Chapter 2 SHADOWS OF THE PAST Still standing at the window, staring at nature. Maria felt birds were luckily to be free and not have time for betrayals. She moved back to the couch and her eyes swept the parlour. Her eyes fell on a framed photograph—her mother, smiling warmly, arms wrapped around a younger Maria. Her chest tightened. Slowly, she rose and took the picture into her hands, tracing her mother’s face with trembling fingers. A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek before she quickly brushed it away. “I will try to be strong for you… no, I must be strong,” she whispered, clutching the frame tightly. She pressed her lips to her mother’s photo, a faint, shaky sigh escaping her. Carefully, she wiped the glass, ensuring it was clean again. It was a small act, but it felt like she was honoring her mother—keeping her memory alive even in her own fractured, bitter world. After doing that small act, she became more determined to push harder. She decided to watch a movie to
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