Chapter 1: Champagne Glasses on Hollywood Hills

The glass and steel Airbnb villa perched precariously on the Hollywood Hills, overlooking the dazzling lights of Los Angeles like a cold diamond. Inside, the vibrant pop music pounded in my chest, mingling with the laughter and chatter of twenty women celebrating my bachelorette party.

I, Sarah, 28, stood in the middle of the living room, a glass of Champagne Rosé in my hand, a plastic crown bearing the words “Bride To Be” on my head. I was about to marry Mark – a handsome, wealthy, and impossibly perfect angel investor. He was every girl’s dream, and my savior after years of struggling with insecurity.

In the corner, my sister, Chloe, leaned against the bar. In contrast to everyone else’s excitement, Chloe wore a tight-fitting black dress, her face heavily made up, but she couldn’t hide her fatigue and… tension.

Chloe and I were like the moon and the sun. I was the good girl, studying law, living by the rules. Chloe was the “black sheep” of the family: a dropout, an addict (though she’d recovered), a stunt actress, and always getting into trouble.

My mother had warned me: “Don’t let your sister ruin the wedding. She’s always been jealous of you.”

I looked at Chloe. She was drinking hard liquor, her eyes fixed on me. Those eyes held no blessing. They held a terrifying determination.

“Hey everyone!” Chloe suddenly yelled, grabbing the remote control for the sound system.

The music cut off. The room fell into an oppressive silence. My girlfriends stopped dancing, staring at each other in bew astonishment.

“Chloe, what are you doing?” I walked over, trying to maintain a forced smile. “Turn the music back on, we were having fun.”

Chloe didn’t answer. She walked to the huge 85-inch TV screen on the wall. She connected her phone to it.

“Sarah,” Chloe said, her voice hoarse, echoing in the silent room. “I know you think I’m a jealous bitch. I know what Mom said to you.”

“Chloe, stop making a fuss…”

“Silence!” Chloe yelled, making me jump. She looked straight into my eyes, her gaze fiery. “I’m not doing this to ruin your happiness. I’m doing this to save your life.”

She pressed Play.

“This is the real man you’re going to marry,” Chloe said.

The screen lit up.

I held my breath. I expected to see Mark choosing a ring, or a surprise congratulatory video from his friends.

But no.

The image on the screen was a secretly recorded video, seemingly from a hidden camera in a bag or brooch. The angle was low and shaky.

The scene was a cheap hotel room, dimly lit with yellowish light.

And there, sitting on the edge of the bed, was Mark. My fiancé. He was taking off his shirt, revealing his toned muscles.

And the person standing in front of him, holding the camera (though I couldn’t see her face, I recognized her voice and the familiar red dress)…

It was Chloe.

Chapter 2: The Cruel Betrayal

The whole room gasped in horror. Glasses fell to the floor and shattered.

I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. Mark… and my sister?

On the screen, Mark smiled – the charming smile I loved so much. He reached out and pulled Chloe closer (according to the camera angle).

“Come here, you naughty girl,” Mark’s voice rang out clearly. “You’re much hotter than your sister. Sarah is like a boring porcelain doll.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. I collapsed to the floor. My sister. My own sister had slept with my fiancé in a cheap motel?

“Turn it off!” I screamed. “Turn it off right now! Why did you do this to me?”

I lunged to snatch the phone, but Chloe stood in front of me. She showed no remorse. She was cold, unyielding.

“Keep watching, Sarah! Don’t be a coward!” Chloe yelled at me. “Don’t look at me! Listen carefully to what he says!”

I looked up at the screen through my tears.

In the video, Chloe (the cameraman) gently pushed Mark away.

“Wait, Mark,” Chloe’s voice in the video rang out, seductive and provocative. “You said you’d leave Sarah after the wedding. But I don’t believe you. Her family is incredibly rich. You won’t leave that gold mine.”

Mark smirked. He took out his pack of cigarettes and lit one. He leaned back, his expression changing completely. No longer the suave prince. It was the face of a calculating predator.

“You’re so naive, Chloe,” Mark said, taking a drag on his cigarette. “Who said I was going to leave her? Divorce in California is expensive. And she’s going to make me sign a prenuptial agreement next week.”

“So what are you going to do?” Chloe asked.

Mark exhaled smoke, looking directly into the camera (at Chloe).

“An accident,” he said casually.

I held my breath. The whole room held its breath.

“An accident?” Chloe repeated.

“A honeymoon in Bora Bora,” Mark whispered, his eyes gleaming with a cruel glint. “A scuba diving trip. The oxygen tank valve is broken. Simple. Easy. She has a history of asthma, the police won’t suspect anything.”

“You… you’re going to kill her?” Chloe’s voice trembled slightly in the video.

“Don’t use such harsh words,” Mark laughed. “I’m just… speeding up the redundancy process.”

“That’s the plan. Sarah is the sole beneficiary of the Vance family trust. If she dies after the wedding, the entire $20 million will go to her legal husband. That’s you.”

He stood up, moving closer to the camera.

“And then, darling,” he stroked the lens (stroking Chloe’s face). “You and I will have the world. You’re the kind of woman I like: wild, spoiled, and in need of money.” “Sarah is just a pig to be fattened up, waiting to be slaughtered.”

The screen went black.

Chapter 3: The Truth About “The Bad Sister”

The silence in the Hollywood hilltop mansion was so heavy you could hear your own heartbeat.

I sat slumped on the floor, trembling uncontrollably. Not from jealousy anymore. But from overwhelming fear. The man I slept with every night was planning to kill me.

Chloe stood there, her phone off. She no longer had that carefree air. She looked at me, her eyes red and swollen.

“I’m sorry,” Chloe said, her voice breaking. “I’m sorry you had to see that.” “But that’s the only way.”

I looked at her. Now I understood.

Chloe hadn’t slept with Mark.

Chloe had set him up.

She knew my past with bad men. With the instincts of someone who’d been through thick and thin, she’d suspected Mark from the start because he was too perfect.

Chloe had played the role of the “flirtatious, spoiled, and money-hungry sister-in-law” to get close to Mark. She’d gambled her honor, accepted being hated by me and my mother, just to lure the snake out of its hole. She’d arranged to meet him, flirted with him, to expose his true colors.

“Sister…” I stammered. “When did you start doing this?”

“Three weeks ago,” Chloe knelt down and hugged me. “When I saw him secretly texting a black market arms dealer. I hired a private investigator, but there wasn’t enough evidence.” “You have to be the bait yourself.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You’re blindly in love, Sarah. You won’t believe me. You’ll think I’m jealous and making things up. You’ll tell Mark, and he’ll be on guard. I need him to confess on video.”

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Ding Dong.

Everyone jumped.

“Who is it?” a friend asked.

Chloe stood up, wiping away tears. Her face hardened, returning to the cold demeanor of a professional stunt actress.

“It’s him,” Chloe said. “He said he’d pick me up for ‘after-party’. He thought I was drunk and this was his chance to play the caring husband.”

I panicked. “Don’t open the door! Call the police!”

“The police are on their way,” Chloe said, pulling a Taser from her bag. “But he has a gun, Sarah.” “My detective reports that he always carries a Glock 19 in his car. We can’t let him get away with this. He’ll come back for you.”

Chloe glanced around at my friends – the frail, trembling office girls.

“Listen,” Chloe commanded. “Everyone go to the bedroom and lock the door. Sarah, you stay put. Wipe away your tears. Act like nothing happened. I’ll pick him up.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll put an end to this.”

Chapter 4: The Confrontation

The door opened. Mark walked in.

He was wearing an Armani suit, holding a large bouquet of roses. He was so handsome it made my heart ache.

“Hello, ladies!” Mark smiled brightly. “Did you have a good time? I’ve come to pick up my beloved wife.”

He saw me sitting on the sofa, my face pale.

“Sarah? What’s wrong?” “Drank too much?” He approached, his face feigning concern and concern.

Chloe emerged from behind the bar, a bottle of liquor in hand, a taser hidden behind her back.

“She’s just tired, Mark,” Chloe said, her voice seductive. “You’re in the perfect mood. We’re watching a movie.”

“What movie?” Mark asked, placing the flowers on the table.

“A horror movie,” Chloe smiled. “About a serial killer.”

Mark paused for a moment, then laughed. “You have strange tastes, Chloe.” He turned to me, intending to lean down and kiss me.

I couldn’t take it anymore. His cologne, his breath… it all made me nauseous.

I pushed his hand away. “Don’t touch me!”

Mark froze. “Sarah?”

“I know everything,” I stood up, yelling at him. “Back to Bora Bora! Back to the oxygen tank!” “About you trying to kill me!”

Mark’s face changed. In a flash. The perfect mask fell off, revealing the demon inside that I’d seen in the video.

He didn’t deny it. He knew that when I gave that much detail, it meant I knew the truth.

He stepped back, his hand reaching inside his vest.

“You bitch Chloe,” Mark hissed, turning sharply to look at my sister. “You framed me.”

“Yes,” Chloe said calmly.

Mark pulled out his gun. The black Glock pointed directly at my head.

“Stay still!” he roared. “I’m not going to jail! I’m going to kill this brat right now!”

“MARK! NO!” I screamed.

“Open the door!” Mark ordered Chloe. “I’ll take Sarah away.” “No one follow!”

He grabbed my hair, pulling me up. The cold barrel of the gun pressed against my temple. I sobbed, my limbs trembling.

Chloe stood in the doorway. She showed no fear. She looked Mark straight in the eye.

“You won’t shoot, Mark,” Chloe said.

“Try me!” Mark cocked his gun. Click.

“You’re a gold digger, Mark. You kill for money,” Chloe took a step forward. “If you shoot him now, in front of 20 witnesses, you won’t get a penny. You’ll be executed or jailed.”

Woodworm. “You’re smarter than that!”

“I have nothing to lose!” Mark yelled, his hands trembling.

“You do,” Chloe said. “You still have your damn life.”

Taking advantage of Mark’s hesitation, Chloe did something unexpected. She threw the bottle of liquor at Mark.

Mark flinched and fired instinctively.

BANG!

The bullet grazed Chloe’s shoulder and lodged in the wooden door.

I seized the opportunity and bit hard into Mark’s gun handle. He cried out in pain and loosened his grip.

I fell to the floor.

Chloe lunged like a leopard. She used to be a stunt double. She delivered a kick to Mark’s stomach, making him double over.

Then, she pressed the taser against his neck.

CLICK! CLACK! CLACK!

50,000 volts of electricity coursed through Mark. He convulsed violently, his eyes rolling back. Then it collapsed onto the floor like a rotten log.

The gun flew away.

Chloe kicked the gun under the chair, then rushed to hug me.

“Are you okay?” “Are you hurt?” Chloe asked urgently, checking me over.

I clung tightly to my sister, sobbing on her shoulder. She reeked of alcohol and cigarettes; my “bad” sister, who had just saved my life.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

Chapter End: Dawn on the Hill

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrived five minutes later. Mark was arrested with irrefutable evidence from the video and the illegal gun. He was also suspected of involvement in the death of his ex-wife in Texas – a case the police were reopening.

The wedding was canceled.

The next morning, Chloe and I sat on the balcony of our Airbnb, watching the sunrise over Los Angeles.

I had taken off my engagement ring and thrown it into the abyss below.

“Mom will kill us,” I said, taking a sip of coffee.

“She’ll be shocked,” Chloe laughed, lighting a cigarette. “But she’ll be glad her darling daughter is here.” “She’s still alive. And she’ll have to stop comparing us.”

I looked at Chloe. The bullet wound across her shoulder had been bandaged.

“You know,” I said. “I always thought you were jealous of me because I had a perfect life.”

Chloe exhaled smoke, gazing into the distance.

“Sarah, a perfect life is a lie. I’m not jealous. I’m just… scared. I’ve seen too much of this world’s dark side. I’m your shield, even if this shield is a little scratched and ugly.”

I took her hand.

“You’re not ugly. You’re my hero.”

Chloe stubbed out her cigarette. “Enough of the cheesiness. Now what are we going to do with all this bachelorette party decorations?” “And there are five more cases of wine.”

“We’ll drink it all,” I laughed. “To celebrate the day you’re not getting married.”

“That’s my sister,” Chloe clinked her coffee glass with mine.

On Hollywood Hill, my sister and I sat together. No more fairytale weddings, no more prince charming. Only the harsh reality and sisterly love – the only thing that truly saved us from the abyss.