Chapter 30

A whole year had passed.

Things were finally falling into place for me. My cosmetics shop had grown so much. Business was booming. Customers came in and out all day. Some days I barely sat down. Today was one of those days.

I moved from one end of the store to the other, answering questions, checking the shelves, and making sure everything was in place. My feet ached, and I was sweating under my makeup.

When I finally sat down, I let out a long sigh.

“Faith, please help me with water,” I called out to one of my employees, too tired to get up again.

She smiled and stood up from the chair. “Okay, ma’am.” She walked to the fridge, pulled out a cold bottle, and handed it to me.

“Thank you,” I said, opening the cap and drinking deeply. The coldness was a relief.

Across from me, my mum sat with her hands folded on her lap. Her shoulders were slumped, her face flushed.

“You look tired, Mom,” I said.

She smiled softly. “Yes. But working