Part 1Her Final Act: My Sister's Story

My brother thinks he's some kind of reincarnated angel.

Before my interview, he poured bleach into my toner, making my face all red and swollen, peeling like crazy, so I blew my chance at the job.

But he had the nerve to say he was giving the opportunity to someone who needed it more.

Then he used my picture and my profile on some dating apps to harass girls, even going to those matchmaking events downtown trying to marry me off to a woman with a developmental disability.

My reputation went down the drain.

He claimed he was giving these "undesirable women" a chance at finding happiness.

When the earthquake hit, the cell phone alert started counting down.

My family scrambled to get out, but he pushed me back inside to save some stray cat.

A beam crushed me, and he just stood there holding the cat, all full of sorrow.

"Even a little cat has the right to live. Your life for its… it's like good karma, dude."

My parents tried to save me, but the aftershocks got them too. They died right there.

And my brother? He just bawled his eyes out over the stray cat and some stray dogs I guess he saved.

Later on, his "selfless" actions during the quake, saving all those animals, made him a viral sensation.

He took the insurance money from me and my parents' deaths and lived it up, rich and famous.

When I woke up again, I was back on the day the earthquake hit.

* * *

"Dude, why are you gonna marry Mrs. Henderson’s daughter from next door? She might have bipolar disorder, but she still has the right to get married and have kids.

You’re a guy, enjoying all the privileges that come with it, so you should give back. By marrying her, she won’t be out there hurting other people."

My brother’s usual pitiful voice woke me up.

Last time, without even asking me, he’d talked to Mrs. Henderson next door about me marrying her daughter.

Without me knowing anything, he made up some excuse to send me over there with a "gift," hoping Mrs. Henderson's daughter, with her bipolar issues, would… well, you know.

I was shocked and pissed. I fought my way out of there and demanded to know why he’d do something like that.

And that was the BS answer he gave me.

Bipolar patients are unstable. Sometimes they get violent. Why would I want to marry someone like that?

He actually used that as an excuse to push me into the fire.

We got into a huge fight, and not long after, the earthquake warning came. I insisted we get the family out of there.

But my brother just shrugged it off, even accusing me of being selfish for not bringing the neighbors along.

All that time wasted arguing… it cost us.

When the big one hit, my brother was suddenly really quick.

I was helping Mom and Dad behind him, and we were almost in the clear when he turned around and shoved me back inside.

My body was crushed by a concrete slab. Next to me was some stray cat, frozen with fear.

"The universe cares about all living beings, all lives matter. Trading your life for the cat's... it's not a loss, bro."

He kept that pathetic, pious look on his face.

But my parents were devastated. They rushed over to save me, and the aftershocks took them down too.

They were screaming for my brother to help them.

But he just stared at Mom and Dad, cold as ice.

"Mom, Dad, you'd be disabled if I got you out, and my brother's already gone. You wouldn't want me to shoulder all those medical bills.

Just go in peace. I'll visit you and my brother's graves later."

Right after he said that, a huge steel plate came down and turned my parents into hamburger meat.

After the earthquake, my brother was the only one left.

He was covered in blood, all because he supposedly risked his life to save a stray cat. That’s what went viral.

The insurance money from me and my parents? He donated it to the earthquake relief fund, got the whole internet singing his praises, and earned himself the "Saintly Dude" title.

My brother made a career out of that compassionate image, becoming a streamer and raking in the dough.

He even married some socialite, became a freaking millionaire.

He built his success on the corpses of my family.

Now I'm back, and I'm gonna make him wish he'd never been born.

"If you feel so bad for them, why don't you marry her? Stop laying this guilt trip on me."

I looked at my brother’s selfish, phony face, wanting to rip it to shreds.

"I'm supposed to help more people. Can't go around just getting married. You're not getting any younger, dude. Marrying anyone is the same, so why not marry someone you know?

She can help out around here. Isn't that what kids are supposed to do?"

My brother really didn't see anything wrong with his suggestion. He even opened the door so everyone could get in on the argument.

I knew the earthquake was coming, so I didn't have time to argue. I needed to call Mom and Dad, tell them not to come home.

Last time, they were out grocery shopping. They got home just as the earthquake alert went off and couldn’t get out in time.

They should still be on the road, safe.

But as soon as the call connected, my phone was snatched away and smashed on the ground.

I turned and saw Mrs. Henderson’s daughter.