No one remembered her when she was little, but as soon as she started earning money, her parents suddenly reappeared.
Her parents had spent her entire childhood figuring out where to place her. She had come into their lives at the worst possible timethey hadnt wanted her. At first, her grandmother had helped care for her, but after she suffered a stroke, there was no one left to raise the little girl. Their modest pension and wages werent enough to look after a sick adult, let alone a child. After a few months, they made the decision to send Alice to an orphanage temporarily.
«Youll stay here for a while, just until your father and I save up a bit of money,» her mother told her.
Alice truly believed them and waited, because life in the orphanage was far from a fairy tale. There were no private rooms, no warmth or careit felt almost like a prison. She couldnt make friends with the other children, and the teachers barely noticed her. To survive, Alice lost herself in books, the occasional charity donations that found their way into the orphanage.
She always did well in school, and when she was accepted into university, she was overjoyed to move to a new city. She had little money to start with but found a part-time job and saved every penny to fund her own business. Many laughed when she opened a small online shop selling homemade candles.
«What kind of work is that? Youll never make real money,» people said.
But her little business grew. She was one of the first in the market with such a venture, and customers kept coming. A young man helped with deliveries and eventually quit his job to make candles with her. Slowly, it became a family business. The orphanage staff heard about Alice when she became the face of the shopand so did her parents, thanks to the publicity. Under the pretence of making a purchase, they reached out, and after receiving their order, they turned up at Alices doorstep.
She wasnt pleased to see them. They had forgotten her, and she had forgotten them. Perhaps it was harsh, but she sent them awayher husband backing her up.
They hadnt raised her, hadnt even checked on her, and now they pretended to love her. It was too late. They should have looked for her sooner, should have brought her home. Now Alice was grown, a mother herself, and she didnt need parents like that.
Some wounds never heal, but strength comes from knowing when to walk away.
