Oliver and Sarah were half-siblings, sharing the same mother but different fathers. It happened that Natalie first married one man, from whom she had a son. Then came a divorce, followed by a new encounter.
At a conference, she met a pediatrician named Daniel, who was giving a lecture on the benefits of breastfeeding. The two quickly grew close. Natalie even warned him that she already had a one-year-old son, but this didn’t deter Daniel. He fell deeply in love with her. Remarkably, they still found time for dates. After six months of dating, Daniel and Natalie got married.
A year later, their daughter Sarah was born. The girl was the spitting image of her father—same nose, moon-shaped face, a mole on her cheek in the exact spot as his, full lips, and she was a chubby baby, just like her dad. The family was blissfully happy. On weekends, Daniel loved to fish, so the whole family would head out to the countryside. While Daniel and Oliver fished, Natalie set the table, and little Sarah helped her mom. After a good catch and a hearty lunch, they’d return home. During summer vacations, they made it a point to visit the beach. They were an ordinary, happy family.
But time passed, the children grew, and soon Daniel was diagnosed with a malignant tumor. Instead of fishing trips and beach outings, the family found themselves surrounded by sterile hospital rooms, IV drips, wires, and a father fading day by day. The smell of disinfectant made Sarah nauseous. She decided she hated hospitals, terrified above all of losing her father.
A year later, it happened. In May, Sarah turned fourteen, and in June, Daniel passed away. Devastating grief struck the family, but it hit Sarah the hardest. She felt as though her world had been torn in half. She sank into depression, spending days in bed, crying. Her heart ached with every beat, and she saw no purpose in life without her father. Meanwhile, her mother began drinking—first at the wake, then the next day, and then more and more.
Natalie drowned her sorrow in vodka. Oliver had to drop out of college and take a job as a warehouse worker to keep some money coming in, as Natalie was in no state to work. But soon, he joined her in drinking. Watching this, Sarah felt like a stranger in her own family. She began to imagine that her real parents had left her with Natalie and Oliver to look after her. She grew repulsed by them.
The problem was, she couldn’t tell anyone about her family’s dire situation. She feared her classmates would mock her, call her names, and her friends would abandon her. So she kept it all inside. The only person she turned to for help was Daniel’s sister, but she refused to get involved. The only thing Daniel’s relatives did was decide how to divide his property. It sounds harsh, but that’s how it was. Daniel had been a skilled doctor, often receiving expensive gifts from patients, and by forty-seven, he had amassed a decent fortune.
Time passed. Sarah graduated high school and decided to follow in her father’s footsteps. She passed her exams and enrolled in a pediatric program at university. This was her salvation. She could finally escape her mother and brother. Sarah moved into a dorm, made new friends, and even started dating a guy two years older. By her third year, they were renting an apartment together.
Sarah finally felt happy and free. She didn’t think about her mother or brother and cut off all contact. She even entertained thoughts that they might have died from alcoholism. Six years later, Sarah graduated from university, married George—the guy she’d been dating since her first year—and had a son. Life went on until one day, she found Oliver standing at her doorstep.
— Hey, sis, — he said.
Sarah was speechless. Her brother looked nothing like the man she remembered. He wore a sharp business suit and held a black leather briefcase.
— How did you find me?
— I have my connections. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Care to invite me in for tea?
Sarah swallowed her pride. *George is on shift today, and it’s too early to pick up Alex,* she thought, and let him in. She brewed fresh tea and set out some snacks.
— I brought something too, — Oliver said, pulling three nut-filled chocolate bars from his briefcase.
They were the same kind Sarah loved as a child. From her brother’s story, she learned the latest about her family. Their mother had landed in the hospital with a stomach ulcer that could have killed her if an ambulance hadn’t been called in time. That incident flipped a switch in their minds, and they reevaluated their lives. Oliver reenrolled in college to study law, and Natalie started working as a daycare assistant. They both quit drinking entirely.
— Forgive us, me and Mom, for the drinking. She misses you so much. You’re the only one who reminds her of Dad.
*My dad, not yours,* Sarah wanted to say, but she held back.
This was another reason she avoided her family. She was angry that Oliver’s deadbeat father was still alive, while her father, the best pediatrician, was gone. It felt unfair.
— I’m glad you’re doing better. But I don’t want to see Mom. Just pretend I never existed.
— Why so harsh, sis? We’ve really changed. Mom would love to meet her grandson in her old age.
— You know about my son too? — Oliver nodded. — So that’s the kind of lawyer you are now. Well, if you know everything, that’s enough for her. She’ll never meet my son, so tell her that.
— Why are you so cruel, sis?
— Stop calling me that! — Sarah shouted. — I’m not your sister! We’re not related! We just came from the same womb, and that’s where it ends. Enough! You ruined my life, turned me into a nervous wreck. Have you forgotten how you got drunk, fought, screamed in the middle of the night when I had to get up early for school? I was exhausted because of you. Don’t remember? I do. Every detail. And you won’t believe it, but I was so grateful to fate when I finally moved out. I didn’t even think about you all this time. To me, you were just a bunch of losers.
— Yes, we were wrong. I’m sorry. — Oliver knelt before her. — Be mad at me, but forgive Mom. She really wants to see you and meet your son.
— What am I supposed to tell my son? Look, this is your grandma who ruined my life? Your alcoholic grandma? I even told my husband my mother was dead. So let’s just forget each other. I don’t want anything to do with you two. Live your lives together like before—you’re good at that. I’ve gotten used to being alone and independent.
— If you ever need help, you can always reach out to me.
Sarah watched her brother leave. As the door closed, she broke down in tears. It was as if she’d absorbed everything like a sponge and was now wringing it all out. For years, she’d held onto her childhood grudges, and now she could finally cry freely. But she didn’t know why she was crying—whether from seeing her brother, learning they were doing well, or simply because she was glad they were out of her life. She didn’t have an answer.
A year passed.
Sarah divorced George after discovering he’d been cheating with a young nurse. He kicked her and their son out of the apartment they’d bought together. Sarah moved into a rental. But the troubles didn’t end. One day at work, her supervisor called her into the office.
— Sarah, dear, what’s this about your bank troubles? — Sarah looked at her, confused. — I know it’s not my business, but they keep calling, saying you haven’t paid your loan.
— What loan? I never took out a loan. It must be a mistake.
— Dear, go find out.
At the bank, Sarah learned shocking news. She’d missed four loan payments, racking up hefty interest. She couldn’t understand how someone could have taken out a loan in her name, complete with her passport details and signature. Back home, she dug out a business card she’d kept for a long time, thankful she hadn’t thrown it away.
Sarah called Oliver. She realized she’d been wrong to hold a grudge against him all these years. They were family, after all, and families stick together, helping each other. She remembered how, as a child, he’d often buy her treats—chocolate bars, her favorite crème brûlée ice cream she could eat endlessly, chips, fruits, and other goodies. Oliver had always loved and cared for his little sister. It never crossed his mind to call their bond “not real.”
Sarah met Oliver at his office and told him everything, bringing the necessary documents. It turned out she’d signed not only a document waiving her rights to the apartment but also one obligating her to pay off a loan of $1,000, with her as the victim.
— George must have slipped you that paper, — Oliver said.
— If only I’d known! — Sarah cried. — That scumbag! Is there nothing we can do?
— Unfortunately, you signed the contract. There’s no going back.
Sarah sobbed harder. Now she had a massive debt, a young son to feed and clothe, and rent to pay.
— You can stay with Mom for a while. She’d be happy to help with your son.
— And you?
— I haven’t lived with Mom for a while. — Oliver showed her the wedding ring on his finger.
— So she’s alone? — Oliver nodded.
Sarah’s heart ached. How much time had she wasted on foolish grudges? She approached her brother and hugged him tightly.
— Forgive me. Forgive me for everything!
And so, the family reunited. Sarah met with her mother, and they hugged and cried for a long time. Natalie finally met her grandson, who looked just like her daughter. Sarah met Oliver’s wife, who was soon to make him a father and Sarah an aunt. Sarah moved in with her mother, and Oliver helped with the loan while also ensuring George paid his share, as he was the father of Oliver’s nephew. Sarah realized her mistakes and was grateful they forgave her. As it turned out, neither Oliver nor her mother held any resentment toward her. On the contrary, they were ashamed of how far they’d let themselves fall. But now, the family was together again.
No comments