My sister raised me after Mom passed away

My sister raised me after Mom passed away. She was 19; I was 12. While she worked nonstop, I studied, went to college, and eventually became a doctor. At graduation, full of pride and arrogance, I told her, “See? I climbed the ladder. You took the easy road and became a nobody.” She smiled quietly and walked away.

Three months passed without a call. I thought she was just hurt. When I finally went back home, I walked into her small apartment and froze. It was worn down, bills stacked on the table, and photos of me everywhere—school pictures, awards, my graduation announcement framed carefully.

A neighbor told me she had worked two jobs for years so I could focus on school. She gave up her own dreams so I could reach mine.

When she saw me, she simply said, “I’m proud of you.”That’s when I understood who had truly sacrificed everything.