CHAPTER 4: THE LAST BIRTHDAY
One year later.
Valeria stood inside a bright new home.
Laughter filled the backyard.
Children ran across the grass.
Music played softly.
A birthday cake sat on a decorated table.
This time, it was her birthday.
And this time, she was surrounded by people who loved her.
Mariana placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You okay?"
Valeria smiled.
"I am now."
Across town, Bruno sat alone in a small apartment.
No guests.
No party.
No applause.
Only silence.
His phone never rang.
His friends were gone.
His money was nearly gone.
And every time he looked into the mirror, he remembered the woman he had mocked with a broom.
The woman he thought would never leave.
The woman who proved him wrong.
Back at the party, everyone gathered around the cake.
Someone began singing.
Valeria closed her eyes and made a wish.
Not for money.
Not for revenge.
Not for justice.
She already had all of that.
She wished only for peace.
Then she blew out the candles.
The crowd cheered.
And for the first time in many years, Valeria realized something beautiful:
The night Bruno handed her a broom wasn't the day her life was ruined.
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It was the day her real life began.
THE END.
