This Time, I Won’t Open the Door

My little sister started dating a man twenty years older than her. When I warned her not to let an older man manipulate her, her face darkened. “You’re just jealous because my boyfriend is rich!” Later, his wife chased her down and beat her, and she begged me to take her in. I gave in and opened the door. She shoved me straight onto the knife someone outside was holding. When I woke up, I was back on the day she first told me about her boyfriend. This time, I gave her a cold smile. “Sounds great.” My sister was six years younger than me. She had just turned eighteen and started her freshman year of college. Almost as soon as she arrived on campus, she found herself a boyfriend—a man more than twenty years older than her. Our parents were strict. Chloe had been beautiful since childhood, and they had never let her date in high school. I worried that she was too naive and would be taken advantage of. So when she secretly told me her boyfriend was twenty years older, my expression hardened. “Chloe, I don’t approve of this relationship.” “Do you have any idea how many older men specifically target innocent college girls like you? Please, think!” “Absolutely not. Come on. We’re going home to talk to Mom and Dad. They won’t approve either!” The excited smile vanished from Chloe’s face. She put away the photo of herself and her boyfriend on her phone, then slapped my hand off her sleeve. She stepped back and looked me up and down. Something about her gaze made my skin crawl. Then she started insulting me. “Emily, just because you’re my older sister doesn’t mean you get to act like you’re somebody.” “You’re just jealous because my boyfriend is rich and handsome. You’ve been single your entire life because nobody wants you, and now you want me to be miserable too.” “Well, forget it. I’m never breaking up with him!” Chloe stormed out, slamming my apartment door so hard it rattled. I frowned, my face tight with anger. I knew Chloe looked down on me. She had always been prettier, smarter, and more popular. But I had never expected her to say something like that to me. I sat on the couch for a long time, stunned and furious. In the end, I couldn’t let it go. I messaged our parents. No matter how badly she behaved, she was still my sister. I couldn’t just watch her ruin her life. She was barely eighteen. She had just started college and had her whole future ahead of her. I couldn’t let some older man destroy it. When our parents learned that Chloe was dating someone more than twenty years older, they were furious. They had spent eighteen years protecting their precious daughter, only for some creep to get his hands on her. They called Chloe home for dinner that night. Her college was close to their house, only a thirty-minute drive away. I had no idea what they said to each other, but somehow, our parents ended up agreeing to let her keep seeing him. The three of them even joined forces, bombarding me with messages accusing me of resenting Chloe’s happiness because my own life was so pathetic. I was furious. I tried to argue, only to discover that all three had blocked me. I stared at the failed messages, angry and frustrated. I had done everything I could. Whatever happened next, they could cry about it later. Three months passed. Then, while scrolling through local videos, I suddenly saw Chloe’s face. The caption read: “College student Chloe Bennett exposed as a shameless homewrecker!” I watched the video. Sure enough, that older man had deceived her. He was already married with children and used his money to lure college girls into relationships. At first, I wanted to call home and find out what was happening. Then I remembered they had blocked me. I pursed my lips and decided to stay out of it. But that evening, someone began pounding frantically on my apartment door. My phone rang nonstop at the same time. Seeing Chloe’s name on the screen, I hesitated. Then I answered. That one call dragged me into a nightmare and cost me my life. Chloe was sobbing, desperately begging me to open the door. “Emily, please! Help me! Someone’s trying to kill me!” “Emily! Open the door! Please, help!” “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I never should have said those things. Please save me, Emily!” Her terrified cries chipped away at my resolve. I decided to let her in and call the police. Once it was over, I would never have anything to do with her again. I walked to the door with my phone and pressed down on the handle. Chloe stood outside, looking utterly disheveled. Her eyes lit up when she saw the open door. She shoved past me and rushed inside. I stumbled, nearly falling. After bracing myself against the wall, I turned to close the door. A hard shove hit me from behind. Chloe pushed me out of my apartment, straight onto the knife held by one of the people chasing her. Agony tore through my chest. I barely had time to glance back at the apartment door, now firmly shut, before everything went dark.When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Chloe had excitedly shown me a photo of herself and her older boyfriend. Looking at her eager face, I felt nothing but rage and disgust. I had treated her like my sister. She had treated me like a disposable fool. I had tried to save her, and she had killed me. In my last life, I had actually believed this selfish, ungrateful brat was simply naive. I had worried about someone deceiving her. Now I knew she deserved everything she got. This time, I wouldn’t interfere. Chloe was no longer my sister. When I remained silent, Chloe pouted and gave me an unhappy look. “Emily, why are you ignoring me? Do you have a problem with my boyfriend? I’ll tell him, you know. He was even going to buy you a present. What’s wrong with you?” I hid my disgust and forced a smile, keeping my voice casual. “Sounds great. He’s handsome and rich. You two are a perfect match.” Chloe broke into a smug grin, practically glowing with pride. “You’ve got good taste, Emily. I think we’re perfect together too!” Still smiling, she gave me a wary, warning look and added as if she were joking, “Don’t get any ideas about stealing him. Not that you could. I’m the only one he loves.” Her words made me sick. Who besides her would want a potbellied, balding man in his forties? Not everyone was as indiscriminate as she was, mistaking trash for treasure because she had never seen anything better. I sneered inwardly but kept my face pleasant as I set the trap. “Don’t tell Mom and Dad about him yet. They’re old-fashioned. They definitely won’t approve.” Just as I expected, Chloe panicked. “Then what am I supposed to do? Emily, I really love him. I want to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him!” I studied my grown-out manicure, wondering whether I should get my nails done, and gave her a distracted reply. “Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your relationship. I’ll handle Mom and Dad when the time comes.” Hearing exactly what she wanted, Chloe smiled and thanked me with genuine enthusiasm. “Thanks, Emily! I’ll have my boyfriend give you a big cash gift!” I murmured an acknowledgment and started ushering her out. Every extra minute she stayed made me feel sick. Using a nail appointment as an excuse, I finally got rid of her. Once she left, I started searching apartment listings. Too many people knew where I lived. I needed to move somewhere no one knew about, somewhere Chloe would never get another chance to hurt me. Early the next morning, I contacted a moving company and moved into my new place as quickly as possible. Only after unpacking and lying down could I finally breathe. I would never forget the terror and despair I had felt when that knife pierced my chest. This time, Chloe wouldn’t have me to die in her place. She could experience that feeling herself. I couldn’t wait to see the pain on her face. That weekend, our parents called and told me to come home for dinner with Chloe. “Mom, I’ve already planned a trip with some friends this weekend. I can’t make it. I’ll come next week.” I made up a random excuse, then casually asked about Chloe. “What about Chloe? Is she coming?” Our parents told me she hadn’t been home for several weekends, even though she had promised to visit at least once a week. I understood immediately. She was probably so wrapped up in that man that she couldn’t even spare time to come home. But I didn’t tell them she was dating anyone. I still vividly remembered how, in my last life, the three of them had ganged up on me and blocked me after I told them. I would never put myself through that thankless ordeal again. Everyone had their own life to live. Whatever happened to Chloe would be the result of her own choices. As for my promise to handle our parents, those had only been words. The bigger the shock, the better their chance of seeing what their precious daughter really was. After hanging up, I saw that Chloe had posted on Instagram. The photo showed her and the man in bathrobes, with a hotel bed clearly visible behind them. I liked it and left a comment. “You look so happy! I’m jealous. You two are so in love.” Chloe replied almost immediately with three giggling emojis. Clearly, she was in a wonderful mood. Go ahead and laugh. The happier you were now, the harder you would cry later.