Saturday mornings were Mira's favorite.
No uniforms.
No whispered comments.
No pretending.
She tied her hair neatly, slipped on a simple blouse, and left the mansion quietly before anyone else was awake.
The restaurant was small, warm, and always busy on weekends. By the time Mira arrived, the smell of coffee and fresh bread filled the air.
"You're early again," her manager said with a smile.
"I like being early," Mira replied.
She put on her apron and got to work.
Taking orders.
Carrying trays.
Cleaning tables.
No one knew who her mother was.
No one cared where she lived.
Here, she was just Mira.
And she liked it that way.
---
At school the following week, announcements buzzed through the classroom speakers.
"The annual academic showcase will take place next Friday," the principal's voice said. "Top students will be invited to present their work."
The teacher glanced down at her list.
"Mira Hale," she said. "You've been selected."
The room stirred.
Whispers started immediately.
Ariana froze.
She had presented every year since middle school.
This year, her name wasn't called.
---
During lunch, Mira sat under the old tree behind the school, reviewing notes for the showcase.
A shadow fell across her book.
She looked up.
Dominic stood there.
His expression was unreadable, sharp as always.
"You work weekends," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Mira closed her notebook slowly. "Yes."
"Why?" he asked.
She met his gaze, calm and steady. "Because I need to."
He studied her face, as if searching for something—weakness, perhaps.
He found none.
"You don't have to," he said coolly. "This family—"
"I'm not asking anything from this family," Mira interrupted quietly.
The words weren't loud.
But they landed hard.
Dominic's jaw tightened.
"Be careful," he said. "Pride can be expensive."
Mira stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"So is dependence," she replied.
She walked past him without another word.
---
From a distance, Ariana watched the exchange.
Something twisted in her chest.
Mira didn't beg.
She didn't cling.
She didn't even look back.
And for the first time, Ariana wondered—
If I were in her place… could I stand like that?
---
That night, Dominic stood in his office, staring at the city lights.
Mira's words echoed in his mind.
So is dependence.
For reasons he didn't understand, the sentence unsettled him.