Whitney's and Hayden's eyes welled with tears instantly. "You look so beautiful..."
I couldn't help but let out a dry, cynical laugh. This was the very first time I had ever heard a word of praise fall from their lips.
This affirmation, delayed by so many years, felt like nothing more than a hollow lie.
Seeing my cold reaction, the tears finally spilled over Whitney's lashes.
"Emmaline, we are so sorry. We wronged you for so many years. Please, tell us—how can we make it up to you? What can we do to make you happy?"
Compensation? How does one compensate for over twenty years of systemic neglect and debt?
The person they truly owed was the little girl back in that orphanage, the one who knelt by the window every single day, praying to the Moon Goddess for a reunion with her parents.
