A cloud of cigarette smoke hangs over Mary's* dyed blonde hair, encasing her in a protective screen that momentarily blurs her eyes.
The 57-year-old woman roughly wipes her tears with her left hand where two rings - a wedding band and her engagement ring - dulled over the years, remain a constant reminder of her pain.
"I wear them because they're the only jewellery I have, not because I harbour any love for him - there's no nostalgia," Mary says, referring to her estranged husband who is on a mission to snuff out her life.
"The other day he told my son, 'I won't rest until I see your mother running on the streets like a dog'. He has achieved that, but I'm finally at peace here because he doesn't know where to find me," she adds, trying not to dwell on the psychological abuse he put her through.
Sipping black coffee and taking in her surroundings, Mary cackles as she experiences a momentary sense of victory over her husband who has failed to track her down at Dar Niki Cassar, YMCA's homeless shelter in Valletta.
Mary is just one of the many people who benefit from this service. The charity needs over €250,000 a year to run its shelter, which houses up to 22 people; its drop-in centre, which deals with about 60 cases a day; and a wide range of programmes to help the homeless reintegrate into society.
It depends heavily on people's generosity, and next weekend will be holding a blitz fundraising campaign, where 21 personalities will go 'homeless' in Valletta, to raise money.
Mary is indebted to YMCA's help and her bloodshot eyes light up when she speaks about her life within the shelter: "I'm very happy here."
After months of living rough in a garage, before being kicked out for paying the €93 rent late every month, YMCA is her version of lush comfort and she refuses to dwell on the thought that one day she will have to move out.
YMCA is helping her find odd jobs here and there and encouraging her to save, but she is unable to conceptualise the idea of savings from the nothing she has.
Mary never had anything that could be called her own. She was born into a Valletta family, the only child of a loving 40-year-old mother and a disciplinarian father who did not tolerate his daughter's mischievous behaviour.
Even though her father hit her often when she misbehaved, her parents were the only two people who have ever showed her love.
"The saddest thing in my life is losing my parents five months apart. When they died I lost everything," she says, breaking down in sobs.
Mary's troubles started when she married her husband at 30. He soon began openly sleeping around with women and failed to provide her with money to run their family life and feed the children.
She endured years of psychological abuse where he made her feel worthless, tried to push the children into ganging up against her, abused her kindness and naivety, and played with her emotions.
When her children grew up to fend for themselves, and after years of sacrifices, she turned her back on the marital home in search of some sanity, but her husband was not about to stop the persecution.
"I guess since he wants to play around with other women he wants me out of his life; completely out of sight. He's threatened to kill me several times," she says.
Since she moved to YMCA she finally feels stronger and, although she knows she will have to move out, she prefers to cling on to the security the charity is providing her with.
Taking the last drag on her Dunhill cigarette, before stubbing it out, she gets up and smiles as she shares her plans of the day to cook some chicken soup and meet some friends. She then walks off to face the world, her no-nonsense expression belying her vulnerability.
To pledge year-round support to YMCA Homeless or for more information visit www.ymcahomeless.org or call 2122 8035. To make a donation of €4.66 send an SMS to 5061 8088, or for €11.65 send an SMS to 5061 9212.
* Names and some details have been changed to protect the person's identity.