Chapter 1
Coming from a Muslim family, the rules were clear - but not for Sonia Elad, a young woman with dreams and a self-confidence that was not allowed in the family she lived in.
Sonia Elad learned one simple thing from a young age: in their home, silence was not peace - it was survival.
There was no free laughter, no spontaneous replies, no "why?".
There was only "yes, dad."
The house she had grown up in was not small, but it felt suffocating.
The thick walls kept the echo of her father's footsteps, and every door that was opened too loudly could become a reason for an argument.
Her father, Karim Elad, was the kind of man who didn't often raise his voice - but he didn't need to.
His presence was enough. His sharp gaze stopped any intention of rebellion before it took shape.
"The women in our family don't come forward," he often said.
Sonia’s mother, Leila, always looked down at those words. Not because she agreed—but because she had learned that opposition got her nowhere.
Sonia was not like her.
Not completely.
As a child, she had an insatiable curiosity.
She asked questions, read everything she could get her hands on, and most of all… she observed.
She observed how people were treated differently.
She observed how her father made decisions without being challenged.
She observed how her mother remained silent even when she was right.
And somewhere deep down, a dangerous idea was born:
“It’s not fair.”
Her brother, Amir, was her opposite.
Five years older, he had quickly learned the rules of the game.
He didn’t challenge them. He used them.
He was respected by their father, and that gave him a clear advantage.
He wasn’t necessarily cruel… but he didn’t interfere either.
For Sonia, that was sometimes worse.
