My fellow orphanage members, intrigued and concerned, surrounded me with questioning looks. News of my confrontation with Mr. Douglas and the man who acted like a pig had spread like wildfire in the tense air of the orphanage. I faced their questions, their eyes reflecting a mixture of curiosity and fear.
"What will we do without Mr. Douglas?" asked Laura, one of the older girls in the group, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
I looked at each of them with determination.
"We must each go our own way," I stated in a firm voice. My response echoed in the room, and I felt that each word carried with it the burden of my experience. I knew that, despite the liberation my action might bring, it also left my companions at a crossroads.
"We cannot depend on a man who treats us like cattle," I added, seeking to convey to them the idea that we were capable of more, that we had the power to decide our destiny.
