Chapter 1

My cousin framed me for faking cancer.

The day I finally saved $100,000 after working hard for seven years, I was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer.

To cure it, I needed at least $300,000.

To save my life, my parents sold their car, mortgaged our house, and emptied their entire life savings. They begged every relative they knew to scrape together $200,000.

On my way to the hospital for surgery, I bought a random scratch-off lottery ticket at a gas station. I won $300,000.

Right then, Helen called me, sobbing. She said David had a sudden stroke, and his emergency surgery would also cost $300,000.

Without a second thought, I wired my entire $100,000 savings to them.

I felt so incredibly lucky. With this lottery win, both my dad and I could survive.

But when I went to the lottery office to redeem the ticket, the clerk looked at me with pity. He told me it was just a prank card bought off Amazon. It was completely worthless.

Crushed and hopeless, I dragged myself back home. Just as I reached the door, I heard my parents praising my cousin.

"Chloe is so smart. With just one fake scratch-off card, she got Avery to hand over that $100,000."

"That ungrateful brat actually forged a terminal cancer diagnosis just to scam money from us! Thank God Chloe has sharp eyes and saw right through her!"

But I had never lied.

And tonight was my last chance to see the specialist. Without that surgery, even if I got the money later, it would be too late.