Lizzie was the sole survivor of the car accident that took my parents’ lives. It was a snowy evening, nothing new for our town, but I guess my dad wanted to try a different route out to the lake than the one he usually took. He, along with my mom and young Lizzie, eventually got lost and a speeding truck hit them as they stopped to get their bearings and check a map.

I rushed home from college and made my way to the hospital to find only my sister had survived. She was alive but had sustained severe burns in the accident. Of course, I was a wreck to hear my parents had passed away, but I was determined to look after my little sister, so I took leave from my studies to make sure Lizzie recovered from her wounds. It was a sacrifice I happily made to see her get back on her feet.

Eventually, I managed to finish my studies, and I even adopted Lizzie so I could give her a great life. I took up quite a parental role, and I admit that I can be extremely protective of my little sister. But, she has grown up to be an impressive person despite the setbacks in her early life. High school has had its ups and downs, but she has faced it head-on, surprising me with her grit and tenacity at each turn.

Besides Lizzie, I’ve also had two other major players in my life for the last two years. I met Lora in a local coffee shop one day after work. She had forgotten her wallet and I offered to pay for her drink. We started talking, and, well, we got along great. I mentioned I was looking after my sister because my parents had passed away, and she shared that her parents had also died a few years before.

Things developed quickly between Lora and me. Within the first few months, we said “I love you.” That’s fast, I know, but I really did love her. She was great. Funny, smart, good with Lizzie. And she was also looking after her younger brother, Brandon. I introduced Lizzie to Brandon, hoping the two would get along. They didn’t seem to like each other very much, but I thought the young man was a good guy.

When Lora came to me one day saying her job was letting people go, I offered to help her with some of her financial burdens. She was fired, unfortunately, but managed to get another job easily, albeit a position that paid less than her previous one. So, I decided that I would help her out even more by paying Brandon’s college fees. He was looking to go into IT, like me, so I knew he’d be able to find a good job and help support his sister after graduating.

And for the last year, things have been going smoothly. Brandon has been doing excellently in his studies, Lora and I have never been closer, and Lizzie has been looking forward to graduating at the end of this year. I have noticed that she has been insecure about her weight recently, and I’ve been trying to be supportive. She’s perfect the way she is, and I want her to know that. But it’s an uphill battle, made worse by hurtful comments and mean-spirited people.

Lora has also been a great source of advice, since she struggled with her weight during her teenage years. She’s been telling me how to support Lizzie and help her feel good about her body. The only advice I haven’t followed was Lora’s suggestion to limit my sister’s access to food. I thought that was weird, but when I said I wouldn’t be going that route, Lora never mentioned it again. I thought she understood that Lizzie’s weight wasn’t a problem, it was her view of herself that had to be more positive. Boy, was I wrong.

So, Lora and I have been video calling each other throughout the week, because she lives one town over for work. Her brother has also been home for two weeks, so I had time to catch up with him and hear how his studies were going. Last night, I called Lora as usual, and she and Brandon smiled at me, sitting side by side. We chatted for a bit, and I said I had to check on the food I was preparing for my sister and myself.

I got up, leaving one earphone in. I guess they assumed I had taken both out when I put one down because they didn’t even mute the call before they started spouting some of the most vitriolic things I’ve ever heard in my life. Now, their comments weren’t unprompted, and they weren’t aimed at me directly, but I couldn’t help but stop what I was doing when they started their belligerent ranting.

See, it has been hot here for a while now, and Lizzie has been living in shorts. After I got up to check on the food, I called her downstairs so she could help me dish up, and she strode past my still-open laptop in her shorts and a t-shirt. That’s when Lora and Brandon started their barrage of insults.

“God…did you see her? What was he thinking?”

“Yeah, I know, she looks like…I’m just scared of her. She’s so odd. Plus, she’s chunky. Ugh. Why didn’t he put her up for adoption?”

“That’s what I want to know too. As soon as he pays for your studies in full, I’ll dump him.”

I was flabbergasted, to say the least. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I dropped everything and spoke clearly into the earphone still dangling by the side of my head. “Oh, really, hon?”

I walked back into the view of the laptop, my face turned down in a scowl. Lora knew she had made a mistake. She struggled to get any words out. Eventually, she found her tongue and asked, “Did you…did you hear us?”

Despite my rage, I responded calmly. “Yep, babe. And I’m so lucky I did.” I ended the call, shut the computer, and went to have dinner with my sister. She didn’t deserve to hear what those two had said about her. After dinner, I canceled my payments to Brandon’s college. He could make his own way if he wanted to talk that way about my sister.

I severed all connection with Lora. She sent me a slew of messages apologizing for what they had said, but I didn’t read a single one. I felt like an idiot, spending large amounts of my paycheck, and even money I had inherited from my parents, on entitled, parasitic people like Lora and Brandon. Luckily, Lizzie’s inheritance was still intact, and she had a promising path ahead of her. I haven’t looked back on my breakup yet, and I’m certain I won’t. I’m just glad I found out before I sponsored Brandon’s entire trip through college, the undeserving brat.