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. 1. "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. 2. "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. 3. But before I could leave, Mrs. Henderson's daughter lunged at me, eyes bloodshot, grabbing me. "Why won't you marry me?! You took my family's money! You're mine now! If you run, I'll break your legs!" She slapped me hard across the face, leaving scratches on my cheek. I frowned and tried to restrain her. But she was completely out of it, didn't listen to reason. I was getting beaten to hell, covered in cuts and bruises. She was going on and on, clearly having an episode. "I'm gonna kill you! You were the one who came on to me, sending me nudes, saying you loved me! You tricked me out of my money!" "I never sent you any nudes! I never even talked to you! How could I trick you out of your money?" I was getting desperate. She smashed me in the face with her phone. Mrs. Henderson's daughter pulled up a message on her phone, shoving it in my face. "Look at this! Isn't that you? You added me on social media and were all over me!" I looked at the messages on her phone, my eyes wide with horror. The profile picture and name were mine, but I never talked to this woman, never even added her. I grabbed the phone, scrolled up, and found pictures of me changing clothes and sleeping. Some of them looked like they were taken when I was asleep, with my shirt pulled up. I looked up at my brother, knowing the only person who could sneak into my room at night was him. He’d once planted a hidden camera in my room. He’d stolen my photos and posted them on a park bulletin board and in the neighborhood chat, leaving my number. He said I was lonely and looking for a girlfriend for casual hookups. I was harassed and even taken in for questioning a few times by the police, and even got cornered and beat up in an alley a few times. I reported it to the police and found out my brother had done it. I confronted him. He said if I sacrificed myself to give those single older women some relief, it would be a good deed. It was awful. I ended up moving into my dorm just to get away from him. And now it was happening again. The old nightmares and the current pain washed over me, filled me with rage. "Why are you doing this? Why do you want to ruin me?" My furious glare made my brother look guilty for a second, but then his face turned pitiful and innocent. "What are you talking about, bro? I was born to help people. I don't have time to ruin you. You've always been a womanizer, hooking up with women. Everyone in the neighborhood knows. Now someone's willing to overlook your disgusting habits and marry you. You should be grateful, not blame me!" My brother’s words made Mrs. Henderson’s daughter even more angry. Her punches got harder. Even though I was a guy, it hurt like hell. I tried to get the neighbors to help hold her down, but then my brother spoke up again. "You're not exactly an innocent flower, bro. You wouldn't be getting beat up if you weren't messing around. I saw you going to the clinic for STDs. Now someone's willing to overlook your issues. Marry her before you infect the whole neighborhood!" The neighbors held their noses and backed away, looking at me like I was diseased. "I knew he was shady. He was always so quiet, but his private life is disgusting." "Yeah, no wonder the cops are always calling him. He deserves it. He's a pervert!" 4. Hearing my brother and the neighbors, Mrs. Henderson's daughter hit me harder. "I'm sure you should ask for forgiveness, brother, to save yourself from some pain." My brother stood there watching me get beaten up, without any worry. It was like I was a stranger. "You creep! You scum! I'm gonna kill you! If you don't marry me, I'll take those pics to the police! I'll say you sexually assaulted me!" Mrs. Henderson's daughter kept hitting me, and the earthquake was coming. If I didn't get out of this, I wouldn't be able to escape. To survive, I had to swallow my pride. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll marry you! Okay?" I gave in, and Mrs. Henderson's daughter finally stopped, looking at me suspiciously. "You really wanna marry me?" I took a breath and nodded sadly. "I'll marry you, but you can't hit me or my parents." I looked defeated, so the woman thought I was giving up. The neighbors all laughed. "I told you he was trash. He was acting all high and mighty, but he folded as soon as he got beat up." "Right? He deserved it." I hid my anger and ignored the pain. I stood up, saying I was going home to get my documents to get a marriage license. I had to escape before my parents got back. I had to get out of this building to escape the earthquake, then I could deal with the aftermath. Mrs. Henderson's daughter cheered, wanting to go home to get her papers. I acted calm, hiding my anger. I just had one goal: get home. I had a spare phone in my room. If I got it, I could call my parents and tell them not to come back. I could call the cops to get me out of here. Each step, I was terrified. I had to keep myself from running, because if I failed, I wouldn't have another chance. Just as I touched the doorknob, my brother spoke. "I know where the papers are. I'll get them for you. You're gonna marry her, so shouldn't you be bonding with her right now?" My brother's eyes were mocking me, like he knew what I was planning. "Or are you gonna go inside and call the cops? She might have hit you, but she's sick. You can't send her to jail!" I turned and glared at my brother. And then Mrs. Henderson's daughter grabbed my hair, slapping me across the face. "You jerk! I knew you were just saying that to get me to marry you! I'm gonna teach you a lesson!" She was strong, and I couldn't break free. She dragged me into the house. "Let go of me! If you keep pulling, I'm gonna hit you back!" I grabbed the wall. I didn't want to hit a woman. But she didn't stop, pulling me harder, like I was her prey. The neighbors just watched. "Ding ding ding. Earthquake Alert. Earthquake Alert. Earthquake in thirty seconds. Please evacuate." Suddenly, Mrs. Henderson's daughter's phone blared an earthquake warning. I knew it was my last chance to escape. I couldn't worry about being "nice," so I grabbed a vase from the shoe rack by the door and smashed it over Mrs. Henderson's daughter's head. 5. The vase shattered, and Mrs. Henderson's daughter fell. I kicked her to the side and ran. I opened the door and saw my brother standing outside, like he was expecting me. He saw the blood and grabbed me, shouting. "My brother's a murderer! Stop him!" I heard the earthquake alert. I didn't have time to argue, so I screamed at my brother. "The earthquake's coming! Why are you stopping me?" The neighbors heard my brother and came out, pinning me down. "There are small earthquakes all the time, and you can't run from big ones! There's too many of these warnings! Who goes running every time? You're just saying that to escape! We're not falling for it." "Not only is he a pig, but he's a killer! How can such a nice guy have a brother like that?" The neighbors were convinced I was running because I was guilty, so they didn't listen to my warnings. I couldn't move. More and more people were getting the earthquake alert. But they didn't care. They just wanted to hold me down and let my brother yell at me. "You said you'd marry her! How could you do something like that? Even if you're mad she hit you, you can't kill her! I'm so disappointed! Sis-in-law, do whatever you want to him! I won't stop you!" I heard insults and mockery. The earthquake alert was ticking like my life was fading away. "Earthquake warning countdown, ten, nine, eight…" As the timer hit zero, the earth started shaking. I pushed my brother away and ran downstairs. This time, my parents weren't upstairs. If I got down, I'd be safe. We were on the sixth floor. I ran down the stairs as fast as I could. People were running everywhere, and I heard the elevator cables snapping. Screams and shouts mixed together, and everyone was terrified. People were getting trampled to death. I followed the path that I followed last time, where there were fewer people, and as I got to the exit, about to escape, someone grabbed my hair and pulled me back. "Die, bro!" I looked at my brother's evil eyes.
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