and Miles rushed in. They grabbed Lila's arm and pulled her toward the door. "Lila, Sienna tried to kill herself again after another depression episode. She slit her wrists. Come to the hospital right now and donate blood!" This was already the seventh time Sienna Clarke had attempted suicide that month. Every time, she lost so much blood that she needed a transfusion. And every single time, everyone dragged Lila in to donate. Lila's arms were now covered with needle marks because of Sienna. The moment Lila reached the hospital, she had barely stepped outside Sienna's room before she was slapped twice. Her biological parents, Harvey Clarke and Mabel Clarke, rushed over and shouted angrily. "What did you say to upset Sienna this time? You know she has depression. She can't handle any stress!" Julian and Miles tried to protect Lila, but they were more worried about wasting time before Sienna got her blood. "Harvey, Mabel, stop hitting Lila. The most important thing right now is getting her blood to Sienna." Lila was pulled into the donation room. It was the first time everyone had stayed with her while she waited for the test results. But no one cared about her. They kept looking nervously toward the hallway, worried about Sienna, who was still in the operating room. Lila was already used to it. She forced a bitter smile before lowering her head. A few minutes later, the doctor walked over with her test reports. "Lila, you have cancer. You can't donate blood. This isn't a joke." Everyone turned around in shock. But after only a moment, they all seemed to come to the same conclusion. Harvey and Mabel rushed over first. They grabbed the report without even reading it and tore it into tiny pieces. "Lila, you're unbelievable! Bullying Sienna wasn't enough for you. Now you're bribing a doctor to fake a cancer diagnosis just to get our attention?" Julian looked at her with cold eyes. "Lila, even if you don't want to donate blood, you can't lie about having cancer. How could you do something this disgusting?" Miles sneered. "You've been the healthiest person since we were kids. You hardly ever even catch a cold. At least come up with a better excuse." Lila looked at them without any emotion. "I'm not lying. I really have cancer." But just like every other time, no one believed her. Instead, they dragged her into the donation room and forced the nurse to draw her blood. The thick needle pierced her arm again. She thought she had gotten used to it. But her heart still ached. Sometimes Lila wondered if they loved Sienna so much, they never should have brought her back in the first place. She could have stayed the nanny's daughter. Sienna could have continued living as the Clarke family's beloved daughter. That would have been better than this. Lila's life had always been absurd. The woman who had raised her for over 20 years confessed the truth on her deathbed. She admitted that she and Mabel had given birth on the same day. Wanting her own daughter to have a better life, she had secretly switched the babies. Lila was the real daughter of the Clarkes. Sienna was actually the nanny's biological child. After revealing the secret, she passed away. But the Clarkes had loved Sienna with all their hearts for more than 20 years. Even after learning she wasn't their biological daughter, Harvey and Mabel chose to keep her. Lila was welcomed home, but her return didn't make the family whole. Instead, she became the outsider who ruined the happy family of three they already had. At first, when they discovered the babies had been switched, they truly felt sorry for Lila. She should have grown up as a golden girl. Instead, she had spent her life as the nanny's daughter. They promised to make it up to her. They even gave her the marriage arrangement with the Everett family. But Sienna refused to accept it. She started making up stories, claiming that Lila bullied her. The first time she accused Lila of slapping her and pushing her down the stairs, everyone believed her. Later, she claimed Lila's bullying had driven her into depression. Again, everyone believed her. From that day on, they all saw Lila as a cruel and heartless woman. No one felt sorry for her anymore. Julian was outstanding in every way and became her fiancé. But he had grown up with Sienna. The only person he truly cared about was Sienna. Lila could accept that her parents and her fiancé didn't love her. But she could never understand why Miles had suddenly started protecting Sienna too. He had hated Sienna more than anyone when they were kids. Miles was also the son of one of the family's employees. When they were children, Sienna constantly bullied both of them because she was the rich girl. Back then, Miles would angrily help Lila treat her wounds, his eyes red with tears. "Lila, just wait. One day I'll become better than everyone else. I'll give you the best life. Then you can look down on her, because you're the one who deserves the best." Now he had finally become successful. But he had long forgotten that promise. He no longer cared about Lila. He had fallen in love with the same Sienna who had bullied them for more than 20 years. After donating blood, Lila walked out, her body weak and exhausted. She didn't notice the person in front of her and nearly fell. Behind her, Mabel complained impatiently, "Is she acting like this so everyone thinks we're abusing her? What a great actress." Lila said nothing. She simply kept walking forward one slow step at a time. Just then, the operating room doors opened. The people behind her rushed over at once and gathered around Sienna's bed. Miles asked, "Sienna, how do you feel? Are you feeling better?" Julian gently said, "Sienna, whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Please stop hurting yourself, okay?" Harvey and Mabel held her hands. "Silly girl, don't scare us like this. If anything happened to you, what would we do? You can never do something like this again." After comforting Sienna, Harvey and Mabel turned to Lila with angry faces. "Stop pretending to be weak. Go home right now and make some nutritious food for Sienna. Consider it your apology for driving her to this." Lila didn't answer. She simply turned around and walked away. She looked at the blinking security camera not far away and gave a sad smile. When her memoir was finally released after her death, they would all learn who had really been pretending. Chapter 2 After returning home, Lila finally made it up the front steps. Before she could even take out her key, a sweet metallic taste rushed into her mouth. She covered her lips, but blood immediately flowed through her fingers. Her condition was getting worse. She used every bit of strength she had to unlock the door. But her body gave out. She collapsed down the steps and blacked out. When she woke up again, it was already morning. She had been lying unconscious on the front steps all night. No one had found her. She struggled to her feet, unlocked the door herself, and walked inside. While preparing the food, Lila picked up her phone. She opened her social media and saw that Sienna had posted several new posts. The pictures showed gifts from Harvey, Mabel, Julian, and Miles. She looked like a princess surrounded by everyone who loved her. Her face was filled with happiness. Lila's hands trembled slightly. She locked her phone, packed up the food, cleaned the bloodstains outside the door, and then left. When she arrived at the hospital, Sienna was the only person in the room. The moment she saw Lila, she smiled smugly. "You came at the perfect time. Mom and Dad went to buy me food. Julian heard I couldn't sleep because the hospital was too noisy, so he went to arrange a private VIP floor just for me. And Miles is warming up my milk." Lila looked at her quietly. "This is your seventh suicide attempt this month. You don't even have depression. Is framing me really that much fun?" Sienna curled her lips into a smile. "Of course it is. I love watching you suffer. Lila, don't tell me you actually think being Mom and Dad's biological daughter means you can steal their love from me. You can't compete with me. I have plenty of ways to deal with you. If I want to, I can make every single one of them abandon you." Lila calmly watched Sienna provoke her. She didn't even want to argue. She had known what kind of person Sienna was since they were children. She just never expected her to become this cruel. Besides, she had already lost them all. Just as Lila turned to leave without another word, Sienna suddenly grabbed the hot meal from the table and dumped it all over herself. Then she burst into tears. "Lila, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have made Mom and Dad stay with me all the time. I shouldn't have let Julian and Miles treat me so well. I know you hate me, so you can do anything you want to me." The hospital room door was suddenly kicked open. Everyone rushed inside. Miles shoved Lila aside before standing in front of Sienna with the others to protect her. He pushed so hard that Lila had no chance to react. She crashed onto the floor, which was covered with broken pieces of the food container. Her head slammed into the edge of a table. Sharp pieces cut deep into her hand. When Lila opened her eyes, warm blood ran down from her forehead and along the corner of her eye. Before she could even get up, she heard them yelling. "Lila, are you crazy?" "How could you pour burning hot food all over Sienna? You've gone too far!" Lila said nothing. She struggled to her feet and pressed the nurse call button. The doctor and nurses hurried into the room. Seeing how badly Lila was hurt, they planned to treat her first. But everyone spoke at once, "Treat Sienna first!" The doctor glanced at the faint burn on Sienna's neck and shook his head. "Ms. Clarke's burn isn't serious. Some burn cream will be enough. But this young lady has lost a lot of blood. We should treat her first." But the group, who only cared about Sienna, immediately insisted again. "You have to treat Sienna first. Ignore everyone else." Lila's heart ached when she heard those words. She stopped waiting. Instead, she covered her wound and walked alone to the emergency room to get stitches. After her treatment, Lila went by herself to pay the medical bill. When it was finally her turn, she searched through her pockets for a long time before pulling out a handful of wrinkled bills and loose coins. She counted every dollar until she had just enough to pay. The cashier stared at the pile of small bills and coins in surprise. "You don't have a bank card or PayPal or anything?" Lila shook her head. "I haven't graduated from college yet. My family doesn't give me any money. I earned all of this from my part-time jobs." After saying that, she ignored the nurse's shocked expression, took her receipt, and walked away. When she stepped out of the hospital, Julian and Miles were both waiting for her. Julian's handsome face was cold with anger. He stared at her and asked, "You've already gotten your real identity back. Why do you keep causing trouble for Sienna? She isn't taking anything away from you." Miles spoke up as well, "You changed after you found your real family. You weren't like this before." Before? They weren't like this before either. Julian had always been the golden boy of high society. He was warm as sunshine and kind to everyone. He never looked down on Lila for being the housekeeper's daughter. Whenever she got into trouble, he was always there to help her. He saved the chocolates he brought back from overseas just for her. He practiced Aurelan conversations with her. When she cried alone in a corner, he quietly handed her a warm handkerchief. That was why she had secretly fallen in love with someone so wonderful. He would never know how happy she had been when she learned he was actually her fiancé. As for Miles, he had survived countless lonely and miserable years with her. They had depended on each other just to keep going. He walked her to and from school every day. Whenever Sienna bullied her, he held her tightly with tears in his eyes. He even spent two months handing out flyers under the blazing summer sun just to save enough money to buy her the necklace she wanted. He once told her, "Sienna may be the Clarke family's princess, but you're the only princess I'll ever have." He promised that no matter what happened, he would always stand by her side. Not blame her like he was doing now. Lila looked at both of them. Her voice was calm, distant, and without emotion. "I wish they'd never found me." Chapter 3 Lila's condition kept getting worse. Because she wasn't receiving treatment, she coughed up blood almost every day. Every time she looked at the dark red blood in the sink, she silently counted how much time she had left to live. But even then, Sienna refused to leave her alone. Every day, she sent Lila countless messages and photos. "Lila, you're pathetic now, aren't you? Unlike you, Mom, Dad, Julian, and Miles are always by my side. Do you know how well they treat me? They even take turns feeding me every day. You're the kind of person nobody could ever love. You'll always just be the nanny's daughter—nothing more, nothing better!" After reading the messages, Lila quietly locked her phone. Her stomach hurt terribly. She had already used up all the pain medicine at home. After getting hurt at the hospital two days earlier, she had spent almost all the money she had. She didn't want to suffer like this every day. So she decided to earn enough money to buy more painkillers. Through a friend's recommendation, Lila got a job as a server at the famous Twilight Lounge. The work was tiring, but the pay was good. One day, after cleaning a private room, she was about to leave when she suddenly heard familiar voices in the hallway. "Sienna, you just got out of the hospital, and you're already insisting on coming here. If Harvey and Mabel find out, they'll definitely lecture you." Sienna wrapped her arms around Julian's and spoke in a sweet voice, "Julian, I'm not worried. You'll help me anyway. Ever since we were kids, you've always gotten me out of trouble whenever I messed up. Besides, Mom and Dad like you the most. They won't be mad." Julian smiled and gently tapped her forehead with a finger. At the same time, Miles quickly draped his jacket over her shoulders. "You just recovered. Don't catch a cold. Are you thirsty? I brought your favorite fruit juice." As they talked, they walked into the private room next door. Through the glass door, Lila could see one of them fanning for Sienna while the other carefully cut fruit for her. They treated her like a real princess. Just as Lila lowered her head and was about to leave, the manager suddenly handed her a bottle of red wine. "The guests in that room ordered this. Please take it in." It had been hard enough to find this job. So Lila gathered her courage and carried the wine inside. Julian, Miles, and Sienna recognized her immediately. Julian and Miles stared at her in shock. "Why are you working in a place like this? Didn't your family give you any money?" Lila quietly set the bottle on the table. "No." She had always supported herself over the years. But after being diagnosed with cancer, her health had become much worse. This was the only kind of job she could still manage. Hearing that, Julian and Miles started to feel a little sorry for her. But Sienna spoke first, "Lila, why are you lying again? Mom and Dad give you money every week. Did you spend it all and come here just to make everyone feel sorry for you?" Then she looked at Julian and Miles. "Julian, Miles, don't you think it's a little too much of a coincidence that she just happened to come into our room?" Lila didn't want to listen to Sienna twist the truth. She turned to leave. But Sienna suddenly rushed over and grabbed her wrist. Then Sienna immediately covered the back of her own hand and looked at Lila with tear-filled eyes. "Lila, just because I exposed your lie doesn't mean you have to get angry. I was only trying to help you." Julian and Miles instantly stepped in front of Sienna to protect her. The moment they saw the deep fingernail marks on the back of her hand, their expressions changed. Julian glared at Lila. "Didn't I tell you to stop bullying Sienna?" Without another word, Miles pulled a thick stack of cash from his bag and tossed it onto the table. "Didn't you say you came here to make money? Then drink every bottle of wine here. If you do, I'll believe you. And every dollar on this table is yours." Chapter 4 Lila was in terrible shape. She could barely eat anymore, let alone drink alcohol. But she desperately needed money to buy painkillers. So she immediately crouched down and began forcing herself to drink. The strong burn of the alcohol felt like her whole body had been set on fire. A sharp pain suddenly twisted through her chest. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She then turned to the side and coughed up a mouthful of blood. Out of the corner of her eye, Lila thought she saw Julian and Miles panic for a brief second. But Sienna's voice quickly pulled their attention away. "Lila, stop acting. You used to fake coughing up blood at home by using fake blood to fool Mom and Dad. Now you're using the same trick again. Why do you keep doing this?" Julian and Miles looked at Lila coldly. There wasn't a trace of concern in their eyes. "Take the money and get out." Lila wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, picked up the money, and walked out. Just then, Sienna sighed dramatically. "Oh, I wonder what she's going to do with that money. She used to secretly spend money at nightclubs. That's why Mom and Dad stopped giving her money every day like before..." Hearing Sienna's lies, Lila suddenly felt uneasy. She stuffed the cash into her pocket and hurried toward the exit. Before she could react, two bodyguards rushed over and snatched the stack of bills from her hands. "Mr. Everett and Mr. Monroe said they'd rather tear up this money than let you have it." As soon as he finished speaking, he ripped the entire stack of cash into pieces. Lila collapsed onto the floor in despair. She picked up the torn pieces and desperately tried to put them back together. No matter how hard she tried, it was impossible. She couldn't stop crying. She rubbed away her tears and kept trying anyway. Just then, she heard someone laugh. She looked up and saw Sienna staring at her with a smug smile. "Oh, you're so pathetic. Lila, you probably still don't know why you've ended up like this, do you? Do you know why Mom, Dad, Julian, and Miles treat me so well?" Lila lowered her head. She didn't want to waste another word on her. Sienna laughed and continued anyway. "Even if you don't want to hear it, I'm going to tell you. After Mom and Dad's car accident, I lied and told them I was the one who donated most of my blood to save them. I knew you were the one who searched through the rain all night to find Julian's favorite pendant, but I was the one who handed it back to him. That's why he fell in love with me. As for Miles, he used to hate me. The only reason he fell for me was because I lied and told him I was the one who donated my kidney when he had kidney failure." Lila stared at her in complete shock. She couldn't say a single word. Seeing Lila's reaction only made Sienna even more pleased. "Lila, you did so much for them. So why didn't you ever tell them? That's why I was able to steal everything you did and make them love me instead. They trust me now. Even if you tell them the truth today, no one will believe you. They think I'm a better person than you. And besides, you don't have any proof anymore." With that, she proudly walked away in her high heels. Lila watched her leave. Then she looked at the security camera not far away and let out a bitter laugh. She hadn't had any proof before. But now she did. She would leave this behind as her final gift to every one of them. Chapter 5 Over the next few days, Lila ignored everything else and focused only on her part-time job. After today's shift, she would finally have enough money to buy painkillers. The thought made her feel a little happier, and even her steps became lighter. Lila delivered a bottle of wine to the assigned private room. Just as she was about to leave, a man suddenly stepped in front of her. "Where are you going? Stay and have a few drinks with me." The man's grip was so strong that it hurt her wrist. Lila turned around, apologized, and tried to pull her hand free. "I'm sorry. I don't drink." But instead of letting go, the man pulled her even closer. "If you don't drink, then spend the night with me instead." As soon as he finished speaking, he started touching her. This was the first time Lila had ever faced something like this since she started working there. She panicked, so she struggled with all her strength while shouting. "Let me go! If you don't stop, I'll call for help!" The man sneered, his eyes filled with greed. "Go ahead. See if anyone comes. I'll tell you the truth. Ms. Clarke paid me to rape you. She gave me enough money to make sure you have a very unforgettable night." Lila had never been so terrified. She had never imagined Sienna could be this cruel. She cried and screamed as she fought back. Finally, she kicked the door open. Two people walking through the hallway stopped when they heard the noise. It was Julian and Miles. Lila immediately cried out to them for help. "Julian! Miles! Please save me! This man is trying to assault me!" The two of them froze for a moment. Then they looked at Lila with cold, distant eyes. "Stop pretending. That trick doesn't work on us anymore." "As long as you treat Sienna better and stop pulling these little tricks, we'll treat you a little better too." After saying that, they turned around and walked away without a second thought. As they left, they were even discussing what food they should buy to cheer Sienna up. Watching them disappear, Lila suddenly felt dizzy. She almost collapsed. She couldn't understand why they refused to believe her. They wouldn't even look at her before deciding she was lying. At that moment, she realized she could never depend on anyone again. The man was about to drag her back into the private room. Lila grabbed a flower vase by the door and smashed it over his head with all her strength. The man cried out in pain and collapsed onto the floor. Lila clutched her clothes tightly and ran away as fast as she could. By the time she reached home, she was still shaking with fear. She stood outside for a long time, trying to calm herself down before quietly opening the door. When she walked into the living room, she found Harvey, Mabel, and Sienna sitting on the couch, waiting for her. The moment Harvey and Mabel saw Lila, they began yelling. "Damn it! Sienna already told us everything. You actually went to a place like that to fool around. You've brought shame to this family!" "You're not coming back into this house tonight. Sleep outside if you have to. Maybe that'll teach you a lesson." Heavy rain poured from the sky. Lila stood outside by herself, getting soaked. Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, she watched the family of three sitting together on the couch, happily watching TV. They looked at Sienna with nothing but love and affection. But they were Lila's parents. That love should have belonged to her. Her adoptive mother had never treated her well when she was growing up. That was why she had always envied Sienna. When Lila learned the truth about her birth, she had been overjoyed. After moving into the Clarke Residence, she tried everything she could to earn their love. She never expected things to end like this. So it was true. Some parents could love an adopted daughter more than their own flesh and blood. But Lila no longer cared. Because this kind of life would soon come to an end. Chapter 6 Lila stayed outside the house all night. When morning came, she finally walked inside, exhausted. As she sat on her bed and picked up her phone, she discovered an invitation from the National Design Awards. Lila had always loved design. She had submitted one of her projects to the National Design Awards, never expecting to make it to the finals. The organizers told her to submit her final design and wait for the results. This would probably be the last piece she ever created. So she poured her whole heart into it. She stayed up for three straight nights before finally submitting her work. On the day the winners were announced, her design really did win first place. But the name beneath the winning design wasn't hers. It said Sienna Clarke. Lila stared at the screen in disbelief. She couldn't understand what had gone wrong. Just then, Sienna walked over and leaned close to her ear with a smile. "Wow, I actually won. I only mentioned it as a joke, but Mom really stole your original design drafts for me. Julian and Miles even used their connections to kick you out of the competition. Lila, aren't you just the saddest person?" Sienna looked beautiful on the outside. But inside, she was cruel beyond words. Lila had never wronged her. She had never hurt her. She couldn't understand why Sienna was so determined to destroy her life. Furious, Lila couldn't hold herself back anymore. She slapped Sienna across the face. "Sienna, you've gone too far!" At that exact moment, Harvey, Mabel, Julian, and Miles appeared at the doorway. The moment they saw what happened, all their faces changed. Harvey and Mabel rushed straight to Sienna. They carefully checked her face for injuries, completely ignoring Lila. "Lila, you're heartless!" "This is only what we happened to see. Who knows how you've been bullying Sienna behind our backs?" "You need to be taught a lesson this time!" As soon as Miles finished speaking, he took a leather belt from one of the household staff and handed it to Julian. For the first time, Lila fought back. She struggled with all her strength. Julian looked at her with icy eyes. "Still fighting back, huh? Sienna's depression only got this bad because of you!" Lila's heart shattered. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at the people standing before her. "None of it's true! You've all been fooled! Her depression is fake. Her suicide attempts are fake. My cancer is the only thing that's real! Do you have any idea how much this award meant to me? I'm dying! This was supposed to be the last award I'd ever win! Why are you doing this to me?" But instead of feeling sorry for her, they whipped her even harder with the belt. "Stop making things up! Even now you're still spreading lies and trying to ruin Sienna's name. How did you become this kind of person?" "If we'd known you'd turn out like this, we never would have brought you home!" By then, Lila's body was covered in bruises and wounds. But the pain in her heart hurt far more than anything they did to her body. She laughed in despair. She was finally disappointed in every one of them. "At a time like this, how could I still have hoped you would believe me? Lila, you're such a fool." Chapter 7 When Lila woke up again, she was back in her bedroom. Julian was sitting beside her bed, getting ready to feed her some medicine. The moment he saw her awake, he frowned. "Lila, you need to stop targeting Sienna. She may have taken your place for all those years, but none of that was her fault. You're home now, and I already agreed to marry you. What else could you possibly be unhappy about?" Looking at the tenderness in his eyes whenever he spoke about Sienna, Lila finally couldn't hold back anymore. "Why did you really agree to marry me? Don't tell me it was because of the engagement between the Clarkes and the Everetts. I know you have the power to stand up to your family." Julian was silent for a long moment before answering. "My family has been the most powerful family for generations. Every generation has only one son. My mother made it clear that any woman who marries into our family is expected to have children. Sienna has been cherished since she was little. I can't bear to let her go through the pain of childbirth." The reason was so absurd that Lila laughed until tears filled her eyes. She looked at him but couldn't speak for a long time. "Wow, Julian, you really do love her. How noble of you." Julian's expression remained cold. "The person I love is Sienna. But since I've promised to marry you, I'll make sure you're taken care of. Even so, my heart will always belong to Sienna." Lila looked at him calmly. "Julian, what if one day you discover you've loved the wrong person? What if the one you really love is me?" For a brief moment, he froze. It was as if he hadn't heard her clearly. Just as he was about to ask what she meant, Miles suddenly walked into the room. Julian stood up when he saw him. "Miles, you grew up with Lila. Try talking some sense into her." Miles sat down beside Lila's bed. As he reached for the medicine, the scar on his arm became visible. It was a scar from years ago. Back then, Lila had picked up a doll Sienna no longer wanted. When Sienna found out, she snatched it back and humiliated Lila in front of everyone, saying that a nanny's daughter like Lila shouldn't touch her things. Miles had been heartbroken. He worked construction jobs for several days, coming home covered in cuts and bruises. With the money he earned, he bought Lila the exact same doll. Back then, he had looked at her sincerely and said she deserved the very best. Lila looked at the man before her. He had completely changed. "Miles, you used to tell me that one day you'd become successful. You said you'd become even more powerful than the Clarkes, so Sienna would never dare bully me again. But now that you've made it, you're bullying me alongside her." Miles froze. After a long silence, he finally spoke, "I did hate Sienna before. But she donated a kidney to save my life." Lila smiled bitterly. "It was my kidney..." But he never heard her. At that moment, he heard Sienna crying somewhere nearby. Without another glance at Lila, he hurried away. Time passed quickly. On Lila's and Sienna's birthday, the Clarkes threw a grand birthday party. Officially, it was a celebration for both sisters. But the dresses, the gifts, and even the decorations had all been chosen according to Sienna's tastes. She was the princess everyone adored. Lila was nothing more than a forgotten extra standing beside her. The most ridiculous part was that, even now, the Clarkes had never told the public the truth about Lila's and Sienna's identities. Everyone still believed Lila was only the nanny's daughter. They thought the Clarkes had adopted her out of kindness after the nanny passed away. The family didn't want Sienna to face public criticism. So they let Lila carry all the blame instead. Chapter 8 Whenever there were guests around, people always talked about Lila. They all believed that a nanny's daughter like her didn't deserve to marry Julian. In their eyes, someone with such a low status should be grateful. Instead, she always looked cold, as if everyone else had wronged her. But Lila never explained herself. There was no point anymore. During the birthday party, Harvey and Mabel announced in front of everyone that the entire Clarke family fortune would one day belong to Sienna. The guests applauded. Lila simply stood there, calm and expressionless. None of it mattered to her. She was going to die soon. Even if they wanted to leave everything to her, it would mean nothing. When no one was watching, Sienna walked over with a smug smile. "Lila, I beat you again. Mom, Dad, Julian, and Miles are so stupid. You're the one who's always been good to them, yet I fooled every single one of them." Lila only found it laughable. She turned to leave. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the room. One of the overhead support beams had snapped. The decorations hanging from the ceiling came crashing down toward both Lila and Sienna. Almost everyone shouted Sienna's name at the same time. They all rushed to protect her. Surrounded by everyone, Sienna wasn't hurt at all. Lila, however, was knocked to the ground by the shattered decorations. Her vision blurred. Something warm trickled down from her head. She realized she was bleeding. Only then did Julian finally notice her. He glanced at Lila and hurried toward her with worry on his face. "Are you hurt? I'll take you to the hospital." But before he could take another step, Sienna collapsed into his arms. "Julian... My head hurts..." The panic immediately returned to his face. Lila smiled faintly. "I'm fine. Take her to the hospital." After saying that, she staggered out by herself. When Lila returned home after getting her wounds treated, she learned that Harvey, Mabel, Julian, and Miles had already taken Sienna on a vacation overseas to make up for her birthday. They believed the birthday party had been ruined because of Lila. So they wanted to give Sienna the perfect birthday she deserved. Meanwhile, Lila stayed home alone, silently enduring the pain caused by her cancer. She felt herself getting weaker every day. She spent more time unconscious than awake. The painkillers no longer worked. No matter how many she swallowed, she still rolled across the floor in agony. One day, Sienna suddenly sent her a text message. "Lila, are you home? I prepared a special gift for you. Don't forget to accept it." Not long afterward, Harvey, Mabel, Julian, and Miles all returned home on the same day. They brought Lila many gifts. For once, they even spoke to her gently. Lila knew they wanted something. So she asked directly, "What do you need me to do for Sienna this time?" They hesitated before finally speaking, "Sienna was in a serious car accident. Her kidney was badly damaged, and she needs a transplant. Yours happens to be a perfect match. People have two kidneys. Donating one won't affect your life." Without thinking, Lila gently touched the scar on her abdomen. Then she shook her head sadly. "I only have one kidney." Their expressions immediately changed. "Lila, how could you say something like that? Even if you don't want to donate, you shouldn't make up an excuse like this." "Sienna's condition is critical. You're the only one who can save her!" Lila looked at their desperate faces and answered numbly, "Believe whatever you want. If you want my kidney, then take it. I'm dying from cancer anyway. I only hope you won't regret this someday." She already knew they would never believe her. From the very beginning, the only person they cared about was Sienna. Just as she expected, none of them cared when she mentioned her cancer. They didn't believe she had only one kidney either. "Don't worry. After you donate your kidney, we'll make it up to you." Lila weakly shook her head. "There won't be an 'after' for me." Chapter 9 Before they could recover from the shock, Lila had already returned to her room. She packed three boxes and brought them back to the people standing before her. "Miles, these boxes contain all the photos we took together over the years. I treasured them for a long time. During those painful years, I was always grateful that you were by my side. Without you, I don't think I could have made it through. That's why I kept these pictures safe and would look through them whenever I missed those days. But now, I want to return them to you. I want to completely forget this part of my life." After saying that, Lila walked over to Harvey and Mabel and handed them another box. "Dad, Mom... Before I was brought back, I used to envy Sienna so much. I wished I could have parents like you who loved their child so much. Then God answered my wish. I found out that you really were my biological parents. But after coming back to you, I never felt happy even once. I finally learned that there really are people in this world who don't love their own daughter but choose to love an adopted child instead. Everything inside this box is every gift you've given me over the years. I kept all of them carefully. But now, I want to return them to you. You gave me life, but you never raised me. Still, I don't want to talk about those things anymore. This life was given to me by you. Now, I'm giving it back." Finally, Lila stood in front of Julian. "Julian, there is nothing left for us to say to each other. I only hope that one day, when you remember me, you won't regret this." They stared at the boxes in confusion. But they were still worried about Sienna, so they didn't think too much about it. They simply assumed Lila was throwing another tantrum. Before Lila entered the operating room, she called the staff in charge of her death memoir. "My life ends today. After I die, please broadcast my death memoir across the entire city." The person on the other end of the phone stayed silent for a long time. Then, with a sad voice, they finally said, "Ms. Clarke, your life has been far too painful. I hope that in your next life, you can be happy and live without suffering." Lila had already lost all hope. But when she heard comfort and concern from a stranger, tears suddenly filled her eyes. The person who was willing to give her warmth was someone she had never even met. Yet the people she loved most had only brought her pain. How ironic. This world was beautiful. But her life had been filled with too much suffering. So if there really was another life, she didn't want to return to this world again. Before she entered the operating room, everyone waited outside. Lila silently let the nurses push her toward the room. Then, she suddenly turned around and looked at everyone behind her. "Harvey, Mabel, Julian, Miles, you are not allowed to attend my funeral." Lila no longer called Harvey and Mabel "Dad" and "Mom." From this moment on, they had no relationship left with her. Hearing those words, they finally started to panic. "Stop saying things like that. You're only donating one kidney. We'll be waiting for you when you come out." Lila lowered her head and smiled. She smiled because they were completely wrong. She didn't say anything else. She simply turned around and walked into the operating room. Lila lay on the cold operating table and watched as the doctors and nurses prepared everything around her. Slowly, she closed her eyes. After an unknown amount of time, memories from her entire life suddenly flashed through her mind like a movie playing at high speed. The heart monitor beside her began to scream the moment her kidney was removed. Beep. Beep. Beep. The screen turned completely red. Then, the line suddenly became flat.