Chapter 1
Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful young girl named Mia.
Mia lived with her parents, Claude and Sophie, and loved them both very much—especially her father. To Mia, her father was more than just a parent. He was her protector, her best friend, and the person who made her believe that anything was possible.
Mia had always believed in fairytales. She believed that life was as simple and beautiful as it seemed. She believed that if she worked hard, loved deeply, and remained kind, life would eventually reward her.
She had big dreams for her future.
Mia wanted to work hard, become financially independent, and one day establish her own foundation—a place where she could help the needy, support the less privileged, and give hope to people who had nowhere else to turn.
Whenever she talked about her dreams, her father would smile proudly.
“You have such a big heart, Mia,” Claude would tell her. “Never allow this world to change that.”
Mia would smile and hold his hand.
“I won't, Daddy. One day, I'll make you proud. I promise.”
Those moments were precious to her.
But life was about to change in a way Mia could never have imagined.
As the years went by, Claude began to worry about the future of his family. He wanted to give Mia and Sophie a better life, so he made a difficult decision.
He decided to travel to another country in search of greener pastures.
The day of his departure, Mia stood beside her father with tears in her eyes.
“Daddy, do you really have to go?” she asked.
Claude knelt down and gently wiped her tears.
“Just for a while, my princess. I'm going because I want to build a better future for you and your mother.”
“But I'm going to miss you.”
Claude pulled her into his arms.
“And I'm going to miss you too. But promise me you'll be strong.”
Mia nodded as she hugged him tightly.
“I promise.”
Before leaving, Claude looked at Sophie.
“Take care of her for me.”
Sophie nodded.
“I will. Don't worry.”
Claude smiled, picked up his bags, and walked away.
Mia watched until he disappeared from sight.
She had no idea that the goodbye she had just given her father would become one of the most painful memories of her life.
At first, everything seemed fine.
Claude called regularly. He asked about Mia's school, spoke lovingly with Sophie, and always reminded Mia to keep chasing her dreams.
“Study hard, Mia. One day, you'll help so many people.”
And Mia believed him.
She believed her father would come home.
She believed her family would always remain together.
She believed in the happy ending.
But sometimes, life has a way of breaking the promises we make to ourselves.
And slowly, the calls from Claude began to change...
