Prologue
The last few weeks had been a living nightmare for Sophia. Losing her parents in a tragic accident shattered her world in an instant. She could still hear the echo of the phone ringing at two in the morning, and the trembling voice of a woman that froze her body when she whispered: “Your parents are dead.”
From that moment, emptiness filled her heart, and silence became her constant companion. Naturally quiet and withdrawn, she retreated even further into herself, cutting ties with people and reality.
Sophia believed her life was nothing but a chain of misfortunes, a nightmare where nothing ever went her way. She was convinced that fate had cursed her from the day she was born. At only seventeen, she no longer expected anything good. With every passing day, she grew more certain that things would only get worse.
The first blow had come years earlier, when she was in seventh grade. That was when she befriended Anne – a girl who radiated confidence. For shy, lonely Sophia, who had spent her childhood without real friends, it felt like a blessing. She had always envied the other girls their circles of laughter and secrets, and for once she thought fate had smiled upon her.
She was wrong. Anne quickly revealed her true colors. She treated Sophia like a servant, twisting every little thing into an insult and expecting her words to be obeyed without question. Over time, the friendship turned toxic. The truth became undeniable when Sophia overheard that Anne was spreading malicious rumors about her – lies that others swallowed without hesitation.
It all began when Sophia’s beauty started to bloom. The shy little girl was turning into a striking young woman, and that made her a threat. Anne, who needed a gray shadow by her side to shine like a goddess, could not bear the competition.
Cutting ties with her was one of the best decisions Sophia had ever made. From then on, their paths diverged completely.
But her troubles at home soon followed. One evening, Sophia accidentally overheard her parents whispering anxiously about taking out a loan to save the family business. It wasn’t much, but it had always provided stability and a safe life. When the debts grew, the company collapsed. Not long after came the accident that stole her parents from her – and hurled her into an abyss of loneliness.
Her only refuge was with her mother’s sister. Her uncle welcomed her with kindness and offered shelter, though his wife never hid her coldness. The sisters had been estranged for twenty years, and so Sophia met that side of the family only after the tragedy.
The new home glittered with wealth. Everything gleamed with luxury, and servants attended to every detail of daily life – from cleaning to elaborate meals. Yet Sophia could not bring herself to feel part of this world.
Since the beginning of summer, she had shut herself away in her room, avoiding contact with people. Her cousin tried more than once to coax her out, but Sophia always refused. She preferred the safety of her four walls, where she could lose herself in books and films.
She could feel the weight of depression pulling her down. The household noticed her state, but when she refused to see a doctor, insisting she would fight her demons on her own, no one pressed further.
She only needed time – or so she said.
Her greatest comfort came from her uncle and Aria, her cousin. Her aunt, however, treated her like an intruder in a perfect house. Aria understood her grief and never pressured her when she declined another invitation to meet her friends.
The days slipped away, and the moment drew closer when Sophia would have to leave her fragile sanctuary. A boarding school awaited her – the same one her older cousin had attended.
In her lonely nights, her thoughts always returned to that night. She wished she had been with her parents. That she had gotten into the car and shared their fate. It would have been easier. She would not have to face a future that stretched before her like a labyrinth of pain and sorrow.
