The Downfall I Gifted My Sister

The curtain in the bridal shop's fitting room was drawn back just as I was staring absentmindedly at my reflection in the glass door. Joan Sewell wore an ivory-white mermaid wedding dress, twirling with the fat around her waist pressing the skirt's frame into an odd shape. "Luna, do I still look not slim enough?" She pinched the flesh at her waist, her brow tightly furrowed. My heart skipped a beat. Exactly one year ago today, in this very place, Joan insisted on losing weight by eating raw eggs—ten a day—claiming it would help her shed pounds quickly. I spent three hours persuading her that raw eggs might carry salmonella, but she wouldn't listen and even scolded me for being jealous that she was about to get married. Later, she really caught an infection, running a high fever and slipping into unconsciousness. I brought porridge to the hospital, but in the ward, she was crying with her mother, Mia Lewis, saying, "Luna just can't bear to see me well; she wants to disgrace me at the wedding!" During the argument, she pushed me down the stairs of the inpatient ward. When I fell on the steps, the last thing I saw was the eerie smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Luna ? What are you spacing out about?" Joan's voice pulled me back to reality. She was holding a clear plastic container filled with ten raw eggs still in their shells, the shells stained with chicken droppings. "You're quite thin," I said, averting my eyes calmly, "But if you want to be a bit thinner, you could try your method too." Mia walked over holding a lace veil. "Joan, raw eggs are too dangerous. I still think you should just eat less rice." Joan immediately pouted. "Mom! What do you know? This is a hugely popular diet abroad. It speeds up metabolism!" I looked at Mia's hesitant expression, remembering how in my past life I gave the same advice—and it ended in a tragic death. "Auntie," I said, deliberately slowing my speech, "many foreign influencers eat like this now, claiming it helps them adapt to a high-protein diet. After Joan gets married, won't she be living abroad with Harrison? It's good to get used to it early." Mia's eyes lit up. Her greatest wish in life was to see Joan marry a "rich man," to completely escape the ordinary family they came from. "Really? That's how they eat abroad?" She leaned closer to ask. "Yes, I've seen several influencers say they lost twenty pounds in three months." I nodded, my tone firm. Joan immediately looked proudly at Mia. "See! Luna agrees! Mom, don't stop me!" Mia didn't argue further, only warned, "Then don't eat too many at once. How about five a day?" "No! It has to be ten!" Joan shoved the eggs into her bag, handling them so roughly she almost cracked the shells. I watched her back, feeling not the slightest stir within me. The debts from my past life, in this one, you'll have to repay yourself.