"You can consider me an orphan." Alice answered to Marie, which stunned everybody.

"What?"

"An orphan?"

"How could that be?"

A soft tumult broke out.

"I'm unable to comply with that request. You have cousins; surely, you must have family and relatives. I want to meet them," Marie asserted firmly.

"They might be somewhere in the world, but I am not interested in knowing their whereabouts, nor am I pleased to talk about it, please." Alice said sternly:

Everybody was taken aback. For the first time, they found Alice rude; otherwise, she was always polite, even against Martin and Sophie's many harsh remarks. She didn't blow up.

"Alice, why are...