Chapter 3: The Truth Beneath the Silence
The air between them thickened with years of unspoken pain.
“I searched for you,” Mara continued. “For months. Then years.” Her voice trembled, but she held her ground. “But you had already become someone else.”
Elena shook her head desperately. “I didn’t know where you were. I thought… I thought you were taken in by someone.”
“I was,” Mara replied.
A pause.
“By debt collectors.”
The words hit harder than the slap ever could.
Elena’s knees nearly gave in.
“They came after you left,” Mara continued. “Mother couldn’t pay what Father owed. When she died…” Her voice broke. “There was no one left to protect me.”
Elena covered her mouth, horror flooding her expression.
“I worked in kitchens. Slept in storage rooms. Changed names just to survive.” Mara’s eyes hardened. “And tonight… I served drinks at your birthday.”
May you like
Elena whispered, “I didn’t know…”
“That’s the problem,” Mara said. “You didn’t try to know.”
