Soon it became clear that the mother had deliberately stopped her from eating properly, especially in the evenings. Under the pretext that “she might get fat,” she forced the girl to pretend at the table, even though she was already thin as a shadow.

The girl remained silent, watching her father’s indifference, hiding the real suffering that was eating her up from the inside.

When the truth finally came out, the mother was sent to a psychologist and deprived of her parental rights.

For the first time, the girl felt that her world could be safe: she was placed under the care of her aunt, who hugged her, listened to her, and protected her.

It was the beginning of a new life — timid and cautious at first, but filled with warmth and affection she had never known before.

And though the memories of the “perfect dinners” with smiles and laughter remained in her heart, she could now breathe freely, no longer the shadow of herself, and for the first time allow herself to simply… be alive.