Chapter 24 - Her Sister

Trigger Warning: Part of the story in this chapter contains some abuse information that might upset some readers.

Isabella’s heart was beating erratically as they edged near Noah’s room and Edmund opened the door, inviting her in.

As they stepped inside, her hand flew to her mouth in shock. The image in front of her shattered her to the core, she felt a cold chill traveling down her spine.

She didn’t know what her heart was expecting, but not precisely what she found, a man lying in bed, with bandages covering most of his body, both his legs in casts. He was surrounded by beeping monitors.

‘He looks even worse than my sister, the poor man! Poor Edmund!’

“Is this Luisa’s sister?” He inquired in a low voice, his glance directed towards his brother for confirmation, until returning to her, his eyes turning glossy. “Are you Isabella?”

“Yes.”

“Come closer. Let me take a look at you.” Noah tried to raise a trembling hand, but not succeeding, he helplessly surrendered. Isabella drew closer and took his hand into hers. “I’ve seen pictures, but you are even more beautiful in person. You look just like your sister!” He complimented her, and she could feel her cheeks burning.

“Thank you.” She humbly expressed her appreciation.

“How is Luisa?” He asked and Isabella could spot a mix of concern and fear in his eyes.

‘He has the same eyes as Edmund, beautiful and expressing and he really loves my sister, she is lucky to be loved this way! I can only wish that someday someone will feel the same for me!’

“She’s mostly sleeping, but the doctors are confident in her progress. Please do not worry.” She tried to provide some assurance. “How are you feeling?”

“Oh, no need to be distressed for me, they are feeding me sedatives all the time, I feel almost nothing.” His lips shaped into a faint smile.

“Can I be of any help?”

“I wanted to get to know you. I intended to meet you before, but your sister insisted that you were devastated due to your father’s death. It was later that I found out that you were blaming her.” He confessed with genuine hurt in his voice.

“I—”

“Please let me finish before I fall asleep again.” He insisted.

“Of course.”

“Luisa might not forgive me for what I’m about to tell you, but neither will I be able to forgive myself if I don’t shed light on the situation.” His hand started shaking and Isabella lightly tightened her hold in support. “I know you blame her for your father’s death, that you blame me too, but you need to know the truth.”

Noah’s mind seemed troubled, she could see how difficult it was for him to talk.

“We don’t need to do this now. Maybe after you’ll feel better, we can discuss more.”

He sighed before continuing. “Your father sexually abused Luisa, it started when she was barely fourteen and continued until she left home. Your mother knew about it, and instead of protecting her daughter, she drowned herself in tons of alcohol. Sometimes she stepped in when she heard her daughter’s screams, sometimes she didn’t.”

The moment Noah’s words sunk in, Isabella felt nauseous. Her bile threatened to rise, the desire to empty her stomach’s content was overwhelming, it was hard for her to control the sensation, but she managed to do it.

The story sounded unconceivable to Isabella’s ears, her father was not that kind of person, yet tears formed in the corners of her eyes, she removed her hand from his hold and wiped them.

Her father was not perfect in her eyes, he had his flaws just like any other person, but he never intended anything like that with her. Why would he have done that to her sister?

‘I would have noticed something. Luisa would have confided in me.’

She shook her head. “No, you’re lying!” She was shaking like a leaf. “He wasn’t that kind of person. I would have known!” She cried out. “Why are you trying to talk ill about a dead man? Why are you doing this?”

“You couldn’t have known, Luisa did the best to protect you. Don’t you remember how many sleepovers you had at your friends’ houses? She was purposely picking fights with you for you to leave the house when she sensed your father had those moods.”

His sorrowful eyes were searching hers, the anguished stare that touched her accentuated his words, he didn’t seem to lie, she thought.

“I… I remember. I hated her when she acted like that. She practically kicked me out of the house a few times. I used to rant about her behavior to all my friends. Our mother always took her side in those moments, I resented her as well!”

She felt a claw confining her heart in an iron grasp, suffocating her. Pain invaded her figure, starting from her core and spreading to the edges of her body.

‘I don’t know what to think anymore, I’m confused. If that is true, I’ve been a terrible person, and my sister has suffered so much! My mother should have done something, she should have called the police!’

“I’m sorry for telling you all this, it must be really difficult for you, but I cannot watch her suffer anymore. He even got her pregnant, and when your mother found out, she ran away in the middle of the night, drove while drunk, and got into that accident that killed her.”

‘Pregnant? That is what killed my mother? And the baby?’

“W-what happened to the baby?”

“Luisa suffered a miscarriage on the same day your mother died. She was my friend, so I helped her with the medical bills, and after that, I never allowed her to leave my sight. She was broken and she needed protection, so I offered a hand and she accepted it. It was with therapy that she healed. And then we fell in love and got married.”

Looking back, his words started to make sense to Isabella. All that tension they had at home, the fights, her mother’s drinking issues, Luisa’s anger, the bruises she tried to hide from her, her father being overly invested in her sister.

‘It makes me sick to my stomach that I actually felt jealous of their relationship.’

"Your mind is connecting the dots, isn’t it?” Noah asked in a low voice.

Isabella just nodded, feeling guilty.

“It’s not your fault. Don’t tell her that you know, yet. Wait until she recovers completely.” He added, looking more tired. “I.. I need to sleep. Thank you for listening.”

‘Oh, dear God, my poor sister! It’s horrible! I’ve been so wrong about her, so unfair towards her, blaming her for leaving us after our mother died, blaming her for our father’s death.’

Edmund was in shock as well. His brother mentioned something to him before he went to fetch her, but he did not imagine the extent of the situation.

‘Was I wrong about Luisa?’ He asked himself.

It was dreadful for him to watch Isabella in so much pain. She curled down in the fetus position, choking on her tears.

‘Please forgive me, Luisa! Please forgive me, for I won’t be able to forgive myself!’