Olivia lowered her eyes. Her face turned red with humiliation as she quietly whispered, "I'm sorry."
She bent down to help clean the broken pieces.
As she moved, something slipped from around her neck.
A small silver locket landed softly on the marble floor.
Sophia noticed it immediately.
"It fell," she said gently.
She picked it up before it could slide under a nearby table.
The locket looked old. Its silver edges were worn from years of use, as if someone had treasured it every single day.
Curious, Sophia carefully opened it.
The moment she looked inside, her smile disappeared.
A tiny photograph stared back at her.
Her hands began to tremble.
She knew that face.
She had seen it her entire childhood.
It was her mother.
Sophia looked up at Olivia, unable to understand what she was seeing.
"Where did you get this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Olivia slowly touched the empty chain around her neck.
"That belonged to my mother," she answered quietly.