No Kidney For My Perfect Sister Chapter 1

It was the fifth year of my estrangement when I found myself serving a table of familiar faces.

I carried the pre-ordered cake onto the dining table, and the moment I stepped inside, the family of three froze.

Without a flicker of emotion, I finished the chorus of "Happy Birthday," then turned to close the door discreetly.

But the daughter chased me out, a slice of cake on a plate held out toward me.

"Mom wanted me to give this to you," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "It’s your birthday today too."

"They talk about you all the time, Lena," she continued, her eyes growing red. "They’re getting old. Please, come home, okay?"

I shook my head, my expression polite and distant.

The next second, the plate exploded against my chest. Dr. Evelyn Ruth, the famed child psychologist, had stormed out of the room, her voice a raw, furious shout.

"What did we ever do to you to make you hate us this much, Lena?! What did we take from you?"

I stood there, silently watching the woman who was my identical twin sister. I thought about it for a moment.

It was probably because she was named Stella.

And I was named Lena.

* * *

The commotion in the hallway was loud.

When my biological parents rushed out, their gaze went straight to Stella.

"Stella, are you all right? Oh, sweetheart, don’t get upset."

Evelyn, the ever-emotional mother, pulled a trembling Stella into a hug, her eyes welling up.

I quietly pulled a handful of paper towels from my apron to wipe the cream off my uniform. Habitually, I said nothing.

My father, Victor Ruth, who had swallowed his immediate outrage, suddenly exploded at the sight of my silent clean-up.

"Lena! That’s your mother! Your sister! What is that look on your face? You disappear for five years without a word, and the first time we see you, this is your power play?"

Hearing that name, the one I detested from the core of my being, after five years, still made my stomach turn.

My breath hitched, but when I looked up, I was wearing the uniform, professional smile.

"Excuse me, sir, but the name tag reads Lena Maris."

"If you don't require anything else, I'll step out to change my clothes now, so as not to ruin your dining experience."

Five years surviving on my own in the city had taught me that righteousness was a luxury. I finished my speech smoothly and turned to leave.

The three of them stood frozen behind me. I imagined they couldn't reconcile the hysterical, destructive girl who walked away eight years ago with the polite, guarded woman standing before them now.

...

It was well after midnight when I finished my shift.

As I walked toward the bus stop, a car slowly pulled up beside me.

The window slid down, revealing Evelyn’s cautious, anxious face.

"It’s too late. Let me drive you."

As if afraid I would refuse, she added quickly, "It's just me, sweetie. Can your mother just give you a ride home?"

The streetlights flickered in her eyes, making her eagerness look like something I should feel sorry for. It was a familiar look.

Dr. Evelyn Ruth, the celebrated child psychologist, was still so confident. She believed that her personal charm alone could persuade me to return.

I’d seen this trick since I was a child.

But I wasn't a child anymore.

"I’m fine, thank you. My friend will be here any minute."

She seemed surprised to be dismissed, but she stubbornly refused to drive away. I knew she thought I was making an excuse.

I didn't bother to explain.

There was no need.