Chapter2

The moment the clinic doors closed behind me, the petrification curse in my chest flared.

I took several painkillers before my agony eased up.

In the room, my mother was still berating me. "Look at how cold she is. Her sister just had a major transplant, and Evelyn didn't even shed a single tear."

I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the wall.

But she didn't know the truth.

As long as I was in the room, Selene would act like she couldn't breathe. It was her usual trick to get everyone's attention.

But she didn't need to try so hard.

From the very beginning, my parents, my husband Cassian, and my own son—they only ever loved her, the fake daughter.

For all these years, they’d never once intended to look for me.

Even when I came back to claim my blood family, they still favored the fake sister and always treated me like an outsider.

I slowly stood up in a daze and took a carriage to the Alchemist Research Institute where Selene worked. .

I had made an appointment to donate my body to their "Eternal Statue" program.

Once the curse turned me into black stone, they would keep my body as a permanent statue.

As I signed the contract, the clerk asked softly, "Lady Evelyn, do your parents and husband know about your decision?"

I smiled faintly. "They fully respect and support my decision."

The staff looked at me with envy. "That is wonderful. Your family must love you very much, wishing to gaze upon you for all eternity."

Listening to what she said, I almost felt like a woman who was truly loved by her parents and husband.

I let out a bitter laugh. "Yes, who wouldn't love their own family?"

I handed the signed contract back to her.

After she stamped it, I left the Guild and went home.

The moment I walked through the door, I froze. My clothes and belongings were piled in the living room like garbage.

Helena, the nanny who had raised Selene, was standing there giving orders to the servants. Like my parents, she hated me.

She gave me a mocking smile. "Selene is coming home today. Lord Cassian told me to prepare a good room for her recovery."

"I noticed the master bedroom gets the best sunlight. It's perfect for her fragile health, so I cleared your things out. The other rooms are full, so you will have to sleep in the basement storage room."

The cold creeping through my veins numbed my pride. I just said, "Fine."

Helena blinked, shocked. She swallowed back the insults she had prepared. She looked at me suspiciously. "You aren't angry?"

I shook my head and started walking toward the basement.

Behind me, I heard her scoff loudly. "Seems you finally learned your place. If you acted like this earlier, maybe your parents wouldn't hate you so much."

I didn't answer. I walked into the windowless basement. It smelled of mildew and dust. The space was cramped, packed with broken furniture. In the corner was a tiny bed. Half of it was covered in old boxes; the other half was empty.

My joints were stiffening from the curse. I just collapsed onto the empty half of the bed.

I was so tired. I just wanted a good sleep...

But I couldn't even have that.

I didn't know how much time had passed. A sudden, brutal force yanked me awake. I opened my eyes and saw Cassian's panicked and furious face.

Seeing me wake up, the panic in his eyes instantly turned into cold hatred.

"Why did you leak our marriage to the public?!" he roared.

"Do you have any idea what you've done? People are cursing Selene! She just had the marrow transplant! Her body is incredibly fragile!"

"Because of your vicious stunt, she had a panic attack and fainted!"

"And I actually thought you were behaving today. You were just quietly plotting how to ruin her!"

A hammer pounded mercilessly inside my skull. The intense pain made it hard to hear his words. I could only whisper, "I didn't do anything... If you don't believe me, check my communication crystals."

"Enough!" Cassian screamed. "The reporters already confessed that you paid them a fortune to spread the news!"

"How long are you going to keep acting? Get up! You are coming to the clinic right now to get on your knees and apologize to Selene!"