Chapter 5

One day, I got a call from the hospital. "Ms. Foster? Your sister's treatment bill for this month still hasn't been paid. Could you please handle it as soon as possible?"

I was stunned.

Yosef had literally told me a few days ago that he'd already sent the money.

I called Yosef immediately.

The phone rang for ages before he finally picked up. The background was so noisy it sounded like he was at a bar.

"What do you want?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"The hospital says you haven't paid for Nancy's treatment," I said.

There was a long pause on the other end. "I forgot. I've been too busy today. I'll take care of it tomorrow. Why are you pushing me?"

With that, he hung up.

I clutched my phone, feeling a chill run through me.

He forgot. He forgot the money for my sister's treatment.

His so-called "busy"? He was out living it up at a bar.

I could hear Ella's playful laugh in the background right before he hung up.

In that moment, something inside me completely shattered.

I started hustling like crazy, grabbing every side gig I could find: medical translation, online consultations, writing for medical journals. If it made money, I was on it.

I needed to save up. I needed to break free from Yosef. Most of all, I was determined to save my sister with my own two hands.

But after being off the job for so long, all my connections and resources were gone.

The money I was making was a drop in the bucket compared to Nancy's sky-high medical bills.

I had no choice but to keep begging Yosef for help, again and again.

Every time I had to ask him for money, it felt like dying a little inside.

He'd always come up with some excuse. "I'm short on cash right now.

"The last project still hasn't paid out.

"Can you stop nagging me? I'm not your personal ATM."

Eventually, he started doubting my intentions. "Nina, are you using your sister's illness as an excuse to squeeze money out of me?

"Six figures a month? Do you think I'm some kind of fool?"

I slapped the hospital bills right in front of him, my whole body trembling with anger. "Yosef, insult me all you want, but don't you dare mess around with my sister's life."

He glanced at the bills and let out a cold laugh. "Who knows if these bills are even legit?

"Looks to me like you're bored out of your mind at home, trying every trick to milk me for cash."

That was the first time I hit him.

I put everything I had into that slap.

He didn't fight back; he stared at me like I was some kind of lunatic. "Are you done making a scene?

"I'll transfer the money tomorrow.

"Nina, this is the last time.

"From now on, you're on your own."

With that, he slammed the door and walked out.

I knew we were finished—for real.

*****

Yosef made good on his word. From that day forward, he never initiated contact again. The funding for Nancy's treatment was cut off.

I called and texted him frantically, as if possessed.

But he ignored every call and message.

I went to the hospital to try to catch him, but the security guards stopped me at the door. They said Yosef had left explicit instructions: no one named Nina Foster was allowed in.

I went to the place we used to live, but the locks had already been changed.

I felt like a homeless stray, left out in the cold by Yosef.

All I could do was helplessly watch as Nancy's body wasted away, day after day.

Without her meds, the cancer spread like wildfire. The pain kept her up all night, and she could only rely on heavy doses of morphine to take the edge off.

She was nothing but skin and bones now, and her eyes, once so bright and beautiful, had lost all their life.

She clung to my hand, her voice barely hanging on. "Nina, is it about the money? Let's stop the treatment. Let's go home."

I held her icy hand, tears pouring down my cheeks. "Don't talk like that, Nancy.

"I've got money. You're going to get better."

I was lying to her, and to myself.

I sold the only home my parents left me. With that money, I managed to pay off the overdue medical bills.

But that small sum was nothing against the massive costs.

I was desperate, so I had no choice but to turn to Ella for help.

I knew it was humiliating, but I had nowhere else to turn.

I waited the whole day for Ella in the hospital parking lot.

When she got off work, she pulled up in a shiny new red sports car. It was a birthday present from Yosef.

I ran up and stood right in front of her car, blocking her way.