Audrey grew up in a son‑preferring family, scorned for being the only daughter. Her mother endured much to shield her, even when the grandmother tried to force Audrey into a marriage with a simple‑minded man for the nephew's sake. Mother and daughter were eventually cast out. A decade later, Audrey returned home accomplished, honored her mother, settled old scores, and proved that a girl's future, forged through learning, is no less than a boy's.
