Chapter 1



"Hazel, please don't leave, I'm begging you!"

"I'll say it one last time, my name is Evelyn Shaw, not your Hazel. The Hazel you speak of died a long time ago."

1

"Hazel, your mother has waited so painfully for all these years, you're finally back!"

"Your father wronged you back then by losing you, but in the future, he will surely make it up to you!"

I stood at the door, holding the lung cancer diagnosis, watching the beautiful reunion scene in front of me.

When I learned she was called Hazel Shaw, I realized my name actually came from her.

"Hazel, you're back. So, what did the hospital say?"

My mother saw me standing at the door, and her smile instantly turned into awkwardness in her eyes.

"It's nothing, just a common cold, I'll be fine in a few days."

I carefully hid the diagnosis behind me, and cautiously buried the sorrow deep in my heart.

Mother always used to call me Hazel, and now I realize I was just a substitute.

"So this is Sister Hazel. Mom, you really know how to choose names. If it weren't for this name, I might not have been able to return!"

Hazel glanced at me, her smile seemed deliberately to remind me that my existence was solely for her return.

True, she is the real daughter of the Shaw Family.

And I am just the Shaw Family's lucky charm, though what's attracted isn't wealth, but their precious daughter.

"Hazel, Mom wants to discuss something with you. You should talk to Adrian and let go of the engagement between you two. After all, the childhood betrothal was between him and Hazel."

In my mother's eyes, there was calmness, determination, and certainty.

There wasn't the slightest hint of guilt towards me.

"I disagree."

My hand behind my back clenched my diagnosis tightly.

I can give anything to Hazel, but I won't give Adrian!

After so many years, I've just barely warmed his heart. How could I easily give up now?

"Dad, didn't you say everything belonging to Sister Hazel should be mine!"

Seeing my determined gaze, Hazel immediately let go of my hand and clung to my father's arm, playfully acting coy.

"Hazel, the donation to the orphanage hasn't been released this year. You're smart, you should understand what I mean."

When my father's gaze turned from Hazel to me, his kind face gradually changed to sternness.

It turns out he's capable of kindness, just not with me.

"I got it, I'll talk to him. Whether he agrees or not is his business."

I still compromised.

I couldn't bear to watch the orphanage collapse.

There are still dozens of kids there just like me.

"Thank you so much, Sister Hazel!"

Hazel smiled sweetly, her dimples somewhat resembled mine.

2

After leaving the Shaw Family, I returned to my little home with Adrian.

After our official engagement, I insisted on living together with Adrian.

He initially disagreed, but eventually, my persistence wore him down.

The room was dark, Adrian hadn't come back yet.

I brewed a pot of tea and sat quietly on the sofa, dazedly staring at my diagnosis.

Late-stage lung cancer, the doctor said it would be very painful, with almost no chance of recovery.

But I'm only twenty, my life has just begun, and it's already going to end.

For a moment, I even thought about giving Adrian to Hazel. At least if I died, he wouldn't be so pained.

But then I wondered, would he really be pained?

I actually quite wanted to see that day come.

By the time Adrian returned, it was already dark, and the tea on the table had gone cold.

"Something up?"

Adrian looked at the two cups of tea, then at my serious expression before casually heading to the fridge.

"The real Shaw Family daughter returned. My mom wants me to call off our engagement."

My eyes lifted slightly, as if a hand was tightly gripping my throat, leaving me breathless.

Adrian was visibly stunned for a moment, then casually placed a carton of milk in front of me.

"Not calling it off, it's humiliating."

In just four words, my heart surged like waves, unable to settle.

He wouldn't call it off, but not because he loves me—it's because it would disgrace the Foster Family.

"Got it, and I'm allergic to milk."

Perhaps because of my illness, my tone didn't sound as obedient or gentle as usual.

He said nothing. I got up, put the milk back in the fridge, and headed to the bedroom without looking back.

At night, I lay in bed with my back turned to Adrian, unable to sleep.

Adrian's strong arm covered my waist, his chin resting on my neck.

I knew he was apologizing for not knowing about my milk allergy.

I exerted effort to turn around, kissed the tip of his nose, smiled, and closed my eyes peacefully.

I'm easy to please, but only with him.

3

When I told my father about Adrian's refusal to call off the engagement, he said he'd stop the donations to the orphanage.

I clenched my fists, at that moment, I really wanted to punch him hard.

But I wasn't in any position to; I could only kneel and beg, even when my head was bleeding, he didn't spare me a glance.

"Dad, please don't make things difficult for Sister Hazel, those children are innocent after all."

Hazel watched the show from the side, clinging to Father's arm, but her gaze was on my face.

"Alright, I'll consider it as doing a good deed for my precious daughter!"

Father patted Hazel's head, as if he really couldn't see me still kneeling there.

I stood up awkwardly, thanked Hazel, and left the Shaw Family.

This time, my heart also left the Shaw Family. There was no longer any space for me to exist there.

I returned to our little home, the sun was exceptionally bright today. I opened the window, tending to the two succulents Adrian had given me.

I vaguely remember mentioning offhandedly about wanting to have a pot of plants by the window, so they'd keep me company when he's not around.

The next day when he returned from work, he was carefully carrying two pots of succulents.

I was overjoyed; it was the first time he had given me a gift, so much so that I posted about it three times on social media.

That evening, I made a large table of dishes, all of Adrian's favorites.

I watched the clock tick by minute by minute and suddenly realized that my life was also slipping away second by second.

I didn't have many seconds left.

Just as I was thinking this, the door opened.

Standing at the door were Adrian and Hazel.

Hazel was tightly holding onto Adrian's arm, and they did look quite a match.

"Sister Hazel, you don't mind me being with Bro Adrian, right?"

"In what way together?"

"We just spent an afternoon at the amusement park and then had Western food together."

Hazel Shaw, afraid I wouldn't notice her inner satisfaction, even showed me the Star Dailu doll in her hand.

I've begged Adrian Foster countless times to accompany me to the amusement park, but he always thought it was childish and refused to go with me.

Now he's willing to spend an entire afternoon there with Hazel Shaw.

Is it because she's the real heiress of the Shaw Family?

But Adrian never struck me as someone who curries favor with the powerful!

I really want to know why this is.

"I don't mind, since you both have eaten, I'll just clear these dishes away."

I bent down, suddenly feeling dizzy, constantly nauseated.

I quickly ran towards the bathroom, my stomach feeling like it was turning inside out.

A sour taste kept rushing up my throat; I threw up for a long time, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face.

"Bro Adrian, you still remember that I love succulent plants the most! Can you give these two pots to me?"

"Sure, if you like them, just take them! I'll go to the flower market tomorrow to pick up some more for you."

I wanted to get up and stop Hazel from taking my succulents, but the intense dizziness rendered me immobile.

Adrian, why won't you come and check on me?

How can you just let her take my things?

Even if the Shaw Family doesn't want me, do you not want me either?

The wooden door creaked open, and vaguely I felt them leave the room, taking my succulents with them.

4

Adrian came back late at night.

I turned off the lights and sat on the sofa, looking at the vibrant nightlife outside the floor-to-ceiling windows—it was truly beautiful!

But I'm destined to only hide in the darkness, peeking at the bustling world outside.

Wanting to approach yet completely out of place.

"You haven't slept yet?"

"I was waiting for you."

Adrian turned on the light, and I vaguely saw a lipstick mark still lingering on his cheek.

I took a deep breath, my lungs ached a little, but compared to the pain in my heart, it paled in comparison.

"Do you like Hazel Shaw?"

I had imagined countless times the emotions I'd have when saying this, but I didn't expect to be so calm.

So calm, it was as if my heart was about to die.

Adrian didn't speak, and my heart was truly dying.

"Then why don't you agree to break our engagement? That way, you can marry the woman you love."

"Hazel and I are just friends. She's back in the country after such a long time, I'm just hosting her. Don't overthink it."

Adrian said as he walked towards the bedroom, his eyes filled with impatience.

"Hazel Shaw, you say it so intimately."

I murmured, unsure if he heard, but he didn't turn back.

At that moment, I realized I was nothing more than an outright substitute, be it in the Shaw Family or in Adrian's heart.

I remember once when Adrian came home drunk, he kept calling "Hazel."

I thought it was a drunken slip, thinking that despite his distance, he wanted to be close to me inwardly.

But later, no matter how much I begged him to call me "Hazel," he refused.

I thought it was out of embarrassment, but now I realize the "Hazel" he kept mentioning was never me.

My heart is completely dead.

I want revenge, but sadly, I'm almost dying myself.

5

The next day, Adrian told me he was going on a business trip.

I prepared his luggage as usual and saw him off to the airport.

"Sister Hazel, are you going with Bro Adrian and me?"

Hazel Shaw immediately linked arms with Adrian, who didn't refuse, just standing there opposite me.

"You both go ahead. Have a productive trip."

I handed the luggage to Adrian, feeling as if my throat was clogged with dough, unable to breathe.

"Take care of yourself, you don't look well."

A trace of concern flashed in Adrian's eyes, disappearing in an instant.

"Okay."

I smiled, really wondering what he would feel when he came back and found me dead.

I also wanted to see if Hazel, the living, could win against me, a dead person.

I planned to jump into the sea—I wanted to die with dignity, to die with some freedom.

After returning home, I packed all of my things.

I didn't want Hazel to take my things so easily in the future.

I felt nauseous.

I walked to Adrian's study, a place he never allowed me to enter, even going so far as to install a password lock on the door.

I cautiously input Hazel's birthday, the door opened, and I wasn't surprised at all.

On the desk was a photo of him and Hazel from what seemed to be their university days.

In the drawer, I found his diary.

"Hazel Shaw wants to live together with me, what a bother. I told her many times I don't like her, but she keeps clinging to me!"

"She cried in the rain begging me, her hair wet from the rain looked so much like my Hazel. I softened and agreed."

"Her expressions are quite similar to Hazel's. If only Hazel hadn't gone abroad back then."

"She said she wanted to keep a plant; I remembered Hazel loved succulents, and when I gave them to her, she said she loved succulents too."

"Today, she mentioned breaking off the engagement! Real heiress or fake heiress, I just want her to be my wife."

"Saw Hazel today, didn't expect her to be Mr. Shaw's biological daughter. Turns out the arranged marriage was with her. If not for Hazel Shaw, maybe I could have been with her. But things have changed, and I won't force anything."

"Spent the afternoon at the amusement park with Hazel. She's still the same as before, hasn't changed a bit. Hazel Shaw didn't look well; she vomited in the bathroom for quite a while today. I was going to check on her, but then Hazel saw the succulents and insisted on going to the bar instead. I wonder how she ended up."

Flipping through page by page, a wave of disgust rose within me. I really hate my name.

"Sorry for getting in the way between you and Hazel, it won't happen again. And don't come looking for me, I'm already dead."

I quietly wrote this sentence on the title page of the diary.

Putting everything back in place, I left the diagnosis on the desk.

I took my luggage to the orphanage; before dying, I wanted to visit once more.

The orphanage was where I first fell for Adrian.

At that time, Uncle Foster and Aunt Foster were out of town, temporarily placing Adrian with the Shaws.

That day, they came to take me to the Shaw family.

I was being bullied by a few boys when he stepped forward, took my hand, and said to me, "From now on, you're my little sister, and I won't let anyone bully you."

The arranged marriage combined with the aura of a hero made me, a girl abandoned by her parents, fall deeply in love with him.

But he seemed to only see me as a sister. After our engagement, he changed completely, becoming extremely cold towards me.

I spent two years warming his heart a little, and now I'm about to leave him forever.

The children at the orphanage were adorable; I spent an afternoon with them, and my mood seemed to lighten.

But this wouldn't sway my resolve to end my life.