Chapter 3

To them, bringing me into this world and raising me was the greatest gift, and I should have been grateful, not asked for more.

I wondered if when they found out I was dead, they would prepare a birthday feast for me and order a cake.

Before they even finished eating, Matthew was already clamoring for cake.

My parents readjusted the askew birthday crown on his head, lit the candles, and sang the birthday song.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."

"Happy 20th birthday, Matthew. Make a wish quickly, and make sure to wish for Raina's sacrifice to make you smarter."

I stood by with a bitter smile.

Matthew and I were fraternal twins, and every year on our birthday, our parents mentioned me, but it wasn't to bless me. Instead, they made Matthew's birthday wish every year to exchange my life for his intelligence.

I used to be saddened by such words, but this time, I really hoped Matthew's wish would come true.

I was already dead and I shouldn't have died in vain.

"Lisa, this time Matthew's wish will come true."

But Matthew shook his head, "I don't want my sister to die; I want her to have a happy birthday."

In this family, only Matthew remembered that today was also my birthday. My parents remembered too, but they didn't care, which made it even more painful.

Lisa, with a stern face, said, "No, you can only wish to use your sister's life to make you smarter."

Matthew didn't understand what life meant, but he was stubborn. This year, he refused to make that wish.

It was strange. When I was alive, Matthew happily made that wish every year.

Now that I was dead, he refused to make it.

Matthew insisted on not making a wish, and Lisa sternly tapped his hand, causing him to cry and roll on the floor.

At six feet tall, my delicate-looking brother lay there, throwing a childish tantrum.

It was indeed unsightly and inappropriate, making one feel uncomfortable.

I crouched beside him, comforting him as I used to.

"Matthew, make a wish quickly. I'm already dead, and this time the wish will surely come true."

My kind and innocent brother should become better, should become smarter. I didn't know if he heard me, but he just kept throwing a fit.

"I don't want to be smart; I just want my sister. I want my sister."

Lisa wiped her tears, then started cursing me with harsh words.

Anthony, watching my brother roll around, was very upset.

"It's just a wish. For twenty years, we've been making the same wish, and Raina hasn't died, nor has Matthew become smarter.

If wishes worked, Raina would have been gone long ago." Anthony angrily smeared cake on the wax figure's neck, as if enacting a grim ritual.

It was not surprising.

If they could choose, they would have preferred it if I were the one who suffered brain damage from lack of oxygen, not Matthew.

If I had been born later and suffered brain damage, would they have treated me like they did my brother, never giving up, spending all their savings on rehabilitation training?

You saw, they knew today was my birthday, yet they didn't bless me at all; instead, they wished they could kill me.

Matthew saw Anthony's action, stopped crying, got up, and smeared cake on the wax figure's mouth.

"Raina, it's your birthday, eat cake, come on, eat cake."

Matthew was happy, and so were my parents, as they all grabbed cake and smeared it on the wax figure.

They were celebrating, perhaps feeling relieved by my death, celebrating with joy.

I didn't care. I just pretended they were celebrating my birthday.

This was the first time my parents and Matthew celebrated my birthday together.

I happily sang the birthday song to myself, "Happy 20th birthday, Raina. My wish is..."

I didn't seem to have any wishes. A dead person's wish might have been to have a better reincarnation in the next life.

But I didn't want to be human anymore. So I wished to be reborn as an animal, like a cat or dog, to escape the burdens of human life.

Being human was too exhausting.

After making my wish, I closed my eyes and blew out the candles.

The candles went out, and the room instantly plunged into darkness.

When the candles went out, the wish was supposed to come true.

Ding dong.

Suddenly, the piercing sound of the doorbell startled my parents. Anthony urged Lisa to answer the door.

I followed behind Lisa as she opened it.

Lisa only opened the door halfway and saw a stranger, then asked warily, "Who were you looking for?"

Seeing the visitor, I fearfully stepped in front of Lisa.

Because this was the person who killed me!

He said he wanted to give me a birthday gift. Could he have been here to wipe out my entire family?