Mustard Earrings

Eden's Collection Inspired by Su Su's Story

When Su Su was 11 years old, her family was thrown into a crisis by the death of her father. As the oldest child, she left school for a factory job. But Su Su didn’t earn enough at her new job to support her family. So when her boss told her about a better job in China, she leapt at the opportunity. The young girl trusted her boss’ promises of being well taken care of and earning a higher salary.

But upon crossing the border, everything changed. Su Su was locked in a house, dressed in a wedding gown, and made to take photos with a strange man who then locked her in his hotel room for several days. Su Su was living inside the nightmare of being sold to a stranger as a bride.

Days later, she was driven away by the man’s family. Slumped in the car and surrounded by people she couldn’t communicate with, Su Su thought about her situation. She realized that if she didn’t act now, she would never see her family again. If she didn’t try to run, there was no hope for her future.

At the first possible moment, she tricked the family into letting her stay in the car to rest while they got food. As soon as she gained some physical distance from them, Su Su bolted into the night. Shivering under a tree’s protective branches, she listened to the family searching for hours. When it finally got quiet, she flagged down a car and was taken to the police, who arranged her return to Myanmar.