Part 2Her Final Act: My Sister's Story

"You creep! My mom already gave your brother a hundred grand for the dowry! I'm your wife now! You better come home with me, or I'll report you for sexuaully assaulting me!"

I was in shock. I didn’t even know any of this had happened.

Last time, Mrs. Henderson and her daughter died in the earthquake too. I had no clue.

"I don't know anything about a dowry! My brother took it! Go ask him!"

I glared at my brother, my face twisting with rage.

"Why did you take that money? Why didn't Mom and Dad know anything about it?"

My question made my brother step back, wearing a hurt, pitiful expression, like he was the victim.

"I donated that money to poor kids in the mountains, so they could have warm clothes for the winter.

Those kids are really suffering, bro. Don't you have any sympathy at all?"

My brother stood in the doorway with tears in his eyes, making sure all the neighbors saw the scene.

"I already spent the money, man. If you don't marry her, I'll be charged with fraud. Are you really gonna let me go to jail just so you can be single?

It's not wrong for me to do good deeds, and it's not wrong for me to set you up with a girl. I'm just trying to give you a family, and let Mrs. Henderson have a son-in-law to rely on. Isn't that a win-win?"

Then he pulled out his phone and showed the neighbors a video of the poor kids in the mountains thanking him for the donations.

The neighbors saw the kids and melted, one by one starting to convince me.

"Your brother has such a good heart! He's doing good! How can you let him go to jail?"

"Yeah, it's just marrying someone. If your brother goes to jail, his future's ruined!"

The neighbors' words made my brother look at me with challenge and triumph.

He looked at me like a clown, never thinking I could escape his control.

"I'm not marrying her. You go marry her."

I frowned and said firmly, turning to leave.

Since the phone didn't work, I'd just go downstairs, find Mom and Dad.