Chapter3

On Friday afternoon, I received my latest comprehensive medical report. My fingertips traced the dense rows of numbers. Liver function, kidney function, cardiac load—almost every single metric flashed a stark red warning. The doctor said my organs were already showing signs of failure. If they couldn't pinpoint the cause, I probably wouldn't survive the semester.

I folded the paper and shoved it into my bag, my knuckles turning white from my grip. I ordered a car straight to the Sigma Phi house. Liam was my fiancé, and he was the only person at this school I thought I could rely on.

When the car pulled up to the curb, I stepped out, shivering as the crisp evening wind hit me. I hurried up the front steps, crossed the deserted first-floor lounge, and headed straight up to the second floor.

As I pushed open his slightly ajar door, my hand froze in midair. Even my breathing stopped.

Mia sat on Liam’s lap, her arms wrapped around his neck, smiling so widely her eyes curved into crescents. He leaned down to kiss her, a gentle, tender gesture I knew all too well. Once upon a time, those same lips had pressed against my forehead just like that.

"Are you really going to call off the engagement with Chloe?" Mia asked in a sickly sweet voice, twirling a strand of his hair around her finger.

"Of course, baby," Liam said, stroking her bouncy curls, making no effort to hide the disgust in his tone. "Look at her now. Severe eating disorder, nothing but skin and bones. She just embarrasses me when I take her out. You, right now... are absolutely perfect."

He actually chuckled as he said it, like he was admiring a brand-new trophy.

I stood just outside the doorway, gripping the medical report so tightly my knuckles went white. My nails practically dug into the paper, yet my hands didn't tremble at all. Something inside my chest shattered piece by piece, but strangely, I didn't cry.

I didn't rush in and throw a hysterical fit. I simply watched the scene unfold, my gaze as cold as if I were staring at two lifeless husks.

Deliberately, I pushed the door open a little wider, letting the hinges let out a loud squeak.

Liam shoved Mia away and scrambled to his feet. He bumped into the side table, making a glass teeter precariously. "Chloe! What... what are you doing here? Listen, let me explain..."

"Explain what?" I cut him off. My voice was dangerously soft, yet edged like a blade as I enunciated every word. "Explain why you're kissing my stepsister? Or explain why you lied to me about having a frat meeting today?"

Mia hid behind his back, slowly standing up from the couch. She smoothed down her skirt, a provocative smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, even as she feigned panic. "Chloe, I'm so sorry. We just... lost our minds for a moment."

"Lost your minds." I repeated the words and smiled, though the amusement didn't reach my eyes.

"Liam, I'm only going to ask you one thing," I said, stepping closer to him. I held up the medical report, letting the paper flutter in the air. "Do you really think I look like this because of an eating disorder?"

Liam stared at my gaunt, hollow face. A flash of revulsion crossed his eyes. He took a half-step back, bumping into the coffee table. "Chloe, you need to see a therapist." His voice rose, dripping with impatience. "Just because you're sick doesn't mean you have to be jealous of Mia's health."

Jealous. What a perfect word.

I looked at Mia’s radiant face—a glow fueled entirely by stealing my nutrients—and suddenly, I laughed. It was a laugh so foreign it startled even me. I tucked the report back into my bag, turned toward the window, and stood with my back to them for a few seconds.

I finally understood. The system was purely mechanical; it only executed the "transfer" command. Whatever I ate, both the taste and the nutrients were unconditionally transferred to Mia.

But could the system tell the difference between nutrition and poison?

Since childhood, Mia had one fatal weakness: a severe, life-threatening peanut allergy. Even a trace of peanut powder would trigger severe throat swelling and anaphylactic shock. Without an immediate shot of epinephrine, she would die.

I remembered my stepmother's relentless warnings when we were kids. "There can be absolutely no peanuts in this house. Not a single trace. It will kill her." To accommodate her, you couldn't find a single peanut in our entire apartment.

As I looked at her, I knew with absolute clarity that she thought she was stealing everything from me. Little did she know, that was exactly what I was about to feed her.

"You're right, Liam." I turned back around, adjusted my bag, and headed toward the door. My tone was so eerily calm it could make your skin crawl. "I really should 'eat something'."

Without a backward glance, I walked downstairs and out the front doors of the frat house, letting the biting wind rush against my face. In my mind, I started a countdown.

Mia, are you ready for this feast?