Sister's Sacrifice

Chapter 7

The hospital room was unusually quiet, except for the faint beeping of a monitor and the distant footsteps of nurses moving through the corridor. Morning light filtered in through the half-open blinds, resting softly on Ella’s pale face. She lay still on the narrow hospital bed, her breathing steady but heavy, as if even in sleep her body carried a burden too difficult to explain.

Outside the room, Anita stood beside Daniel, her arms folded tightly across her chest. She hadn’t slept all night. Her eyes were swollen, not just from lack of sleep but from fear—fear of the unknown. When the nurse finally approached with the test results in hand, Anita felt her heart pound so loudly she thought everyone could hear it.

“The results are ready,” the nurse said gently.

Anita swallowed hard as the doctor opened the file. The words seemed to hang in the air longer than they should.

“She’s pregnant.”

The world stopped.

Anita blinked as though she had misheard. “Pregnant?” she repeated faintly.

The doctor nodded. “Yes. She’ll need proper care and support.”

Before Anita could process what that truly meant, Josh—who had been standing a few steps away—stiffened. His eyes widened, and for a brief second, guilt flashed across his face. Then, without saying a word, he turned and walked quickly down the hallway.

“Josh!” Mamacita called after him when she noticed his sudden movement. But he didn’t stop. He didn’t look back.

Within seconds, he disappeared.

Anita stood frozen. The silence he left behind felt louder than any scream. Mamacita frowned deeply, already suspecting the worst. “That boy…” she muttered angrily and rushed down the corridor, her slippers slapping against the hospital tiles. She searched near the entrance, outside by the parked cars, even near the gate. But Josh was nowhere to be found.

“He ran away,” she said bitterly when she returned.

Anita’s composure finally broke. Tears spilled down her cheeks. She felt disappointment, anger, and guilt all at once. She turned to Daniel, who had remained calm but concerned.

“I knew it,” Anita whispered shakily. “I had this feeling… like something bad was going to happen. I just didn’t know it would be this.”

Daniel gently guided her to a seat. “You can’t blame yourself for this,” he said softly.

“But I’m her elder sister,” Anita cried. “Since our parents died, I’ve been the one taking care of her. I promised I would protect her. I promised I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

Her voice cracked under the weight of responsibility she had carried for years. Losing their parents had forced her to grow up faster than she should have. She had sacrificed her own comfort just to make sure Ella lacked nothing.

And now this.

Daniel placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You did your best, Anita. Sometimes people make their own choices. What matters now is what we do next. Everything will be fine.”

But Anita wasn’t sure if she believed that.

Inside the hospital room, Ella stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly. For a moment, she seemed confused, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. Then she noticed the tension in the room. Mamacita stood at one corner with her arms crossed. Anita was by the window, wiping her tears quickly as she noticed Ella was awake.

“Ella,” Anita said softly, walking toward her bed.

Ella tried to sit up but winced slightly. “What happened?” she asked weakly. Her eyes searched their faces. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

Mamacita didn’t hesitate. “Your test results came out,” she said bluntly.

Ella’s heart skipped. “And?”

There was a heavy pause before Anita spoke.

“You’re pregnant.”

The word crashed into Ella like a storm. For a few seconds, she didn’t react. It was as if her mind refused to understand what her ears had heard.

“Pregnant?” she repeated faintly.

Anita nodded, tears threatening to fall again.

Ella’s lips trembled. The memories flooded her mind—every secret meeting, every careless decision, every ignored warning sign. Suddenly, everything made sense. The tiredness. The nausea. The fear she had buried deep inside.

Her eyes filled with tears, and soon they began to fall uncontrollably. She covered her face with her hands and wept.

“Who did this to you?” Anita demanded, pain mixed with frustration in her voice. “Who is responsible?”

But Ella said nothing.

She only cried harder.

Mamacita stepped forward angrily. “Is it Josh? That useless boy? He ran away when he heard the result!”

Still, Ella remained silent. Her silence spoke louder than words. Shame wrapped around her like chains. She felt betrayed—not just by Josh, but by herself. She had trusted him. She had believed his promises. Now he was gone.

“Talk to me, Ella!” Anita pleaded, her voice breaking. “I need to know.”

But Ella turned her face toward the wall, refusing to speak. The only sound in the room was her quiet sobbing.

Daniel, who had been standing quietly by the door, finally stepped closer. He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t raise his voice. He simply looked at the broken girl on the bed and understood that sometimes pain makes words impossible.

Outside, the sky had grown cloudy, as if reflecting the heaviness in their hearts.

Inside that hospital room, everything had changed.

And none of them knew what would happen next.