Ninety-Nine Times Does It

My sister abruptly returns to the country on the day of my wedding. My parents, brother, and fiancé abandon me to pick her up at the airport. She shares a photo of them on her social media, bragging about how she's so loved. Meanwhile, all the calls I make are rejected. My fiancé is the only one who answers, but all he tells me is not to kick up a fuss. We can always have our wedding some other day. They turn me into a laughingstock on the day I've looked forward to all my life. Everyone points at me and laughs in my face. I calmly deal with everything before writing a new number in my journal—99. This is their 99th time disappointing me; I won't wish for them to love me anymore. I fill in a request to study abroad and pack my luggage. They think I've learned to be obedient, but I'm actually about to leave forever. Chapter 1 The door to my room was suddenly pushed open without warning. My brother, Adrian Hoffman, walked in and scoffed when he saw me staring blankly at my diary. "Aren't you a little too old to be writing a diary?" Normally, I would have argued back. But this time, I didn't even lift my head or respond. Seeing my lack of reaction, he grew irritated and ran his hand through his hair before snatching my diary to take a look. On it was a single number—99. It was the number of times they had let me down over the years. Adrian frowned, unable to make sense of it. He tossed my diary onto the floor and ordered, "Stop writing this nonsense. Nina wants to eat the garlic shrimp you make. Go wash your hands and get downstairs. Consider it an apology for that snarky remark you made to her earlier." I only hummed in response before I got up and headed downstairs. Adrian was surprised that I didn't throw a tantrum. After all, every time my family asked me to make garlic shrimp, I would always cry and whine as if it were some huge injustice. He must be wondering why I was so quiet this time. "Sadie, did you switch personalities or something? Or are you planning something sneaky like putting something in the food?" Adrian eyed me suspiciously, trying to see through me. He finally noticed my slightly red-rimmed eyes and stiffened, shutting his mouth. After a long while, he spoke again, "Nina was abroad for a year. She's been on her own for so long, and this is her first time back. We were eager to see her. You should be more understanding. It was just a wedding. We can just push it to a later date, can't we?" I remained silent as I took the shrimp out of the fridge and began to clean them. Right, it was just a wedding. In their eyes, nothing was more important than welcoming my sister, Nina Hoffman, back home—not even the wedding I had been looking forward to for so long. It had taken me a lot of convincing to secure a high-end designer wedding gown. I had also spent more than six months meticulously planning the decorations with my wedding planner. They had seen all of my efforts. And yet, the people closest to me had turned me into a complete joke. My entire family had been absent at my wedding, and even the groom, Brandon Keller, had never shown up. While Nina was flaunting on social media about how many people had come to welcome her home, I had faced the guests' ridicule and dealt with the aftermath alone. Even the hotel staff had felt sorry for me when they had seen how pale I looked. They had urged me to return home to rest, but the first thing my family had done when they got home was make me their cook. I smiled wryly. Thinking of my aging parents, I had originally planned to turn down my professor's offer to study abroad, especially since Nina had also been abroad, Adrian was busy with work, and I had plans to get married. But now, I knew leaving was the only right decision. Unfortunately, even though I had submitted my application, I still had to wait two more weeks before I could leave. I pushed Adrian away. "Move, please. You're in the way." He appeared a little lost and was about to say something when the beloved princess in the living room called out to him, "Adrian, I can't seem to shell this pecan!" That made Adrian all worked up. "Don't do it yourself. You're going to hurt your hands. You're a future pianist. Hold on, I'll do it for you!" With that, the annoying fly finally left the kitchen. I looked down at my hands. My slender fingers were now red and swollen from an allergic reaction. Chapter 2 As I placed the cooked shrimp on the dining table, I glanced toward the living room. The atmosphere there was warm and joyful. My father, Zachary Hoffman, who was usually so busy with work, suddenly didn't seem busy at all. He sat there, patiently listening to his youngest daughter as she recounted her exciting experiences abroad. My mother, Nancy Patton, held Nina in her arms, her eyes filled with affection, as she fussed over how much weight the latter had lost and how hard it must have been for her abroad. Adrian sat beside them, fully focused on shelling pecans for Nina. I didn't say a word. I just watched the heartwarming scene quietly. The living room and dining area felt like two separate worlds. One was filled with warmth and laughter, and the other with emptiness. "Sadie, why are you standing over there instead of joining us? Is it because you're still mad at me for ruining your wedding?" Nina suddenly said pitifully. It was only then that the people in the living room noticed me. Dad frowned instinctively. "Why that long face? Get over here!" Mom looked annoyed as well. "Your wedding was ruined because you picked a bad date. This has nothing to do with Nina. Don't you dare get mad at her, or I'll no longer be your mom!" Nina pouted and clung to Mom. "Mom, don't say that. You'll make Sadie sad." Though she sounded like she was defending me, the triumphant look in her eyes was undeniable. Nina was far from innocent. I had already told her when my wedding would be a week before. She had seen my message and even told me she had a surprise prepared for me. What a surprise indeed. This was a game she had been playing since we were kids. Every time, my parents and Adrian never chose me. Not even my fiancé, who was supposed to spend his life with me, ever chose me. I should have been heartbroken, but I must have gotten used to it because I felt nothing when I heard those words now. "I'm not mad." My words made everyone turn to me in surprise. They must have thought it was impossible. I took in their expressions, feeling the irony. See? Even they knew what they had done was enough to make someone angry, but they had done it anyway. They even had the nerve to blame me for how I was feeling. Mom, Dad, and Adrian seemed to sense something was off with how calm I was. After a brief silence, Dad finally said, "It's good to know you're not mad. We're family; we shouldn't hold grudges over things like this." "Mm, I know." I nodded obediently. Seeing that I really didn't seem to mind, they relaxed and led Nina to the dining area. Aside from the garlic shrimp I made, the table was filled with all kinds of seafood. They were all Nina's favorites. "Nina, you've lost so much weight. Eat up." Mom, Dad, and Adrian barely stopped serving Nina food. Soon, her plate had turned into a small mountain. She beamed as she continued boasting about her studies abroad, talking about how she had already secured a spot in an orchestra and would soon be performing. Mom, Dad, and Adrian showered her with praise while I ate in silence. Noticing how unusually quiet I was, Mom seemed to feel a little guilty and finally thought about the grievance I had suffered. A shrimp landed on my plate. I looked up and saw Mom shift awkwardly. "Eat up. Don't think we're always favoring Nina. I got you some too." I stared at the shrimp for a long time before putting down my utensils. "It's alright. I'm already full." Feeling embarrassed, Mom was irritated. "What's with you?" She wanted to say more, but Nina suddenly clutched her throat, her expression changing. "Mom… I… I can't breathe!" Chapter 3 Mom, Dad, and Adrian immediately rushed to Nina's side. When they saw the rash on her skin, they panicked. "Are you having an allergic reaction? Why would you suddenly be having an allergic reaction?" Mom looked around until finally, her gaze locked onto me. The next second, she slapped me so hard that I lost my balance and fell to the ground. My head buzzed from the impact. "Sadie, what did you put in the food? Don't you remember what your sister is allergic to?" Adrian looked disappointed too. "I was wondering why you were so agreeable. It turns out you were plotting to harm Nina after all! How did I end up with such a hateful sister like you?" "That's enough! Stop arguing. We need to take Nina to the hospital right now!" Dad slammed the table in anger, and only then did Mom and Adrian retract their hateful stares from me. My entire family left in a rush, leaving me sitting on the floor in a daze as I clutched my swollen cheek. I didn't do it. I wanted to tell them that it wasn't me. But similar events had happened too many times before, and I knew very well that they wouldn't believe me. Well, it didn't matter. Our housekeeper had heard the commotion and came over to help me up. But when she saw my hands, she gasped in shock. "Sadie, why is your hand so swollen?" "I'm fine." I turned down her kindness, getting up on my own before returning to my room. As I picked up the diary on my desk, countless memories came flooding back. When I was eight years old, we weren't doing very well. The five of us were squeezed into an old, rundown house. My parents struggled to balance their busy jobs with raising three children. Eventually, they decided to send one of us to live with our grandparents in the countryside. However, Adrian was about to start high school, which was a critical time for his studies, while Nina was still too young and in poor health. They were too worried to send her away. Not wanting my parents to worry, I volunteered bravely. And so, I was sent to the countryside. Before I left, Mom stroked my head, praising me for being the most thoughtful child. However, nobody told me the price for being thoughtful would be staying at my grandparents' house for a full eight years. For eight years, I never saw my family except during Christmas. Year after year, I watched as their clothes became more stylish and elegant. From that, I could tell that my family's situation was improving. I kept waiting for my parents to bring me home. As I waited, I grew from an elementary school student to a high schooler. It was only after my aging grandparents passed away that I finally got to return home. The small, rundown house from my memories was gone. In its place was a three-story villa. My room was in the farthest corner of the first floor. It didn't have shelves full of books, study materials, and gaming equipment like Adrian's. It also didn't have the cute, dreamy decorations like Nina's. My room was just like my place in this family—unimportant and always unnoticed. Chapter 4 I packed my few belongings into my suitcase. I had originally requested time off school for my wedding, but that wasn't needed now. I was just about to call my professor to let him know I was returning to the lab tomorrow when my phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Brandon. I assumed he was calling to figure out what to do about the wedding. I never imagined he would lash out at me the moment I answered. "Sadie, what did you do to Nina? Why is she hospitalized?" This was a man who was usually calm and poised, yet he had lost his composure twice in the same day. The first was when he heard Nina was returning to the country; this was the second. The funniest part was that he was supposed to be my fiancé. "She had an allergic reaction." "It was your fault, wasn't it? How could you do that to your own sister?" Brandon sounded very angry. "Sadie, I always thought you had a kind heart. I can't believe you put Nina in the hospital for something so trivial. Are you even human?" I couldn't even be bothered to explain as I listened to his accusations. "Yeah, I'm not human. It's all my fault. I'll apologize to her when she gets back. Is that enough? If you're done talking, I'm hanging up. I still have things to do." Brandon was taken aback. He never expected me to react like that. Before this, we had fought countless times over Nina. On our dates, he would get so caught up with texting her that he would forget I was with him. When we had meals together, he never remembered foods I had to avoid but always made sure to order her favorites. I had screamed and questioned him countless times, but I always got the same response—I was overthinking things; Nina was my sister, and he was just taking care of her for me. His indifference to the situation made me look like a petty lunatic. My parents and Adrian took his side too, saying I was too controlling. So, during the year Nina was abroad, I secretly took pleasure in it. But I was so starved for love that I forgot shattered glass could cut. I had clung to the broken shards stubbornly, unwilling to let go. Even now, my hands were covered in blood. "Sadie, that better be the case. If anything happens to Nina again, you can forget about the wedding!" Brandon warned. It sounded like he had just gotten out of his car and closed the door. His surroundings grew noisier. He must have arrived at the hospital—of course, he had gone rushing to see my dear little sister. He was blatantly using me as an excuse to care for the woman he truly loved. Did he really think I was a fool? I sneered and hung up, then reached out to my professor. By the time my parents and Adrian finally dragged their exhausted bodies home, I had already finished packing and was ready to move back to campus. I was pulling my suitcase out the door when I heard Mom sigh. "If only Brandon didn't come from a poor family, he would've been such a good match for Nina. Did you see how thoughtful he was at the hospital?" I froze, then heard Dad add, "Yeah, he's a good-looking young man. It seems like Nina is quite fond of him too. We shouldn't have introduced Brandon to Sadie." "Stop your wishful thinking. I won't allow Nina to live a poor life with Brandon. He's better off with Sadie. They're a better match. Nina is meant to be a famous pianist, after all. And he'll still be able to dote on Nina as her brother-in-law." Mom continued speaking absentmindedly, but when she looked up and saw me standing on the stairs, she was so startled that she staggered backward. "S-Sadie, what are you doing here?"