Her clothes were elegant. Her skin glowed with confidence. Her voice was calm. She brought gifts—food for neighbors, clothes for children, money for the elderly, and special packages for her mother and sister.
Linda stood at the doorway holding her twins. Jealousy sat on her face like a shadow.
So this is the sister I used to laugh at.
Madame Oni walked forward slowly. For a moment, she could not speak. The same face she once called a mistake now stood before her—strong, successful, and respected.
Tears gathered in her eyes.
“Welcome,” she managed to say.
Mayel bowed slightly in greeting.
“I greet you, Mama.”
That night, after the villagers left and the house became quiet, Madame Oni called Mayel into her room.
“Close the door,” she said softly.
Mayel obeyed.
For a long time, Madame Oni did not speak. Then suddenly, the tears she had held back for years began to fall.
“I have ruined you,” she said.
Mayel did not interrupt.
“There is something you do not know.”
Her voice trembled.