Dream
Liana
The dream returns without mercy.
I am seventeen again.
I stand barefoot in the narrow hallway of the orphanage, the cold floor biting into my skin. The air feels heavy—too still, too silent—except for the faint flicker of the tube light above me. It blinks on and off, casting trembling shadows along the walls.
My room is only a few steps behind me.
But I can’t move.
My eyes are fixed on the door at the end of the corridor.
Another room. Someone else’s room.
A sound reaches me—soft at first, almost like the wind slipping through cracks. Then it comes again.
A muffled sob.
A broken, desperate whimper.
“Please… stop… it hurts…” a girl’s voice cries weakly.
My chest tightens.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this.
Some nights, the same sounds echo through the orphanage. And every time… everyone pretends not to hear.
That’s how you survive here.
My heart slams painfully against my chest. Fear coils around my throat, choking me. Every instinct tells me to turn back, to shut myself inside my room and forget.
But my feet refuse to listen.
The door ahead is slightly open.
Just enough.
I take a slow, trembling step forward. My fingers shake as I reach the gap and look inside.
Shadows move across the dim room.
Then I see her.
Mara—the most beautiful girl in the orphanage.
Her face is pale, her body stiff with fear. Tears slide silently down her cheeks, her wide eyes shining with helplessness.
For a brief moment… she looks straight at me.
Help me.
She doesn’t say it aloud, but I hear it.
I feel it.
It crashes into my chest like a scream.
Fear rushes through my veins, cold and suffocating. My breath turns shallow.
A man stands with his bare back to me.His hand moving down on her and she is whimpering.
I don’t see his face.
I don’t need to.
The way Mara trembles tells me everything.
My heart pounds so loudly I’m sure he will hear it. My hands curl into fists, nails digging into my palms.
Move.
Do something.
Run. Shout. Help her.
But I can’t.
Fear roots me to the spot.
Mara lets out a soft cry.
Something inside me shatters.
Tears blur my vision as panic floods through me. The walls feel like they’re closing in, crushing me under their weight. Guilt wraps around my chest, tightening with every second.
“Leave her!” I scream suddenly.
My voice breaks through the silence.
“Please… leave her alone!”
The sound echoes down the hallway—
—and I wake up.
I gasp, sitting upright in bed, my breath uneven and sharp. My heart races wildly, as if I’m still standing in that hallway. Sweat clings to my skin, my hair damp against my forehead.
My hands clutch the bedsheet tightly.
I can still feel it.
The fear.
The helplessness.
Tears slide down my cheeks before I can stop them.
Years have passed.
So many years.
But the fear never left me. It’s still there—buried deep, waiting for nights like this.
The room around me is quiet.
Safe.
Soft morning light slips through the curtains, gently touching the walls.
I press my hand against my chest, forcing myself to breathe.
In… out… slowly.
“Mommy…”
The small voice pulls me back.
I turn instantly.
Lily is curled beside me, half asleep, her tiny fingers clutching my sleeve.
Reality settles in.
She’s here.
She’s safe.
“I’m here,” I whisper, pulling her into my arms. “I’m here.”
I hold her tightly, pressing a soft kiss to her hair.
I couldn’t save Mara.
But I will protect Lily.
No matter what.
As the world outside slowly wakes, I push my memories back where they belong—locked behind the walls I’ve built inside my heart.
My name is Liana Brooks.
An orphan… just like I once was.
But now, I’m a mother.
Lily is 4 years old. I adopted her, and she is my entire world.
For the past five years, I’ve worked as an assistant to Thomas Blackwood. He’s more than my boss—he’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father.
Recently, he transferred me to California, to the main branch of Blackwood Corporation.
I’m here to assist his son.He is divorced and a highly successful businessman, just like his father. I’ve seen his face in magazines and newspapers more than once—someone the world admires, but someone I’ve never truly known.
A new city.
A new life.
But some memories… follow you wherever you go.
I step into the kitchen of my new apartment, carefully placing Lily on a chair nearby. The space is modern, fully equipped—far more than I need.
Thomas arranged everything before I arrived.
Even here… he’s taking care of me.
I take a quiet breath and begin preparing breakfast for Lily.
