Love is unrequited
After I died, my parents signed an organ
donation consent form and my corneas were
transplanted to their beloved adopted
daughter, Lily Evans. Lily then married my
older brother, David, and they finally became
“real” family. I had spent my whole life
competing with Lily, only to end up with
nothing. Reborn, I decided to live for myself, a
decision that unexpectedly led to a happy
ending.
I was reborn, back to the day Lily first arrived
at our home. If I had been reborn earlier,
perhaps I could have prevented Lily’s parents‘
death, or even stopped my parents from
adopting her in the first place. But now, it
was too late.
Lily was the daughter of my father’s mentor,
a renowned artist. She was his only child,
born late in life, and cherished like a pearl.
Lily displayed remarkable artistic talent but
suffered from an undiagnosed eye condition,
her vision fluctuating and always at risk of
blindness. Her parents had taken her
everywhere seeking treatment, but tragically
died in an accident, leaving young Lily alone.
Lily’s childhood had been tragic, so the
moment my parents saw her, they decided to
treat her as their own, even prioritizing her
over me, their biological daughter.
“Ashley,” my parents said, their eyes full of
love, hoping I would genuinely accept this
new sister, “Haven’t you always wanted a big
sister? Lily will be your sister from now on.
Aren’t you happy?”
My seven–year–old self, in my previous life,
had indeed been happy. I thought I had
gained a loving family member, willing to
share my love with this gentle–faced girl. I
never imagined Lily was a thief, not of
material possessions, but of affection. She
didn’t want to share my parents‘ love; she
wanted it all for herself.
“Ashley, Daddy knows you’re a good girl,” my
father continued. “Lily isn’t healthy, so even
though you’re the younger sister, we need you
to help Mommy and Daddy take care of her.
Can you do that?”
Before I could answer, tears welled up in
Lily’s eyes.
“I know it must be hard for Ashley to accept
me,” she sobbed softly. “Who wants to share
their family’s love? It’s okay, I can go to the
orphanage…
“”
Sometimes, I truly suspected Lily had also
been reborn. How could an eight–year–old
girl be so manipulative? I hadn’t even
protested, yet she had already painted me as
the jealous villain.
My mother rushed to comfort Lily, wiping away her tears. “Don’t cry, Lily. It’s not good.
for your eyes.” She turned to Lily and added,
“And stop calling us Mr. and Mrs. Evans. We
told you, from today onwards, we’re Mom and
Dad.”
Lily lifted her delicate face, tears clinging to
her lashes. She looked so vulnerable and
grateful that anyone would have felt sorry for
her. “Mommy… Daddy…” she whispered, “I
have a mommy and daddy now…
The three of them embraced, crying together,
completely forgetting to ask for my opinion.
Lily had that kind of power.
