After My Death, My Brother’s Punishment Ends

After my brother, Finn, was imprisoned for white-collar crime, his enemies came after me.
I couldn't find a job. I was hounded by threats. Every morning, Id open my door to find dog crap on the doorstep. Every night, Id come home to my door splashed with red paint.
I broke. Drowning in depression, I tried to kill myself three times in five years.
The last time, I swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and waited for the end, my heart a hollow cavern of despair.
But through the haze, I heard my brother's frantic voice.
I just wanted to teach Serena a lesson! Who told you to take it this far?
His adopted sister, Amy, whimpered back, So the fact that she hit me just gets swept under the rug?
And just like that, I knew. My brother was never in prison. Our family was never bankrupt.
Everything I had endured was nothing more than punishment for a single slap Id given Amy five years ago.
I closed my eyes, a bitter taste filling my mouth.
Oh, Finn, I thought. Your punishment was far too light.
My life is yours to take.
...
As the anesthetic flowed into my veins, the voices faded.
When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. The only person with me was the doctor.
He recognized me, of course. Dr. Evanss face was a grim mask of frustration. Serena, what was it this time? Why did you want to die?
If it wasnt for the emergency stomach pump, youd be dead. Do you understand that?
A fire raged in my stomach, but I felt nothing. My gaze was a hollow thing fixed on the ceiling. Someone sent me an urn and a funeral portrait of myself. They told me to go die.
The doctor stood there for a long moment, then sighed. Its your life, Serena. Are you really going to die just because someone tells you to?
Please, he said, the weariness evident in his voice, dont do this again.
I could hear the helplessness in his tone. Hed seen me three times in five years.
The first time, I jumped from a fourth-story window. I misjudged the height and survived. The thought of Finn, waiting for me to pick him up from prison, filled me with immediate regret. I dragged my broken, bleeding body to the hospital.
The second time, I slit my wrists. As I watched the crimson pool spread across the floor, I remembered I was in a rented apartment. It felt wrong to die in someone else's house, to leave such a mess for them to find. So, once again, I went to the hospital.
This was the third time.
This time, I didn't care about my brother. I didn't care about anyone else. I poured the sleeping pills Id been hoarding for months into my mouth and swallowed.
And still, I didn't die.
Dr. Evans was still talking. When youre discharged this time, Im controlling your prescription. Youll have to come in every day to pick up your dose. I cant give you a full bottle anymore.
He turned to leave.
Doctor, I rasped, my voice raw. Did you see a man? He looks a little like me.
He knew all about my brother in prison. He gave me a look of pity and shook his head. Serena, youre still disoriented. You need to rest.
There was no man. A young woman brought you in. Said she was your neighbor.
I said nothing more.
After he left, I pulled the IV needle from the back of my hand and walked out of the room.
The young woman Dr. Evans mentioned was waiting for me right outside the door.
Our eyes met. The venom in hers was impossible to hide.
Serena, Amy sneered, if you want to die so badly, why dont you do it properly? A kitchen knife across the throatone good slice and its over. Why bother with sleeping pills?
I ignored her words and offered a faint smile. Since when are you my neighbor?
A flicker of guilt crossed her face. I wouldn't be caught dead here if it wasnt for Finn!
She spun around to leave, then paused and looked back over her shoulder. Next time you try to die, do it in the bathroom. That way, no one will have a chance to find you.
My expression remained a perfect blank.
She hurried away.
I went home.
There was no dog crap on the doorstep. The red paint on the wall had been scrubbed clean.
After a long moment, I pushed the door open and looked up. My eyes caught it instantlya tiny surveillance camera, newly installed, tucked away behind the old curtain rod. Small enough to miss if you werent looking for it.
Finn had been here.
I casually averted my gaze and went into the bathroom.
Perhaps he wanted to give me some semblance of privacy. There were no cameras in here. Only the shattered pieces of the urn and the torn black-and-white photo of me, scattered on the floor.
I could almost see myself from a few hours agohysterical, broken, hopeless.
No wonder.
No wonder Amy told me to die in the bathroom.
No camera. Finn would never find me.
A wave of absurdity washed over me. My legs gave out and I slid to the floor, burying my face in my hands, my grief a silent, writhing thing inside me.
Finn, your punishment is still too light.
You should have taken my life.
...
I grew up coddled, born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I never learned to back down from a fight.
Years ago, my parents died in a car crash. Finn decided the house felt too empty with just the two of us, so he brought his adopted sister, Amy, to live with us.
To his face, Amy would call me sister with sickening sweetness. Behind his back, shed accuse me of hitting her.
Finn called me spoiled, said I didn't know how to behave.
I wasnt about to take that kind of accusation lying down. I slapped Amy right then and there. That, I said, my voice dripping with ice, is what hitting looks like.
She burst into gut-wrenching sobs, collapsing at Finns feet, begging him for justice.
He ordered me to apologize. When I refused, he raised his hand to strike me.
In that moment, I spoke, my voice dangerously calm. Finn. Think very carefully. If that hand comes down, you are no longer my brother.
The veins in his temples pulsed with rage. His hand remained suspended in the air. Finally, he lowered it and turned to Amy, pulling her up and comforting her with gentle words. Im so sorry, Amy. Ive spoiled Serena rotten. Ill teach her a lesson, I promise. Dont be sad
At the time, I scoffed. What kind of lesson could he possibly teach me? A beating? I could take it. And Id get my revenge.
I was so wrong.
A few days later, Finn announced that our family was bankrupt. He had been sentenced to six years in prison for financial crimes.
Panic seized me. I gathered all the jewelry, designer bags, and watches hed ever given me. It wasn't even enough to cover a fraction of the debt.
He went to prison. The villa was seized. I was an orphan, homeless.
For the next five years, I was hunted. His enemies made my life a living hell. I couldn't find a jobeven the sleaziest bars wouldn't hire me as a hostess. I survived by collecting cans and bottles, living a life lower than a sewer rat.
Every day, anonymous messages would arrive, calculating how many bodies Id have to sell to pay off Finn's debts. The red paint on my walls felt like blood, a stain that could never be washed away. The sound of knocking in the dead of night was terrifying. Each time I opened the door, the hallway was empty, save for the funeral money, wreaths, and paper dolls scattered on the floor.
I thought about leaving Port Sterling. But Finn was in prison, waiting for me. So I endured. I broke, I healed, I broke again. I couldn't even die properly. It was a cycle of torture with no end.
The moment I swallowed those pills, I felt a pang of guilt. Amy had run away, and now I was running away, too. When Finn got out, hed have no one. How would he survive?
But he was the one who saved me.
Why? Why would you save me, Finn?
You should have watched with cold indifference. You should have stood by and let me die by my own hand. Anything would have been better than letting me learn that these five years of blood and tears were nothing more than your idea of a punishment.
...
My tears had run dry. I started the journey to the prison.
I had never dared to visit him before. I was afraid hed see how broken I was and feel sorry for me.
But now I understood. He was probably living in the lap of luxury. The only one suffering was me.
Just as I expected, when I told the prison guard why I was there, he laughed.
Miss, we have no inmate here by the name of Finn Monroe. Are you sure you have the right name?
The sunlight was blinding. It made my eyes water again.
I looked down. I must have been mistaken. Since hes not here, Ill go check at home.
I went home.
To the villa that was supposed to have been seized. It was blazing with lights.
It was Amys birthday. There was a party in full swing.
Fairy lights were strung up in the yard. A movie was playing on a projector screen over the musical fountain. A group of girlsAmy's friends, I assumedwere sitting nearby.
When they saw me at the gate, their faces twisted in disgust. Where did this beggar come from? Shoo! Get lost! Theres no money for you here!
I ignored them, keyed in the old passcode, and walked straight in.
They were stunned that I knew the code and didn't dare to stop me.
I pushed open the front door. My eyes met Finns.
He was in the middle of placing a birthday crown on Amys head.
The color drained from his face. The paper crown in his hand crumpled. Amy froze, her grip tightening on her knife and fork.
The air grew thick with an awkward silence. They exchanged a look, neither of them speaking.
I, on the other hand, walked to the table, pulled the four-tiered cake towards me, and began to eat it with my hands.
I couldn't remember the last time Id eaten something so delicious. For five years, things I once took for granted were now just scents Id inhale as I passed by a bakery. Sometimes, the craving would be so intense Id pick through trash cans for someones leftovers, not caring how dirty they were.
Serena
Finn frowned and moved to stop me. Wash your hands first. Theyre dirty
Dirty?
I met his gaze. Then, with deliberate slowness, I licked the frosting from each of my fingers.
His expression soured, his lips tightening into a thin line.
Amy finally spoke, her voice strained. Serena, what do you think youre doing? Finn didnt mean to deceive you! He just saved your life!
My stomach, used to watery broth and scraps, churned at the sudden onslaught of sweetness. I pushed the cake away.
Without a word, I grabbed a baseball bat that was leaning against a nearby wall and swung it with all my might into the dining table.
Happy birthday? I screamed, my voice cracking. I was about to die, and youre throwing a birthday party?
Five years! You punished me for five years over a single slap? Fine! If I cant be happy, then no one can!
I was a whirlwind of rage, the bat crashing down again and again.
Finn stood frozen, his face ashen, watching me. Amy cowered behind him, not daring to make a sound.
The table was soon a wreck of splintered wood and shattered glass.
But was it enough?
No.
I moved into the living room.
The sofa, the television, the coffee tableall of them were reduced to rubble. The sound of destruction was deafening.
Finn didnt stop me.
It was only when I lunged for Amy that he grabbed my wrist, his grip like steel.
Havent you had enough? he hissed.
My chest heaved. I couldn't speak. Our eyes locked, and his grip tightened, bit by bit, until tears welled in my eyes.
His eyelashes fluttered. He let me go.
The very next second, my hand connected with Amys face. The sharp crack of the slap echoed through the room, followed by her shriek of pain.
It was as if the sound snapped the last thread of reason in his mind.
Without thinking, he hit me back.
The force of his blow sent me sprawling to the floor, my ears ringing.
Serena, he said, his voice laced with bitter disappointment. I cant believe that even after all this, you still dont understand that you were wrong!
I punished you, yes, but it wasnt real. Did you really have to take it this far?
I couldnt believe what I was hearing. It took a moment before I could force any words out. I swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills
And I saved you. His voice was laced with frustration, as if he regretted his own decision. Look, now that you know the truth, just come home. I promise, I wont let you suffer anymore, okay?
I wanted to laugh, but tears came first.
Finn, where were you for the past five years?
He avoided my gaze. We went traveling overseas for a bit. So you wouldnt get suspicious.
With those words, my heart plummeted into the deepest, coldest part of hell.
So while I was scavenging for my next meal, he and Amy were vacationing around the world.
I suddenly felt like a fool for even coming here.
I nodded, got to my feet, and turned to leave.
As I reached the door, Amy shouted, Dont you feel so wronged, Serena! You deserved every bit of it!
I turned back. My eyes went past her, locking onto my brothers.
His silence was an agreement. His expression was distant, cold.
I gripped the doorknob to keep myself from collapsing.
Fine, I whispered. I owe you all.
For the next few days, Finn bombarded me with calls and texts. He thought I was still sulking. At first, he was angry, accusing me of not understanding his good intentions.
[Youre such a princess. I let you live on your own for a couple of years without any money and you try to kill yourself and wreck the house.]
[Serena, do you really think the entire world revolves around you?]
[Do you think these five years were easy for me? I was in agony every day, just waiting for you to come home!]
[Youve failed me, and youve failed Mom and Dad!]
When I didnt respond, his tone shifted. He tried to coax me back.
[Hasnt it been long enough? Cant you see? Were family, Serena. I promise, if you come home, Ill send Amy abroad. How about that?]
[Stop being stubborn. Its just an apology. Say youre sorry and we can put all this behind us.]
But no matter what he said, his messages were met with a wall of silence.
Finally, his disappointment turned to something colder.
[So you won't listen to reason or threats? I really have spoiled you too much.]
[I was actually feeling guilty, I wanted to make it up to you. But I see now thats not necessary.]
[Serena, from this day on, Im done with you. Youre about to find out what a real punishment looks like.]
[Without me, you are nothing!]
And he was right.
After he washed his hands of me, life became even harder. Bribed by Amys money, more and more people joined in the torment. My new phone number was leaked. The moment I turned it on each day, it would be flooded with filth. The dog crap at my door became a constant, disgusting battle. A single, enormous word was painted on the wall opposite my door in blood-red paint: DIE. The sound of a woman weeping would echo from all sides of my small apartment in the dead of night. Anonymous packages arrived, containing dead rats or grotesque dolls. Even my neighbors, disturbed by the constant chaos, begged me to move out.
And through it all, Finn knew nothing.
He had taken Amy traveling again. Every now and then, a text would come through.
[Why is the camera turned off?]
[Running out of money for food yet? Still not coming home?]
[I haven't changed the code to the villa. You can come back and live there. I'll smooth things over with Amy. You just have to come back and apologize.]
[...]
[Fine. I know how stubborn you are. Let's see how long you can last.]
But it didn't matter anymore. The harassment, his messagesnone of it mattered.
I had already decided how to end this charade for good.
I had turned off the camera, but I still didn't feel safe. So I went into the bathroom and locked the door.
The blade slid across my wrist. I had experience this time. My hand was quick and steady.
As the blood trickled down, memories of Finn and me flickered through my mind like a movie reel.
I was just a year old. The first word I ever spoke wasn't mama or dada. It was Finn. His eyes lit up as he took my outstretched finger in his hand, our parents looking on with envy. From that day on, he treated me like a queen.
I hated homework. I wouldn't listen to anyone and was constantly getting my parents called into school. My mother would try to discipline me, but he would stand in front of me. Mom, let me handle it. Ill tutor her. I wouldn't listen to teachers or tutors, only him. After just six months with him, my grades skyrocketed. The day I got into the best high school in the city, he ruffled my hair with pride. Youre amazing, Serena. What do you want as a reward?
In middle school, I was bullied. I got into a fight and broke my arm. When he found out, he scolded me, his face dark with anger. You cant just go around hitting people! But the next morning, he was standing at my school gate with a baseball bat. Who hurt my sister? Get out here, now!

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