My Pain Came Back Once They Betrayed Me Novel – Chapter 1 After I was diagnosed with the rare condition that left me unable to feel pain, my parents and Logan Ford went into full panic mode. They tossed out every sharp object in the house and covered every floor with thick carpet, terrified I’d hurt myself without ever knowing it. Then Zora Clark—my long-lost elder sister with another rare condition—came home. Her nervous system was wired backward; every twinge of pain hit her a hundred times harder than an average person. I pulled her into a gentle hug, and she let out a shrill cry of agony on the spot. Dad shoved me hard to the floor. Mom shielded Zora against her chest, her eyes cold with disappointment as she stared me down. “How could you be so jealous? You know full well she can’t stand the slightest discomfort, yet you deliberately hurt her!” I tried to explain, but when I glanced at Logan, all I saw was unmasked revulsion in his gaze. After that day, I volunteered for every drug trial and blood draw meant for Zora.
Needles pierced my arms over and over, leaving rows of dark purple bruising, while Logan only comforted my sister. “Don’t worry,” he’d murmur to her. “Bella can’t feel a thing, so it doesn’t matter how much blood they take from her.” I never said a word back. My illness had taken away my ability to feel heartache, too. Everything shattered when Logan’s rivals kidnapped both Zora and me. Without hesitation, Logan shoved me forward as a human shield. “Take the stab wounds first,” he snapped. “She can’t feel pain anyway.” There was no time to dodge. A sharp blade sank deep into my torso—and an overwhelming wave of agony crashed through my entire body. That’s when I realized my rare disorder was gone for good. …… I clamped a hand over my wound instinctively, warm blood seeping thick between my fingers. The kidnapper who’d stabbed me screamed and stumbled backward before sprinting off, horrified at the fact that he’d actually injured someone. The agony buckled my knees, and I crumpled onto the pavement. “Logan… help me…” I curled into a ball, drowning in despair.
Logan was already hurrying to flee with Zora tucked safely in his arms. He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of my whimpering. “Cut the act,” he scoffed. “You can’t feel pain. All that’ll happen is a little bleeding.” “It’s not an act, Logan,” I gasped, struggling to prop myself up to show him the blood soaking through my shirt. “I’m cured. It hurts so badly.” Zora whimpered against his chest then, biting her lip like she was fighting through unbearable suffering. Logan’s full attention snapped to her hands, and he frantically checked every inch of her skin—only to spot a tiny scraped patch on the back of her hand. “Zora, why didn’t you say anything? This scrape must be agony for you.” Watching how frantic and distraught he was over such a trivial injury, a crushing ache ripped through my chest. Zora blinked back tears and shook her head softly. “I’m fine. You should check on Bella first… she looks terrible.” She let out another small whimper right after speaking, and Logan lost all composure.
He swept her off her feet in one fluid motion, cradling her tight against his chest. I trembled, letting out broken cries from where I lay bleeding out. Logan shot me a glare thick with disgust. “You know Zora feels pain a hundred times worse than normal people, and you still pick this moment to throw a petty fit for attention? You can’t feel a single ache—can’t you just endure this for once?” With that, he turned and strode away with Zora in his arms. I curled tighter on the cold ground as the biting cold seeped into my bones. Staring at his receding figure, I fumbled for my phone and dialed Mom’s number. The call barely connected before her frantic voice blared through the speaker. “What do you want now? Zora scraped her skin and had to be hospitalized—I’m rushing over to look after her. Don’t call unless it’s an emergency.” I parted my lips to beg for help, but the pain stole my voice before I could speak. She hung up instantly. I tried calling again, only to find her line blocked entirely.
I sank into total hopelessness, my strength fading fast until my eyes slipped shut. Right before I blacked out, I spotted a group of young men sprinting toward me from a nearby car. I woke up in a hospital bed hours later. A passing motorist had found me and rushed me to emergency care, barely saving my life. My parents didn’t show up until the next day—they’d spent the entire prior afternoon and night at Zora’s side with Logan. When they finally stood at my bedside, my face ashen from severe blood loss, Mom’s expression held no trace of concern. She just sighed heavily. “You’re so lucky. Even getting stabbed didn’t hurt you one bit.” “You’ve got it so much easier than Zora. A tiny scrape sends her into blinding agony.” “I wish that little scrape of hers could’ve been yours instead.”