My brother Jake always called himself a prankster—cockroaches in my food, cutting my belt before an award ceremony. I complained to our parents, but it was useless. At my wedding, during his toast, he pulled out a fake medical report. “My brother didn’t mean to hide his HIV diagnosis,” he said tearfully. “He just loves his bride too much.” The room erupted. My father-in-law had a heart attack; my fiancée Cici died rushing him to the hospital. I hunted Jake down. He shrugged. “Just a joke. How was I to know they’d be so fragile?” My parents locked me in my room. “He was testing your in-laws,” they said. “It’s their fault for not trusting you.” I jumped from the windowsill. Then I opened my eyes again. This time, I’d give Jake a taste of his own medicine. 1. The blinding flash of a camera jolted me. I stared, bewildered, at the photographer directing our poses. Cici, my fiancée, noticed my unease. She gently wiped the sweat from my brow, her face etched with concern. “Leo, are you not feeling well, honey? We’re about to change for the next set anyway. Why don’t you rest for a bit? I’ll go grab you some juice.” My head was spinning. It wasn’t until Cici helped me to a chair in the waiting area and I saw the date and time on the digital wall clock that it finally sank in. I was back. I had returned to the day of our wedding photoshoot, exactly one week before the ceremony. In my past life, I had spent a month meticulously planning every detail to ensure our wedding would be perfect. But I never could have anticipated the moment my own brother, Jake, would snatch the microphone during the family toasts. “I’m so incredibly happy for my brother,” he had announced. “And I hope he stays strong. I know he can beat this diagnosis.” My mind went blank. Before I could even process his words, Jake continued, his voice thick with false sympathy. “Leo begged me to keep his secret, but my conscience wouldn't let me. Especially seeing how devoted Cici is to him… I couldn’t let her and her family stay in the dark.” Then, he produced a forged lab report. With sickening detail, he wove a tale of my supposed promiscuity, starting from middle school—how I’d tricked girls into bed, scammed one into taking out loans to fund my lifestyle, and finally, how I’d cheated on Cici and contracted a disease. The joyous celebration instantly soured, replaced by a chorus of curses and accusations. Cici was devastated, her eyes red with unshed tears, unable to form a single word of question. Then her father collapsed from a heart attack. The ensuing car crash on the way to the hospital killed them both. Someone posted a video of the scene online, and I was crucified by an endless wave of public hatred. With no one to turn to and no way to clear my name, I chose suicide. Only in my final moments did I learn the truth: to Jake, it had all been a prank. A joke to “liven things up.” … The memory of that suffocating despair washed over me. I watched Cici approach, a gentle smile on her face as she handed me my favorite juice. In that moment, my resolve hardened into steel. This time, I would not only protect our happiness. I would make my brother understand the true cost of his "jokes." The wedding day arrived, the venue even more lavish than before. We had even invited a few popular influencers to livestream the event, sharing our joy with the world. As the makeup artist was doing some final touch-ups, Jake burst into the room, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Wow, bro. Quite the wedding. And you didn’t have to spend a cent. Really making the family proud.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “And Cici… damn. Not only is she hot, but she didn’t even ask for anything, just showered you with expensive watches and cars. I noticed her chest looks even bigger today. Guess you’ve been working hard to keep her happy in bed, huh?” He sighed dramatically. “I don’t get it. We came from the same parents. How come you get all the luck with women? You’ve always had gorgeous girls throwing money at you.” Our father, Arthur, who had followed him in, chimed in with a greedy grin. “Don’t be stupid, kid. The money your brother saved can go to you. And you like his car, right? Just take it. Anything you want in the future, just ask. Cici’s family is loaded. It’s all in the family now. When it’s your turn to get married, they can foot the bill for the wedding and the house. We can’t let you get the short end of the stick.” Jake’s eyes lit up. Just then, Cici walked in. Her face darkened as she overheard them, but for my sake, she said nothing. My whole life, Jake had been spreading malicious lies about me, and my parents’ blatant favoritism had always forced me to swallow my anger. Not this time. I was done being their doormat. I glared at Jake, my voice rising to a sharp crescendo. “Did Mom and Dad only teach you how to spew shit? You’re jealous because you’re useless. You have hands and feet—if you want nice things so bad, go be a gigolo! You want us to pay for your wedding? Maybe you should just start calling us Mom and Dad instead!” They were stunned into silence. I had always been the compliant, easygoing one. My outburst left them speechless. After a long moment, Jake finally found his voice, sputtering with indignation. “It was just a joke, man! Why are you being so sensitive?” He sneered. “Besides, I wouldn’t want your life anyway. You’re just marrying into her family, a kept man living off her money. Everyone knows it. People are going to be looking down on you. It’s pathetic, really.” “Who knows,” he continued, his voice getting louder, “maybe one day Cici will get tired of you, find a new boy toy, and kick you to the curb…” Before he could finish, my hand connected with his cheek in a sharp crack. “Even if I am marrying into her family, Cici and her parents treat me with more respect than you ever have! They treat me like their own son. You’re the one who wants to be a leech, so don’t project your pathetic ambitions onto me!” The commotion drew a crowd. Jake, clutching his reddening cheek, was overcome with shame and rage. He started shouting. “You have the nerve to say that? You think you’re so clean? Cici’s family has been nothing but good to you, and you’re still cheating on her behind her back! You even sleep with men! And the most disgusting part is, you contracted AIDS and you’re hiding it from her!” “You’re a sick freak!” At his words, a hush fell over the crowd. The whispers and murmurs died. Even the hotel staff paused, their eyes fixed on me. In that moment, I was the shameless, disgusting man he painted me to be. Everyone instinctively believed him. After all, why would a brother lie about something so serious on his own brother’s wedding day? But that was Jake. He never knew where the line was. It started small, with stupid gag toys. A fake cockroach in the rice cooker. A rubber snake in my bed. I’d be scared out of my wits while he’d be doubled over, howling with laughter. When I stopped reacting to his childish pranks, he decided to escalate. He once snuck into my company dorm while I was out, drenched himself in fake blood, and lay on the floor. When my roommate and I returned, we found him and started screaming in terror. Just as we were about to call the police, he leaped up, yelling, “Surprise!” My roommate was so freaked out he had me kicked out of the dorm. Another time, during an important video conference with a client, he burst in dressed as a masked robber, holding a toy knife to my back. He wanted to see me panic and make a fool of myself. I lost the client. I lost the deal. I was on the verge of a breakdown, but Jake just put on a wounded expression. “Come on, bro, you’re always so stressed. I was just trying to make you laugh.” And my parents, as always, backed him up. “Jake was just trying to cheer you up. Can’t you take a joke? It’s not his fault you’re so timid.” “That’s right,” my father would say. “You’re the older brother. You should be more tolerant. Now, apologize to Jake.” They never understood. Because of his “good intentions,” I didn’t just lose a job I had fought tooth and nail for; I became a running joke among my colleagues. Thinking of this, a cold smile touched my lips. I slapped him again, harder this time. “I’ve put up with your crap for years, but did you forget what day it is? How dare you run your mouth with this garbage today.” Some of our relatives, who knew Jake’s tendencies, tried to smooth things over. “Come on, Jake, you’re always pulling pranks on your brother, but you can’t joke about something like this on his wedding day.” Seeing that some people were still on my side, Jake’s anger flared. He pointed a trembling finger at me, his other hand covering his stinging cheek. “I’m not a kid! You think I’d say something like this without proof? I know everything he’s done. And deep down, he knows it too!” Cici’s expression flickered with a hint of uncertainty, but she stood firm. “Jake, I don’t know what’s gotten into you today, but I’ve been with Leo for a long time. I know the kind of person he is, and I know he wouldn’t lie to me.” Her friends, who had gotten to know me well, started murmuring in my defense. Their support gave me the strength I needed. “You said you have proof?” I challenged him. “Well, you’d better show it. Otherwise, get the hell out of my sight and never come back.” At my words, our father, Arthur, exploded. “You bastard! Haven’t you embarrassed us enough? Why did we ever have a disgrace like you for a son?” Our mother, Helen, quickly jumped in. “Jake is just trying to help you get ahead of the story, before Cici finds out and it’s too late to fix things. It’s already out in the open, so why are you still denying it? Apologize to her and her family right now!” I looked at the three of them and let out a cold, humorless laugh. I pulled out my phone, opened the livestream, and shoved the screen in Jake’s face. “You see this? There are influencers here, broadcasting this to thousands of people. If you can’t produce that proof, the whole world is going to know you’re nothing but a pathetic liar.” Seeing the stream of comments mocking him, Jake’s face contorted with rage. “Fine! You asked for this! You want proof? Here’s your proof!” He ripped a folded document from his bag and held it up for everyone to see, his finger pointing at the conclusion. “A friend of mine at the hospital asked me to give this to my brother. The diagnosis is right here, clear as day: HIV-positive.” He smirked, his eyes glinting with malicious triumph. “Well? There’s your proof. Try talking your way out of this one!” “If I hadn’t found this by chance, he would have hidden it from me too! He probably would’ve tried to infect me and then blame me for it! And this is after I’ve kept so many of his other dirty little secrets.” “Don’t let his clean-cut act fool you,” he spat. “He’s always been rotten. He was sleeping with girls in middle school, tricking them into taking out loans for him in high school. After college, he barely came home. I found out later it was because some rich old guy was keeping him. He’s a disgusting, twisted pervert!” He was right about one thing: I rarely went home. There was never a place for me there, and I was sick and tired of him. Seeing the “evidence,” the people who had been defending me instinctively took a step back. The online comments immediately flipped. “Whoa, he really has proof. The groom is toast.” “He looks so normal, but what a scumbag. Good on the brother for speaking up. The bride dodged a massive bullet.” “That brother is a hero. The groom is disgusting, sleeping with everyone. He should be locked up, not getting married. The bride needs to get tested ASAP.” I stared at Jake, my voice laced with disbelief. “Jake, where did you get this? Are you trying to destroy me in front of everyone? You know I never even held a girl's hand before I met Cici. How could I possibly have a disease like that?” It was as if he didn’t hear me. He glanced at the livestream comments, then turned to Cici, his face suddenly crumpling into a mask of sorrow. He grabbed her hands, tears and snot running down his face. “Cici, please don’t blame my brother,” he sobbed. “He only did these things because he was jealous that our parents loved me more. He was just acting out, desperate for attention. It’s all my fault.” “I’m so sorry, on his behalf. He really loves you. He promised he’d get treatment and that he’d never mess around again.” “Please,” he begged, turning to include her parents, “please forgive him.” His performance earned a wave of sympathy from the crowd and the online audience. Cici, however, just stared at him like he was an idiot. She pulled her hands away and looked at me, her eyes full of questions. I put on a frantic, desperate act. “Mom! Dad!” I shouted at Arthur and Helen, who were watching the show with grim satisfaction. “Are you just going to stand there and let him do this? Are you trying to ruin my life? Say something! Defend me!” They exchanged a look, a silent agreement passing between them. Then Arthur pointed a finger at me and roared, “Shut your mouth! We have no son as vile as you! Must you air all your filthy laundry in public? It’s bad enough you were reckless, but to get a disease… You’ve brought nothing but shame on me and your mother!” “Cici,” he said, his tone softening slightly. “You know the situation now. If you still want to marry our son, we won’t stop you. If you don’t, we understand. But one thing is for sure: all the money and gifts you’ve given our family, we won’t be returning them.” … They played their parts perfectly, their little scheme clicking along. At first, I thought Jake was just jealous. But having died once, I knew the truth. They saw me as a tool, a handsome face they could use to swindle wealthy women out of their money. In that moment, any lingering connection I felt to them was severed for good. I took a deep breath, my voice suddenly calm and clear. “Brother,” I said, with a hint of pity. “Why don’t you bring that report a little closer? Let everyone see whose name is signed in the patient field.”
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