A Million for Travel, a Ticket to Death

After my annual bonus came through, I decided to treat my relatives to an all-expenses-paid vacation to Bali.
The moment I sent the message in the family group chat, I was bombarded with over three thousand angry messages.
Assuming they thought my choice was too cheap, I quickly announced an upgrade: a five-day luxury tour of New York City.
That only made them angrier. They showed up at my house and threw red paint on my front door, scrawling the word "DIE" across it in huge, dripping letters.
Baffled and desperate, I gritted my teeth and booked the most expensive package I could find: a month-long deluxe tour of Scandinavia.
For that, they tied me up and drowned me in a pond.
Even as the last of the air left my lungs, I couldn't understand it. I was willing to spend my entire one-hundred-fifty-thousand-dollar bonus on them. Why wasn't it enough?
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I received my bonus.
1
"Anna, have you decided yet?"
The first thing I heard was a familiar voice. It was my mother, walking into my bedroom with a plate of sliced fruit.
"Bali?" She leaned over to look at my laptop screen. "Oh, I've heard it's beautiful there! Are you thinking of"
"I'm not going!"
I slammed the laptop shut, a cold sweat breaking out across my skin.
My mother jumped, startled. "What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern.
I looked at her worried face and remembered my last life. I remembered her broken sobs as she watched my relatives hold me under the water, how she threw herself into the pond after me.
I could not let that happen again.
"I'm not going to Bali. I haven't decided on anything yet," I said, forcing a smile.
"Oh, well, that's fine. No rush. Take your time," she said, patting my shoulder. "But don't be stingy, now. If it weren't for my brothers and sisters, we never would have made it this far after the divorce. You're so successful now; it's only right that you repay their kindness."
Her words made me pause.
She was right. They had always been so good to me. After my parents divorced and I went to live with my mom, her side of the family became my only one.
When I was bullied in school, my Uncle Jack marched into the principal's office and personally made sure the kids who hurt me never bothered me again.
When my mom couldn't afford my extracurricular fees, my Aunt Carol sent me ten boxes of books, getting me everything I ever wanted to read.
When I went away to a boarding high school, Aunt Susan and Uncle Mike took turns driving up every weekend with clothes and home-cooked meals, terrified I wouldn't be warm or well-fed.
Thats what made it so impossible to understand. Why would this loving family, the people who cherished me, want to murder me?
I sat at my desk, replaying the events of my past life.
First, I offered Bali, which made them furious. I assumed they thought I was being cheap, so I kept upgrading the trip. With each upgrade, their rage grew, until it finally boiled over into murder.
So, this time, maybe I should do the opposite.
I took a deep breath and typed a message into the group chat.
"Bonus came in! To celebrate, I'd like to treat everyone to a vacation. Pick any popular spot in the country!"
"Uncles, Aunts, just pick a place, and I'll handle all the arrangements!"
This time, I started small. Just a domestic trip. I held my breath, waiting to see how theyd react.
"Well, well, look at Anna, so filial, repaying her elders like this!"
"What a two-faced snake!"
My heart sank. The first reply was from Uncle Jack, and it was
Exactly the same as last time.
Just as before, his message opened the floodgates. A tidal wave of scorn and vitriol slammed into my phone, message after message.
Aunt Carol: "I can't believe it. I loved that girl with all my heart, and I raised a viper!"
Aunt Susan: "So young and already so rotten. Plotting against her own family. She's a monster!"
My mother rushed into the room, her face etched with worry. "Anna, your Uncle Mike just called. He said you've broken his heart. He wishes he'd never had you as a niece." She wrung her hands. "Maybe they think a domestic trip is too plain? Perhaps you should offer to take them abroad"
"No!" I cut her off. I absolutely could not upgrade. That was the path that led to my death.
"Okay," I said, struggling to stay calm. "Let's do this. I'll let everyone vote."
"If they choose it themselves, they can't possibly be unhappy, right?"
2
I carefully curated a list of destinations and created a polling link, which I then posted in the chat.
"Everyone, I'm so sorry. I was being thoughtless before. I've put together a new list with popular destinations both at home and abroad. Please vote for wherever you'd like to go."
The chat fell silent.
I held my breath, waiting for the results.
But no one voted.
"You've got some nerve! Making us choose, as if that cleans your conscience?"
"A poll? Are you human? Do you think we're idiots!"
"Anna, the blood in your veins is as filthy as your deadbeat father's!"
My head was spinning. Not only had nothing changed, but this time, they were even angrier than when I had offered the first upgrade in my past life.
I found out just how angry the next morning. When I opened my front door, I was met with the same scene as before: the door splashed with red paint, the word "DIE" scrawled across it.
But this time, there was something new.
Hanging above the doorway was a metal bucket, rigged to fall. It was filled with more paint and shattered glass.
If I hadn't heard the creak of the rope and jumped back, I would have been maimed for life.
I stared at the mess, my mind a chaotic blur. Where did I go wrong? What had I done?
Was it was it the vacation itself? Was the problem that I offered a trip at all?
I thought about it, then canceled the poll and sent a new message. This time, I announced that instead of a trip, I would be buying a gold bar for each family and delivering it to them personally.
They might not like travel, but who doesn't like gold?
I waited, my nerves shot.
Five minutes passed. This time, the chat remained silent.
I let out a shaky breath. It seemed I was getting closer to the real issue. But what was the deeper reason behind all this?
Before I could figure it out, my half-brother, Liam, called. My dad was an abusive alcoholic, but Liam had turned out okay, and we had a decent relationship. He was calling because he was stuck on his college thesis and wanted to ask for help from a friend of mine, a brilliant cybersecurity expert.
I handed my phone to my friend, and they talked for over an hour.
The moment I got my phone back, I knew something was wrong.
The family chat was too quiet. Even if they had stopped yelling at me, it was unnatural for there to be no activity at all. I opened the app, and my vision went black when I saw the small line of text at the bottom.
You have been removed from the group by your mother.
"Mom, what are you doing? Add me back in, now!" I yelled into the phone.
"I just couldn't stand seeing them say all those horrible things to you! I thought you needed a break!" she said, sounding flustered.
But I had just announced I was giving them gold! My leaving the group right after would make them think it was all a cruel joke. Panicked, I had her add me back immediately.
Sure enough, the instant I rejoined, I was hit with another hailstorm of accusations.
"So condescending. Thinks she can just buy us off with a little gold."
"Who would take money from you? Gold? You'd probably show up at my house, hand it over, and then call the cops saying I bribed you!"
I was utterly lost. They didn't want a vacation. They didn't trust me with money. What on earth did they want?
"If you ask me, her mother's the one to blame for raising her this way!"
"And she's a teacher! We should go down to her school and teach her a lesson!"
Now they were going after my mother.
In a fit of desperation, I threw my hands up and typed one last, reckless offer.
"Fine! It's impossible to please everyone. If you still want a vacation, you can plan it yourselves! No more limits. Each family can pick their own destination, as many places as you want, for as long as you want! I'll pay for everything when you get back!"
That had to be enough. Surely, that would satisfy them.
The group went silent again. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a new message popped up.
"Anna, are you home?"
It was from Uncle Mike.
A jolt of pure terror shot through me.
And then, from outside my apartment, I heard it. The sound of approaching footsteps
The footsteps of the people coming to kill me.
3
Uncle Jack had a key to my apartment. Getting in would be easy for them.
But this time, I was ready. Before they could burst in, I climbed out my bedroom window and hid in a cluttered corner of the small courtyard below, a spot from which I could see clearly into my room.
I saw Uncle Jack storm in, a knife clutched in his hand. Behind him, Aunt Carol and Aunt Susan carried a rope and a canvas bag, their faces twisted with hate as they searched for me.
I clamped my hand over my mouth to stifle a scream, my body trembling uncontrollably.
When they couldn't find me, they assumed I wasn't home and began to destroy my room, smashing everything in sight.
They were still rampaging when my mother got home. She ran in and threw herself at Uncle Jack's legs, sobbing.
"Don't! Please, stop!"
"You're still protecting her, even now!" he roared at her.
"She didn't mean it! She's just a child! Can't you forgive her?"
A strange question pierced through my fear. Protecting me? Didn't mean it? What was my mother talking about? Did she know why they hated me so much?
I waited until they had left, then snuck back into the apartment and pretended I had just gotten home from work. I feigned shock, asking my mother what had happened. She broke down, apologizing over and over. I took her hand and tested the waters.
"Mom do you have any idea why they're so angry with me? What did I do?"
She hesitated for a fraction of a second before shaking her head. "I don't know, honey. It's probably still about the vacation."
I knew she was lying. But why?
At least I had gleaned one crucial piece of information from their conversation. Their hatred seemed to be directed at me personally, not at the trips I had offered.
To test this theory, I called my brother, Liam. I asked him to message our relatives privately and tell them he'd just received a scholarship and wanted to take them on a trip to celebrate. I would, of course, cover all the costs.
Liam agreed, and soon he reported back. Their reaction was exactly as I'd suspected. Every single one of them praised him for being so thoughtful and for not forgetting his family. Not a single angry word was said.
My theory was correct. They hated me.
But why? And what did it have to do with the secret my mother was hiding?
As I was pondering this, my phone began to vibrate violently. A new wave of messages flooded the group chat.
"Anna, go to hell!"
"You scheming bitch! I swear I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"
"You just wait! I'm coming over there to beat the life out of you!"
My blood ran cold. I immediately called Liam and asked him what he had said to them.
My foolish brother proudly told me that he hadn't kept my involvement a secret.
"Sis, how could I let you do a good deed and not get any credit? I couldn't steal your thunder!" he said cheerfully. "I told them it was really your money. I bet they're all praising you right now, aren't they?"
I wanted to cry. Praising me? They're coming to kill me!
But this time, I stayed calm. I still didn't have the whole picture, but I wasn't flying blind like in my past life. I had clues. Now, I needed to confront them face-to-face.
Hiding wouldn't solve anything. I sent a message to the group, inviting them all to my home in two hours.
The moment they kicked open my door and stormed into my living room, I dropped to my knees.
"I know what you've come to do," I said, my voice steady. "But you don't have to trouble yourselves. I've already prepared the pesticide." I pointed to a bottle on the coffee table and looked each of them in the eye.
"All I ask is that before I die, you let me say a few words. Let me understand why. Please."
4
My words stopped them in their tracks. They stood there, stunned. This was the opening I needed.
"Uncles, Aunts, if I've done something wrong, please, just tell me. I swear I'll fix it. You watched me grow up. You know my character. Can't you have even a little faith in me?"
Hearing this, a flicker of hesitation crossed their faces.
"It's because we watched you grow up that we're so angry!" Aunt Carol snapped. "You know exactly what you did, so stop playing innocent! You want us to say it out loud? You'd probably find a way to make us pay for that, too!"
The confusion deepened, but I kept my composure. "How could I? Whether it was wanting to repay you with my bonus or offering to take you on vacation, my intentions were always sincere!"
The mention of the vacation reignited their fury. "You still dare to bring that up!"
"Yes, I do!" I pushed back, meeting their furious glares. "Please, just tell me. Why does the word 'vacation' make you so angry? Tell me the reason. If I can't explain myself, you can pour this bottle down my throat. I won't resist."
They exchanged glances, their anger still simmering, but they finally relented. "Fine. We'll let you die knowing the truth."
"I have one question for you. Why did you"
"Anna, don't do it!"
A piercing scream cut my uncle off. My mother and brother burst into the room. Mom snatched the bottle from my hands and turned to the crowd. "Big brother, Carol, my daughter has already booked the most luxurious tour packages for every single one of you! Please, don't do this to her!"
I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. I rushed to cover her mouth. "What are you talking about? I didn't buy anything! Mom, stop making things worse!"
"Anna!" Tears streamed down her face as she whispered frantically, "I already booked them for you! I used my own money to cover the difference! We have to appease them!"
"You will not force my sister to drink that!" Liam shouted, his eyes red as he stepped in front of me. "If you want someone to drink it, I'll do it for her!"
He grabbed the bottle, twisted off the cap, and tilted his head back!
"Liam, no"
I lunged for him, my heart stopping, but after taking a swig, his expression changed.
"Hey this is just Coke," he said, holding up the bottle with an awkward grin. "Phew, you really had me going there, sis. I thought you were serious!"
I looked at my mother and brother, whose "help" had just sealed my fate. A bleak, hollow feeling washed over me.
It was over. Everything was over.
Uncle Jack drew a knife from his belt, his eyes looking at me as if I were already dead.
"I knew it. You were never sincere."
"It was all a trick."
"What are you doing? Don't you dare touch her!" my mother and brother screamed, forming a human shield in front of me.
I watched them, utterly exhausted. Was this it? Was I doomed to repeat my fate, no matter what I did? Last time, I dragged my mother down with me. This time, my brother too
Wait.
I looked at my mother and brother standing protectively before me, then at the murderous faces of my relatives. And in that instant, like a bolt of lightning, it hit me.
I understood. I finally understood!
It all made sense.
I strode forward, pushing past my mother and brother to stand in the center of the hostile circle. I held up my phone.
"Everyone, my mother was mistaken. The luxury tours I have in mind aren't the ones she booked," I announced, my voice ringing with newfound confidence. "I'm talking about a top-tier, non-refundable package! Once I book this, the money is gone for good!"
"I know you think I'm being cheap, that you're afraid I'll back out. So this time, I'm going to do it right here, in front of all of you. You can watch my hundred-fifty-thousand-dollar bonus disappear with the press of a button!"
"This," I declared, "is my sincerity!"
I raised my thumb, poised to press the 'Confirm Payment' button.
"NO!"
Two panicked voices cried out from the crowd.
I looked toward the source of the shouts, and at that moment, the immense weight on my heart finally, quietly, lifted.
I was right.

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