Escaping from the Villainous Brother

My brother Cade dragged me, drugged, to be handed over to his creditor. "Jessie, just sleep with my creditor, and neither of us has to die."

I screamed for help but was ravaged until I died.

In my second life, I used my last bit of strength to swing a wine bottle at Cade's head.

I swore to strike again and again, to seize control of his fate.

1

I worked a summer job in the hotel's kitchen when my phone pinged relentlessly.

"Jessie, come home quick. Mom's dying."

Cade's voice jolted me awake.

In my past life, I got this call, dropped the knife I was using to butcher pigeons, and rushed home to check on her.

I never doubted it. Madison, who beat me with a belt through the night, had a tough spirit.

How could she be dying so suddenly?

When I pushed open the door, I saw Madison and Cade crouched on the floor, staring at me blankly.

Thugs loomed behind me, chuckling darkly. "Cade, this is the girl you're offering to clear your fifty-grand debt?"

That's when I realized Cade owed fifty thousand dollars, and the creditors had come knocking.

Madison and Cade schemed to use me to settle it.

In my past life, by the time I tried to run, it was too late.

They stripped me, forced me into a nude loan scam.

That led to me being dragged to a karaoke bar, where I met my grim end.

In this life, my hand shook as I held the phone, tears spilling over.

My voice trembled as I replied, "Cade, hang on, I'm coming home."

In my past life, I was too naive and died by Cade's hand.

In this life, I vowed to find a way to survive, again and again. Even if I died, I'd drag him down with me.

2

I set the phone down and made instant noodles in the kitchen, eating them hot.

As darkness fell, I ignored the phone's constant ringing.

I calculated the time. From one in the afternoon to six in the evening, it felt right. Then I took a bus back to our rural home in Juniper Falls.

When I pushed open the door, Cade and Madison cowered under the dining table, shivering and glaring at me.

I could tell the creditors had roughed them up, leaving them exhausted.

"You little brat, it's barely ten miles, and it took you half a day to get here? My legs are numb from squatting," Cade snapped.

He crawled out from under the table, emboldened by my arrival.

Madison helped him up, shooting a glance at someone behind the door. "Jessie, get in here. We've got big things to discuss."

I hurried inside, meekly supporting Madison, pretending I didn't hear the footsteps behind the door.

Two burly thugs swaggered in, circling me with the same sinister grins. "Cade, this is the girl worth fifty grand to settle your debt?"

"Exactly. Do whatever you want with her, just get the money. Don't hurt my son," Madison cut in.

I stared at Madison, unfazed, and feigned confusion. "Madison, who are these guys? I don't know them. What are you talking about? Are you talking about me or... Leah?"

I pointed, and Madison and Cade's faces went pale.

Another person had followed me in-Leah.

She was the best catch Cade could ever hope for, a city girl with two properties, stunning looks, and long legs.

Madison and Cade had spent their lives fawning over her.

They groveled for a year, rubbing her shoulders, massaging her legs, waiting for her to agree to marry Cade in October.

Rumor had it she didn't care about Cade's lack of money, only his attentive, reliable character.

With the wedding so close, they couldn't let her see the family's dirty laundry.

I played dumb, grabbed Leah's hand, and pointed at the extra men in the house, looking puzzled.

"Leah, you and Cade are practically family now. I can't keep secrets from you. Cade said my mom was dying. That's why I brought you here. But my mom doesn't look like she's dying. What's going on? And these guys-I don't know them or who they're here to rough up."

Leah frowned at Cade, waiting for an explanation.

Cade floundered, eyes wide, at a loss for words.

Madison, ever quick, stepped in.

She grabbed Leah's hand.

"I was choking on some food earlier, nearly died. Lucky for me, Cade's buddies came by and pounded my back until I coughed it up. It's such a small thing to make you come all this way, Leah. I feel awful. Everyone, please stay for dinner."

Her words stunned me and the thugs.

Madison winked at Cade to keep Leah occupied while she pulled the thugs outside to whisper.

I couldn't stop laughing inside.

So amusing. I wanted to see how this scheming mother and son would dig themselves deeper into this mess.

3

Cade took Leah to the store to buy liquor, leaving the two thugs standing with their arms crossed, eyeing Madison.

"This is ancestral land with a deed. I'll sell it tomorrow. It's worth at least seventy or eighty grand. Paying off your fifty-grand gambling debt won't be a problem," Madison said boldly, pulling out the deed.

My chest heaved as rage surged to my throat.

I thought bitterly, "You've got land to sell, but before you're even desperate, you're ready to throw your daughter to the wolves. Calling you two monsters is too kind."

I shot a sideways glance as the thugs flipped through the deed, nodding in approval.

Madison let out a relieved breath, then noticed me watching it all.

Her anger flared, and she swung a broom at me. "Jessie, what are you staring at? If you hadn't brought Leah here, would we have to throw Cade's dowry money into this? Get to the kitchen and start cooking. Everyone's waiting to eat."

I said nothing, rolled up my sleeves, and got to work. I sat by the stove, stoking the fire.

As the thugs passed me, chuckling with Madison, I stuck out my foot, tripping one into a sprawl.

He raised a fist, face twisted, ready to hit me.

I quickly pleaded, "Spare me, sir! Leah's coming back with meat soon. You're all staying for dinner, right?"

The thugs exchanged a look, smirking.

I grinned inwardly.

I knew they stayed because of Leah.

Who could resist her smooth skin and that tight skirt, so alluring even passersby stole extra glances?

No wonder Cade was head over heels for her.

As long as I held Leah as my trump card, I had Madison and Cade in my grip.

And Leah wasn't someone to mess with-she was no naive sweetheart.

If she caught wind of their deception, Madison and Cade would be done for.

In my past life, I overheard rumors about Leah at the hotel where I worked but died before I could use them.

In this life, I wouldn't miss a single chance to make Madison and Cade pay.

4

The moment I spoke, the two thugs pulled back their steps and sat cross-legged on the bed.

Cade returned and quickly served small glasses of liquor, offering steak to eat with them.

Leah reached for Cade's fork to join the meal.

I grabbed her hand. "Leah, you're new here and don't know the rules. Women in our family don't eat at the table, or Madison will swing a rolling pin at you. Come help me stoke the fire."

Everyone stared at me. One thug, about to clink glasses with Leah, froze, his eyes blazing with anger.

I played innocent, glancing at Madison.

Her face twisted in embarrassment, half of it twitching, as if she wanted to bash me with a ladle.

I didn't get it.

Pouting, I asked, "Why is it fine for me to hear this rule for years, but when I say it to others, it's a problem?"

She forced a smile. "Leah's different. She can sit at the table."

Leah, sensing the tension, stepped down and crouched with me to tend the fire.

I glanced at her now and then, offering a friendly smile.

Her eyes told me she knew I was protecting her.

Without Leah at the table, the thugs left soon after.

That night, I was sent to sleep in the woodshed.

I still heard every word of Leah and Cade's argument.

"You lied and said those guys were your buddies? Their creepy stares nearly fell to the floor. Real friends don't act like that. If Jessie hadn't pulled me away, who knows what filthy things they'd have done? Tell me who they really are. And why are you covered in bruises? If you don't come clean, we're done."

Leah's voice boomed, not caring about Cade's pride.

Her words felt like a beautiful melody to me.

I pulled the blanket over myself, ears perked, savoring every moment.

She scolded Cade for half the night, then Madison rushed in, kneeling to beg for the other half.

"Dear Leah, don't talk about breaking up. It hurts too much. Cade got tricked into gambling and lost some money. It was his first time. Please believe him, give him a chance."

I wanted to laugh. "Madison begging so desperately? Did she learn that from beating me? Since she's so good at groveling, I'll keep listening."

That night, I didn't sleep but felt oddly content.

5

The next morning, Leah caught an early bus and left.

She left a word, "Good thing I came and saw who you really are, Cade. Otherwise, I'd still be in the dark."

No matter how Madison and Cade pleaded, Leah ended things.

I chased after her and boarded the bus.

Before it pulled away, I looked through the window at Madison, her hands fidgeting, sighing heavily.

I knew she was mourning the prize that slipped away.

A cold smirk crept onto my face.

She noticed, her mouth twisting and eyes glaring, stomping her foot but not daring to board and hit me.

She still needed to save face in front of Leah.

Back at the hotel where I worked my summer job, I packed my things and bolted that night.

A week into the new school term, I spotted Cade at the school gate.

He took a deep drag of his cigarette, nodded to two punks behind him, and they all walked toward me.

I knew the real fight was just beginning.

I called out to him sweetly, like a good sister.

He shoved me into a van that pulled up to Spring Charm KTV.

The sign at the entrance sent a chill down my spine.

In my past life, this was where I was forced to take nude photos, drugged, and dragged into a private room by the creditor, violated until I died.

My chest heaved with rage. I wanted to grab the steering wheel and crash it into Cade.

Just then, he pushed my head and handed me a cola. "Jessie, you cost me my girlfriend and made me lose a plot of land. That's on you. Today, you get a chance. Go in, sing one song with my boss, and I'll let you go."

I nodded, as obedient as in my past life.

But I glanced at the cola and pouted, unimpressed. "This cola's not cold. I won't drink it."

Pretending I didn't know his scheme, I added, "Get me an iced one, and I'll sing."

Cade, annoyed, gripped the cola and headed to the store behind us.

I knew he had plenty of drugs and would dose another bottle without hesitation.

But I only needed ten seconds to take my antidote.

As he turned to leave, I quickly swallowed the antidote from my pocket.

Halfway through, one of the punks handed Cade a new cola. "This one's good. The boss has got it covered."

Cade took it, smirking at the punk.

He handed me the new bottle.

Panic surged. I hid the rest of the antidote.

The powder that fell to the ground, I stepped on instinctively.

I took the new bottle, staring at it, hesitant to drink.

I didn't know how much antidote I'd taken or if it would work.

As I wavered, Cade lost patience, grabbed my head, and forced the cola down my throat.

I gulped it down.

When half the bottle was left, I pushed it away, splashing it on his face, and ran.

The two punks, ready for me, grabbed me.

Soon, my throat tightened. I coughed hard, trying to spit out the drug, but my face flushed, and my hands itched.

Cade laughed, gloating. "You drank my special juice, little brat. Now you'll behave for my creditor. This way, neither of us dies. Mom didn't raise you for nothing."

In my past life, this was how he dragged me into the KTV room. I screamed for help, but no one came.

It was laughable. Everyone around was Cade's or his creditor's people. Where was my savior?

In this life, I dug my nails into my thighs, forcing myself to stay alert.

But the antidote didn't kick in.

As Cade dragged me down the long hallway, my body grew limp, my mind foggy, hope fading.

He pulled me along, grinning at the boss in the room. "Here's the girl, boss..."

With his final sleazy laugh, I blacked out.

I barely blinked, asking the heavens, "Am I doomed to die again?"

I refused to accept it.

Even if I died, I'd take Cade with me.