A heavy tension filled the room. Mia remained frozen, her gaze lost on the television screen. Her mind seemed elsewhere, wandering through distant memories.
Rose, worried, placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
— Mia… What are you talking about?
Mia closed her eyes and lifted her head slightly, as if holding back a wave of emotions. A silent tear slid down her cheek.
— Mia…? Rose whispered, troubled.
She gently rubbed her back, trying to comfort her.
— It's okay, I'm here…
Mia lowered her head and opened her eyes. A bitter gleam shone in them as a sad smile flickered on her lips.
— You know, I didn't always have such a hard life… I had a family too, a home, everything one could dream of. But one night… everything collapsed.
She lowered her gaze, reliving that painful moment, then slowly raised her head.
— My mother's name was Céleste… Céleste Derby. And my father… Thomas Ravensworth.
At these words, Rose's eyes widened.
— Ravensworth…? she murmured, repeating the name, looking thoughtful.
She searched her memory, a shiver running down her spine. Then, suddenly, she covered her mouth with her hand, shocked.
— Wait… The Ravensworth family? The wealthy family that was murdered? They say there were no survivors!
Mia shook her head.
— That's not true, Rose. I am the only survivor.
— But… Rose stammered. According to all official reports, there were no survivors!
Mia clenched her fists, her gaze hardening.
— It was a lie orchestrated by my uncle… He wanted to take my father's fortune. And I had no one to protect me.
She took a deep breath before continuing in a trembling voice.
— I never knew my mother's family. My only other relative was my uncle. And he took everything from me.
Rose frowned.
— But why didn't you do anything? Why not expose it?
— I was nine years old, Rose… Just a child. He threatened to kill me. What could I have done?
She looked away, a shadow of pain crossing her face.
— I changed my name. I took my mother's… Derby. And I disappeared.
Rose remained silent, absorbing these shocking revelations. Mia continued, her voice lower.
— I ended up in an orphanage, with nowhere else to go. But it wasn't a refuge… It was hell.
She wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to shield herself from the cold weight of the past.
— The other children hated me. They said I was cursed. No one wanted me… And at school, it was even worse.
She let out a joyless laugh.
— Sometimes, they threw my things into the pool. I had no choice but to dive in and retrieve them… And when I came back soaked, the orphanage punished me for being late.
Her gaze drifted into emptiness.
— There were nights when I went to sleep hungry. Days when I wondered if I'd even make it to tomorrow. I never thought I'd manage to graduate. It was a miracle when I finally finished school.
She took a deep breath, trying to push down the bitterness tightening her throat.
— I found an apartment. A job. I started to hope… To believe that maybe better days would come.
She clenched her fists, a shiver running down her spine.
— But everything fell apart. Again.
Rose watched her, hanging onto her every word, her heart aching. Mia continued, her voice breaking.
— It all started with a week's rent overdue… Just one. Yet, the landlady threw me out without the slightest pity.
She ran a trembling hand over her face, as if trying to erase the bitter memory.
— I begged my boss to let me sleep at the restaurant. I had nowhere else to go…
She let out a bitter laugh.
— He agreed. But at what cost?
She shook her head.
— I was the first to open and the last to close. I did all the cleaning, all the chores… But I never got a promotion. Not a single cent more.
Her eyes darkened.
— If I complained, he threatened to fire me.
She took a deep breath.
— And then one day… an arrogant customer arrived.
She clenched her fists, anger mixing with pain in her eyes.
— He humiliated me in front of everyone, claiming my service was terrible, that I was incapable of making any effort. All just to put on a show.
She gave a bitter smile.
— My boss didn't even try to understand. He seized the opportunity. He threw me out like trash.
Rose's eyes widened.
— In the rain, Mia continued, as if reliving the moment. He looked me in the eyes and said…
She swallowed hard.
— "If I were you, I'd kill myself… Because you are cursed."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Rose felt a lump form in her throat.