Leap into the sea, I will return this life to you

After my twin brother's accidental drowning, Mom and my sister, Olivia, treated me like dirt.

Olivia relentlessly blamed me: "Why weren't you holding his hand?!"

But I was only nine.

On my eighteenth birthday, she smashed my cake in my face: "You don't deserve a birthday. You should be dead."

On my nineteenth, I walked into the ocean.

She screamed my name, but I couldn't hear her anymore.

1.

I came home clutching my acceptance letter to Stanford. It was everyone's dream school, and I yearned for my family's praise.

Instead, Olivia snatched the letter, scoffed, "You think you deserve this?" and crumpled it, tossing it into the trash. Mom, pretending to wash vegetables, casually swept discarded lettuce leaves over it.

I feigned composure, retrieved the damp letter, skipped dinner, and went upstairs. I smoothed the letter, slipped it back into its envelope, and tucked it into my backpack. A crumpled hospital report fell out. Staring at it, despair choked me.

2.

My name is Ethan Miller. My brother was Evan, and my sister is Olivia. We were twins. When we were nine, our family went on a beach vacation. Then, the accident happened.

A wave crashed over us. Evan grabbed my hand, Mom held Olivia's. And then… Evan was gone, swept away by the current. He was lifeless when they found him.

Olivia accused me of not protecting him, of robbing her of her brother. No one celebrated my survival. I only received endless blame. Later, Dad couldn’t handle the grief and the constant fighting with Mom, so they divorced.

Mom called me a jinx, saying if I’d held onto Evan, they’d still be together. Olivia, devastated by Dad leaving, doubled down on her bitterness, her words like daggers.

Over time, the love between us curdled into hate.

3.

For my eighteenth birthday, I invited friends over. Happy, surrounded by them, I made a wish: for my family to be safe and healthy. I took the first slice of cake upstairs for Olivia. I knocked three times, no answer. I knew she was inside. As I turned to leave, disappointed, she flung the door open.

Her face was a mask of fury, like she wanted to kill me. She took the cake. Then, she slammed it into my face.

I froze, covered in frosting. Olivia hissed, "Ethan, tomorrow's Evan's anniversary. You have no right to celebrate."

Her glare pierced me, leaving me speechless. I could almost see her cruel smirk, her eyes burning with hatred. I stood paralyzed, frosting dripping down my face, terrified any movement would enrage her further.

Then, she slammed the door.

The pain… It wasn't the frosting. I clutched the wall, trying to stifle a cough, something clawing at my throat. A metallic taste flooded my mouth. Blood trickled down my chin, staining my white shirt crimson.

4.

That night, I dreamt of Evan. He stood by my bed, telling me to take care of Olivia. I sobbed, begging him not to leave, reaching for him. But he kept backing away. Until—

"Thud!"

I crashed to the floor, jolted awake. The physical pain cleared my ...