It took a while before the heavy wooden door finally opened, revealing Susan Miller, her mother, wearing gold jewelry and holding a glass of whiskey, while Kayla Miller, her younger sister, stood behind her dressed in expensive clothes. Susan looked Paige up and down without warmth, and her expression quickly shifted from confusion to clear disdain when she noticed the worn clothes and exhausted face.
“Mom,” Paige said softly, her voice shaking despite her effort to stay composed, “I came back because I lost everything and I have nowhere else to go.”
A cold silence filled the air, and Susan slowly took a sip from her glass before speaking in a harsh tone that carried no trace of affection.
“I cannot help you,” she said bluntly while narrowing her eyes. “We do not take in failures, and we already have enough problems without adding yours.”
Kayla stepped forward with her arms crossed and a mocking smile, her voice filled with sarcasm as she looked directly at Paige.
“You already did enough damage when you left your kids behind,” she said sharply. “Do not come here pretending to be helpless just to get sympathy from us.”