The Forgotten Heiress，My Final Goodbye

In my heart, Chloe was never the imposter who stole my life. She was my little sister. The best sister I could have ever asked for. When our parents refused to take me back, she knelt in the rain until her knees were bloody and bruised just to get them to open the door for me. When our classmates mocked my poor manners, she slapped Ashton Vance—the richest, most arrogant bully in school—across the face. She was trembling with fear, yet she still turned around, smiled, and told me I was safe. She even gave up every cent of the family fortune, insisting it all belonged to me. Later, she pushed Julian Crawford into my life. Julian was the golden boy of the upper class. He taught me etiquette, helped me get into an Ivy League university, and turned me into a real lady. On graduation day, he got down on one knee, held out a ring, and promised to take care of me forever. The two of them were like bright, blazing fires, thawing out my frozen, hopeless world. Until the day I walked back from the clinic and saw them through the cracked door of my bridal suite. Julian had Chloe pinned against the wall. His voice was choked with sobs. "Why are you forcing me to marry her? You know damn well it’s always been you!" Chloe didn't push him away. She just wept uncontrollably. "Stop, please... Don't hurt Clara. She only has us left..." Outside the door, hot tears and a rush of blood from my nose soaked through the paper in my hand. "Diagnosis: Terminal Cancer. Estimated survival: less than one month." A bitter smile broke across my face. How wonderful. Even the Grim Reaper knew when to grant a wish. "Thud!" A sudden wave of dizziness hit me from the blood loss. My knees buckled, and I crashed heavily into the doorframe. The crumpled medical reports in my hands scattered all over the floor. Just as I scrambled to pick them up, the bedroom door flew open. Chloe’s eyes were rimmed with red, tears still glistening on her cheeks. When she saw me covered in blood, all the color drained from her face. "Clara! What happened to you? Why are you bleeding so much?!" I used the back of my hand to smear the blood away. I forced my lips into a natural, easy smile. "It’s nothing. I was staring at my phone while walking and slammed right into the door." Chloe dropped down beside me, not caring at all that the blood ruined the silk sleeves of her designer blouse. She gently wiped my face, her voice tight with worry. "How could you be so careless? Does it hurt?" "Let me help you up. I’ll call Dr. Miller to come check on you—" Before she could finish, Julian stepped out from behind her. His eyes landed on the floor. Frowning, he reached down to grab one of the papers. "What’s this?" I glanced down and froze. My medical chart! "No!" Panic surged through me. I practically threw myself onto the floor, snatching the paper before he could touch it. My voice cracked with terror. "It's nothing!" Both of them stared at me, visibly startled by my frantic reaction. Julian’s hand remained frozen mid-air, his sharp eyes narrowing as he studied the paper in my fist. Fortunately, the crucial words were already blurred by the dark red blood. I forced myself to breathe, stuffing the paper deep into my pocket, and lied through my teeth. "Just the flu, plus severe exhaustion. I went to a walk-in clinic and grabbed some medicine. It's so dry this winter, my nose bleeds at the slightest hit. You two should be careful, too." Julian stared at me for several excruciating seconds until the suspicion in his gaze finally faded. He hesitated, then asked cautiously, "Clara... did you hear anything outside the door just now?" Right then, I felt Chloe’s fingers tighten violently around my arm. I knew what they were terrified of. It was okay. Even though I knew the truth, I didn't blame them. After all, this whole life was something I had stolen from Chloe in the first place. Yet, an overwhelming ache burned behind my eyes. Tears threatened to spill, but I threw my head back, forcing my expression to look utterly innocent and confused. "Hear what?" "I was too busy fighting with that stupid doorframe. Hurt so bad I nearly cried. Why, did I miss something?" Julian let out a visible sigh of relief. Chloe’s shoulders slumped, all the tension leaving her body as she pulled me inside. "Nothing! Julian and I were just talking about your wedding plans." "Come on, let’s get you cleaned up and stop that bleeding." Julian nodded, reaching out to shut the door. But right as it was about to click shut— "SLAM!" A strong, slender hand caught the door, shoving it wide open. Ashton Vance stood there, wearing his signature arrogant smirk. He glared straight at me and yelled, "Clara Hayes! Why the hell did you run away from me at the hospital's oncology center?!" My heart plummeted into my stomach. "I was screwed."I had run into Ashton at the clinic, but I was wearing a mask. The moment I spotted someone I knew, my first instinct was to bolt. I never imagined he would recognize me, let alone hunt me down to my house. Julian moved to block him, but Ashton completely blew past him. In two long strides, Ashton was standing right in front of me. He took one look at my pale, terrified face, jammed his hand into his leather jacket pocket, and pulled out a tube of lipstick, roughly shoving it into my palm. "You dropped your crap and didn't even notice," he snapped, sounding like he was ready to start a fight. "I called your name three times. Are you deaf?" A lipstick? I stared down at my palm in complete shock. I had never owned this shade in my life. Without time to think, I latched onto the excuse, giving an awkward laugh. "Sorry, Ashton! I was feeling dizzy and rushing to get home." "I really didn't hear you. Thank you so much for bringing it all the way here." Ashton stared at me with an uncharacteristically sharp, serious expression, as if there was something else he wanted to say. In the end, he just scoffed, putting up his usual cocky front. "Funny how Julian spends all his time wrapped around Chloe instead of taking care of his actual fiancée..." With that cold parting shot, he turned on his heel and walked away. A suffocating silence fell over the hallway. I snapped out of it almost instantly, trying to laugh it off. "Ugh, that idiot Ashton. He’s hated me ever since high school. Any chance he gets, he tries to stir up drama between us. Don’t listen to a word he says!" "Next time I see his dad, I’m definitely telling on him." Afraid they would read between the lines, I caught sight of the maid setting the dining table in the background. I looped one arm through Julian’s and the other around Chloe’s, dragging them forward to shatter the icy tension. "Oh, that smells amazing! Let’s eat." "Maria must have cooked up a feast. I’m completely starving after running around all day!" A lie. At this stage of the disease, hunger was a distant memory. I had even lost my sense of taste. Thanks to my forced cheerfulness, the mood smoothed over. At the table, I mechanically shoved food into my mouth. It tasted like wet cardboard. Sitting across from me, Chloe suddenly lit up. She set down her fork and beamed. "Clara! I bought tons of fireworks for the backyard tonight." "Let’s go set them off after dinner, okay?" I gave a gentle shake of my head. In my current state, I wouldn't last five minutes out in the cold before collapsing. "I don't think I can, Chloe. The medicine I took makes me super drowsy. I really need to sleep early tonight." "Julian, why don't you go with her?" Julian naturally picked up the conversation. Starting from the fireworks brand Chloe bought, they quickly drifted into memories of their childhood. "Hey, Julian, do you remember that party for grandpa’s birthday when we snuck out back to light sparklers and accidentally set the curtains on fire? We hid in the closet the entire afternoon!" Julian looked up. His soft, warm eyes suddenly shone with a vibrant life I had never seen before. A brightness he had never once shown me. "Of course I remember. We only got caught because you couldn't stop sneezing." "That was your fault! You insisted on shoving us into the closet packed with grandma's perfumed coats!" "My fault? Who was the one pretending to be a NASA rocket launch? Look at you now, Miss Famous Designer, playing the innocent card." Back and forth they went, painting a past where I never belonged. I sat right between them. Every bone in my body ached, a slow, merciless execution from the inside out. Thankfully, Chloe was eager to play. She barely finished eating before dragging Julian out to the backyard. I made an excuse about being tired and headed upstairs to my bedroom. Standing in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window, I watched the backyard light up as bright as day. Chloe ran around like an excited kid, while Julian stood just steps behind her, relaxed, his gaze never once straying from her silhouette. A firework rocketed into the sky with a loud "whistle", exploding into colors that illuminated their smiling faces. Chloe spun around, caught sight of me behind the glass, and waved frantically. "Clara! Look! Isn't it gorgeous?" I instantly put on the brightest smile I could muster, waving back enthusiastically before pressing both hands against my cheek to signal that I was going to sleep. They nodded, and I pulled the blackout curtains shut. The second the fabric closed, I stumbled into the bathroom, dropping to the cold tiles as violent nausea tore through my stomach. I threw up until my ribs screamed with pain, curling into a ball on the floor. Relying purely on muscle memory, I dragged myself toward the nightstand and blindly ripped open the painkiller bottle. I didn't care about the dosage. I dry-swallowed a dozen pills at once. Grabbing the edge of the curtain, I tried to pull myself up. My fingers slipped, peeling the fabric back an inch. And right there, under the glittering night sky... I saw Julian and Chloe kissing.The vibrant colors of the fireworks reflected off the glass, highlighting my ghost-white face. Slowly, my fingers uncurled. The curtain fell back into place, sealing out the world. How beautiful they looked. The fireworks. And the two of them. The next morning, the smart blinds slid open on schedule. Sunlight stung my eyelids, and I realized I had passed out on the hardwood floor all night. Clenching my teeth, I forced my battered body up and checked the calendar on the nightstand. A bright red circle marked today's date. It was Chloe’s birthday. Every year, our parents would fly back from their overseas business trips just to host a lavish family dinner for her. A lump of bitter grief rose in my throat, but I forced it down. I ran back into the bathroom, vomiting mouthfuls of dark blood. I stared into the basin, dazed. It seemed... I wouldn't even last a month. In the mirror, my skin was gray, my eyes sunken with dark circles, looking like a walking corpse. I put on a heavy layer of makeup and went downstairs. Maria, the housekeeper, looked at me with concern. "Clara, you look so pale..." I squeezed out a smile, my voice raspy and cracked. "I’m fine. It’s Chloe’s birthday today. Every year I make her sweet fruit soup, and I want to do it again this year." Back when I was first brought home, my parents hated me, my peers bullied me, and I was so broke I couldn't even afford a bouquet of flowers. All I could do was scrounge up leftovers from the pantry and make a simple bowl of warm sweet soup for Chloe. Yet Chloe never looked down on it. She had proudly carried that cheap, humble bowl to the center of the lavish banquet table, announcing to everyone with a bright grin: "This is the best thing I've ever tasted! My sister made it just for me!" "Chloe, I really don't want to die." "I wanted to make this soup for you for the rest of our lives." "I wanted to be your big sister forever." I poured every ounce of my remaining focus into watching the pot simmer gently on the stove. Just as it was almost done, a violent spike of vertigo struck me. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs, suffocating me. Desperate, I twisted open my pill bottle. Darkness flashed across my vision, and my body tilted forward, out of control. "Clatter!" I knocked over the sugar jar, shattering it on the counter. Maria rushed in. "Are you alright?!" "I’m fine... just stood up too fast," I wheezed. "The soup is ready. Could you turn off the burner and ladle it into a bowl for me?" I secretly squeezed the remaining pills in my fist. I was too weak. Too dizzy. I never noticed that a single pill had slipped from my trembling fingers... And melted right into the boiling soup. I was an idiot. I slept until the evening, finally woken up by laughter drifting from the living room. Everyone was there. Mom, Dad, Chloe, and Julian were sitting around the couch, chatting and laughing warmly. My appearance instantly froze the room. Mom glared at me, her tone dripping with disdain. "You knew today was Chloe’s birthday, yet you stayed locked up in your room sleeping until dinner? Where are your manners?" Dad chimed in, his brow furrowed in disgust. "All that money we spent sending you to private school was a complete waste. Not an ounce of class." I lowered my eyes, digging my nails into my palms. I took the familiar berating in silence. Chloe immediately jumped up, hurrying over to link her arm through mine, defending me fiercely. "Mom, Dad, stop! Clara was feeling sick, that’s why she slept in. Clara, are you feeling better? Come sit next to me!" Her arm was warm. But my body was freezing cold. I was afraid my chill would freeze her, so I quietly slipped my arm from her grasp. "I’m much better," I said softly. The conversation quickly shifted back to her. I sat in the corner, watching my parents excitedly shower Chloe with luxury jewelry and designer bags they had brought back from Paris. Julian sat beside her, smiling gently, his eyes never leaving her face. I felt like a sewer rat peeking in on someone else’s fairy tale. Halfway through, Chloe seemed to notice my silence. Thinking I was upset from Mom and Dad’s scolding, she playfully shook my sleeve. "Alright, enough presents! The gift I've been waiting for all year isn't here yet! Clara, where’s my soup?" "I saved room in my stomach just for it!" My heart softened completely. I turned to Maria, who was waiting nearby. "It’s ready. Could you bring it out, please?" A bowl of warm, steaming soup was placed before Chloe. She scooped up a spoonful and swallowed it with a delighted hum. Then, just seconds later— Her smile froze. She looked at me, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. Her spoon slipped from her fingers, clattering loudly against the porcelain bowl before hitting the floor. "Chloe?" Julian was the first to react. In the next breath, Chloe grabbed her stomach, screaming in agony. Her body seized violently, convulsing on the sofa as white foam bubbled uncontrollably from her mouth! "Chloe!" "My baby, what’s happening to you?!" Mom and Dad shrieked in horror, and Julian’s terrified shouts tore through the room as everything descended into utter chaos. I stood frozen, staring at Chloe’s twisted, agonizing convulsions. A sudden memory hit me like a bullet—the side effects of my heavy-duty, late-stage cancer painkillers: "Severe muscle spasms. Seizures. Coma." It was me... "The pill fell into the soup?!"What followed was an absolute nightmare. Dr. Miller rushed in, immediately pumping Chloe’s stomach. "Her life isn't in immediate danger, but she’s in a deep coma. She needs absolute rest." My legs shaking violently, I took a step forward, desperate just to see if Chloe was okay. Before I could get close, Julian turned around and shoved me with all his might! I stumbled backward, slamming brutally into the wall, a sharp pain radiating through my spine. His eyes were bloodshot, his usual composed, gentle demeanor shattered into pure fury and hatred. He roared in my face: "Clara Hayes, how can you be so damn evil?!" His finger shook as he pointed at me. "I just checked the security cameras in the kitchen! You dropped that white pill into the pot with your own hands! Why the hell did you try to murder her?!" "No... Julian, listen..." I wanted to explain that it was an accident, but my mouth opened and closed, completely unable to form the words. In Julian’s eyes, my hesitation was a confession. "Who else could it be?! I saw it with my own eyes! Chloe treated you like gold—do you even have a heart?!" "If it weren't for her, you'd still be rotting in some backwater foster home living like trash!" "Why did you want her dead?!" Julian pressed closer, his eyes wild. Suddenly, his pupils contracted. He lowered his voice, his tone laced with venom. "Last night... you were standing behind the curtain, weren't you? You saw us!" "That was on me! I couldn't control myself! If you have hate in your heart, come after me! Chloe always saw you as her sister, she loved you!" "You stole our future, and now you want to take her life, too?!" I had no defense. Panicked, I yanked the pill bottle from my pocket to prove my illness. "No, Julian! Please, let me explain—" Before I could hold it out, Mom charged over and smacked the bottle out of my hand, sending pills flying across the floor. She pointed directly at my face, shrieking: "Explain what?! There’s nothing to explain!" "Get out! Get the hell out of my house! The Hayes family doesn't have a venomous monster like you for a daughter! If anything happens to Chloe, I swear to God I'll make you pay!" Dad’s face was dark with disgust as he shoved me toward the door. "Get out right now! We never want to see your face again!" I was pushed out into the cold, stumbling down the steps. I looked back at the utter revulsion in Julian’s eyes, the pure hatred on my parents’ faces, and Chloe lying motionless on the bed. I turned and walked away from the only "home" that had never truly wanted me. Rain poured from the sky in heavy sheets. I walked aimlessly down the deserted street, soaked to the bone. My phone buzzed relentlessly in my pocket. Over and over again. Numbly, I pulled it out. It was Ashton. "So annoying." "Did he come to laugh at me, too?" Summoning the last shred of strength in my arms, I hurled the phone into the overgrown bushes by the sidewalk. Silence. Finally. I don't know how long I walked. Suddenly, an umbrella appeared over my head, blocking the freezing deluge. Slowly, I raised my eyes. Through the blur of rain, I saw Ashton. His hair and leather jacket were drenched. And to my utter disbelief... he was crying. "Clara Hayes... if I hadn't dug through the clinic's records myself, were you going to hide this until you died?!" "You’re sick! Why didn't you tell me? Why aren't you in a hospital getting treatment?! Walking in this storm... do you want to die?!" I looked at him. I wanted to tell him: "It's not that I didn't want treatment. It's that it's too late." The moment I parted my lips— "Cough!" A massive wave of thick, warm blood gushed from my mouth. My vision instantly went black, and my body collapsed like a severed puppet. "Clara!" Ashton panicked. Dropping the umbrella, he threw his arms forward, catching me before I hit the asphalt. "What’s wrong with you?! Don't scare me! Wake up! I'm taking you to the ER right now!" "Clara, look at me! Don't you dare close your eyes!" I couldn't form words anymore. The world spun violently. All I could see was Chloe collapsing on the floor, seizing in pain. "I really am a curse, aren't I?" All I could manage was a faint, broken whisper: "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Blood kept pouring past my lips, staining his hands, his jacket, the pavement. A wave of regret washed over me. I should have never come back to this family. I was never meant to wear designer dresses, speak with polished accents, or pretend to belong in high society. "Chloe... I'm so sorry." Ashton didn't even have time to carry me to his car. He could only hold me in the pouring rain as my shallow breaths faded into nothingness, watching the last bit of warmth drain from my skin. When the faint murmurs stopped, his body froze. He buried his wet cheek against my neck, feeling for a pulse. Realization shattered him. His voice broke into a terrified, trembling whisper. "Clara?" No answer. No breath.