When the wind stops, true feelings remain

I was diagnosed with cancer the day I was assaulted.

I was left battered and bruised.

The police told me to call my family.

My parents, frantic, said they were visiting friends out of town but would rush back.

My older brothers, Mark and David, said they were on their way.

But I waited at the station all day, and only Mark showed up.

He put his coat around me, his eyes full of concern.

“Sarah, I’m so sorry. If it weren’t for Lisa being sick, I wouldn’t have let you go to that meeting alone. This wouldn’t have happened. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

His phone rang, and he rushed outside.

I followed.

“Mom, this is insane. Just to keep Sarah away from Jessica’s adoption party? This is too much.”

At the same time, a photo flashed in our family group chat, quickly deleted, but I saw it.

Jessica, in a beautiful dress, posing with my family, her arm linked with my fiancé, Michael’s.

I froze. My own family had set me up.

All because I objected to them adopting Jessica.

I laughed, a hollow sound.

I’m dying anyway. What’s the point of fighting?

1

Mark hung up and dialed another number, his voice laced with anger.

“Who told you to actually hurt her? You’re not getting the rest of your money!”

“What? You want more? You’ve got to be kidding me! I’ll have you all arrested!”

He slammed his fist against the doorframe after hanging up.

Seeing his red-rimmed eyes, I turned and walked back inside.

He followed me in, asking the officer, “Are there any security cameras where it happened?”

The officer looked up, confused.

“Your sister just dropped the charges. Do you want to reopen the case?”

Mark whipped around to look at me.

All he saw was my faint smile.

“It’s okay, Mark. I don’t want this to get out. I’m not even married yet.”

His eyes welled up, and he hugged me.

“Sarah, I’m so sorry.”

I didn’t care about my reputation.

I just didn’t want Mark to get in trouble if those guys were caught.

He was the only one who had ever truly cared for me.

Before Jessica, Mark, David, and even Dad had treated me like a princess.

They’d always defended me against Mom’s harsh words.

But everything changed when Jessica arrived.

Mark drove me home.

Everyone was waiting in the living room, their fancy clothes replaced by casual wear.

Mom rushed to me, crying.

If it weren’t for her usual coldness, I might have believed she actually cared.

“Sarah, honey, I feel so terrible.”

David chimed in, “Sarah, I heard you dropped the charges. Are you sure you don’t want to press charges?”

His tone was probing. They all knew.

I nodded.

Dad emerged from behind Mom, his voice hesitant.

“Sarah, you must be hungry after all this. I’ll make you some noodles.”

I hadn’t cried until that moment.

His genuine concern broke me.

I started to move toward him, but Mom’s sharp voice stopped me.

“Always with the food! You’re such a glutton!”

Dad recoiled, muttering, “I’ll…I’ll warm you some milk. Get some rest.”

He shuffled into the kitchen.

Dad was always under Mom’s thumb. He must have protested their plan to hurt me, but his timid nature held him back.

I gestured for everyone to sit down.

I needed to tell them about the cancer.

“I won’t be able to manage the company anymore. I have…”

Jessica cut me off, looping her arm through mine.

“Sarah, I just graduated. Mom said I could help out at the company. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of things. You just focus on getting better.”

I subtly pulled my arm away.

“The company…”

Mom interrupted again.

“Jessica calls me ‘Mom’ now. Don’t read into it, Sarah. Just rest. Your brother and Jessica will handle the company.”

I couldn’t even finish a sentence.

What was I expecting?

“Okay.”

2

I went upstairs.

As I opened my bedroom door, Jessica called out, “Michael was so upset when he heard about the…incident. Don’t forget to talk to him.”

My heart sank. Tears flowed silently.

The hot shower stung, making me tremble.

I sobbed, the sound swallowed by the running water.

Michael and I had promised to wait until our wedding night.

I hadn’t kept my promise.

There was a glass of warm milk on my nightstand. Dad had been here.

I opened my door a crack, hearing laughter from downstairs.

Jessica was nestled beside Mom, telling her something amusing.

My brothers were laughing along.

Only Dad kept glancing towards my room, his face etched with sadness.

I closed the door, shutting out the noise.

I scrolled through Jessica’s Instagram feed.

Pictures from the adoption party.

The family photo, Mom beaming at Jessica, Jessica beaming at Michael.

Jessica always tagged everyone in her posts, fishing for likes.

This one had none.

When Mom first brought Jessica home, I treated her like a sister.

But I soon saw through her manipulative ways.

Flirting with my brothers, playing the victim with Mom.

I warned them, only to be scolded.

Now, I was the unreasonable one.

I opened my messages with Michael.

“We’re done.”

He replied quickly.

“Sarah, they said you made up the assault story to disrupt Jessica’s party. Is that true?”

“I didn’t lie.”

“Sarah! Why won’t you tell me the truth? If you didn’t lie, why did Jessica say you dropped the charges?”

How could I explain that my family had conspired against me? No one would believe it.

Especially not Michael, who was childhood friends with Mark.

“We’re done.”

I turned off my phone, burying myself under the covers, clinging to the faint warmth.

3

The house was empty when I woke up.

Jessica’s Instagram showed them at a fancy brunch.

A photo captioned: Family time is the best time.

They’d forgotten me.

The doorbell rang.

Michael stood there with flowers.

“Sarah, you look terrible.”

“We broke up. What are you doing here?”

He stared at me, his voice trembling.

“Were you…really assaulted?”

I thought I was prepared.

But hearing him ask, I started shaking again.

Jessica’s laughter echoed from outside.

Then, the whole family walked in.

Jessica snatched the flowers.

“Michael, you’re so sweet! You know I love tulips.”

Michael’s hand froze, his eyes still on me.

I forced a smile.

“Yes, Michael brought them for you.”

I turned to go upstairs, but Dad stopped me.

He held out a bag.

“Sarah, I brought you some brunch.”

Mom shrieked, “Takeout from a place like that? How embarrassing! Have you no shame?”

Dad flinched, dropping the bag.

Shrimp dumplings spilled out.

Jessica chimed in, “Seriously, Dad. That’s so tacky.”

I looked at my dejected father, then bent down and picked up a dusty dumpling, popping it in my mouth.

“Delicious. Thanks, Dad.”

Michael’s face darkened. He stepped towards me.

“You all went out to brunch and left Sarah here alone?”

He grabbed the tulips from Jessica and thrust them at me.

“These are for you, Sarah. I thought about it all night. Even if you are as spiteful as they say, or if you were…assaulted…I’m not leaving you.”

Jessica burst into tears, clinging to Mom.

Mom glared at Michael.

“You can’t give something away and then take it back.”

Jessica sobbed, “Mom, it’s not Michael’s fault. I’m just so touched. Sarah was…violated by so many men, and he’s still here for her.”

Michael’s eyes widened.

“So many men? What does that mean?”

He turned to Mark, grabbing his shirt.

“You said she was lying!”

Mark looked down, his face contorted in pain.

“We thought she was…but she wasn’t…”

Jessica added fuel to the fire.

“It was awful. Five or six men. They said…she was torn…”

I screamed.

“Stop it! Just stop! Why do you keep hurting me?”

“Michael, I wanted to break up with you anyway. We’ve been together for years. It’s like kissing my own hand. I’m bored!”

“I’m the CEO now, and you’re still a struggling artist. You’re not good enough for me! Get out! I don’t want to see you again!”

I ran to my room, collapsing inside.

The words I’d just spoken felt like knives in my heart.

I wanted to run into Michael’s arms, tell him everything.

But I didn’t have time.

4

I didn’t see him again. He went overseas.

I dragged myself to work, handing everything over to Mark and Jessica.

Then I bought a small cottage by the sea, ready to die alone.

I took my family to dinner one last time.

I raised my glass.

“Mom, Dad, thank you for raising me. Mark, David, thank you for being my brothers. Cheers.”

I drained my glass.

“One more thing. I’m moving out. I won’t be back.”

Jessica started crying.

“Sarah, I know you don’t like me. You’re just trying to make Mom and Dad un-adopt me, aren’t you? What do I have to do to make you happy?”

I cut her off.

“It’s not you. I have terminal cancer. I don’t want my family to see me like that.”

Mom slammed her hand on the table.

“Enough! I’m keeping Jessica. I don’t care what lies you make up.”

Mark said, “Sarah, come on. We still love you. It’s just one more sister.”

David frowned.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a doctor. You think I wouldn’t know if you had cancer?”

I turned to Dad.

“Dad, you don’t believe me either?”

He looked down, silenced by Mom’s glare.

I laughed, tears streaming down my face. I finished the bottle of wine.

I’d repaid their kindness. I had no family left.

The next day, when David rushed home with my medical records, I was gone.