Sister's Sacrifice

Chapter 8

The ride home from the hospital was painfully quiet.

Ella sat by the window, her fingers trembling in her lap. The world outside moved normally—cars honking, children running, street vendors shouting—but inside the small taxi, everything felt frozen. Anita sat beside her, stiff and silent, her eyes fixed straight ahead.

She had not said a word since they left.

But her silence was louder than anger.

When they finally reached home, Anita paid the driver and stepped out without waiting for Ella. She walked straight into the house, dropped her handbag on the table, and stood there for a moment, breathing heavily.

Ella entered slowly, closing the door behind her.

“Anita…” she whispered.

Anita turned around sharply.

“Who?” she asked.

Ella blinked. “What?”

“Who is responsible for this pregnancy, Ella?”

Her voice was not shouting, but it was firm. It carried years of sacrifice. Years of responsibility.

Ella swallowed. “I… I don’t know how to—”

“Don’t lie to me!” Anita snapped.

Tears instantly filled Ella’s eyes. She had never seen her sister look at her like that before. Since their parents died, Anita had been her mother, her father, her protector, her everything.

“I’m asking you one simple question,” Anita said, her voice cracking. “Who got you pregnant?”

Ella shook her head, stepping backward. “Please don’t be angry.”

“Angry?” Anita let out a short, painful laugh. “You think I’m angry? I’m scared, Ella! I am scared!”

Silence fell between them.

Ella could no longer hold it in.

“It’s Josh,” she whispered.

The name hung in the air.

Anita’s face went pale. “Josh?”

Ella nodded slowly.

Anita staggered backward and sat down heavily on the couch. She covered her mouth as tears spilled from her eyes.

“Josh…” she repeated. “That boy that can barely feed himself?”

Ella began crying harder. “He said he loved me.”

“Love?” Anita burst out. “Love doesn’t pay hospital bills! Love doesn’t buy baby food!”

Ella sobbed uncontrollably.

Anita stood up and began pacing the room. “You allowed a boy who doesn’t even have a stable job to get you pregnant? What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t thinking,” Ella admitted weakly.

Anita stopped pacing and stared at her sister. Her anger slowly melted into pain.

Ever since their parents died, Anita had worked tirelessly—extra shifts, sleepless nights, sacrificing her own dreams—just to make sure Ella never lacked anything. She had protected her from the world.

And now the world had found a way in.

“I thought…” Anita whispered, tears flowing freely.

“I thought at least his family would take responsibility.”

Ella wiped her eyes. “He told me his uncle was strict, but—”

“But what?” Anita asked.

Ella hesitated. She didn’t know why, but fear crept into her chest.

Something felt wrong.

Anita wiped her tears angrily. “We’re going to his house tomorrow.”

Ella’s eyes widened. “Anita, please—”

“No,” Anita said firmly. “He will not run away from this. If he made you pregnant, he must face it.”

That night, neither of them slept.

The following morning, Anita woke up early. Her eyes were swollen from crying, but her determination was clear.

“Get ready,” she told Ella.

They left the house without eating.

Josh lived a few streets away in a small apartment building. The sun was already rising when they arrived. Anita walked confidently to the door and knocked.

No answer.

She knocked again. And again.

Minutes passed.

Ella’s heart pounded. “Maybe he’s not home.”

Anita knocked harder, her frustration building.

“Josh! Open this door!”

After what felt like forever, a door beside Josh’s apartment creaked open.

An elderly woman stepped out, adjusting her scarf. “Who are you looking for?”

“Josh,” Anita replied quickly. “He lives here.”

The woman exchanged a look with another neighbor who had also stepped outside.

“Josh?” the second neighbor said slowly. “The young man from Pakistan?”

Anita nodded. “Yes. That’s him.”

The neighbors looked at each other again.

“I’m sorry,” the elderly woman said gently. “You didn’t hear?”

Anita frowned. “Hear what?”

“He moved.”

Ella felt her knees weaken.

“What do you mean he moved?” Anita demanded.

“He and his uncle packed their things last night,” the man said. “They left for their hometown.”

Anita blinked. “Hometown?”

“Yes. Pakistan. He came to live here in Dallas with his uncle some years ago. We don’t know what happened, but they both left suddenly.”

Ella’s world began spinning.

“No,” she whispered. “That’s not possible.”

The elderly woman shrugged sympathetically.

“They left around midnight. Took everything.”

Anita stepped back as if someone had slapped her.

“He… he left?” she asked slowly.

“Yes.”

Without another word, Anita turned away from the building.

Ella stood frozen, staring at the closed door that once led to Josh’s apartment.

He was gone.

Not a message. Not a goodbye.

Gone.

Outside the building, Anita suddenly broke down.

“He ran away,” she cried, covering her face. “That boy ran away!”

Ella began crying too. “Maybe he didn’t know—”

“He knew!” Anita snapped. “He knew exactly what he was doing!”

She wiped her tears angrily. “Ever since our parents died, I have been the one taking care of you. I became your mother overnight! I gave up school, gave up my dreams, just to make sure you were safe.”

Her voice trembled violently.

“And now you’re adding another responsibility for me.”

The words hit Ella like a knife.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered repeatedly.

Anita sank onto the pavement, sobbing openly.

Passersby stared, but she didn’t care.

“I thought at least his family would take responsibility,” she cried. “But he ran. He ran back to his country!”

Ella stood beside her, feeling guilt crush her chest.

At that moment, Anita’s phone rang.

She glanced at the screen.

Daniel.

Her hands were shaking as she answered.

“Hello…”

“Anita?” Daniel’s voice sounded worried. “Are you okay?”

That was all it took.

Anita broke down again.

“He left,” she cried into the phone. “Daniel, he left! We went to his house. His neighbors said he moved back to Pakistan last night. He ran away!”

There was silence on the other end.

“What?” Daniel said slowly.

“He abandoned her,” Anita sobbed. “He abandoned us.”

Ella hugged herself tightly, tears streaming down her face.

Daniel took a deep breath. “Where are you now?”

“Outside his apartment.”

“Go back home,” Daniel said gently but firmly.

“Don’t stay there. I’m coming over.”

Anita sniffed. “Daniel… I don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he assured her. “But first, go home. I’ll meet you there.”

Anita ended the call slowly.

She stood up, wiping her face.

“Let’s go,” she said quietly.

Ella followed her in silence.

As they walked back home, reality settled in.

Josh was gone.

He had chosen escape over responsibility.

And now Anita was left to carry a burden she never planned for.

But deep inside, something else was forming too.

Strength.

Because no matter how hard it became, Anita had never failed her sister before.

And she wasn’t about to start now.

Little did they know, Daniel was already planning something that would change everything.