My Mom Told Me to Die on My Sister’s Celebration Day Chapter 04

My Mom Told Me to Die on My Sister’s Celebration Day Chapter 04

Late that night, muffled sobs broke the silence.

They were coming from the balcony.

It was Sienna. Curled up on the narrow bed, she hugged herself tightly.

Her shoulders shook. Her eyes were squeezed shut, tears clinging to her lashes.

Was she having a nightmare?

I rushed to her side, desperate to soothe her.

But my fingers passed straight through her.

Mom ran out of the bedroom and pulled Sienna into her arms.

Dad hurried over, panic written all over his face.

“Sienna, baby, we’re here. We’ve got you.”

Sienna stared blankly at them. Then she broke down.

“Mom… Dad… I don’t want to stay back with Eira.”

“For the last three years, I’ve done everything I could to get good grades.”

“I didn’t want to turn out like her… letting you down over and over again.” Her voice trembled.

“I know she’s sick. I gave her my bedroom. I sleep out here on the balcony.”

“I gave up having you all to myself. I tried so hard not to be a burden.”

“But college…” Her sobs grew louder. “This is my future.”

“I could give up everything else. But not this.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

“All you ever see is Eira. I wanted to make you proud too.”

Mom’s tears spilled over. She wrapped Sienna in a tight embrace.

“Oh, sweetheart… we’re the ones who let you down.”

Dad’s eyes rimmed red as he stroked her hair.

Then his gaze shifted to my closed bedroom door, and the anger crept back into his face.

“Eira! You have any idea what you’re putting her through?”

“Sienna’s crying her heart out, and you won’t even come out to look at her?”

Sienna shrank deeper into Mom’s arms.

“Dad, please… just stop. Eira’s probably asleep. She feels terrible too…”

“She feels terrible?”

Dad let out a bitter laugh. It sounded more painful than crying.

“So if she feels terrible, the rest of us are just fine?”

“She only ever thinks about herself. She never sees what Sienna’s given up for her.”

“She never sees how much we have put into this.”

The more he spoke, the angrier he became.

He stormed over to my door and grabbed the handle. Locked.

His face darkened. He pounded on the door with all his strength.

“Eira! Come out right now, or don’t bother calling me your dad anymore!”

The pounding echoed through the silent house.

Mom looked utterly drained.

“Just leave her.”

“All she ever does is make Sienna cry. She’s never once tried to understand what we’ve been through.”

“I’m done.”

Dad suddenly stopped. He buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking.

His voice leaked through his fingers.

“What did we ever do to deserve this…?”

I stared at them, speechless.

I was already dead. So why… why did my heart still hurt?

Don’t cry, Sienna.

Your future is still waiting for you.

And me… I’ll never be your burden again.