Am I A Good Girl novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1
I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The only treatment that could save me was an aggressive course of chemotherapy.
But my husband, Kenneth Hampton, denied me the chance and let my adopted sister, Catherine Wilde, undergo it, even though her cancer was only in its early stages.
Left with no choice, I swallowed a powerful painkiller. The price of that relief was simple and final: in three days, my organs would fail, and I would die.
With only those three days left, I decided to let everything go.
I transferred everything I had worked for all these years to Catherine, and my parents smiled, genuinely satisfied.
When Kenneth handed me the divorce papers, I signed them without hesitation. He let out a sigh and praised me for being “reasonable.”
I pushed my daughter, Lenora Hampton, toward Catherine and told her to call Catherine “Mom.” She threw her arms around Catherine and chirped, delighted, “Mom’s the best!”
Later, I even signed over my property and assets to Catherine as well. None of my family understood the real reason behind this sudden generosity-they merely looked on with satisfied eyes and said, “Our thoughtful Angie is finally back.”
Still, a quiet curiosity gnawed at me. After I was dead, would they ever think of me again?
***
Under the doctor’s pitying gaze, I swallowed the painkiller.
Now, I had only three days left.
I went to Catherine’s ward.
Inside, my father, Eduardo Benson, was peeling an orange for her, and my mother, Sandra Benson, was talking with her.
The moment I walked in, the warmth vanished. My parents’ expressions curdled into masks of cold disdain.
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“What now? Couldn’t keep pretending to be sick, so you came after Cathy again? Angelique, listen-we won’t let you hurt Cathy again!”
My father’s voice was cold enough to frost glass.
“We raised you with such high standards. How could you get so rotten with jealousy? Trying to take Cathy’s chemo because you can’t stand her? That’s insane.”
My mother pointed at me, her voice sharp with disappointment. “If I’d known you would turn out like this, I’d never have given birth to you!”
From where my parents couldn’t see, Catherine smiled at me, her gaze brimming with provocation.
I lowered my gaze. I had heard all this before-countless times.
Before, I would have fought back and exposed Catherine’s true colors, even if nobody believed a
word of it.
But now I was too exhausted to argue anymore.
“You’re here just in time,” my father said suddenly. “There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
I smiled faintly. “Dad, I have something to tell you, too.”
“Catherine has always wanted my shops and my company. I’ve made up my mind-I’ll give them to her.”
My father froze, and my mother looked at me in shock.
“You… How did you know I was going to talk about this today? And you really agree?”
I gave a light smile. I knew why they looked so shocked.
Catherine had set her sights on my businesses for a long time.
My parents had said every cruel thing imaginable, trying to push me to hand everything over to her, but I’d held on stubbornly.
Now, as I was dying, these things meant nothing anymore.
Seeing how serious I was, my mother finally smiled with relief. She stepped forward and stroked my hair.
“You’ve finally come to your senses!” she continued.
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Chapter 1
288 Wouchers
‘Cathy’s been ahead of you since school. Even though she’s sick, she’s better with money than you ever have.
“If you give her your shops and your company, we can truly relax.”
I curved my lips into something like a smile and handed Catherine the transfer documents.
When my parents saw her sign, they held my hands, gushing over what a good girl I was.
A thin thread of bitter amusement slipped through me.
How ridiculous. Only when I yield to Catherine do I ever see my mother smile.
I couldn’t help wondering-when she finally saw Catherine’s true colors, when she realized I was gone forever-would she and my father feel even a flicker of regret?
That evening, I went home and found Kenneth and Lenora cooking together in the kitchen.
I was weak because of the cancer, so the door clicked shut more softly than usual; neither of them noticed I had returned. They were laughing, bustling comfortably around each other.
Kenneth plated the dish and turned. When he saw me, his smile faltered for a second before he forced it back into place.
“Angelique, when did you get in? We didn’t hear you,” he said lightly.
I stared silently at the spinach salad in his hands. That was Catherine’s absolute favorite.
It looked perfect, restaurant-quality.
The irony stung. Five years of marriage, and only now, on the edge of death, did I discover my husband could actually cook.
When I cooked, he complained. Slowly, Lenora learned to wrinkle her nose at my efforts as well.
I’d poured my heart into this family, but in the end, I received no respect.
Before, I would have screamed, cried, and let everything shatter.
Now, I simply walked past them and sat on the couch, sorting through my bag in silence.
Kenneth hesitated when I didn’t respond, then set the plates on the table and came over.
“Angelique, I wanted to discuss something with you.”
Kenneth touched his nose rather awkwardly. After a moment of hesitation, he continued, “It’s…
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about your sister Cathy.”
A heavy premonition sank in my chest.
The next sentence froze me where I sat. “After Cathy’s chemotherapy, she’s been really depressed. So your parents suggested that I marry her for now-just to cheer her up.”
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