Semua Bab SAVED BY MY BROTHERS : Bab 11 - Bab 20

Zara came running, breath hitching in her throat, the weight of panic pressing against her chest. She was terribly late and every hurried step reminded her of it. When she finally burst through the doors of the restaurant, she rushed to where Claire stood.“You’re late,” Claire whispered urgently, worrying lining her face. “The new boss is already here.”A sting tightened in Zara’s stomach. Great… What a perfect first impression. Her eyes searched the room until they landed on a woman, mature and stern, old enough to be her mother. Zara swallowed hard.The woman stood slowly, every movement commanding attention, and walked straight toward her.“G-good morning, ma’am,” Zara greeted softly, her voice barely steady.“Is this the time you always come to work?” the woman asked coldly.“No, ma’am… my child delayed me, I ”“Stop right there.” The woman’s voice cut like a blade. “I didn’t buy this restaurant to listen to excuses. I want results, not stories from a mother who can’t manage her

Benita made it her daily mission to make Zara’s life a living hell. Ever since that incident with Lilly and the broken plates, Benita never missed an opportunity to torment her. But Zara endured it all. She had seen much worse in life, and if this was Margaret’s grand plan, then it was failing miserably. Zara’s heart was stronger than they thought. She simply chose to act as though Benita didn’t exist.As long as her salary came in, she could swallow the bitterness. She had bills to pay, responsibilities to carry… and at least there was one thing easing her burden before leaving Dante’s house, he had cleared all of Lilly’s school fees. For this term, at least, she could breathe.Meanwhile, life at the restaurant went on. Customers adored Zara. Her warm smile, gentle nature, and quiet resilience drew people in. Day after day, she became the most favored waitress and the most generously tipped one too.No matter how hard Benita tried to break her, Zara simply refused to crumble.One qui

Splash!Cold water splashed over Henry as Ann hurled the glass at him. He gasped, jolted back, and every pair of eyes in the restaurant turned toward them.“I was gone for just a few minutes, Henry,” Ann hissed from her wheelchair, anger trembling in her voice. “And already you’re here flirting with another woman, a waitress, of all people!”“Ann, wait ” Henry stepped closer, trying to appear calm. “It’s not what you think. I was only asking her about something ”“Don’t you dare lie to me,” she snapped, cutting him off. “I’ve been watching you for over three minutes. I saw everything.”The waitress slipped away quietly, leaving the two of them alone in their storm.“We’re done, Henry,” Ann said firmly. She expected him to panic, to beg her forgiveness to show even the smallest sign that she mattered.Instead, he scoffed.“Good riddance,” he muttered coldly. “I don’t even know if you’ll ever walk again, Ann. And I’m not going to spend my life tied to a lame woman.”Without another glan

Claire walked hurriedly toward Zara’s place, guilt weighing heavily on her chest. Her heart pounded with every step.How am I even going to face her?How do I apologize after turning a deaf ear when she needed me most?She sighed shakily, rehearsing apologies in her head… but then she noticed something strange ahead.Smoke.Thick, black smoke curling into the sky from the direction of Zara’s neighborhood.Claire’s pace quickened. Then she stopped.Her eyes widened.Her heart dropped.Zara’s house was on fire.Or rather… what was left of it.Everything was already burned to ashes.Claire slapped a trembling hand over her mouth.“Oh my God… what happened here!?”She rushed to a woman passing by, panic trembling in her voice.“Please what happened? “The woman who stayed here with her little daughter,” the lady replied sadly. “It burned completely. They were here crying… I don’t know where they went after.”Claire froze.Her entire body went cold.“Oh my God… Zara… Lilly…” she whispered,

“Mommy…”Zara paused while scrubbing the hallway tiles. She couldn’t just sit around while the staff worked; hard work was the only life she knew.“Yes, dear?” she answered gently.“Are we going to stay here…?” Lilly asked, her big eyes blinking up at her.“Yes,” Zara smiled softly. “Don’t you like it?”“No, I love it!” Lilly beamed.Zara chuckled lightly in relief. “Then why didn’t you go to school today?”“Oh… my dear,” she sighed softly, brushing dust from her hands. “I forgot to tell you. You’re going to change schools. You’ll have to leave your old friends behind. Is that okay?”But to Zara’s surprise, Lilly didn’t look sad. Instead, she smiled.“Why are you happy? Aren’t you going to miss them?” Zara asked gently.Lilly shook her head. “No, Mommy. They laughed at me… and they said you were a failure.”Zara froze. Her heart clenched painfully. Her baby had been enduring that silently all along.“Oh, baby…” she whispered, pulling Lilly closer and kissing her forehead. “No one… no