MasukI heard a knock on the door behind me and thought maybe it was Carlos who had returned for something, but my distrust made me open the door more slowly than usual. Standing before me was a fair-skinned girl with curly red hair, slightly taller than me. She had an innocent aura about her. She looked at me with her emerald green eyes, and for a moment, she stirred something deep within me, a feeling I couldn't quite describe, but one that made me frown, my hands on the door."Who are you?" I said, my tone curt.The little girl was hugging her shoulders; she seemed cold or disoriented. Perhaps both. She looked at me with a face that told me she wanted to tell me a thousand things, but for some reason, her voice wouldn't come out. She sighed, and it seemed like she was about to faint.For some strange reason, the feeling I got from her wasn't a threat. I opened the door completely, and she practically crawled in; she seemed to be having difficulty, and I was right when I saw her bare feet
Carlos sat on the sofa with a sheet of notebook paper in one hand and his cell phone in the other. He was looking at places and things we needed for the rehearsal dinner plan."Okay... today is April 3rd," Carlos said thoughtfully, "and the wedding rehearsal dinner is on Friday, April 17th, so we can have the official ceremony on Saturday the 18th, right?""Yes," I said as I walked to the other end of the sofa."So... do we have the guest list of important people yet?""All the investors and suppliers for my company, yes," I replied immediately.Carlos tapped the paper with the back of his pen.“Investors and suppliers… too many business faces…”I sat at the other end of the sofa, as far away from him as possible, smoothing the edge of the sofa cushion. “They’re not just business faces. They’re
The morning light filtered through the curtains, soft but persistent, as if reminding me that the outside world kept moving on. I opened my eyes slowly, feeling the weight of the previous night, but also something different: a spark, faint but undeniable.I got out of bed, my body stiff, but my mind clearer than it had been in weeks. The silence of the apartment no longer felt suffocating; it felt like a blank canvas. For the first time, I didn't see emptiness, I saw possibility.I went to the window and let the sunlight caress my face. I placed my trembling hand on the glass, and although the pain was still there, I no longer saw it as a curse. It was a reminder of survival, of battles fought and won. My hands might never be the same again, but my spirit wasn't broken. I was still Sofia, and I still had something to offer.Memories of my father's pride returned, not like daggers, but like fuel. He had believed in me when I was just a girl with sketches and dreams, and I owed it to hi
The crying left me exhausted, as if each sob ripped away a piece of strength I no longer possessed. I sat on the floor, surrounded by empty boxes ready for disposal, my breath ragged and my eyes burning. The silence of the apartment was absolute, and in that silence, the memories began to surface, one after another, relentlessly.I thought about the last few weeks since my father died: the sleepless nights, the plans that seemed to crumble the moment I tried to make them, the promises I made that I wasn't sure I could keep. I remembered the last time I'd had a simple conversation, the last time anything about my life had been bearable, before the night I learned my father had died and I had to plan his funeral.I saw myself back in the office, working late, convinced that saving the company was the most important thing, and planning a marriage of convenience. I saw myself arguing with Kathe, laughing with Mia, accepting Sebastian's help even
The phone kept vibrating in my hand, as if it wanted to scream what I couldn't. Sebastian leaned forward slightly, trying to see the screen, but I turned it toward me, shielding it. Kathe frowned, Mia bit her lip.The message was brief, almost cruel in its simplicity:"The reservation has been released. If you wish to keep the date, you must confirm payment before tomorrow."The clock on the wall read 2 PM. Somehow, we had slept in and spent the rest of the morning arranging everything. For a second, my mind shifted, and I turned to see what we had done. Even if it was a small victory, we had managed to tidy up the place that, from now on, would be my home, or at least a refuge.The silence was broken. Kathe was the first to react. "We don't have time for arguments. Either you fix this now, or we lose it."Mia slumped in her chair, exaggerating a sigh. “Drama, clocks, payme
“We need to talk,” I said firmly, arms crossed, standing in the middle of the room. “Something’s wrong…”Mia groaned, still half asleep on the sofa. “Can’t we finish unpacking before another drama starts?”Sebastian looked at me intently, almost challengingly. “What happened?”I hesitated, clutching my phone. The words were heavy, but I had to say them. “The payment for the wedding venue… was declined.”Silence filled the room. Kathe’s eyes widened, Mia straightened up, and Sebastian clenched his jaw.“Declined?” Kathe repeated sharply. “You mean canceled?”“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “It just… wasn’t processed. But that means we don’t have the reservation anymore. At least not until I sort it out.”Mia threw her hands up in despair. “Well, perfect. We survived the move, the wine hangovers, and the pizza breakfasts, only to be crushed by a bank notification.”Sebastian approached, his voice calm but firm. “Then we’ll fix it. Today. No excuses.”The argument erupted from the
"Should I pick you up tomorrow at the same time?"I was about to say yes when I suddenly remembered, "No... I have plans to go out to dinner tomorrow, so..." I said, leaving the suggestion hanging in the air.Sebastian just nodded and said goodbye without asking many more questions. He turned aroun
Carlos leaned slightly toward me, his smile seeming more like a mask than a genuine gesture.“Rumors, contracts, employees leaving… it’s all just noise. The important thing is that you and I keep going.”His words made me clench m
"Hi, love!" Mia's sweet voice answered from the other side. "What have you been up to?""You wouldn't believe me if I told you what's been happening...""I'm not doing anything, tell me!"Mia sounded so cheerful that it calmed me after the whirlwind of things I'd been through. Despite everything, M
A few days passed normally, as normally as things could go in my situation. Some suppliers had begun to show their support for my uncle, and their true colors were becoming obvious. My stationery and ink supplier contacted me to say they had to raise prices due to external company measures.Similar







