They Spent My Lifeline

My Sister's Dream Car, My Death Sentence

The call disconnected right after that.

He never once asked if I was in pain, or even cared enough to find out which hospital had given me the verdict.

A vicious nausea twisted inside me. I staggered to the nearest trash can and spat blood, the taste sharp and metallic on my tongue.

I used to think my parents loved me. Perhaps they didn't love me as fiercely as they loved my sister, but at least they loved me enough to matter.

Now, the truth was as clear as day. I had only ever told myself that story to keep the loneliness at bay.

My vision blurred. As the world faded, my father's gentle warning echoed in my ears, 'don't make things harder for the family right now.'

...

I woke to a hospital bill shoved in my face.

A stranger had called the ambulance, but I couldn't afford to linger. So, I tore out the IV and walked out.

I wanted to keep living, if only to look them in the eye and demand what my life meant to them. Survival became my only rebellion.

I dragged my half-dead self and scraped together enough for the cheapest train ticket just to return to the house that once raised me despite the fact that the journey was draining me of everything I had left.

Something caught my eye the moment I reached the apartment complex.

A glossy black car lounged out front, flaunting itself like a prize. The oversized red bow on its hood screamed celebration.

Before I even stepped inside, I heard Natalia's smug voice from the apartment. "Dad, this car is amazing. His face changed the second he saw it. Noah really came through for us, huh? I can't believe he saved up that much."

My dad responded proudly, "Of course, he did. Your brother is the backbone of this family. I raised him well and taught him that he should look out for his sister as the oldest sibling. Clearly, my teachings have paid off."

I hovered outside the door, listening to the sounds of a family I barely recognized. I could barely feel my nails biting into my palm.

'The backbone of the family? That's all I am to them. I'm just a machine that never stops giving. I'll keep being their hero as long as I keep producing. The second I falter, I'm nothing but a burden.'

I took a slow breath, pulled out my key, and opened the door.

The laughter inside stopped instantly.

When my dad saw me, surprise flickered across his face.

Nevertheless, it vanished as quickly as it came to be replaced by a broad, practiced smile as he hurried over to me.

"Noah, you're back? Why didn't you tell me about it? I would have grabbed something nice for dinner. You look pale. Are you working too hard again?"

He reached out as if to grab my arm, but he silently withdrew his hand and chose to pat my shoulder when he saw the blood on my sleeve. "Well, it's good that you're here. Your sister's engagement is tomorrow. The hero needs to be there so we can all thank him properly."

Natalia was lounging on the couch, twirling her car keys around her finger. "Hey, Noah, you're back. Come see my new car. Isn't it beautiful? Seriously, thank you. I swear I'll pay you back when I earn some big bucks one day."

The whole family sat in picture-perfect harmony. It was as if the phone call that shattered me had never existed in the first place.

I stared at the table, seeing a lavish spread consisting of roast beef and buttery lobster spread before me. As my eyes leapt from one dish to the other, I felt my throat close with something heavier than hunger.

"Dad, I'm serious." I leaned feebly against the doorframe, locking eyes with him. "I'm ill. Very ill. That 800,000... can you sell the car or return it? I need the money for surgery."

The air in the room froze.

My mom set down her wine glass with a sharp clink. Her brow furrowed, irritation creeping into her face even though she was clearly trying to stay composed.

"Noah, how could you say that? The car just arrived, and all our friends and family already know about it. Have you considered what will happen to your sister if we do as you say? What will people think of our family? Our image?"

My dad sighed before guiding me over to the stiffest chair in the room and sat me down. He was playing up the fatherly act, pretending as if he truly were that reasonable.

"Noah, I know you're not feeling well. But consider this: your sister has finally found the man of her dreams. What's going to happen to her if he decides to back out because the car's gone? Can you honestly live with yourself if you ruin her future?"

"What about me?" I asked, tears spilling down my face. "Does my life not matter?"

"There you go again," my dad said.

He pulled out a tissue and wiped my face with a rough hand, his touch impatient even though his voice remained soft.

"We're family, so don't talk like that. There's still some emergency cash at home, maybe two or three thousand. You can take that and get yourself some medicine. As for a surgery that expensive... let's wait until after Natalia's wedding.

"We'll all figure something out together after that, okay? You're her older brother. Just hold on a little longer."