I had been working abroad for three years. It was an incredibly difficult decision, because to take that job, I had to leave my hometown and leave behind my aging, ailing mother who needed me. At that time, I truly had no other choice – if I stayed, I would never be able to provide her with a better life.

I knew my mother was old and her health was fragile. She often needed medication and regular checkups. But my younger sister promised me that she would take care of our mother in my place. That was the only reason I felt at ease leaving.

We made a clear agreement: every month I would send money to cover everything for my mother – food, medicine, utilities. My sister only had to be there, support her emotionally, and help around the house. I trusted her completely.

During those three years, I worked tirelessly. From morning until late at night, sometimes doing extra shifts until exhaustion. I saved every penny, never spending much on myself, just so my mother could live in comfort. Each month I sent money home, believing wholeheartedly that she was being cared for.

This summer, I decided to return home as a surprise. I didn’t tell anyone – neither my mother nor my sister. I bought a ticket, flew home, and went straight to my mother’s apartment with the old key still in my hand. I slid it into the lock, turned it – and the door opened easily.

The moment I stepped inside, a foul odor hit me. I froze for a moment, sensing something was wrong. But the real shock was what I saw in my mother’s room.

My mother was lying on the bed, covered with old rags. She wore a faded green T-shirt that once fit but now hung loosely from her frail body. Her face was hollow, her hair completely gray, her skin so withered it looked as though she had aged ten years overnight.

Around the bed was chaos: plastic bags, dirty clothes, empty medicine boxes, papers scattered, trash everywhere. The air was suffocating – a mixture of mold, medicine, and a room left uncleaned for far too long.

I rushed to her, crying out:
– Mom… What happened? Why are you like this? I’ve been sending you money!

She looked at me with tired eyes, sighed heavily, and said:
– My daughter… I longed for your return. But all this time I lived alone. Your sister rarely came. I never saw the money you sent. I only had my small pension – enough for some medicine, a little food… The rest, I managed by myself.

I could hardly believe what I heard. My heart shattered into pieces. For three years, while I was breaking my back working and sending every penny, my sister had simply taken it all for herself. She didn’t care for my mother, didn’t buy her food, didn’t pay any bills. And my mother endured it silently, just so I wouldn’t be upset.

Looking around the room, everything became painfully clear. My mother had lived in complete poverty – skimping on food, buying only the cheapest medicine, wearing clothes from years ago. There was no sign whatsoever that anyone had cared for her. I hugged her tightly and whispered through tears:
– That’s enough. You won’t be alone anymore.

That very day, I decided my sister had to answer for what she had done. For three years she lived comfortably at my expense – buying herself clothes, going to restaurants, posting pictures of her beautiful life online – while our mother wasted away in her own home.

I immediately sold the house, which was under my name, as well as the car – also mine. I regained full control over all the bank accounts where I had been transferring money. My sister was left penniless.

When she found out, she called me in hysteria, crying and shouting:
– What have you done?! How could you leave me with nothing?! You have no right!

I replied coldly:
– Shut up. Or I’ll go to the police and tell them everything – how you deceived me and abandoned our sick mother.

There was silence on the line. I knew she was afraid. And to be honest, I feel no pity for her at all.