The Failed Mission

I was the imposter, the girl who lived a lie for twenty years.

The moment the biological daughter returned, I became the villain in everyone's story.

The man I loved told me to get lost.

The brother I raised treated me like garbage for her sake.

Even my fianc tore up our marriage license at the courthouse and left me standing there.

The mission failed, and my heart was cold.

But the moment I truly decided to die, they all started begging me to stay.

It didn't matter how hard they tried.

I didn't want them anymore.

The deadline to win over the second male lead was ticking away.

I had spent years trying to save him from his tragic fate.

But one word from the real daughter was all it took.

Barrett Sterling vanished the second before we were supposed to sign our marriage license.

The clock struck five, and the courthouse doors slammed shut in my face.

I dialed his number for the nineteenth time.

This was my last chance.

The line was dead; he had blocked me.

I sighed and asked the system in my head, "Are you sure I can leave this world if I die?"

The system gave me a firm yes.

I nodded and pulled out my phone to call an Uber.

I was busy calculating which method would be the quickest way to end it.

I didn't care how much it hurt.

"Still waiting here, Elara?" a mocking voice sneered from behind.

It was Gavin Vance, the boy I had called my brother for two decades.

Our parents were always busy, so I was the one who practically raised him.

I was there for every detention and every heartbreak.

When he got into an Ivy League school, he told me I was the first person he wanted to thank.

But the moment Piper Sinclair walked through our front door, everything changed.

Gavin's eyes lit up as he called her "Sis," breaking the heavy silence of our home.

He was the reason she integrated so quickly into the Vance family.

All because she had given him a piece of candy on a rainy night once.

Meanwhile, I, the one who held the umbrella for his entire youth, was branded a criminal.

I was the obstacle preventing their happy family reunion.

Gavin stopped calling me sister.

Out of some twisted sense of pity, he usually ignored me.

But lately, he had nothing for me but insults and cruelty.

Back in the courthouse, news had come that Piper was having a breakdown from "childhood trauma."

Barrett had left instantly.

He didn't care that the clerk said it would take less than a minute to finish.

Before he left, he tore the unsigned marriage agreement and threw it at my feet.

"Elara, you better pray she's okay," he had hissed.

That was the three-hundredth time.

Since I started this mission, he had chosen Piper over me three hundred times.

The system declared my mission a failure.

I should have realized it sooner.

Trying to change a man's obsession only ends in self-destruction.

In this world, everyone revolved around Piper.

I let out a dry, sarcastic laugh and glanced at Gavin.

"What does it matter to you where I am?"

"Shouldn't you be at your real sister's side, playing the hero?"

Piper was always claiming she was about to end her life.

Meanwhile, I was the one actually dying.

I had to die before my body gave out naturally.

Otherwise, my soul would be trapped here forever, unable to return to my real home.

Gavin looked stunned by my sudden verbal attack.

He took a step toward me, then looked away, stopping in his tracks.

I ignored him and waved down a taxi.

As the door was closing, a hand gripped the frame, knuckles white with tension.

"Why aren't you using the family driver?"

Gavin's voice was tinged with anxiety and a hint of desperation he didn't even notice.

"That's your home, Gavin. Not mine," I said coldly.

He froze, his pupils trembling in disbelief.

I slammed the door three times before his bruised hand finally let go.

As the car pulled away, I saw him standing there, looking small and pathetic.

In the past, my heart would have ached for him.

But now, I was the one who had been betrayed and discarded.

When I got to my apartment, I poured half a bottle of pills into my palm.

The mission was over, and I only had one goal left.

I remembered my mother back in the real world, holding a birthday cake and smiling at me.

I grit my teeth, my palms sweating under the dim light.

Swallowing an overdose seemed like the fastest way out.

But just as I raised my hand, my wrist was snatched with violent force.

The pills flew from my hand, scattering across the floor like hailstones.

In the middle of the clatter, Gavin's eyes were bloodshot.

"Elara, have you lost your mind?" he screamed.

He glared at me, his chest heaving.

"Stop these pathetic little stunts. They won't work on Barrett."

"You already ruined Piper's childhood. Don't you realize you aren't worth half of what she is?"

Gavin's voice suddenly cut off.

While he was busy lecturing me, I grabbed the other half of the bottle and downed them.

The dry pills scraped my throat, a bitter taste spreading across my tongue.

It felt like all my senses were being stripped away.

But for the first time in years, I felt a spark of joy.

Was I finally leaving?

I could almost see my mother waving at me from the light.

Gavin lunged and snatched the empty bottle from my hand.

After a few seconds, he let out a massive sigh of relief.

The brief flash of concern in his eyes turned back into a sneer.

"Vitamins? Your acting is getting worse, Elara."

"Piper was right. You're just a manipulative, wicked woman."

Before Piper returned, I used to hide my real medicine in vitamin bottles so the family wouldn't worry.

After she came back, no one ever asked how I was doing anyway.

I forced a smile. "You're right. I just wanted to disgust you."

But my body couldn't hold out any longer.

The moment I finished speaking, I doubled over and vomited a mouthful of dark blood.

The red spray landed on Gavin's arm, shattering his arrogant expression.

"Elara? What's happening? We need to go to the hospital!"

He grabbed me, his face pale with panic.

For a second, he looked like the little brother who used to follow me everywhere.

The boy who used to tell the world that his sister was number one.

I had truly loved him once.

That was why his betrayal felt like a knife in the gut.

"Get lost," I spat, wiping the blood from my chin.

"Don't call me sister. Just leave me alone."

Gavin started rambling again.

"Even if you win Barrett back this way, what's the point? His heart belongs to Piper."

It was the same old story.

Even when my fianc fell for someone else, I was the one branded as the interloper.

It didn't matter. My fate was sealed.

Another surge of blood hit the floor.

"There's so much blood Elara, you're going to die!"

Gavin's voice hit a pitch of pure terror.

He paced frantically, but the look of relief on my face stopped him cold.

He grit his teeth and pulled a new bottle of pills from the drawer.

"Elara, if you don't go to the hospital, I'll take these too. Do you want to see me die with you?"

He looked dead serious, searching my face for a reaction.

Did he really think I still cared?

I let out a raspy cough and smiled. "Go ahead."

"Then let's go. Let's go to the ER," he said, his eyes lighting up as he reached for me.

I pulled back, my voice cold as ice.

"If you want to die, jump off a building. Vitamins won't kill you."

Gavin's face went ghost-white.

He let his hands drop, stumbling back as tears welled in his eyes.

I didn't care. I only had one thought.

Finally, I'm dying.

Before I could lose consciousness, the sirens wailed.

I was strapped onto a gurney and hauled into an ambulance.

When I woke up, the smell of antiseptic filled the air.

Gavin was sitting by the bed, the dark circles under his eyes looking like bruises.

He looked at me with a heavy, complicated gaze.

"You're awake," he whispered, forcing a smile. "What do you want to eat? I'll go get it."

I didn't answer.

I didn't understand why he was suddenly acting like a devoted brother.

Wasn't my death supposed to be a good thing for them?

Why did he look like he was haunted by a ghost?

"I'll get those dumplings from the shop near the high school. The ones you always liked"

His words started coming faster when I didn't respond.

Those dumplings were greasy and terrible.

I only bought them because he used to be a picky eater who refused to come home.

He never knew that.

Just like he never valued a single thing I did for him.

If he had, he wouldn't have stood by Piper so easily.

"Please talk to me, Sis"

By the end, his voice was trembling, his back hunched in a plea.

I wanted to laugh.

During his teenage years, Gavin was a nightmare.

He fought, skipped school, and hung out at internet cafes.

Our parents were ready to give up and ship him off to military school.

I was the one who fought for him.

I had been out of school for months because of my health, but I couldn't let my brother be discarded.

We were at each other's throats back then.

Until the night he lost control of his car and almost went over a bridge.

I nearly died saving him that night.

After two weeks in a coma, he sat by my bed crying, promising to change.

And he did.

The day he got his college acceptance, he burst into my room and hugged me tight.

"Elara, I did it! I'd be nothing without you. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you!"

The stars in his eyes back then were the brightest things I'd ever seen.

But then college happened.

He got distracted and failed eight classes in his first semester.

He wouldn't pick up my calls.

I flew through the night and waited outside his dorm for ten hours just to see him.

But all it took was Piper.

She found him on a rainy night, gave him a piece of candy, and told him to keep going.

Suddenly, he was a straight-A student again.

He held onto that memory of her for three years.

The moment Barrett brought her home, Gavin didn't hesitate to give her the title of "Sister."

Looking back, his attitude during his rebellious years wasn't much better than it is now.

But I was out of time to wait for a happy ending.

During my hospital stay, I tried to end it twice more.

Every time, Gavin would appear out of nowhere to stop me.

He finally realized I wasn't doing this for Barrett's attention.

I truly, deeply wanted to be dead.

His attitude shifted, becoming almost submissive.

On the drive home, he even tried to give me advice.

"I know you took Piper's place for twenty years, but she's kind. She'll forgive you."

"You just need to apologize properly, and you can still have a place in this family."

It was hilarious.

I was the one who was switched at birth, yet I was responsible for everyone else's suffering.

Even though she had taken everything from me the moment she arrived.

I kept my eyes on the window.

Then Gavin mentioned Barrett Sterling.

That finally got a reaction out of me.

He bit his lip, his eyes flashing with a mix of jealousy and guilt.

I didn't care about his internal struggle.

I only cared about how to die.

Barrett loved Piper Sinclair with a madness that bordered on obsession.

Could I use that obsession to make him the weapon that kills me?

Barrett Sterling was the ultimate tragic second lead.

He had the looks, the money, and a childhood that was a living hell.

Piper was the only light he had ever known during his darkest days.

She wasn't the most perfect woman, but her timing was everything.

He would love her forever because of it.

Even after he became a titan of industry, he remained her loyal knight.

He would do anything for her, even the dirty work, just so she could be happy with the main lead.

In the original story, he ended up taking his own life in a prison cell for her.

I had been in this world since I was a baby.

By the time I remembered my mission, Barrett had already fallen for Piper.

He fell for her the moment she "accidentally" spilled coffee on him at his office.

For three years, I dated him.

But I was just a tool.

Piper thought the main male lead was interested in me.

To calm her down and prove his loyalty, Barrett accepted my confession.

He used me to keep the path clear for Piper.

Back then, I actually thought I had melted his icy heart.

But the ice was only there for me.

I didn't see Barrett again until the day after I got home.

He was dropping Piper off, carrying bags of luxury goods like a common servant.

The look of adoration on his face was sickening.

My parents were chatting with them like they were already family.

Gavin ran up to greet them, and Piper stood in the center, smiling as she leaned on Barrett's shoulder.

The happy scene froze the moment I walked into the room.

The silence was deafening.

My parents looked away, and Gavin stood there awkwardly, avoiding my eyes.

The urge to leave this world hit me like a physical wave.

Piper acted like she just noticed me, her voice trembling.

"Elara you're home. I should probably leave then"

She bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears as if I had already slapped her.

Barrett's face hardened instantly.

He grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward the guest room.

"Don't mind her, Piper. I'll handle this," he said softly.

He shoved me against the wall, my knee hitting the baseboard with a sickening crack.

The grip on my wrist tightened until I felt my bones might snap.

Laughter drifted in from the living room.

The sound of the door slamming hadn't bothered them at all.

Barrett wrapped his hand around my throat, his voice low and dangerous.

"Elara, I've given you so many chances, and you still pull this crap?"

"Do you know Piper is so upset because of you that she's only eaten two meals today?"

"You've already stolen half her life. Why can't you just get out of her world?"

I let out a ragged, mocking laugh.

I didn't just want to leave her world; I wanted to leave existence itself.

But Barrett took my smile as a confession of malice.

His grip tightened, cutting off my air.

My lips, already pale, turned a ghostly white.

Instead of fear, I felt a strange sense of peace.

It felt like my soul was finally detaching from this heavy, broken body.

Seeing the look of relief in my eyes, Barrett froze.

He didn't tighten his grip anymore.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open with a thunderous bang.

Gavin charged in, his face contorted with rage as he shoved Barrett away.

I slumped into Gavin's arms, feeling light as a feather.

"Are you insane, Barrett? You almost killed her!" Gavin screamed at the man he once worshipped.

Barrett straightened his suit, looking at his shaking hands before his gaze turned cold again.

"Gavin, are you really going to let her keep bullying Piper in your own house?"

Gavin's anger flickered, replaced by hesitation.

"But she doesn't deserve to die for it"

"Have you forgotten who watched over you in college?" Barrett interrupted, his voice rising.

"Who helped you get into the industry when you were lost?"

"Don't be an ungrateful brat, Gavin."

Gavin looked down and slowly let go of me.

When it came to Piper, he always chose to cave.

But after a long silence, he spoke up again.

"What exactly did she do?"

"What?"

"I'm asking, did she actually do anything to hurt Piper?"

Gavin's voice was shaking. "Why is it that since Piper came back, we've all decided Elara is a monster?"

"She's a victim in this too!"

I looked up at him, surprised.

So he finally realized it.

I was just as much of a victim of the switch, yet I was the one carrying all the blame.

But where was this logic when he was telling me to get lost a week ago?

"She hasn't done enough?" Barrett's eyes were red.

"Piper gets told to get out, told she's worthless, and now she's depressed because of Elara's tantrums!"

"If Piper weren't so kind-hearted, Elara wouldn't even be allowed in this house!"

I wanted to laugh so hard.

Piper wanted me to stay, alright.

She needed an antagonist for her drama.

Without me, who would make the family feel guilty enough to keep showering her with pity?

The two men glared at each other. I realized I wasn't going to die tonight.

I turned to leave, bored of the spectacle.

Suddenly, Gavin spoke. "She isn't that kind of person."

"How would you know?" I asked, genuinely shocked.

"I believe in you, Elara. I know you didn't mean any harm," he shouted, desperate for me to hear.

Barrett's gaze was like a poisonous needle aimed at my heart.

"Don't bother. I'm pure evil," I said, looking Barrett in the eye.

"You've already decided I'm the villain, so why analyze it?"

I pushed past Gavin, but he grabbed me around the waist, holding me like he used to when we were kids.

He closed his eyes and whispered to Barrett, "Can't you see? she's really trying to die."

"Piper is the only one who matters, Gavin," Barrett reminded him coldly.

Gavin didn't let go. He held me tighter.

"Ever since her suicide attempt, I've been thinking. Why would she rather die than explain herself?"

"She's your fiance. She's my sister"

His hands were shaking violently.

"From her perspective, a stranger came in and took everything she's ever known in one night."

"Her family ignores her, you hate her, everyone treats her like an enemy. Who would she even talk to?"

It was true. After twenty years, I still couldn't understand how all that love vanished in an instant.

"Barrett, she hasn't done anything to hurt you or me."

Barrett clenched his fists, his eyes flickering with doubt for the first time.

Stop being fake. Just kill me already.

I was about to say something to provoke them both into a murderous rage.

But Gavin stood up and pulled my hand.

"Sis, I believe you. If this house is too much, let's move out for a while."

"No," I said, ripping my hand away.

Gavin looked like a kicked puppy.

"Stop acting. Don't you all want me to disappear from the face of the earth?"

If I left with Gavin, how would I get back to my world?

As long as I stayed here and poked at Barrett's fragile ego, I was sure to get the ending I wanted.

Everyone in the room froze, staring at me.

It was the first time they had stood in a room with me without screaming since Piper arrived.

But then, Piper, who had been listening at the door, burst in wailing.

"I knew it! I'm the one who doesn't belong here!"

She slammed the door and ran out.

"Sis!" Gavin shouted, but he didn't chase her immediately.

He didn't yell at me for being difficult either.

He just looked at me, his eyes filling with tears.

"You're my sister too. I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered before running after her.

Barrett stayed behind.

He looked at me, his fists clenched, his gaze still sharp enough to kill.

"Elara, you always have to make everyone miserable."

"Piper suffered so much, and you have zero remorse. Are you even human?"

He was screaming now, the sound vibrating in my ears.

I smiled. "Exactly. So do her a favor and kill me."

There was a strange silence.

Then, suddenly, I was pulled into a warm, firm embrace.

The hands that had been choking me earlier were now stroking my waist with terrifying tenderness.

Barrett leaned down, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Elara, stop fighting me, okay?"

"I'll set everything up for you. Just leave this house for my sake."

I looked into his eyes and saw a flicker of the affection he used to fake.

He looked just like he did the day he proposed.

Back then, Piper was standing in the corner, and his eyes were only on me.

"As long as you stay away from Piper, I'm willing to stay with you forever," he had said.

I knew even then he was only doing it for her.

I didn't love him.

But for the mission, I had accepted that ring, even though it was a sacrifice for another woman's happiness.

When I said yes, Barrett had laughed.

He had spun me around three times while everyone cheered, even though he chased after Piper seconds later.

Now, I just laughed in his face.

He looked relieved, touching my cheek gently.

"Good girl. Give Piper her life back, and I'll forget everything you've done. We can still be happy."

"You're delusional," I spat, cutting him off.

"Who needs your forgiveness? Who wants to spend a life with you?"

"If you really love Piper, have the guts to kill me right now."

"You think I won't?" Barrett's face darkened.

"Do it then! If you don't kill me, I'll kill her!"

As I waited for his rage to boil over, my body betrayed me.

I vomited a massive amount of dark, thick blood.

The world started spinning, and I collapsed into the darkness.

The system's warning finally came through. This body had less than a week left.

My time was running out.