My Sister's Countdown Trap

The day my sister got cheated on, Mom forced her to marry the Johnson's idiot who'd already buried three wives.

My sister didn't even fight it.

She dreamed she was the heroine of some last-minute redemption story, that her ex would come begging for her back right before the wedding.

I begged Mom, and finally got the wedding called off.

But then, after her ex got married with another girl, my sister drugged me, and married me off to that idiot.

"You b**ch, don't you know how the countdown trope works?"

"If you hadn't meddled and called off the wedding, Chad would've come back for me!"

That night, I became the idiot's fourth dead wife.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day Mom forced my sister into marriage.

"Beth, Chad cheated on me!"

Nancy was storming into my room. She ripped the covers off and yanked me out of bed.

"Beth, stop sleeping! Help me figure this out!"

I was dazed. Had I gone back in time?

Last life, when Nancy got cheated on by Chad, she came to me like this too. I was ready to go confront him for her, but Mom showed up and cut me off.

"Nancy, the Johnson's boy wants to marry you. You're going over in a few days."

The Johnson's son was the notorious idiot downtown. All three wives he'd married before had died.

Mom might as well have been sending my sister to her death.

Before Nancy could react, I spoke up,

"Mom, what are you saying? Don't you know what that idiot's like?"

Mom glanced at me with disdain and slapped me across the face.

"Beth, who the hell do you think you are, talking back to me? If you weren't bringing in some money, you'd be the one getting married off!"

I was about to argue, but my sister cut me off.

"Get married? Okay!"

She didn't even care that I'd been slapped because of her. Her eyes shone with excitement upon marriage.

Back then, I thought she was just naive, didn't understand what marriage meant, or what she was getting into.

So that night, I knelt by Mom's bedside all night and promised her all my future paychecks to cancel the wedding.

But I never expected that not only would my sister not be grateful, she'd think I'd ruined her big chance.

I remembered clearly. That night, after drinking the milk Nancy gave me, I passed out.

Then I woke up to a strange ceiling, tied up, unable to move. My sister stood by the bed with a crazy smile.

"You b**ch, don't you know how the countdown trope works?"

"If you hadn't meddled and called off the wedding, Chad would've been jealous and come back for me!"

"He should've been marrying me!"

I couldn't believe my sister had become like this.

I thought she just loved reading novels, but I never knew she'd get this obsessed.

I struggled, begging her to let me go. But Nancy looked like she'd just gotten her revenge.

"You didn't want me to marry that idiot? Fine, I won't."

Her expression turned vicious.

"You marry him!"

That night, I became the Johnson idiot's fourth dead wife.

Mom never cared about our lives. She got the present worth millions and forgot about her daughter completely.

My body was torn apart bones in the dog's belly, my flesh...

Remembering the pain from my past life, I was washed over by hatred.

"Figure what out? I told you that guy was no good. Now listen to me and marry into the Johnson family."

My sister's crying and my memories were cut off by Mom's sudden voice.

"Nancy, the Johnson's boy wants to marry you. You're going over in a few days."

The exact same words as last time. But this time, I stayed quiet, waiting for my sister's reaction.

Sure enough, hearing this, her face lit up with excitement and surprise. She grabbed Mom's sleeve in disbelief.

"Mom, for real?"

"Why would I lie?"

Mom shook her off and left, leaving Nancy muttering to herself.

"It's like it was meant to be."

"I just got cheated on, and now I get a marriage proposal."

"Maybe I... I really am the countdown trope heroine."

After Nancy agreed, the Johnsons rushed to set up a meeting.

The Johnsons were the town's notorious new money. Liam was their only son.

Even though he was an idiot and this was his fourth marriage, the Johnsons still threw a huge engagement party.

The moment I saw Liam, who was ugly, with a weird, sour stench around him, I couldn't stop shaking.

After marrying him in my last life, I found out why his first three wives died.

The Johnson family was a den of monsters that ate people alive!

Liam saw Nancy and rushed to grab her hand.

Nancy didn't refuse. Instead, she looked him over, completely satisfied.

To everyone else, they looked like a perfect match.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, together with Mom, were grinning. They said their kids were meant for each other.

When almost everyone was gone, I casually asked Nancy,

"Nancy, can you really stand Liam's looks?"

She gave me a smug look, full of meaning.

"Who cares what he looks like? I'm not actually going to marry him anyway."

"Besides, the uglier he is, the worse Chad will feel seeing me with someone like that. He'll come running back to me, won't he?"

Nancy and I shared a bed at the Johnsons' mansion that night. Deep in the night, I heard Nancy crying under her covers.

"Men only appreciate what they've lost."

"The male lead realizes the female lead is gone and uses a helicopter to crash the wedding. So romantic."

"Beth, do you think Chad will come get me in a helicopter?"

Nancy looked at me eagerly. Of course I had to play along for my dear sister.

"Of course, Nancy. He loves you so much. How could he bear to see you marry someone else?"

Nancy was pleased hearing that.

"Hmph, when he does, I'll make him pay. I'll make him buy me the most expensive wedding dress, the biggest diamond ring."

I laughed coldly inside.

Let's see if Chad actually comes for her. Let's see who Nancy ends up marrying!

After we got back, Nancy disappeared. I saw her again three days later.

She shoved a diamond ring in my face to show off.

"Pretty, right?"

The ring looked expensive. A bad feeling crept up on me.

"Where'd you get that ring?"

She held it up to the light, admiring it.

"I've been following Chad around. Turns out he's a rich heir!"

"Since he hasn't come looking for me all these days, I bought this ring to make myself feel better. When he comes begging for me back, I'll drag him to the store to pay for it."

I was shocked.

"They just let you walk out without paying?"

"Of-Of course. How else would I have gotten it home?"

Nancy's face changed. She avoided my eyes.

"Whatever, I don't have time for you."

Mom had no idea about Nancy's plans. She was just satisfied that her younger daughter had been so obedient lately.

The Johnson's presents had already reached our house. Mom changed them for money in her bank account at once. She'd been all smiles these past few days.

"What's the point of raising daughters if not for this? Eight millions. Oh my god, I've never seen so much money in my life."

After Mom had two daughters, Dad, who preferred sons, took all the family's money and ran off.

All these years, no matter how much Mom hated me and Nancy, no matter how greedy she was, I never blamed her. I thought she was a victim too.

But my sympathy and concession only made her think I was weak. As a result, she would stand by as Nancy drugged me and sent me to the Johnsons, where I was tortured to death.

Mom guarded her bank card as I stared at her.

"What are you looking at! This is all mine!"

"When someone offers a good price, I'll marry you off too. Then..."

Just thinking about it got Mom excited. She couldn't stop smiling.

The wedding day was getting closer, but Nancy was getting more anxious.

She was acting paranoid, checking her phone the second it buzzed, rushing to the window every time she heard a car engine.

This went on for five days. Then, one late night, Nancy knocked on my door.

"Beth, open up!"

If this were before, I'd be annoyed being woken up. But now, I felt the thrill of waiting for the show to start.

"Why hasn't Chad come for me yet? Does he not know I'm getting married?"

I patted her shoulder to comfort her.

"Of course he knows. Doesn't he love you the most?"

Nancy hesitated, stammering, "But he cheated on me."

"So what? Isn't it natural for men to cheat?"

"Beth, back in the day, it was normal for men to marry many women. What's the big deal about cheating now?"

Nancy's expression softened. She suddenly looked up at me, grabbing my hand tightly.

"Beth, what if Chad doesn't come for me? Do I really have to marry that idiot? I don't want to, Beth!"

"I heard that idiot's first three wives died. If Chad doesn't come for me, you have to marry him for me."

Even though I saw her true colors in my last life, hearing this still broke my heart.

My fingers under the covers were pinched white. I tried my best to stay calm.

"He will. Chad loves you the most."

The next morning, Nancy's screaming woke me up. She burst into my room, shoving her phone in my face.

The screen was barely an inch from my eyes. The bright light made it hard to see.

I pushed her away, annoyed.

Maybe too excited to care, she didn't mind me pushing her. Instead, she rolled on the floor.

"Chad came for me! He came for me!"

Stunned, I snatched Nancy's phone. It was indeed a message from Chad:

"You're getting married?"

Nancy got up from the floor, looking proud.

"Hmph, see? I told you."

She took her phone back and walked out, talking to herself.

"I need to buy some nice clothes. Chad will probably want to meet up in a few days."

"I need to look perfect when I see him. Make him regret it!"