Too Late to Love Me

I died on the day I won the Global Medical Doctorate Award.

Fresh from celebrating the sixteenth birthday of my younger sister, my parents, brother, and my fianc finally returned home, but it was three hours after my death.

My family photos were beaming with happiness on social media, while I laid in the suffocating basement drenched in blood.

Before I died, I had struggled to slide my tongue across my phone screen in a desperate attempt to call for help.

My parents and brother had blocked my number. Only my fianc answered my call.

The moment his voice came through, he snapped, "Winona, Winnie's sixteenth birthday is important. Stop trying to hijack attention with your pathetic excuses. Enough with the theatrics!"

It murdered my last spark of survival. In that electronic death rattle, my heart flatlined.

The 100th time they chose her. The 100th time they abandoned me for her. But it was also the last time.

They thought I had ran way to get their attention again, and that if they taught me a harsh lesson, I would come crawling back pathetically.

But not this time.

Because I didn't leave home. I had been lying in the basement of my house.

Chapter 1

My soul drifted from the cold basement floor at midnight.

The door of my bedroom was flung open, and my brother, Xavier Laith, barged in. He scanned the empty room and laughed mockingly.

"Winona, aren't you sick of playing hide-and-seek? You're too old for this nonsense," he said.

Usually, I would have snapped back.

However, I could only float past him in silence.

Xavier tried to call me, but no one answered. He rubbed his hair frustratingly, then flipped open the diary on my desk.

There was a number on there: 99.

That was how many times they had disappointed me over the years.

Xavier did not understand. He frowned and tossed the dairy to the floor.

He muttered while recording a voice message, "Stop throwing a tantrum. Winnie is still waiting for the blueberry cheesecake you promised to bake. It's her sixteenth birthday, so you better be home in an hour, or else"

He put his phone aside and went to the living room.

"Winona is not in her room, and she won't answer my call. She always does this, she throws a tantrum, disappears, so we'll beg her to come back," he told our parents.

My dad, Zach Laith, sighed and replied, "We spoiled her. Leave her alone this time. She'll be back tomorrow."

My gentle younger sister, Winnie Laith, tugged at the hand of my dad. She was full of worry when she said, "Dad, what if something happened? Maybe I should text her. You know she has always been kind to me."

I watched her text quickly.

She typed out the first message.

[Hope you enjoy the attention of those thugs. Which man's arms are you in now? You'll do us all a favor if you die.]

Then, she immediately deleted the text and replaced it with another.

[Are you okay, Winona? We're all so worried. You can blame me or hit me if you're angry, just please come home. Mom and Dad are worried sick.]

She held her phone up for everyone to see, so she appeared like the most loving sister.

My mother, Grace Laith, pulled her close and said, "Winnie, you're so considerate even when you're only sixteen. Winona is 24 years old, but she's still spoiled and rotten. This is not your fault."

'Spoiled? Rotten?' I wondered.

I laughed bitterly, but no one heard me.

They did not remember that it was the day for me to receive the Global Medical Doctorate Award. It was given only once every two years. I chose to say nothing because it was also her birthday, and let them celebrate.

I had never wanted to compete for their love.

I was leaving the house to accept the award. Suddenly, several men barged in and dragged me to the basement.

I struggled in terror and asked, "How did you have the house keys?"

One of the men dangled a keychain before me. It belonged to Winnie.

"Stop struggling," he said while he smirked sinisterly.

I begged and cried, "I won't tell anyone. Please let me go"

However, they ignored me, mocked me, violated me, and took photos.

I resisted with all I had. The back of my head smashed against the table in the midst of chaos. There was blood everywhere.

They panicked and fled, and left me to die in the pool of blood.

I crawled with fingers smeared in blood and dialed for help.

My parents refused to answer. They only sent a text message.

[Pretending to be sick again? We don't have time for this!]

Only Ian Zander, my lover, whom I once trusted, picked up.

"Help me, Ian I can't" I begged.

However, he replied with an unfriendly voice.

"Stop pretending, Winona. It's Winnie's sweet sixteenth birthday today. She only gets this once in her life. Do you have to ruin it for her? I promised to make it up to you with a gift."

I laughed weakly as I thought, 'Make it up to me?'

There would never be a chance for Ian to make it up to me again.

The basement would stink of decay after twenty-four hours.

Winnie once wished for my death, so no one would compete with her for love and glory.

Her wish finally came true.

Chapter 2

My soul curled up in the corner of the living room as I silently watched.

My dad, who usually went to bed early, stayed up in high spirits. He helped Winnie unwrap her birthday presents.

Meanwhile, my mom sat on the sofa and browsed online shopping sites, mumbling about buying Winnie a new wardrobe so she would shine at summer camp.

"Mom, my closet is full as it is," teased Winnie, her voice soft and sweet.

My mom smiled and said matter-of-factly, "We should clear out your sister's room. Winona never cares about these things. She's always busy with work and hardly ever home. She doesn't have many clothes anyway, so she doesn't need the space."

"But" She blinked and pretended to hesitate. "Wouldn't that upset her?"

My mom paused and frowned. She replied, "Don't overthink it. Your sister is sensible, so she won't hold it against you."

My dad said nothing and kept his head down. He peeled pistachios for Winnie. Xavier sat nearby and casually passed the pistachio nuts to Winnie.

I finally realized that even a soul could shed tears.

Their tenderness had never been meant for me.

Winnie lowered her head and said softly, "I sent her several text messages, but she never replied. Is she still angry? I feel empty if she doesn't come home"

Everyone in the living room paused when she said that.

My dad frowned and said sternly, "Ignore her. She loves acting high and mighty, so she can be the center of attention. When will she ever grow up?"

My mom looked impatient for a moment. She sighed and added, "It's only the Global Medical Doctorate Award. It's held every two years, but she acts like it's the most important thing in the world.

"Why can't she be more considerate to you? You only get a sixteenth birthday once, and she had to choose today to throw a tantrum."

Winnie lowered her head. There was a mischievous look on her face for a moment, but her smile looked innocent. She said, "Don't say that, Mom Winona will be hurt to hear that. She wanted that award for so long"

Her voice softened on purpose, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

I felt a chill down my spine. Winnie had always known how to play the innocent role. She got everything she wanted with ease. She said that I plagiarized, that I lied, that I was immature and Dad had always believed her without question.

I kept telling myself that someday, someone would prioritize me, even if it was only once.

The joke was on me, because even Ian had not been an exception. His gaze also lingered on Winnie after knowing her for two years.

The butler brought in a tray of desserts, and they were all her favorites. Everyone gathered around her and asked about her school life.

I could only watch from the corner.

I still did not appear at one o'clock in the morning.

Finally, my mom seemed to remember. She picked out a few strawberry tarts that Winnie did not like and placed them on a plate. She handed it to Xavier.

Her tone was casual as she said, "Save this for Winona, Xavier. This way, when she calms down and comes home, she won't say that we only care about your sister. See? We think of her, too."

I stared at the plate of strawberry tarts indifferently.

Xavier reached out to take it, but suddenly, Winnie let out a soft cry.

"Ouch, Mom!"

The warm atmosphere shattered in an instant.

Chapter 3

They immediately rushed to her side, and they panicked when they saw the red mark on her palm that looked like a burn.

"Everyone at the party was someone we knew. How could anyone give such a dangerous gift?" A scorpion got out of the box and Xavier crushed it under his foot.

All eyes turned to the open gift box.

"Was this from Winona?" my mom asked as she frowned.

Winnie immediately looked like she was going to cry. She said, "Please don't blame Winona, Mom. The gift was on my nightstand this morning. I was happy that she wanted to give me a present."

My dad and Xavier looked angry and disappointed.

"I knew it! That's why she delayed coming home. She wanted to hurt Winnie on purpose!" my dad exclaimed.

"How could I have such a vicious sister?" asked Xavier.

"Enough! Shut up and take Winnie to the doctor first!" said my dad. He kicked away the gift box that Winnie had stolen from my room, furious as he slammed the table.

"The bandage is finished. I'll get more from the basement," said Xavier before he started to leave.

Winnie looked around in a panic. She clung to his arm and said, "Don't! The doctor will have bandages. It hurts so much"

Xavier would have smelled blood if he had taken one more step towards the basement.

However, things turned out differently.

My family rushed out after hearing Winnie's pleas, and I was left drifting in the empty living room.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to explain that I had done nothing.

However, I could not make a sound.

I felt like even if I could speak, they would have never believed me.

So be it.

The butler heard the commotion, and he came out to clean up the mess. He let out a long sigh.

He asked, "Why could you never learn to protect yourself, Miss Winona?"

My soul drifted back to my bedroom. The diary was still on the floor. I kept thinking about my memories.

It was my eighteenth birthday party, and our family held a grand celebration. My father announced how the family business would be divided that day.

My brother was the first to be introduced. He displayed sharp business acumen. He was young, but he spoke with confidence about finances and investments.

My father did not hide his pride in him. It was as if he could see Xavier running the company.

Then, it was Winnie. She was only ten years old, but she had a natural charm. Her every gesture was elegant. She played piano beautifully and could dance. My mother held her and proudly called her the gem of the family.

I stepped onto the stage with hope, determined not to disappoint them.

The room fell silent when it was my turn to be introduced.

I had no striking talent, no brilliance to make people remember me. I was so ordinary that no one could recall what I had just said.

I became the invisible one from that day on, a child unworthy of investment.

Later, I worked myself to the bone and earned the highest academic honors. However, they thought I had cheated my way through. They believed that I won the Global Medical Doctorate Award by bribing the judges.

Xavier and Winnie enjoyed all the favoritism and opportunities.

Instead, I was left with what my life had always been, ordinary and dispensable.

Chapter 4

My soul followed Winnie to a private clinic.

Soon, my fianc, Ian Zander, rushed in.

He went straight to Winnie and grabbed her hand. He anxiously examined the scorpion sting on her palm. He was full of worry.

"What happened? What did the doctor say?" he asked.

Winnie choked up but forced a smile. She replied, "Don't be like this, Ian. It wasn't Winona's fault. She only wanted to surprise me. She must have grabbed the wrong gift. You know she's a medical researcher and keeps many small animals for experiments"

She pretended to be understanding, and Ian looked angrier.

He looked up and asked angrily, "Where is Winona? Where is she hiding now? Don't be scared, Winnie, I'll make this right for you!"

'You don't have to look for me, Ian. I'm right next to you. You can't make this right for her because I'm dead. Of course, you can choose to discard my body and refuse to buy a grave to punish me,' I thought.

Ian called me after leaving the clinic. No one answered, so he left a voice message.

"Winona, how could you be so cruel? You deliberately put a scorpion in a gift box to hurt your sister? I always thought you were kind. I can't believe you would do something like this out of jealousy!" he said angrily.

"I was on my way to give you a family heirloom necklace as a gift for your award, but now, you don't deserve that. Consider this your punishment. You'd better pray that Winnie is fine Otherwise, the engagement is over!" he added.

I listened to his accusations with indifference because I was too exhausted.

I knew he would side with Winnie.

When we first met, he learned how I was neglected at home and swore to make it up to me with his love.

He gave me beautiful jewelry, accompanied me to classes, and would drive me to work and from work.

Somewhere along the way, things changed. He kept defending Winnie and reminded me that she was eight years younger than me. He said that my younger sister was someone I should care for and forgive.

I suspected he had feelings for her. When I questioned him, he only said, "You think too much. Winnie is like a sister to me."

His indifference made me feel like a hysterical fool.

However, I loved him too much.

I believed he was a gift from heaven, someone who would belong only to me.

How wrong I was.

My parents favored Xavier and Winnie because they were more outstanding, but I wondered why Ian loved her. I no longer have the answers.

Whether I fell or bled, I would no longer feel any pain. I was dead. A soul could no longer sense the wounds of the flesh.

My parents and my brother finally returned home, and they were worn out.

I hovered in the corner of the living room. I heard my mom sigh.

She said, "It's a shame that Ian's family isn't compatible with Winnie. Otherwise, they'd be the perfect match. You saw how attentive he was at the clinic."

My heart clenched.

My dad added, "Yeah, Ian is competent, and I think Winnie likes him too. It would be perfect if they were together."

My mom shook her head and disagreed, "No, Ian is perfect for Winona because of his family. He can also take care of Winnie if he marries Winona."

Her tone was casual, but it struck me like a knife in my chest.

Suddenly, my dad frowned and said, "There's a strange smell in the house. It smells like blood."

Xavier followed my dad towards the basement.

"What is that?" my mom asked. She also followed them.

Xavier pushed the door open.

A heavy stench of blood rushed out. A body with eyes half-open lay silently in a pool of blood under the dim light.

Xavier froze.

His voice was trembling as he asked, "Winona?"