REFUTED BY THE ALMIGHTY MAFIA LORD

The train platform was already alive with motion when Maria arrived, dragging two battered leather suitcases behind her. The old station roof, glass patched with sheets of corrugated metal, glimmered faintly as sunlight slanted through the gaps. A faint smell of hot oil and dust lingered in the air, mingling with the cries of hawkers and the echo of hurried footsteps on concrete.

Announcements droned over the loudspeakers, each syllable clipped and official, and passengers milled about, clutching tickets, waving goodbyes, children clinging to mothers’ skirts.

Maria paused at the edge of the platform and adjusted her grip on the heavier bag. The handle’s stitching dug into her palm as she scanned the big mechanical board overhead for her train number. There it was, in blocky white letters, already flashing “boarding”. Her chest tightened a little at the sight of it, and for a moment she wondered if her uncle or aunt would somehow appear at the gate to drag her back home.

But nobody had followed her.

She let out the breath she’d been holding.

Then, she heard a voice.

“Maria.”

The sound caught her mid-step. She stood still, her heart leaping into her throat, and turned slowly toward the sound.

There, It was… Mr. Abraham.

The old teacher stood a few feet away, smiling broadly, his usual tweed cap slightly askew, and beside him was a short, round-faced young woman in a pale blue blouse. Maria’s mind put the pieces together before he even said a word. This must be his daughter, Rehab, the one he never stopped talking about back in the day.

She set her bags down, forcing her stiff fingers to let go of the straps, and walked over with as much composure as she could muster.

“Mr. Abraham,” she greeted softly.

“Ah! Look at you,” he said warmly, pulling her into an embrace that smelled faintly of aftershave and old chalk. “Grown, smart, and still so serious. Always going somewhere, eh? You haven’t changed one bit.”

Maria managed a faint smile.

The young woman beside him gave her the briefest of glances, then looked away, her expression flat, her arms crossed loosely over her chest. Maria stole a longer look, curiosity nibbling at her. Rehab was… ordinary. Entirely ordinary. Not the ethereal beauty Mr. Abraham had so often painted in his classroom tales “the girl men supposedly lined up to court, the pride of his family”.

Standing there, Rehab looked more like a bored office clerk than anything else.

Mr. Abraham, oblivious, continued. “I told you she’s beautiful, didn’t I? My Rehab. She’s been a help to me since we moved to this area. But you… where are you off to now? Always running ahead of everyone, just like before.”

Maria’s smile wavered at the edges.

Her mind flashed back, unbidden, to her uncle’s house. The cramped kitchen at dawn, her hands numb from washing dishes as her aunt’s voice carried through the thin walls.

"She lives here, eats our food, works with us, and doesn’t even pay her share. Freeloading like it’s nothing. Who does she think she is?"

Maria had stood behind the half-closed door, fists clenched at her sides, willing herself not to cry.

That was the night she decided to start saving more than ever. Stashing away yuan after yuan, working extra shifts when her uncle wasn’t paying attention, sitting up late at the kitchen table with her phone screen glowing in the dark as she searched for scholarship programs abroad.

It took months of careful planning. Emailing documents to admissions offices in the early hours, taking online tests when everyone else was asleep.

But she’d done it.

She shook the memory away.

“I’m catching a train,” she said simply.

“Ah, of course. Off to bigger things.” Mr. Abraham gave her shoulder a squeeze, then chuckled. “You were always that kind of girl. Well then… safe travels, pom-pom!”

Rehab checked her watch, muttered something to her father, and drifted toward the exit without so much as a goodbye.

Maria hoisted her suitcases back up, her fingers aching around the frayed handles.

“Goodbye, Mr. Abraham,” she murmured.

“Goodbye, Maria,” he called after her, already turning to catch up with his daughter.

She boarded just as the whistle blew, handing her ticket to the conductor without looking up.

The train jolted into motion as she found her seat by the window. She set her bags down, sat, and stared outside as the platform began to slide away. The lines of passengers blurred into streaks of color. The familiar van Mr. Abraham used to drive kids home from school sat parked near the curb, and for just a moment her chest ached at the sight of it.

But she didn’t look back again.

The city faded quickly into fields of golden sheaves and green plants. Small villages flashed by… tiled roofs, brick walls, laundry flapping in the breeze… and then, the countryside opened wide under a pale blue sky.

She rested her forehead against the window and shut her eyes.

***

It was nearly nightfall by the time she reached the airport.

She slipped through the checkpoints quietly, answering questions politely, handing over her papers with steady hands.

“Final call for Toronto,” came the announcement over the loudspeakers.

She clutched her boarding pass and let herself be swept along in the current of travelers.

The flight was long. Long enough that sleep came and went in restless snatches, her head lolling against the window as she dreamed and woke and dreamed again.

She saw her aunt’s face, pinched with disdain. “Freeloading like it’s nothing. Who does she think she is?”

She saw herself in the cramped kitchen at dawn, peeling potatoes, scrubbing tiles, the sound of children’s laughter muffled behind the door.

She saw the acceptance email on her screen. The single line that had kept her from breaking down: “We are pleased to inform you…”

When the plane finally touched down at Pearson International, the landing gear screeched, and Maria’s eyes snapped open.

She stepped out into the cool Canadian night, her breath catching at the unfamiliar air.

***

Outside the terminal, she found herself shouting “Taxi! Taxi!” and waving frantically at every car that passed. Passersby chuckled at her antics, but she didn’t care.

Finally, a small silver sedan pulled up.

“Where are you headed?” the driver asked.

Maria handed him the address on a folded sheet of paper.

He scanned it, then said simply, “One fifty.”

She gasped at the amount, muttered a few words in Mandarin under her breath, then climbed in anyway, clutching her bags to her chest.

The ride was quiet. The city lights flashed past her window in a blur, and she felt the last of Zhanli fading away behind her.

When the car finally pulled up to a tall iron gate flanked by two stone columns, Maria leaned out and stared in awe.

Two men in security uniforms stepped forward as she climbed out.

“Miss? Can we help you?” one of them asked, his voice clipped.

She froze under their sharp gaze.

“My name… is Maria,” she stammered. “I’m… a new student here.”

The second man arched an eyebrow. “Admission letter?”

She fumbled through her pouch and handed it over with trembling hands.

After what felt like an eternity, he handed it back.

“Follow me,” he said gruffly, leading her through the gates and into the courtyard beyond.

When they reached the administrative building, he stopped.

“Ask for the admission officer’s office when you go in,” he instructed, already turning to head back to his post.

“Thank you, sir,” she murmured, bowing slightly before stepping inside.

The building smelled faintly of polished wood and printer ink. On the second floor, she stopped at a reception desk and cleared her throat.

“Excuse me,” she said softly. “I’m looking for the admission officer’s office?”

The man behind the counter looked up from his screen and smiled faintly.

“Hello, Miss…”

“Maria,” she supplied.

“Well, Maria. I’m Williams. The admission officer isn’t in at the moment, but if you like, I can help with collecting your documents and getting you assigned to a hostel before she returns. Does that sound alright to you?”

Maria let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“Yes,” she said quietly.