Given a second chance at life, Natasha chooses a different path when her parents divorce—leaving her gambling-addict father behind and following her remarried mother to New York. In her previous life, her sacrifice bought her father’s redemption and her sister’s ruin. This time, Natasha wants only one thing: peace before death, as a hidden brain tumor quietly eats away at her life. In her stepfather George Pearce’s cold, silent mansion, she lives like a ghost, surviving on sunlight and solitude. As old family bonds turn hostile and her sister demands what Natasha no longer has to give, an unexpected kindness from the most unlikely person forces her to confront a truth she never believed in—perhaps survival does not always require sacrifice.

Chapter 1

The day my parents divorced, two agreements lay on the table.

One meant staying in San Diego with Dad, a gambling addict drowning in debt.

The other meant going to New York with Mom, who was remarrying a wealthy businessman.

In my previous life, my younger sister, Elizabeth Cunningham, cried and clung to Mom. I packed my things in silence and followed Dad.

Later, Dad quit gambling and became wealthy after the neighborhood was redeveloped. He spoiled me endlessly.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, lived under emotional neglect in her stepdad George Pearce's house, barred from going out, and eventually died of depression.

This time around, Elizabeth snatched the cigarette from Dad's hand and clung to him, refusing to let go.

She said, "Nattie, Dad's had it rough. You go enjoy a good life over there. I'll leave the good days for you."

Dad froze for a moment, then smiled, relieved, and gently patted her head.

I said nothing and picked up the train ticket to New York.

Elizabeth did