On New Year’s Eve, right in the middle of a live broadcast, my sister called me. I spoke first: "Peace, joy, and a long, long life." My sister let out a cold laugh on the other end of the line. "But I don't want you to have peace or a long life. "I hope you suffer for the rest of your miserable existence." I had cut ties with my sister years ago, back when she was at rock bottom. Now, she was on top of the world, a Fortune 500 CEO. Her first order of business was revenge. My tone remained steady, unchanged. "Peace, joy, and a long, long life." She snapped, her voice dripping with impatience. "Enough. I will never bless you. "If you want a wish, then I wish you eternal pain." The talk show host hesitated for a second, his earpiece buzzing, before he interrupted her. "Ms. Vance... I’m sorry to interrupt, but that was a pre-recorded message from Mr. Vance. "When he passed away, it was... just as you wished. Very painful." 1 "Passed away?" Scarlett Vance froze, then scoffed. "I hope you mean he’s dead." The host paused, looking uncomfortable, and pointed behind her. On the massive Jumbotron in Times Square behind her, my face appeared. In the footage, I was slapping the camera lens away. Rain plastered my hair and cheap dress shirt to my skin. I looked pathetic. My voice was thick with annoyance. "Stop filming. I didn't sign a release." A sweet, earnest voice spoke from behind the camera. "I'm not a scammer, I swear. I’m a content creator documenting life on the streets. I can help you." I turned away from the dumpster I was digging through and pressed my face right up to the lens. "Really? Can you cure Stage 4 cancer?" The girl behind the camera froze. I smirked, a jagged, tired expression. "Don't waste your breath. Go find a stray cat to save." "Wait... maybe I can try!" She grabbed my sleeve as I tried to walk away. I looked her up and down, laughing as I pointed at her outfit item by item. "Shirt, twenty bucks. Belt, sixty. Pants, forty. Shoes, fifty. "Oh, and this camera? Pawn shop find, right? "Do you have any idea how much American healthcare costs?" I held up five fingers to the lens. "Five hundred thousand. Minimum. Cash." The girl’s breath hitched. I turned and walked into the rain, bending over the next trash can. "Shadow? Shadow, where are you, buddy?" She followed me. "What are you looking for?" "A dog." "Is he yours?" "No. I passed out earlier. He licked my face until I woke up." The girl went silent. I looked up at the grey sky. "If you've got nothing to do, go home. There are plenty of people in this city you can save. Don't waste your time on me." My hand covered the lens. The screen went black. 2 【 The Afterlife Series – Oct 11, 2023, 9:32 AM – The Vance family doesn't take handouts 】 "You're Julian Vance. Scarlett Vance’s brother, right?" I was sweeping the back alley of a coffee shop. I frowned. "You again?" The girl’s voice came from behind the camera. "The internet says you’re a traitor who abandoned his family, but they don't know you have terminal cancer. I want to film a documentary series about you. Is that okay?" I shook my head. "Let them think I'm a traitor. It took me years to build that reputation. You want to ruin it now?" "Wait!" She grabbed my arm again. "But you’re broke. How are you paying for meds? I have some savings. Let me help." I turned, a mocking smile on my face. "You know why I cut ties with my sister?" She hesitated. I yanked my arm back and waved her off. "I have a job. I don't need your charity. Beat it." "I asked the manager. You make ten bucks an hour under the table." "That’s enough." I turned my back to her, throwing a grin over my shoulder. "The Vances don't take handouts." The moment the words left my mouth, my knees gave out. I hit the pavement hard. "Julian!" The camera shook violently. On the concrete, a pool of bright red blood began to spread. "Oh my god!" Maya’s voice trembled. The camera was discarded on the ground, pointing askew. I could see a slender girl trying to haul me up. "Come on, I’m taking you to the ER!" I shoved her away with the last of my strength. I grabbed a dirty rag from my belt, wiped the blood off the concrete, and smeared the red from my mouth with the back of my hand. "No hospitals." I walked to the slop sink and washed the blood off my face. Maya’s voice broke. "Please. Just let me help you, okay?" I scrubbed the last spot of blood from my chin, turned, and looked straight into the lens. "The Vances. Do not. Need. Help." Then I walked out of the frame. 3 【 The Afterlife Series – Nov 15, 2023, 3:21 PM – Dogs don't know they're dying, they just know they're home 】 "What do you mean?" I stared at the vet in shock. The vet sighed and shook his head. "The previous owner probably dumped him because they didn't want to pay the bills. "This little guy has been starving, beaten by other strays... his organs are failing." I forced a smile. "I know that look. You're going to tell me he doesn't have long, right?" The vet hesitated, then nodded. It was the exact same look my oncologist gave me. Maya frowned from behind the camera. "Is there really nothing we can do?" "...Just keep him comfortable. Give him whatever he wants to eat." Silence filled the small exam room. I petted the scruffy black dog’s head. "No wonder we found each other." Shadow’s tail thumped against the metal table. He leaned into my hand, panting, his dark eyes shining with adoration. Maya smiled sadly. "He thinks you're his owner." I paused. "Is that something to be happy about?" Maya nodded, reaching out to touch the dog’s ear. "Dogs don't know they're dying. He just knows he finally has a home." I went quiet. I patted his head again. "I'll call you Shadow." Shadow let out a weak woof. Carrying Shadow out of the clinic, I turned to face the lens. "You found him for me. As repayment... I agree to the documentary." 4 【 The Afterlife Series – Dec 31, 2023, 9:00 PM – Long Live the Queen (Part 1) 】 "Where did you get this?" I stared at the VCR Maya had dragged in, frowning. She waved a VHS tape with a grin. "A good director does her research." She popped the tape in. On the grainy screen of the TV provided by my landlord, a boy in a bespoke suit bowed to the camera. Back then, my eyes still held a spark of hope. "Hello, hello! Happy New Year 2015! Wishing everyone peace, joy, and success!" "You were so energetic back then," Maya said, sitting on the floor beside the couch. Her eyes crinkled with a smile as she watched. I leaned back on the torn upholstery of the sofa. "Did you dig up every archived post on my old social media?" "I thought it was interesting." I didn't answer. On the screen, Past Julian sat amidst a mountain of gifts. A familiar voice rang out. "Don't rush, let me help you open them." Scarlett walked into the frame, sitting beside me. I held up a hand. "Stop! Sis. Vances are self-made, remember?" The camera cut. Scarlett was fastening a luxury watch around my wrist. "Happy New Year, Julian." Click. The video froze on my massive grin. Then, laughter. Scarlett’s face was smeared with cake frosting. She paused, then raised a threatening hand, laughing. "Come here! Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean I won't kick your ass!" The video was full of joy. Watching it, I let out a sudden laugh. I wiped the corner of my eye. My sigh trembled. "After Mom and Dad died, everyone pitied me. "But actually... I wasn't pitiful at all. "I had my sister. I had friends..." A draft whistled through the leaky window frame. I pulled the thin blanket tighter. Tears slid silently down my face. Two warm hands covered my freezing ones. Maya looked at me seriously. "I saved up some money. Let's go to the hospital tomorrow. Get some treatment." I sniffled and laughed. "Your account has less than a hundred followers. You eat cup noodles with me every day. How much money could you possibly have?" Her pale hands clenched against her faded jeans. "It... it would help a little." "No need. I have good news. I saved up two grand. I can afford a round of meds." Maya froze. Then she smiled. "Is it enough? I can give you more." I shook my head stubbornly. "No. Vances don't take handouts." I lifted my chin arrogantly. "Relax. My income covers my bills. Look, I bought these with my own paycheck." I grabbed a handful of colorful pills and dry-swallowed them all at once. I frowned, swallowing hard, and sat in silence for a long time until the pain subsided. I exhaled, clutching my chest. I looked up. Maya was watching me, her eyes red. I grinned. "Swallowing a handful dry. Pretty badass, right?" Maya looked down, her smile bitter. "Yeah." 5 【 The Afterlife Series – Dec 31, 2023, 11:45 PM – Long Live the Queen (Part 2) 】 On screen, we were slumped on the couch, full from a meager dinner, waiting for the ball drop. Maya looked at me. "Is that really all you're eating?" I looked exhausted. "Stomach hurts. If I eat more, I'll throw it up." Maya was silent for a moment, then spoke softly. "Ms. Vance... she did it. Her new IPO hit a billion-dollar valuation." I closed my eyes. "I know." "Go back to her. She has the money now. She can save you." I shook my head. "Why? Do you want to die?" "Do you think I had any illusions of living when I cut her off?" Maya choked on her words. Her voice trembled. "Why did you cut ties? Wouldn't it be better to face it together?" I laughed. "Mom and Dad always said the Vance kids don't need help. But the Vance family helped every relative we had. "But when Scarlett went bankrupt? Not a single one of those relatives lifted a finger. "Do you know what it felt like watching my sister beg those people for my tuition money?" My breath hitched. I gritted my teeth. "Scarlett never begged. Never. But after the relatives slammed the door in our faces, she took me to a tiny apartment, smaller than this one. "She said, 'Even alone, I will get us back to the top.' "That’s the sister I admired. Even with nothing, she had ambition. "But..." I smiled, looking at Maya. "Guess what would happen if she knew I was sick back then?" Maya couldn't answer. "She would have gotten on her knees for those relatives." My heart ached just saying it. "She almost did it for my tuition. I had to physically stop her. Haha..." I wiped a tear. "When I left, she and her partner were just starting to get traction. "Do you think investors would dump money into a startup if the founder had a dying, money-pit brother?" Maya’s voice shook. "Julian..." I held up a hand. "Cancer will take my life. But half a million dollars of debt? That would have taken her life." Maya clenched her fists. I sighed, a smile playing on my lips. "The day I left, I destroyed her. I called her worthless. "I told her she was a failure, that she was ruining Mom and Dad’s legacy. I told her if she had any love for me, she’d let me go find my own happiness." "And then... she let go." The countdown on the TV hit zero. Fireworks exploded on the screen. I wiped the tears from my face.
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