They Ate Me Alive, But I Was Their Lifeline — Novel

About

In a world where love is a currency and betrayal lurks behind every corner, a girl named Betty grapples with the weight of family expectations and her own self-worth. At just nine years old, she discovers that being a bone marrow donor for her ailing mother comes at a steep price: the emotional bond she once cherished begins to erode as her family’s attention shifts to a new adopted sister, Ginny. What happens when the very people who should protect her turn their backs in favor of someone else?

As Betty’s desperate attempts to gain the weight needed to save her mother spiral into a twisted tale of sacrifice and resentment, she finds herself trapped in a web of familial loyalty and competition. With her brother’s harsh words echoing in her mind and her mother’s love seemingly reserved for the newcomer, Betty must navigate the treacherous waters of sibling rivalry and unspoken pain.

Will she find the courage to reclaim her place in a family that has forgotten her, or will she remain a ghost in her own home, forever caught in the shadows of Ginny’s bright, unwelcome light? As the stakes rise and tensions flare, Betty's journey becomes a haunting exploration of love, identity, and the lengths one will go to be seen.

They Ate Me Alive, But I Was Their LifelineChapter 1

I was only nine when the weight of Mom's illness pressed down on me heavier than the extra pounds I gained as a bone marrow donor.

For a while, my family served me sympathy on a silver platter. They spooned it out like a warm meal and celebrated me as their little angel—until Ginny dined with us as the adopted girl.

She was delicate and everything I wasn't. Suddenly, I was starved of my family's affection while she was full of it.

Then came the day she forced me to eat spoiled food that almost killed me. The taste was foul, but what left the worst aftertaste was the realization that my family wouldn't lift a finger to save me.

Not long after, my bone marrow was needed again when both my mom and my brother ended up in the hospital.

And just like that, they wanted their little angel back—the one who satisfied their insatiable hunger to be obeyed.

But I couldn't serve them anymore.

"What a pity," I said. "I don't save devils."

——

My mom... She was lying in the emergency room—clinging to life.

My bone marrow was her only chance, they said.