When I Chose Death, They Crumpled

The Wedding Day Secret

It was my sister's wedding day.

I scrolled through a social media post by chance.

The question read: [What's the craziest thing you've ever done?]

I was about to swipe past.

Then I saw my sister's comment from her secret account, pinned to the top.

She wrote: [We started a fire by accident while cheating with my future brother-in-law. We jumped out the window the second it happened.]

[My twin sister ran in to save me. She got burned so bad she's disfigured, and she had to get her leg amputated.]

Netizens flooded the comments with anger: [You're shameless! Karma's coming for you!]

My sister posted a wedding pickup photo right back, with a comment: [She's so ugly now, who'd ever marry her? Mom snuck a mirror into her room this morning to make her face reality.]

[We all pretend to love her unconditionally in front of her. She even gave me a big cash gift for my wedding today. She has no idea the groom is her boyfriend! He's handsome, right?]

I stared at the groom in the photo.

My heart turned to ice.

I pressed the mirror to my wrist silently.

Mom, I'll do exactly what you want.

The Stolen Crowdfund

Right before Stella got in the wedding car, Mom slipped her a bank envelope.

"Stella, there's a large sum of money in here. It's your wedding gift from us."

Stella's eyes went wide.

"Mom, weren't we in debt from saving Serena? Where did you get all this money?"

"Why didn't you use it for her treatment back then? She wouldn't have lost her leg if you had!"

Mom clapped a hand over her mouth in a hurry.

She leaned into the wedding car, whispering in Stella's ear.

"Quiet! We were never in debt. This is the money people donated for Serena's crowdfunding campaign!"

"We spent a huge amount on her treatment,that's more than enough. She's covered in third-degree burns. Even without the amputation, she'd be a useless wreck for the rest of her life!"

"Elias comes from a great family. Your sister's disfigured,she could never hold onto him. It's better to use this money to build your future. I have to protect at least one of my two daughters."

My spirit trembled violently.

I clawed at my face like a madwoman.

So Mom and Dad never even tried to save me properly.

Mom paused, then added.

"Keep this safe. It'll make you stand tall in your in-laws' house. You've always had a sweet tongue, Stella. You're my favorite daughter. Your happiness is all that matters."

I stared at Mom in a daze.

My heart shattered into a million pieces.

"Mom, am I not your daughter too?"

Elias kept his eyes on my bedroom the whole time.

He hesitated, then turned to walk back.

Mom jumped out of the car and grabbed him, her voice cracking with panic.

"Elias, where are you going?"

Elias looked torn.

"Mom, I need to go in and talk to Serena. I need to explain."

Mom shoved him away in a hurry.

Her face twisted into a sharpness I'd never seen before.

"Leave her alone! She's not going to die!"

"Today's your wedding day with Stella. Don't go near her,she's bad luck!"

Elias hesitated for a moment.

Then he climbed back into the car.

When the wedding convoy drove away, Mom finally let out a long breath.

She sat on the couch alone, wiping her tears.

"Serena is so ridiculous. She almost ruined Stella's wedding."

"We've had Stella live away all these years to not upset her. What more does she want?"

"She looks like a monster. How dare she think Elias would marry her!"

Dad sat silent on the side, blowing smoke rings.

That kind face of his twisted into a look of disgust.

"Good thing she doesn't know Stella took over her prime-time radio host job. She'd throw a fit if she found out."

"Sigh. It would've been better if she'd died in the fire. She's nothing but a burden to all of us."

My head shot up.

My soul shook to its core.

So they'd been wishing me dead this whole time?

I ended up like this because I saved Stella's life.

"Mom! Dad! How could you let her take my job?"

I floated in front of them, my voice breaking with sobs.

But they couldn't hear me.

Mom slapped Dad hard, her face furious.

She glanced at my bedroom, her eyes full of worry, and lowered her voice.

"Be quiet! If she hears us, we'll never have a moment's peace again!"

She checked the time, then went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of rice.

She unlocked my bedroom door from the outside, softening her voice as much as she could.

"Serena, Mom made your favorite meal. Open the door, okay?"

"Mom and Dad love you. Be good, don't be stubborn."

She waited.

No sound came from the room.

Mom's patience snapped.

She threw the bowl and chopsticks back into the kitchen, shouting curses that made my ears ring.

"I must have cursed myself to have a daughter like her! I've never had a moment of happiness, just endless trouble!"

"We're both old. We feed her, give her medicine, bathe her, clean up after her every single day."

"It's been five years. I've done more than enough for her. Sometimes I just wish she'd die already, stop torturing this old body of mine."

Dad glanced at my bedroom door.

He took a long, hard drag of his cigarette, saying nothing.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Five years ago, the fire destroyed my career as the top local radio host.

My body was charred black.

The amputation was the only way to save my life.

Mom and Dad told everyone they'd spent every penny they had, even borrowed money, to pull me back from the brink of death.

Now I know the truth.

Dad, who had skin grafts to save me, felt nothing but cold contempt for me in private.

Mom, who massaged my body every single night, had been wishing me dead.

The pain of rehab and dressing changes was unbearable back then.

There were so many times I broke down.

"I just want to die!"

Every time I said that, they'd get on their knees and beg me to hold on.

Especially Mom.

She said if I died, she'd jump off the building too.

I gritted my teeth and kept going for them.

For their sake.

Now it's over.

I'm dead.

I'll never be a burden to anyone again.

Three days later, Stella and Elias came back for the bride's family reception.

His fancy sports car pulled up to the door.

Mom and Dad swelled with pride.

During dinner, Elias finally noticed something was wrong.

"Mom, where's Serena?"

The Mirror of Cruelty

Mom glanced at my bedroom, stammering.

"She was so upset on the wedding day. I was afraid she'd cause a scene... so I gave her a mirror."

The air turned heavy the second she spoke.

Stella's face paled with shock.

"Mom! She'll never be able to take that!"

Elias frowned deeply.

"She... hasn't come out, hasn't eaten in three days?"

Mom's pent-up emotions exploded.

She slammed her chopsticks on the table, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"She has to face reality sooner or later! She can't hide forever! This will finally make her let go of her stupid crush on you!"

"She's so ugly even a dog would turn away from her. How dare she think you'd marry her? How long is she going to drag us down with her?"

Dad said nothing.

He just kept drinking.

Elias and Stella exchanged a look.

They fell silent.

All my emotions drained away in an instant.

I stared at Mom.

She looked like a stranger.

"Mom, I'm dead now. You can rest easy."

My ghostly voice drifted through the air.

Mom's head shot up.

She stared at my bedroom door in confusion, then rambled on.

"I've been talking to her outside her door every day. I even got on my knees and begged her to open up. She won't even answer me."

"I don't dare break in. I'm afraid I'll push her over the edge. Do you have any idea how hard this is for me?"

After dinner, while Mom was washing dishes in the kitchen.

Elias and Stella snuck a bowl of rice to my bedroom door and knocked.

"What are you doing?"

Mom appeared out of nowhere.

She snatched the bowl from their hands, her face contorted with anger.

Elias sighed, helpless.

He reached for the bowl, but Mom threw it straight into the trash can.

"Mom, what are you doing? We're the ones who wronged Serena, after all."

Stella's eyes turned red.

She leaned into Elias's shoulder, sniffling.

"Mom, I feel terrible. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"The power went out that night. Elias and I had too much to drink, and we accidentally knocked over the candle. That's how the fire started..."

"Mom, Serena hasn't come out in days. What if she hurt herself? I need to check on her."

Mom panicked and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Silly girl! Today's your reception day. You can't cry!"

"The damage is done. Crying won't fix anything. Don't you dare tell your sister about this!"

Elias patted her shoulder gently, comforting her without a word.

Dad glanced over at them, then went back to smoking his cigarette.

I froze.

They all knew.

Everyone knew the truth about the fire.

And they all kept it from me.

Stella couldn't stop crying.

Mom's anger and anxiety boiled over.

She marched to my bedroom door and banged on it as hard as she could.

"Serena Hale! How long are you going to torture your sister? Are you doing this on purpose?"

"Don't push your luck! The more we give in to you, the more you take advantage of us. When did you become so selfish?"

Her shrill screams made my scalp tingle.

How long had it been since I'd heard such loud, harsh noises?

After the fire, my emotions were so fragile.

They never dared make a sound around me.

I remember once Dad closed a door a little too hard.

It scared me half to death.

Mom was so angry she didn't speak to him for three days.

She sat by my bed 24 hours a day, afraid I'd do something stupid.

Now Mom was slamming my door like she was taking out all her anger on it.

"Mom, stop this..."

Elias's heart softened.

He hurried over and pulled her away.

Stella wiped her tears messily and rushed to help too.

Suddenly, she pointed at my bedroom door, her voice sharp with fear.

"What's that smell? It's disgusting!"