And Emma? She and her mother stayed behind. Alone. Forgotten.
Her mother's passing… the quiet struggles… the years of silence between her and these same people now mingling in designer gowns, holding champagne glasses and wearing diamonds.
It all came rushing back in an instant, Emma stood frozen for a moment, watching them laugh, joke, and toast to one another like they had never known pain, like they had never left her behind.
And they were all here tonight, All of them. A lot of them had stories just like Emma's—once average kids from humble beginnings, running barefoot through dusty yards, eating homemade snacks under trees, and dreaming of small things like birthday balloons or weekend cartoons.
But somewhere along the line, everything changed, Their families got lucky, Some landed government contracts. Some hit it big in foreign currency trading. A few even won lottery tickets that opened doors to international flights, luxury estates, and private school educations.
