Chapter 4 The Weight Of Silence

The living room felt colder than usual, though no windows were open. Sandra's mother sat on the edge of the couch, wringing her hands, eyes swollen and red from crying. Her husband paced by the window, peeking through the blinds every few minutes as if their daughter might magically appear on the sidewalk.

"Jay, are you sure?" her mother asked again, her voice fragile. "Are you absolutely sure she went to that boy's house?"

Jay, leaning against the doorway, arms folded, didn't flinch. "She told Miriam she was spending the weekend at her place, but Miriam hasn't seen her since Thursday. I'm telling you-she's with that guy."

"But why would she lie?" her father finally spoke up, his voice strained with disbelief.

"That's what scares me," Jay answered, quieter now. "Sandra never lies. If she's hiding something this big..."

His words trailed off into the silence, each of them filling it with their own worries.

Back at Joseph's apartment, Sandra sat on the edge of his bed, knees pulled to her chest, staring at her darkened phone screen. The silence there felt just as heavy-maybe heavier. Her heart thudded in waves of panic, not just for being found out, but for the fallout waiting at home. She imagined her mother crying, her dad pacing, Jay playing detective. The thought made her sick.

She sent a quick message to Anna:

"I came to my boyfriend's house. Now my parents found out I'm not in Miriam's place. I'm in trouble."

Anna's reply was almost immediate:

"Oh no. What are you going to do?"

"Tomorrow morning, I'll go home."

But she didn't mention the abortion. Not to Anna. Not to Joseph. That secret stayed curled deep in her chest like a locked box with no key.

Anna replied:

"Just be careful. Apologize to your parents. I'm sure they'll understand."

Understand?

Sandra turned her phone off again. She couldn't bear to read another word. What was there to understand? That she was reckless? That she was scared? That she didn't know how to tell them she'd lost something before they even knew she had it?

She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Joseph was in the kitchen, humming some tune under his breath like everything was normal.

Joseph noticed her silence first. Sandra wasn't usually this quiet-not around him. She hadn't laughed once since she arrived, barely even smiled. She'd eaten mechanically, like chewing was a task instead of a habit.

"You good?" he asked, leaning on the doorway, watching her sit on the edge of the bed again. "You've been acting kinda... off."

She glanced up, forcing something close to a smile. "I'm fine."

He frowned slightly, eyes flicking to her phone lying facedown beside her. "Your phone's off?"

"Yeah. I just... don't want any disturbance," she said too quickly.

Joseph tilted his head but didn't press further. "Alright," he mumbled, and backed off.

Later, he saw her texting again-fingers trembling slightly as she typed. He stepped closer, casually, but what he saw on her face stopped him.

Fear.

Not the kind of fear from a bad dream or a scary movie. This was deeper. Real.

"Sandra," he said gently, "what's going on?"

She didn't speak at first. Her lips trembled, eyes darting, like she was holding back a flood. But then it broke. Words came tumbling out-about her brother, her lie, her parents finding out, how everything was unraveling. She stopped just short of tears.

Joseph pulled her closer, voice calm and steady. "You'll go home tomorrow. I don't want your parents to keep worrying... or start looking for us. I don't want trouble."

Sandra didn't reply. Instead, she picked up her phone and tapped the voice message again. Jay's voice filled the small room, hard and cold.

"So you won't come home? Just know we've reported to the police that you're missing. If I find you myself, you'll regret your life. Come back home now."

She played it again. And again. As if replaying it might change the words.

Joseph looked shaken now too. He gently took the phone from her hand and set it aside. "Maybe he's just trying to scare you into coming back," he said carefully. "But don't worry. You'll go tomorrow, yeah? And you'll explain everything."

She nodded, even though her stomach churned. Jay's threat echoed in her head like a warning siren. Maybe the police weren't really involved-maybe it was just a bluff. But what if it wasn't?

Joseph reached for her again, pulling her into his arms. "You cold?" he asked, his voice soft, almost out of place in all the tension.

She hesitated, then whispered, "Yeah."

He wrapped his arms around her. For a moment, she let herself melt into the warmth, eyes fluttering shut.

I just have to go home, she thought. Face them. They won't kill me... no matter what.

But the fear lingered. Not just of the confrontation waiting at home, but of the choices she'd made-and the secrets she still hadn't said aloud.

The morning light slanted through the curtains, soft and unwelcome. Sandra stirred, reaching groggily for her phone. As the screen lit up, her heart sank.

A message from Anna:

You've not gone back home yet? Please go home, it's getting worse. Your brother called, asking if I have Joseph's number or know where he lives. I told him I don't know You have a boyfriend-please go home.

Another from Miriam:

Girl, where are you? You should've told me you were using my name to lie-at least! Please call me back.

Her phone rang just then. It was her parents.

She froze. Her chest tightened as panic flooded in. Her heart thudded violently in her chest. What was she going to do now?

Wordlessly, she turned the phone screen toward Joseph.

He sat up, eyes scanning the messages. "You should take your bath and go home now," he said gently. "At least ease their minds. They'll be angry, but once they see you're safe, it'll calm down."

Sandra hesitated. She didn't feel ready-emotionally or otherwise. Fear clung to her like a second skin. Still, she rose and walked to the bathroom. Her movements were sluggish, each step weighed down with dread.

She took her time dressing, wishing-half-seriously-that the ground would just open up and swallow her whole. But when she emerged, bag in hand, she tried to steady herself.

"Let's go," she said to Joseph, voice low.

But just as the words left her lips, a knock thundered on the door.

Then voices.

Her breath hitched. "Don't open-" she tried to say, but it was too late.

Joseph turned the handle.

Standing there, like something summoned from her worst fears, was her brother Jay, that smug, backstabbing look smeared across his face. Behind him stood a pale, disheveled man who stank of alcohol and claimed to be a police officer.

"I told you I'd find you," Jay said, stepping inside like he owned the place.

His companion spoke next. "We're going to the station. And your boyfriend's coming with us."

Joseph didn't move. He just stood there, his jaw clenched. If only I had taken her home earlier, he thought. If only I knew it would get this bad.

Jay pulled out his phone, dialed, and said into the receiver, "Yes, I've seen her. I'm taking both of them to the station now."