He laughed sharply and crossed the room, grabbing my arm with careless force. “You’re here because of my mother,” he said coldly. “Without her, you’d be nothing.”
“Yes, Zaldy,” I whispered, swallowing the sting in my throat. “I know.”
The years passed like that. I endured everything out of loyalty to his mother—the woman who had saved me from obscurity. I even declined an offer to study abroad, afraid it would disappoint her.
No matter what I accomplished, I could never displace the ghost of Maria Lee. I was a stand-in. A shadow occupying a space meant for someone else.
After one particularly brutal argument, something inside me finally settled. My mentor’s words resurfaced in my mind.
The fellowship is yours if you want it. Italy is waiting.
It wasn’t just an opportunity—it was a way out. A door opening after years spent trapped in a life that was never truly mine. That night, I made my decision.
The next morning, Zaldy barely acknowledged me at breakfast. His attention was fixed on his phone, messages scrolling endlessly across the screen. Whatever tension lingered from the night before had already vanished from his mind.