Chapter 1

"As a researcher, I am very proud. My son Ethan has understood the spirit of dedication in medicine since he was a child. It was his selfless participation in early drug trials that led to the success of the new drug today!"

The flashes were like a barrage of blades, blinding me.

On stage, Dr. Evelyn Hart—my mother—spoke eloquently to dozens of cameras. Standing beside her was my cousin Liam, who had just recovered. Liam, his eyes red-rimmed, choked back tears as he spoke into the microphone, "Aunt Evelyn is like a second parent to me..."

The two embraced tightly, and thunderous applause erupted from the audience. What a moving picture of a medical miracle!

"Selfless?" I leaned against a corner in the audience, chewing on this nauseating word.

The internal organs are being torn apart by an invisible raging fire.

This is systemic exhaustion resulting from long-term use as a human guinea pig.

Three months ago, when my lab results showed signs of organ necrosis, this great mother simply pushed up her glasses and said, "Hang in there a little longer. The experiment is entering a new phase and we need to increase the dosage. We just need this batch of data."

In order to focus on subsequent experiments, she even asked me to stay in the hospital bed for a long time and not to go home and "cause trouble".

A sharp, burning pain struck again, like countless needles piercing my very bones. I broke out in a cold sweat and trembled as I reached into my pocket for painkillers.

"Let's introduce this unsung hero!"

Before I could even touch the medicine bottle, a strong hand suddenly grabbed my arm.

An enthusiastic reporter pulled me directly from the shadows onto the stage under the spotlight.

Under the glaring light, I was in so much pain that my face turned pale and my body stiffened.

My mother's loving smile froze almost imperceptibly the moment she saw me.

She lowered her voice and gritted her teeth in a tone only we could hear: "Why are you wearing that deadpan face? Smile! Liam is my other son now, call him brother."

Looking at this loving mother and son before me, I felt a surge of acid in my stomach.

“Now that you have another son,” I gasped for breath, using the last of my strength to bring my lips close to the microphone, “I’ll leave this house to avoid disturbing you.”

The entire room fell silent.

Without hesitation, I smashed the microphone in my hand. Amidst the ear-piercing explosion, I turned and walked away.

"Ethan, what's wrong with you!" My mother's pretense instantly crumbled. She rushed forward and grabbed me tightly, her nails almost digging into my flesh. "Liam just recovered. Do you have to upset him today?"

“That’s right, just bear with it in front of the camera.” My father had also rushed onto the stage at some point, grabbed my shoulder, and scolded me with a furrowed brow, “Liam’s family was in a car accident, he has no parents, can’t you, as his older brother, be more understanding?”

The three of them stood side by side, looking at me with a shared sense of righteous indignation.

Looking at my father's righteous and indignant face, I suddenly felt it was utterly absurd.

Ever since my aunt was in a car accident and Liam became an orphan and was taken in by our family, there has been no place for me in this home.

"Understand?" I stared at them, the excruciating pain inside my body completely igniting my reason.

I suddenly snatched the banner that the reporter had just presented to the stage, tore it in half with a "rip," and then waved it fiercely.

"Clang!"

I knocked over my mother's treasured crystal trophy, and it shattered on the hard floor tiles. Glass shards were scattered all over the floor, and the reporters in the audience gasped in surprise.

"You beast!" The mother roared in fury, raising her hand high to slap him.

"Hit me!" I roared, my eyes bloodshot, as I faced her slap. "When I was twelve, you said new drugs needed data from healthy people, so you made me take three injections a week! When I was fourteen, you said toxicity testing was needed, so you made me eat compounds that had never been tested!"

The mother's hand froze in mid-air, her pupils contracting sharply.

I pointed to my chest, pressing him further: "My liver and kidneys are starting to fail, and I can't sleep every night because of the pain! Dare to tell everyone on camera whether all this experimental data, soaked in my blood and flesh, was used on Liam?"

The flashbulbs went off wildly, and the entire arena fell silent.

"You traded my life for his?!" My voice echoed in the hall, each word dripping with anguish.

The mother's face turned deathly pale, and she couldn't utter a single word.

I turned and stared intently at my father beside me: "And you? You watch me lose clumps of hair every day, watch me cough up blood, and you know the truth? You've tacitly approved of it?"

My father's eyes flickered with panic for a moment, and he turned his face away in embarrassment, unable to look me in the eye.

"Smack!"

A sharp slap rang out. To salvage the situation, my mother slapped me hard across the face, her fingertips trembling as she pointed at me: "What nonsense are you spouting! Apologize to Liam right now!"

My cheeks were burning, but I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“Okay,” I said with a smile, taking a step back and looking at the three “loving” family members. “Since you love Liam so much, why not let him be your biological child?”

As soon as he finished speaking, an uncontrollable sweet and metallic taste welled up from deep in his throat.

I coughed violently, and a mouthful of blood gushed out, splattering brightly onto the white floor tiles beneath their feet.

Amidst the terrified screams of the crowd, my vision was completely plunged into darkness.