When Reality And Illusion Brims
Chapter 1
It had been a rough day for Avery.
She had worked tirelessly at the office, and with the weekend finally around the corner, she decided to let herself breathe. She slipped into her red one-piece dress — the one that hugged her curves just right — and paired it with her golden heels.
The country club was alive that night. Music pulsed through the air as she danced, drank, and let her thoughts wander. She was happy — genuinely happy. The promotion she had fought so hard for was finally hers. She had stood her ground against her parents, carved her own path, and now they wanted to visit, proud of the woman she had become.
She thought of her apartment and smiled. Soon, she could afford something bigger. Better.
Her legs ached as she danced, but she didn’t care. She was lost in her own world.
When she glanced at the clock above the bar, it was already past one. Time to go home.
Outside, the night air felt heavy. She stumbled slightly into an alley, tipsy, her head buzzing, her thoughts blurring together. Her vision darkened.
Then—nothing.
When she woke up, she wasn’t near the club.
She was under a bridge, dressed in tattered pajamas that barely covered her, a piece of stale bread clutched in her hand. Rain fell softly around her.
That’s when she understood.
It had all been her imagination.
She was a nobody. And she always had been.
She wept quietly, mourning the life she would never have. Joy felt like a distant dream.
She didn’t notice the limo pull up nearby.
The gate opened. A man stepped out, dressed in a tuxedo, holding an umbrella. He stopped in front of her, shielding her from the rain. His face remained hidden in the darkness.
“Miss,” he said softly, “it’s time to be back home.”
