CHAPTER 3: Secrets of the Heart

When Asha finally arrived near their small house, she saw Lela standing outside, hugging herself against the cold night air. The wind blew softly through the poor neighborhood, making the night feel even colder.

Asha’s heart hurt the moment she saw her younger sister outside alone.

“Lela! What are you doing out here at this hour?” Asha asked worriedly as she rushed toward her. “It’s cold, little sister. Let’s go inside.”

She tried to hold Lela’s hand, but Lela pulled away angrily.

“Leave me alone!” she said sharply. “Why are you so late? I’ve been hungry since afternoon. Where were you?”

Asha remained silent for a few seconds.

Then Lela’s eyes suddenly fell on the oversized shirt Asha was wearing.

Her expression immediately changed.

“Whose shirt is that?” she asked suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you were with a man!”

“Lela…”

“So you left your sister starving while you were out with men?” Lela said painfully. “Seriously, sister? That’s not right!”

Those words deeply hurt Asha, but she did not want to argue outside.

“Let’s go inside first, little sister,” she said softly.

The two entered the house quietly.

Asha placed the small shopping bag on the table while looking at Lela with pity.

“I told you to borrow some money from the neighbor. Didn’t you get it?”

“I did… but it wasn’t enough,” Lela replied with frustration.

Then she looked at her sister sadly.

“Sister… what kind of work are you even doing? Why are our lives never changing? I’m tired. I want to quit school and look for work.”

Asha was shocked.

“Don’t say that, Lela. Education is the foundation of life. I left school so I could raise you. I want you to study and have a better life than mine.”

But Lela shook her head.

“You can’t give me the life I want, sister. I want a big house, cars, expensive phones, money… I want a luxurious life with servants everywhere. You can’t give me that.”

Asha felt pain in her heart, but she still smiled weakly.

“Be patient, little sister. One day your dreams will come true. Just finish high school first. Don’t worry… everything will be okay.”

Asha then handed her the little food she had brought home.

“You eat.”

“What about you?” Lela asked.

“I already ate at work,” Asha lied.

In truth, she had not eaten anything all day.

As Lela ate quietly, Asha sat beside her in silence.

Suddenly, memories of what happened earlier that night returned to her mind. John’s hands, the fear, her torn dress…

Tears slowly gathered in her eyes.

Quickly, she stood up and rushed into the bathroom.

Inside, Asha poured water over herself while trembling. She gently touched her body as if she still could not believe she had escaped safely.

Tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

“If Sele hadn’t arrived…” she whispered while crying softly.

After a while, she wiped away her tears and walked out as if nothing had happened.

She did not want Lela to notice her pain.

But Lela suddenly noticed the torn part of Asha’s dress.

“Sister… why is your dress torn?” she asked in surprise.

Asha became nervous.

“It was just bad luck,” she answered quickly. “I slipped and it got torn… luckily a young man gave me his shirt.”

At the same time, on the other side of the city, Sele had just arrived at his luxurious home.

Their mansion was beautiful and expensive, completely different from Asha’s poor life.

When he entered the living room, he found his mother sitting comfortably on a large sofa while drinking tea.

“Where’s Zai?” Sele asked.

His mother smiled slightly.

“She went out to have fun with her friends.”

Sele frowned immediately.

“Mom, she’s still very young. How can you let her stay out late at night like that?”

His mother laughed softly.

“Forget about your little sister. You’re the one I’m waiting to give me grandchildren. Your age is moving fast, Sele.”

Sele smiled tiredly.

“Mom… I’m still looking for the right woman. Most women nowadays only care about money.”

His mother looked at him carefully.

“Then try harder before it’s too late.”

The next morning, Asha woke Lela up early to prepare for school.

After Lela left, Asha also prepared herself to go to work.

But the moment she opened the door, her eyes met someone standing a short distance away, quietly looking at their small house.

It was Sele.

For a few seconds, the two simply stared at each other while exchanging shy smiles.

Asha quickly went back inside.

“He came for his shirt… but I haven’t even washed it yet,” she whispered to herself nervously.

She grabbed the shirt and rushed back outside to give it to him.

But when she looked around, she could not see him anywhere.

She searched left and right in confusion.

“Maybe I was just imagining things…” she murmured softly.

The moment she turned around, she suddenly froze in shock.

Sele was standing right behind her.

Asha gasped in surprise and almost fell backwards, but Sele quickly caught her before she hit the ground.

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