For an artist, hosting an exhibition wasn’t just a validation of their skill but a chance to share their work with the world. From the moment she began studying art, Mia had dreamed of holding her own solo exhibition one day.
But exhibitions were expensive.
Growing up in a single–parent family without much money had shaped Mia’s cautious nature. Her initial excitement quickly faded, and she furrowed her brows with concern.
“Wouldn’t hosting an exhibition cost a lot of money?” she asked anxiously. “I don’t have a job right now and don’t contribute anything. I already feel guilty living off you and Uncle Tom. If Uncle Tom spends money to host an exhibition for me…
“What are you talking about?” Zoe cut her off before she could finish.
“If anyone should feel guilty, it’s me. If I had reached out to your mom sooner, you and her wouldn’t have had to suffer so much back home. Maybe… maybe Charlie wouldn’t have passed -away so early…” Zoe’s voice trembled as her eyes welled up with tears.
Zoe and Charlie were born into a deeply patriarchal family. Even their names reflected their parents‘ longing for a son. Their names traditionally meant for boys, symbolized their parents.
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disappointment in having daughters instead.
Unlike her gentle, compliant elder sister, Zoe had been fiercely independent from a young age. She was tough and unyielding, refusing to drop out of school and marry, no matter how much their parents pressured her.
Despite enduring countless beatings, she never backed down. Finally, she made the bold decision to run away in the dead of night, leaving behind the suffocating small town where they had grown up.
“I still remember that night,” Zoe once shared during a sleepless evening, tears streaming down her face as she recounted the story to Mia. It was pouring rain, and your mom found me. I thought she’d come to drag me back home, and my heart nearly broke. But she wasn’t there for that.
“She handed me all the money she had–five thousand and thirty–three dollars. I remember the exact amount because it was everything she had earned from a year of hard labor.
“Your mom had dropped out of school early to work, and every penny she earned had to be handed over to our bloodsucking father. If she was short even a hundred dollars, he’d beat her. But that night, she gave me everything she had.
“She pushed the money into my hands and shoved me toward the bus station. She told me to leave, to go far away, and never come back
“So I left. I changed my name–I couldn’t stand being called Sam anymore. Every time. someone said it, it felt like they were slapping me in the face.” Zoe’s voice shook with the weight of old wounds.
“I became Zoe Larson. I worked during the day and studied at night, grabbing every opportunity I could. I went to college, earned a master’s degree overseas, found a job, and eventually co–founded my own company. I left my past behind and built a new life, one I could truly call my own.“.
Zoe paused, gripping Mia’s hand tightly. Her voice grew soft with regret. “The only thing I regret is not going back to find Charlie. I kept thinking, When I’ve made it, I’ll go back for her and bring her here to live a better life. But I waited too long…”
