All Chapters of After I Died, My Sister Cried with Regret: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Elliot's POVThis was the first time in ten years I had seen my elder sister, Melanie Grant, go ballistic.Even the day Mom and Dad passed, she hadn't flown off the handle at me like that, despite knowing the accident only happened because they made a U-turn for a cake I wanted.That day, when Melanie arrived at the scene, all that greeted her was her deceased parents, a little brother who had lost his mind, an insurance agent, and a remorseless drunk driver.My hands shaking, I tried to wipe the tears from the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry. Please don't cry, Mel…"Without hesitation, Melanie swatted my hand away. My skin swelled from the pain, looking more serious than the scald mark on our adopted little brother Noah Cooper's hand.She clenched her jaw and fixed her gaze on me. "Why did it have to be Mom and Dad? Why couldn't it have been you, Elliot Cooper?"After she finished speaking, she took Noah by the hand and led him to the first-aid kit.I stood alone in the living r

Chapter 2

Elliot's POVI quietly placed the bread back in the fridge and returned to my bedroom.My body felt unusually warm, my mouth was parched, and my throat was practically burning. I touched my lips, and they were so chapped that blood had seeped out. Needless to say, my voice was also hoarse.I yearned for a drop of water, but I dared not tell them. I didn't want the sound of running water to wake them up. I barely had the strength to get on all fours, so in the end, I lay on the floor and closed my eyes.When I woke up again, I saw a doctor berating someone."He was burning up at 106.1 degrees! If he'd been here any later, he would've had irreversible brain damage! Is this how you look after him as his guardian? You're his sister!"Melanie stood in the hallway before the doctor, her head bowed like a child who'd done wrong. Her fists hung by her sides. "I'm sorry…"I wanted to tell her, "Don't say sorry, Mel. It'll only make me feel even more sorry."But when I reached the doorwa

Chapter 3

Elliot's POV"But when Mel heard you'd jumped off the building, she turned back and took you to the hospital," Noah said. "You were lucky. The huge umbrella over the fruit stand below broke your fall, and you landed in the bushes beside it."He sighed quietly. "But Mel screwed the deals up twice in a row. She got fired."My breathing stopped, and I began stuttering, "N-Noah, I didn't know—"How could I convince him that I truly wanted to end it all so I could end their misery?Noah's eyes were as soulless as a puppet's when he cut me off. "What's the point of saying anything now? Mel's lost everything."After dropping me home, he needed to head back to school. The SAT was around the corner.Before leaving, his soulless eyes finally glistened with tears. "Mel gave up her job to save you, while I used my study time to bring you home. The world sure revolves around you, doesn't it, Elliot?"I lay on the bed. Once he left, I cried until my blanket was wet.…I didn't know how to

Chapter 4

Elliot's POVNo matter what I did, I could never bother Melanie again.I started collecting bottles every day. Sometimes, I would see Noah on his way home from school. Our eyes would meet, but he would quickly look away and walk off as if he hadn't seen anything.I never called out to him, either. He was preparing for his SAT, and I couldn't afford to waste his time.Then, one day, I saw Melanie. We locked eyes, and she froze for a moment. The empty bottle in my hand slipped to the ground. She was carrying a briefcase again and was wearing a new suit.It looked like she had found a new job. How wonderful. My departure really did bring good things into her life.I smiled at her, but she merely frowned and walked away.I picked up the bottle and continued collecting the ones people had discarded, one after another, stuffing them into my garbage bag.As time went on, I started seeing Melanie more and more often. She was always the same, frowning and walking away whenever she saw m

Chapter 5

Third-Person POVNoah had just walked through the door when he heard the news of Elliot's death. He froze where he stood. The staff member on the phone was still patiently asking questions.Melanie picked up the phone with trembling hands and pressed it back to her ear. "Are you sure it's him?""We confirmed it through DNA testing. Elliot Grant was your brother, right?"Her eyes turned red. The hand clutching her phone began to shake violently."Ms. Grant, please try to stay calm. Would you be able to come and collect his ashes?"Melanie could barely utter a word. "If you're unable to come, we'll have to dispose of the ashes ourselves."Noah hurried over and took the phone from her. "Hello, could you please give us the address?""Forget it!" Melanie hissed. "You guys can do whatever you want with the ashes."With that, she hung up. Noah stared at her in disbelief.She clenched her fists. "It's better this way. Now we can finally have some peace. Without him, no one will bot

Chapter 6

Elliot's POVI quickly got out of bed to help with Savannah's dishes. "T-thanks…"She rested her chin in her hand as she looked at me. "Don't thank me. You just remind me a lot of my little brother."A few faded photographs were scattered across the old table. The girl in the picture looked a lot like Savannah. She was hugging a boy a few years younger than her, both of them smiling happily at the camera.Melanie used to hold me and take pictures with me like that, too. My eyes suddenly stung. I lowered my head and started scrubbing the dishes faster.As I ate the plain oatmeal Savannah had made for me, I glanced at her carefully. "Why do you collect trash?"After all, in the photos, she was wearing a princess dress. Her little brother was also dressed in a tiny suit. They looked like they had come from a well-off family.Savannah continued working, her movements quick and practiced. "My dad had another woman. He even had a son with her before I was born. My mom refused to let i

Chapter 7

Elliot's POV"Be good. Do as I say," Savannah said, slipping the few bills she had in her pocket into my hand. Then she walked away without looking back.Instinctively, I chased after her for a few steps, but a hand held me firmly in place. Melanie looked at me. "Where are you going? Home is this way."I turned around, but Savannah was long gone.When I went home, the bathtub was already filled with warm water. Melanie had even cooked a feast for me. All the dishes on the table were my favorites.Noah showed me his university acceptance letter, too. I was happy for him and thanked Melanie for the meal. But somehow, things felt different.Seeing how I was carefully picking at my food, Melanie put the largest piece of meat on my plate. "You're at home. Why are you acting so cautious?"I quietly shoved food into my mouth.I could tell that she and Noah didn't seem to hate me as much as they used to, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to feel happy.Some part of me ins

Chapter 8

Elliot's POVThe plastic bag slipped from my hand and hit the floor.Melanie spun around. A flash of panic crossed her face. "Eli, it's not what it looks like. I lost my temper for a second. I didn't mean to hurt her—""Sav!"I rushed forward like a madman and pulled Savannah into my arms. Blood stained the corners of her mouth. Her body had gone limp, and she collapsed against me.Melanie's eyes suddenly reddened. "Why do you care so much about her, Eli?"Savannah coughed, and blood spilled from her mouth, staining my hands and clothes. Tears flooded my eyes. "Sav!"Eventually, she was rushed to the hospital.Melanie was the one who went looking for her. She believed Savannah had been trying to lure me away from home all along.She had planned to settle things once and for all. On top of that, she also demanded Savannah throw away my favorite robot toy.Savannah refused, so Melanie tried to force her. During the struggle, Melanie lost control and accidentally shoved Savannah

Chapter 9

Elliot's POVI took a deep breath, my voice shaking. "I can't go back…"Melanie looked at me in surprise."The past decade was miserable…"Her eyes reddened. "Are you still mad at me for… I know I messed up. I really, really regret putting all the blame on you.""Don't. Don't regret anything, Mel."My nose stung. "If I were in your position, I wouldn't know how to navigate through it, either."Melanie looked at me with a hint of panic. "If that's the case, were you mad that I adopted Noah?"I shook my head. "You did nothing wrong, Mel. And neither did Noah. I'm not upset at anyone. You and I, we're just… not suitable for being family."Tears ran down her cheeks.I rose and slowly walked toward Savannah's hospital room. My palm rested against the window. I watched her lie unconscious inside, completely still.Behind me, Melanie got up and watched me. She closed her eyes, and another tear fell to the floor.In the end, I didn't go with Noah when he left for university. I only

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP