Chapter 11

Valeria POV

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows through the café window as I wiped down another table, my muscles were aching from hours of work.

I pulled the apron tighter around my waist, as I glanced around the bustling café. This was a perfect escape from the chaos of my life at home and the suffocating tension I had to endure around my stepbrothers.

Here, I was just another employee, trying to make ends meet and that suited me perfectly.

With my 18th birthday behind me, I was determined to save enough money to leave. The café job might not pay much, but to me, it was a start.

Wiping my brow after taking several orders, I returned behind the counter to start processing the orders. Just as I was done filling up a tray with coffee cups and pastries, the bell above the door chimed.

I turned to the newcomers, a smile on my face to welcome them but as I saw who they were, my heart sank. It was Merah from school and her friends. As soon as they spotted me, their expressions changed