After My Death, the Whole Family Began to Love me - Chapter 1

The doctor told me I had late–stage pancreatic cancer. I swear, I almost kissed him right there. All because I was the long–lost real daughter of the Miller family.

But on my wedding day, the adopted daughter, Sarah, jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.

Just like that, Sarah became the family’s precious angel, and I, the actual flesh and blood, became the villain who killed her.

My parents cursed the day I was born, wishing it had been me who died. My brother, Tom, forced me to kneel at Sarah’s grave and beg for forgiveness.

Even my husband, Nick, would get caught up in the moment and call out her name when we were intimate. Turns out, family and bloodlines don’t mean a thing.

I was always going to be the outsider. The doctor’s voice snapped me back.

“Ms. Miller, you have about a month left.”

Well, isn’t that just perfect? You guys finally won’t have to look at me anymore, and I’m finally free. But why are you all crying?

I went straight to my parents‘ house from the hospital. Since I was kicking the bucket soon, I figured I should grab whatever was rightfully mine before it was too late.

But when I walked in, I saw my mom sobbing on the couch, and my dad patting her back, trying to comfort her. The second he saw me, his comforting act turned into a look of pure disgust.

“What are you doing here? Did you come to make us miserable?”

“You know today’s Sarah’s birthday. Did you come back just to ruin it?”

“Laura, I can’t believe your mother and I raised you to be such a terrible person! So spiteful and ungrateful!”

Hearing his words, I finally understood why Mom was crying. It was Sarah’s birthday, huh? What did that have to do with me? I looked at them.

“I’m just here to pick up a few things. I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

Mom grabbed a mug off the coffee table and threw it at me, her voice full of hatred.

“Didn’t you hear your father? It’s your sister’s birthday! Don’t you have anything to say to her?”

“It’s been two years, two whole years! You drove her to her death, and you stand there like nothing happened!”

“I wish you were the one who was gone! Why did you have to come back? Bring my Sarah back to me! Give her back!”

The mug slammed into my forehead. In seconds, warm blood was trickling down my face. Dad wrapped his arms around Mom, who was getting hysterical.

“Just grab your stuff and go. Don’t upset your mother any more than you already have.”

I wiped the blood off my face, feeling nothing but contempt. My existence was a trigger for my own mother?

When I was four, Mom took me to Disneyland, and somehow lost me.

I wasn’t found and brought back to the Miller’s until three years ago, when I was twenty–two. I still remember that day vividly.

I stood awkwardly in this massive, fancy living room. Sarah was sitting on the couch, dressed like she’d been pampered her whole life. Even her hair looked perfect.

Seeing me staring at Sarah, Dad nervously explained, “Laura, this is your sister, Sarah.”

“After you disappeared, your mother couldn’t eat or sleep. She cried every day, looking for you for six months. We couldn’t find you anywhere, so we adopted Sarah from the orphanage.”

“If it weren’t for Sarah, your mother probably wouldn’t be alive today. But now you’re back, and we’re finally a family again.”

Before I could say anything, Sarah’s eyes filled with tears, and she said, choking back sobs, “Laura, do you not like me? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take your place.”

She looked at Mom and Dad. “Mom and Dad, as much as I love you, I can’t be the Miller’s daughter anymore, now that Laura’s come home.”

“I don’t want to ruin your relationship with Laura.”

“Thank you for taking care of me all these years. I was an unwanted orphan, and the eighteen years I stole from Laura were enough for a lifetime.”