The Rotten Brother, A Sister's Silent Revenge

In my past life, I was hacked to death by my brother for stopping him from getting a gender reassignment surgery to chase his male teacher.

In this life, I smiled and handed him the surgical fees. Don't be scared. I'll sell the house to send you to Thailand. I'll help you find your true love!

As he excitedly contacted a back-alley clinic, I quietly sent him ten predatory loan apps.

Later, my brother lay dying on the operating table, covered in bandages. "Sis, why didn't you stop me this time?"

I wiped the pus and blood from his wound and grinned. "Because..."

"I wanted to watch you rot, bit by bit."

1.

When the kitchen knife bit into my flesh, I heard my mother crying nearby.

She wasn't crying because I was dying. She was crying because Hunter's hands were stained with blood.

"Oh, you poor child," she said, patting Hunter's back.

"Is it really worth dirtying your hands for a person like your sister?"

My father stood by the door, keeping watch to make sure no neighbors saw.

Hunter wiped his face, blood mixing with tears. His eyes were bloodshot.

"Rhiannon Lee! It's all your fault! You stopped me!"

"If you hadn't stopped me from getting the surgery, Mr. Sterling would have married me! You ruined my life! Just die! Die!"

Mr. Sterling was his high school homeroom teacher, a man in his thirties.

Hunter screamed, raising the bloody knife again.

The world went black.

When I opened my eyes again, I was sitting on our old, worn-out sofa.

"Let me die! None of you understand me! What's the point of living? I want Mr. Sterling! I need him!"

The wailing brought me back to reality. I froze.

The living room was a total mess.

My mother was slumped on the floor, wailing and slapping her thighs. Tears and snot covered her face.

My father's face was ashen. His fists were clenched so tight he was shaking.

And in the center of the storm was my wonderful brother, Hunter.

He was wearing his faded school hoodie, standing on the coffee table with his back to me.

He was waving a sharp utility blade, pressing it against his thin wrist.

"Hunter! My baby! Get down! Please, I'm begging you!"

My mother wailed, trying to crawl toward him. My father grabbed her, roaring, "You animal! Get down from there! Losing your mind over a man! You've embarrassed this whole family!"

I was back.

I was back at the moment Hunter first attempted suicide to force the family to pay for his surgery in Thailand.

In my last life, I rushed forward and held him tight. I used every ounce of strength to pry the blade from his hand, ignoring the cuts on my own fingers.

I tried to talk sense into him. I told him about the risks of the surgery, that Mr. Sterling would never love him, and that he was too young to know what love was.

I talked until my throat was dry. Eventually, he seemed to listen and calmed down in my arms.

I was naive enough to think I had saved him.

But when the news of Mr. Sterling's wedding broke, Hunter turned all his resentment into a kitchen knife aimed at my neck.

He said I robbed him of his chance to be with his teacher.

Fine.

My dear brother.

In this life, I'll give you exactly what you want.

2.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the burning hatred in my heart.

When I looked up, my face was a mask of extreme anxiety. Tears welled in my eyes.

"Hunter!!!"

I let out a piercing scream and rushed toward him.

I didn't try to grab the knife like last time.

I lunged at the coffee table and used both hands to pin down his wrist holding the blade.

"What are you doing? Let go! Get away from me, Rhiannon!"

Hunter stumbled from the impact, almost falling off the table. The blade wobbled dangerously between us.

He struggled wildly, his nails scratching bloody marks onto the back of my hands.

"Hunter! Stop! Don't do anything stupid!"

I gripped his wrist like a vice. My voice shook violently as heavy tears fell onto his hand.

I looked like a sister truly heartbroken for her brother.

"I'm begging you! Put the blade down! I'll give you whatever you want! Anything!"

My screaming drowned out my mother's wails and my father's roars.

The room went silent for a moment, leaving only the sound of my gut-wrenching performance.

Hunter's struggling stopped. He looked at me with suspicion. "You... you'll agree? To what?"

I looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

"I'll send you to Thailand for the surgery! We'll do it! I'll sell the house! I'll sell it to pay for you!"

"As long as you don't hurt yourself! I'll do anything to make it happen!"

The room felt like it exploded.

I felt my parents' gazes snap toward me instantly.

Hunter's eyes lit up with an indescribable glow. His grip loosened, and the blade clattered onto the table.

"Really?"

He was hesitant. "Sis, are you serious? Selling the house? Sending me to Thailand?"

"Yes! I swear!"

I nodded vigorously, tears still streaming down my face. I sounded like a devoted sister willing to sacrifice everything.

"I'll list the house tomorrow! We'll get the money and send you to the best clinic! You'll come back beautiful!"

"Oh, my baby!"

My mother's crying reached a new pitch, but then she turned to me with fury.

"Rhiannon! Are you insane? What are you saying? Sell the house? Where will we live? In the streets?"

"That house is meant for Hunter's future wedding!"

She scrambled up, ready to strike me.

My father's face was livid. He stepped forward and swung his hand to slap me. "You troublemaker! I'll kill you for talking such nonsense!"

I was prepared. The moment Hunter dropped the blade, I pulled him off the table and stepped out of my father's reach.

Hunter stumbled and fell right into my mother's arms.

"Mom!"

Hunter clung to her waist like she was a lifeline. His voice was tearful but filled with a manic excitement.

"Rhiannon promised! She's selling the house! I can get the surgery! I can become a woman! Mr. Sterling will love me then!"

He was lost in his own fantasy, ignoring my parents' pale faces.

"Hunter, honey..."

My mother held him, her heart aching for her son. But her words were like daggers aimed at me.

"Your sister... she's trying to kill us! If we sell the house, where do we go? She just doesn't want us to live!"

My father, having missed his slap, was shaking with rage.

"Rhiannon! You ungrateful brat! That's your brother! Instead of stopping him, you're fanning the flames!"

"Selling the house? You just want this family to fall apart! You want your brother to die!"

I stood opposite the three of them, as if I belonged to a different world.

Hunter didn't say a word to defend me. He acted as if my sacrifice was his birthright.

"Dad, Mom. The house is in my name."

The living room went dead silent.

My mother's crying choked in her throat. My father's finger stayed frozen in mid-air. Even Hunter turned to look at me in shock.

I gave a smile that looked more painful than crying.

"I saved up for the down payment myself. I paid the mortgage. Only my name is on the deed."

I paused, watching their faces turn through a spectrum of colors.

"So, whether it's sold or not, that's my decision," I said softly.

My father's face twitched. He was so stunned he couldn't speak, just breathing heavily.

My mother's tears vanished. Her eyes were wide with calculation and disbelief. She was offended by my lack of submission.

"Your name?" she shrieked.

"What do you mean, your name? That's a Lee family house! It belongs to your brother! You're just a girl, how dare you put your name on it? This is rebellion!"

"Exactly!" my father chimed in.

"I raised you! Everything you own belongs to this family! It belongs to Hunter! Change the name right now! Or I'll break your legs!"

He took a threatening step forward, clenching his fists.

I looked down, hiding the cold light in my eyes. When I looked up, I looked exhausted and cornered.

"Dad, Mom," I sobbed.

"You can break my legs, but it won't change the fact that the bank holds the deed. The mortgage isn't paid off. I can't just change the name."

I shifted my gaze to Hunter, acting like I was trying to please him.

"Hunter, selling a house takes at least a month or two. Can you... can you wait that long?"

"No!"

Hunter broke away from my mother, stomping his feet in a panic.

"A month? That's too long! What if Mr. Sterling... what if he..."

He couldn't finish the thought. His face distorted with fear that his teacher would slip away.

"I need the money now! Right now!"

"Hunter, don't worry! Stay calm!"

My mother was desperate to comfort him. She turned to me and barked, "Did you hear him? He can't wait! Find another way! If the house is too slow, go borrow it! You know people, don't you? Go!"

My father glared at me, demanding the same.

This was my family.

"Borrow... borrow money?"

I put on a look of hesitation and fear. "It's not that easy. The interest rates are terrifying these days..."

"Who cares about the interest!" Hunter screamed.

"I just need the surgery! I don't care how high the rate is! Rhiannon, go borrow it! Once I have the money, I can fly to Thailand immediately! Once I'm beautiful, Mr. Sterling will love me!"

He was fully immersed in his delusions. His eyes were manic.

"Exactly! Borrow it first!" my mother decided.

"If the interest is high, you'll just have to work harder to pay it back! You have a good salary!"

My father didn't argue. That was his silent approval.

To them, I was born to be a piggy bank for my brother's mistakes.

I hesitated, then slowly pulled out my phone under their intense stares.

I took a deep breath, looking like I was making a grave decision. I showed the screen to Hunter.

"Maybe... maybe I could try this? A colleague told me... they approve quickly and the cash hits your account in minutes..."

My voice was timid and uncertain.

The screen showed an app called "QuickCash Pro." Below it, it read: "Funds in 30 minutes. No credit check required!"

Hunter's eyes widened. He snatched the phone from my hand and started tapping frantically.

"Faster... faster... I need the money..." he muttered neurotically.

My mother leaned in. "Will this work? How much is the interest?"

She only cared about the speed. The interest? That wasn't her problem to solve.

My father frowned, sensing something was off. But seeing his son's state, he just waved his hand dismissively. "Just do it. As long as the money comes."

I stepped back, watching Hunter's fingers fly across the screen. He entered his personal info with obsessive care.

He didn't read a single line of the terms and conditions.

His entire mind was occupied by his "Thailand Dream."

"Face ID check!" Hunter shouted excitedly, pointing the camera at himself.

Flash.

The verification was successful.

A notification popped up on the screen.

Hunter stared at it without blinking, holding his breath.

The room went eerily quiet. Only the ticking clock and my parents' heavy breathing could be heard.

I leaned against the cold wall and lowered my eyes.

The show was just beginning.

Hunter, is the fire I lit for you burning bright enough?

"Ding!"

A sharp text notification rang out.

Hunter jumped, fumbling to open the message.

"QuickCash Pro: Dear Hunter Lee, your loan for 0-00,000 has been approved! Funds are being transferred to your account ending in XXXX. Please check your balance. Terms and conditions apply."

"Ahhh!"

Hunter screamed, leaping off the sofa. "It's here! Ten grand! Rhiannon, I got ten grand!"

I smiled.

Ten thousand dollars.

To a high school senior, it was a fortune.

To a loan shark app, it was just the first piece of bait on the hook.

This money, plus the family's meager savings, was nowhere near enough for the surgery at a top-tier clinic.

Sure enough, Hunter's excitement didn't last five minutes. It was replaced by a new wave of anxiety.

He paced the room, clutching the phone. "Ten thousand... only ten thousand... it's not enough! I checked! A full package at a good hospital is at least a hundred grand! This isn't even a down payment!"

His voice got higher and more frantic.

He stopped in front of me. "Rhiannon! It's not enough! Is there more? Go borrow more! Find more apps! Hurry!"

My mother, seeing her son's distress, pushed me too. "Yes, Rhiannon! Think of something! Get more! This surgery can't wait!"

My father's eyes said the same thing: "This is your problem to fix."

I frowned, looking troubled. "But one app only gives ten thousand as a limit. And these loans... the interest is so high. If we take more..."

"Screw the interest!" Hunter interrupted brutally.

"As long as I get the surgery! As long as I become the person Mr. Sterling wants! I'll pay any price! Once he loves me and we're together, we'll figure out the money!"

His logic was terrifying. He was living in a fantasy world.

"Right, right!" my mother echoed blindly.

"Hunter is right! Everything will be fine later! Rhiannon, do it! Get more!"

"Okay... I'll try a few others?"

I pretended to be reluctant as I picked up my phone again.

The only sound in the room was the clicking of my phone and Hunter's excited breathing.

One app.

Two apps.

Three apps...

With every successful submission, Hunter let out a muffled cheer.

In just over an hour, his phone wouldn't stop buzzing.

"FlashWallet: Success! $5,000 transferred!"

"EasySpend: Your $3,000 loan has been disbursed!"

"GoldPot: Dear customer, your $8,000 loan is successful!"

"..."

"..."

Hunter stared at his banking app. The balance was climbing. It finally stopped at forty-two thousand dollars.

"Forty-two grand! Plus the house money later... it's almost enough!"

He looked at me with a rare look of gratitude. "Rhiannon! You're amazing! You're the best sister ever!"

Hunter stopped his suicide drama. My parents breathed a sigh of relief.

But his joy didn't last three minutes.

He started googling frantically, his thumb scrolling at lightning speed. "...Bangkok Angels... official site... price list... full set... facial contouring... breast implants... aftercare..."

His face darkened as he read.

"It's still not enough..." he whispered.

His gaze turned from despair to a burning rage directed at me.

"It's still not enough! You lied to me! The Bangkok Angels base package is sixty grand! The good stuff is over a hundred! This isn't enough! You lied!"

"You said we could go to the best place! What can I do with this? Are you doing this on purpose? You don't want me to be happy, do you!"

My mother's heart skipped a beat again. She started blaming me too. "Rhiannon! What's going on? You said you could borrow it! This isn't enough for Thailand!"

My father frowned, looking at me as if everything was my fault.

I sneered internally, but I put on a look of even deeper hurt and urgency.

"Hunter! How could I lie to you? I want the best for you! But... but these apps... I've maxed them all out! There's no more credit left!"

I stomped my foot in frustration, then suddenly looked at my parents as if I had an epiphany.

"Mom, Dad! What if you guys help? Don't you have that small cabin in the woods? It's not worth much, but you could use it as collateral for a loan! Maybe get twenty or thirty grand?"

My father exploded. "Bullshit! That place is Hunter's inheritance for his future! Use it for a loan? Are you out of your mind?"

My mother shrieked, "No! Absolutely not! That's Hunter's safety net! You can't touch it!"

"Then what?" I threw my hands up, looking helpless.

"The surgery is urgent, but the money is short. I'd sell my house, but Hunter can't wait for the paperwork..."

I emphasized the word "urgent."

"Dad! Mom!"

Hunter's voice suddenly peaked. He lunged for the coffee table and grabbed the utility blade he had dropped earlier!

"Hunter! No!" my mother screamed.

"Give me the deed to the cabin!"

Hunter pressed the blade against his other wrist. He pressed so hard the skin indented deeply, almost drawing blood.

"If you don't give it to me, if you don't let me get the surgery, I'll kill myself! Right now!"

"Stop! Hunter! My baby!"

My mother's legs gave out. she almost fell to her knees, grabbing my father's arm.

"Old man! Give it to him! Give it to him now! Let him have whatever he wants! Just don't let him hurt himself!"

My father froze.

He looked at the red mark on his son's wrist, then at his hysterical wife. Finally, he forced the words through his teeth.

"...Give... give it to him."

My father hunched over, looking like he aged ten years in a second.

I watched the farce unfold with cold eyes.

Don't be in such a hurry, Hunter.

The second fire I lit for you is going to burn even brighter.

It'll burn away your parents' last retirement fund.

It'll burn away your last escape route.

%%%