My Brother Drowned

During our spring break, our whole family went on a trip with my father's boss.

My younger brother was eager to show off and insisted on catching fish for the boss at a remote reservoir.

Seeing how dangerous the reservoir was, I tried to stop him.

Unexpectedly, he held a grudge against me, blaming me for stealing his chance to impress the boss.

He tattled to dad, and after dad's career took a hit, he even encouraged our drunken father, who ended up pushing me down the stairs, causing my death.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself reborn on the very day my brother was about to go into the remote reservoir.

This time, when my stepmother asked for my opinion, I smiled and said, "Bryson really knows how to play the game."

1

"What do you know? You're just a woman, Nydia Wilson. What would a girl know about social niceties?"

A familiar, grating voice jolted me awake.

I snapped my eyes open to see my brother, Bryson Wilson, standing in front of me.

For a moment, I felt disoriented, then realized I had come back to life.

In my previous life, during the spring break, dad had invited his boss and the boss's family to our hometown for a rural homestay.

While we were having a picnic by the reservoir, I stopped Bryson from trying to catch fish for my father's boss in the dangerous waters.

The reservoir was deep and deceptively calm on the surface, but treacherous underneath.

Worried something might happen to Bryson, I tried to hold him back. My stepmother, worried too, stopped him as well.

Later, the boss praised me for my good grades and for being well-informed, but Bryson held a grudge against me.

He and my stepmother complained to dad, and she, with tears in her eyes, exaggerated the story to him.

Dad thought I was sabotaging his promotion and, from then on, ignored me and doted on Bryson.

When dad's company downsized, he blamed it all on me for stopping Bryson from currying favor with the boss. One night, drunk and egged on by my stepmother, he pushed me down the stairs, killing me instantly.

After my death, dad went to prison, while my soul lingered, watching my stepmother and Bryson take over my home and the inheritance my mother left me.

Not only that, they even flushed my ashes down the drain.

I never expected the fate to give me another chance.

This time, I decided to let everyone choose their own path.

If they were so set on tempting fate, let's see what happened to them!

Looking at Bryson's annoying face and smug expression, I curled my lips into a smile and said, "You really know how to work people, Bryson-guess it's true that guys are better at playing the game."

2

Bryson snorted and ran over to my stepmother, Jennifer Wilson, who was touching up her makeup. With a look of pride, he said, "Mom, just let me go! If I catch a big fish for dad's boss, he'll definitely have a deep impression on me-maybe I'll even get to hang out with his daughter!"

After he finished, a sleazy, leering grin spread across his chubby face.

I pretended to be busy preparing kebabs nearby, but I was actually eavesdropping. I almost burst out laughing at his words.

So it was all for himself, yet he made it sound so noble, as if it were for dad.

He even had his eye on the boss's daughter, without even considering his own worth.

After listening to Bryson, Jennifer fell silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to me and asked, "Nydia, do you think the reservoir is safe? Would Bryson be in any danger if he went?"

Hearing her question, I smiled gently and replied, "The water's not deep near the edge, and there are steps inside. It shouldn't be dangerous. If you're really worried, I can go instead. After all, it's for dad-either of us can do it."

With that, I put down the vegetables and deliberately walked toward the reservoir.

Just as I expected, Bryson immediately grabbed me.

He glared at me and snapped, "Trying to steal my thunder again? Get lost, you stupid woman!"

Jennifer quickly blocked my way too, making up an excuse, "Let's wait until later when it's not so chilly."

I nodded. That was fine by me.

As long as Bryson was willing to go into the water, that was exactly what I wanted.

3

By the time I finished prepping the food, the boss's family finally strolled out from the vacation rental.

Dad stood nearby, attentively holding an umbrella for the boss's wife, trying his best to please her. Bryson's eyes lit up the moment he saw the boss's daughter, Katherine Clayton.

Katherine had just started middle school, but she was already a real beauty-adorable and pretty.

Bryson was only a year older, but already appeared short and heavy build.

On top of that, I'd caught him sneaking peeks at those kinds of adult videos more than once-he was definitely too precocious for his age.

He scampered over and grabbed Katherine's hand, saying, "Let me show you around today, okay?"

The girl was a bit shy and nodded obediently.

My stepmother hurried over too, her face plastered with a smile as she greeted the boss's family. She'd dressed up in a traditional dress and wore a pearl bracelet.

I recognized that bracelet-it was my mother's keepsake. I forced down the hatred in my eyes and silently followed behind her.

Once everyone was seated, Jennifer shoved me and shot me a glare. "Go grill the kebabs. This isn't your place to be."

I couldn't be bothered to watch her and dad trying to ingratiate themselves with the boss, so I quietly went to the grill to cook for them.

In my last life, my status at home was so low it was frightening-anyone could push me around.

People said when getting a stepmother, father changes too. Jennifer was two-faced, and Bryson was a spoiled brat who bossed me around like a servant.

Dad always turned a blind eye, since he disliked me and doted on his favorite, chubby son.

But in this life... who knew if dad would be able to keep his precious son safe.

I brought the grilled kebabs to the table one by one. Dad was busy toasting the boss, laying it on thick with compliments.

Jennifer was trying to ingratiate herself with the boss's wife, but her flashy outfit only made her look worse in comparison. She didn't seem to realize it, thinking she was just as elegant.

Jennifer leaned close to the boss's wife, and when the woman praised me for being hardworking, Jennifer's eyes flashed with resentment. She quickly wiped away fake tears and said, "You have no idea how tough it is being a stepmom. Our eldest is so calculating-I always try to treat her well, but she's never once said a kind word about me."

Watching her put on such an act, I couldn't help but roll my eyes inwardly.

The boss's wife just smiled and didn't respond.

I glanced at Bryson, who was stuffing his mouth with meat skewers, grease dripping everywhere, tossing the sticks on the ground when he finished.

Katherine scooted away from him, clearly uncomfortable.

I went back to the grill, thinking about how to get Bryson into the water as soon as possible.

Before I could make up my mind, Bryson let out a satisfied burp, grabbed Katherine's small hand-whether she liked it or not-and dragged her over to the reservoir.

My pupils contracted sharply. Was this little rascal really planning to take the little girl into the water with him?

I hadn't even moved to stop them when I heard my stepmother's cheerful voice, "Aren't they getting along well? Maybe they'll grow up to be close friends-or even more."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Bryson pushed the little girl straight into the water. Thankfully, it was shallow by the edge, so Katherine only stumbled a bit before regaining her balance.

Bryson followed right after, sticking close to her and mischievously nudging her forward.

I could just make out his voice drifting over, "Come on, let's catch some fish! I saw a bunch this morning. If we catch some and grill them, they'll taste amazing."

The leader and his wife both looked alarmed. The leader's wife asked anxiously, "Is the water deep? Is it safe?"

My stepmother patted her hand reassuringly and smiled, "Don't worry. Bryson checked it out this morning-the water's not deep at all."

She went on to praise her son, taking every chance to belittle me. "Bryson heard the fish in this water are especially fresh and tender, so he wanted to catch one for you to grill and enjoy. He's such a clever boy, unlike his sister, who just has her head in the books and doesn't have a clue about the real world."

The leader's wife still looked worried, but my stepmother's reassurances seemed to calm her down.

4

I stared intently at Bryson's back, torn about whether I should call Katherine back.

I watched as the two of them waded deeper and deeper. Suddenly, Katherine lost her footing and fell into the water, flailing as she tried to stay afloat.

Without hesitation, I rushed forward and pulled her out.

The leader and his wife hurried over, relief flooding their faces when they saw that Katherine had only swallowed a bit of water and was otherwise unharmed.

She clung to the leader's wife, sobbing and repeating, "I'm scared. I want to go home."

The leader's wife comforted Katherine, then shot my father a pointed look and said, "You should really watch your kids more closely."

Then she nodded at me and said, "Thank you, dear."

With that, she turned to leave.

Bryson, still in the water, suddenly shouted, "You can't leave!"

He glared at me, clearly unhappy, then put on a big grin for the leader and his wife. "Uncle Clayton, I haven't caught any fish for you yet."

My dad quickly chimed in, "That's right, Katherine's fine. Let's keep going-let my son catch a fish to say sorry to Katherine."

After much coaxing from my dad and stepmother, the leader and his wife finally agreed to stay, though their anger was barely contained.

We stood on the shore, watching as my brother waded farther out, his body sinking deeper into the water until it was nearly up to his neck. My stepmother, growing anxious, turned to my dad and said, "That's enough. If he can't catch anything, just have him come back."

My dad shot her a fierce glare, and she fell silent, not daring to say another word. Instead, she turned to me and said, "Go take your brother's place, it doesn't matter who goes."

I pretended to be afraid, shaking my head and whispering, "I wouldn't dare take away his moment."

My stepmother pinched me hard on the back, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

Suddenly, Bryson's voice rang out from the water, "I got one!"

My stepmother's eyes lit up with delight, but her smile froze in the next instant.

Bryson seemed to trip on something, and in a flash, the water around him turned red. He started thrashing wildly.

Everyone's face changed. My dad immediately stripped off his shirt and jumped in, but a sudden gust of wind swept Bryson farther out into the reservoir.

My father rushed after him, finally managing to grab hold of Bryson, who clung to him desperately.

They struggled to swim back, but the wind only grew stronger. My dad stumbled backward, grabbing Bryson tightly, but neither of them could keep their footing, and both fell into the water together.

My stepmother was frantic, frantically pushing me toward the water, yelling at me to help.

I jerked away from her and shouted, "Why don't you go in and help? I'll get the lifeguards!"

Without waiting for a response, I turned and ran as fast as I could.

At last, they were getting what they deserved.

5

By the time I returned with the lifeguards, Bryson had already been pulled out by Jennifer and the leader, but my father had been swept away by the current. The chances of survival were slim.

I felt a rush of satisfaction-finally, payback.

In my past life, my own father was the one who drove me to my death.

Now, with my father gone, Jennifer and Bryson had lost everything.

The leader and his wife looked grim as the lifeguards arrived. The leader shot Jennifer a cold look and said, "My condolences." With that, the three of them prepared to leave.

As they passed me, the leader's wife paused and, with a touch of warmth, said, "Thank you for saving Katherine. If you ever need anything, you can call me."

She gave me her phone number.

I nodded and thanked her quietly.

Watching the three of them walk away, I let out a long, slow breath.

The staff were performing CPR on my brother. His face was ashen, and he looked like he was barely hanging on.

He was rushed to the hospital. My stepmother, too distraught to scold me, followed the ambulance, leaving me alone to wait for the recovery team to retrieve my father's body.

It wasn't until evening that they finally pulled his swollen corpse from the water.

When my stepmother heard the news, she collapsed completely. Her son was in the ICU, and the only one supporting the family was gone.

Her world was falling apart.

When she saw me at the hospital, she slapped me without a word and screamed hysterically, "Why didn't you stop your brother? Why couldn't it have been you instead?"

I lowered my head and mumbled, "I tried, but he wouldn't let me."

She raised her hand to hit me again, but was interrupted by the doctor coming out of the emergency room.

She rushed over, asking anxiously, "How's my son?"

The doctor replied, "He's got a serious lung infection and might have trouble breathing for the rest of his life."

Hearing this, my stepmother broke down in tears.

I watched her coldly. Just wait-this was only the beginning of your troubles.