Chapter 1
I’d die if my brother didn’t celebrate my birthday with me before I turned eighteen.
It was the curse I bore.
But he hated me. He truly, deeply hated me.
He hated the fact that I was born. He hated that my birth meant our parents‘ death.
He cursed me more than once, “Clarissa, why wasn’t it you who died instead?”
I never dared to hope he’d celebrate my birthday for I knew it was wishful thinking.
The day I turned eighteen was my only chance.
Summoning every bit of courage, I called him and said tentatively, “Harold, could you celebrate my birthday with me? If you don’t… I’ll die.”
He sounded disgusted, utterly indifferent. “Then go ahead and die.”
Hanging up, I smiled bitterly.
Staring at the air blankly, I muttered, “Alright, Harold. This time, I’ll grant your wish…”
That night, while Harold was celebrating the birthday of his adopted sister, he was urgently called back to perform the autopsy on my body himself.
This was my last chance..
If Harold still refused…
I pursed my lips gently, took a deep breath, and dialed his number.
In the next second, I heard Lilian’s joyful voice. “What’s up, Clarissa?”
My heart sank. That was Lilian Sherman, my brother’s adopted sister.
Maybe for him, she was his real sister.
Fighting back the bitterness in my heart, I asked, my voice hoarse, “Where’s Harold?”
Her voice was dripping with excitement. “It’s my birthday today, and he’s about to set off fireworks for me!”
Even though it wasn’t the first time he’d celebrated Lilian’s birthday, my heart twisted painfully all the same.
On my seventh birthday, Harold adopted her.
From then on, my birthday had become hers.
Each year on this day, he’d take her out and celebrate her birthday. I never dared to ask him to stay, let alone celebrate my birthday with me.
I looked up at the clock on the wall slowly, realizing I was running out of
time.
“Let me speak to Harold,” I said.
Lilian’s voice remained sweet, but there was a subtle smugness
underneath. “What for? He’s been working overtime for two weeks just to spend three full days with me.”
I lowered my head, overwhelmed by great bitterness.
If he could spare three days for her, would he spare three minutes for me? Just to eat a slice of cake together?
“Who’s on the phone, Lilian?” Harold’s voice snapped me back to reality.
“It’s… It’s Clarissa.”
After some rustling, Harold took the phone.
“Hello?”
Timidity and nervousness gripped my throat. I couldn’t speak.
He ran out of patience soon and said irritably, “If you’re not gonna say anything, I’m hanging up.”
“Wait…” I stopped him at once. Swallowing hard, I pleaded carefully, “Harold, could you… spend my eighteenth birthday with me? Just this once.”
My heart pounded with hope and dread.
After quite a long time, he said, his tone icy, “You really think you deserve to celebrate your birthday?”
His words instantly broke my heart.
After years, I was already used to his indifference.
But in the face of death around the corner, I still couldn’t help but feel sad, my eyes turning red.
I begged him in a broken voice, “Just this once. Harold, please. Just this once. That’s all I’m asking.”
In a panic, I told him about the curse, desperate to make him believe me.
“Otherwise… the curse will take me. Harold, I’ll really die.”
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