2

SOPHIA

Sara's wedding day.

The morning of Sara’s wedding had arrived like a slow, creeping nightmare.

The past two weeks had been a blur of preparations, yet the house remained suffocatingly quiet and filled with unease and tension. Even my mother, who usually thrived in moments like these, wore a permanent frown.

Sara was the worst. She barely spoke, ate, or walked around.

Annoyingly, my father had even restricted me from going to work in the name of the wedding. I wasn't even the one getting married.

I comforted myself with the fact that I would be close enough to dig up every dirt under Ricci Russo's sleeves when he got married to Sara. He would bring his doom upon himself.

He never even showed up on any of the preparation days. Not even once to say hello. No meetings. No introductions. Just money wired for the wedding expenses. The jerk!

Sara's eyes were red and puffy as I draped the veil over her face. She clutched my hand tightly, her lips parted. No word came out. Only more heart-wrenching sobs.

"You'll be fine, Sara," I mumbled, pulling her into a brief hug. "I promise."

“Sophia, everyone’s ready! Let’s go!” My mother called up, but her facial expression wasn't funny at all.

I followed her outside. Our family would ride together in my stepfather’s car, while Sara would be driven in a sleek, brand-new BMW—one of Ricci’s 'gifts' by his driver.

She bunched her dress in her hands and sank into the back seat. I walked with her, about to enter with her when she stopped me.

"I want to be alone, please, Sophia," she choked out, wiping straying tears off her cheeks.

I stood frozen in confusion as the car pulled out of the house.

Mom sighed, her face etched with worry. “She's been saying that since yesterday, Sophia. I’ve never seen her this sad.”

A bad feeling curled in my stomach, but I remained silent. Before I could say anything, my father honked impatiently.

I climbed into the car, still feeling uneasy about the whole arrangement.

As we took the highway to avoid traffic, something felt off.

Then it came. A loud, deafening screech.

My heart stopped.

I watched Sara's car swerve violently across the road. The tires screeched against the pavement.

"No!" I screamed.

The BMW skidded wildly before crashing through the wooden railing, plummeting into the lake below.

“Saraaaaaaaa!” My mother and I screamed simultaneously. Gerald slammed on the brakes.

The car sank beneath the dark, icy water, and I could do nothing but watch in white-faced shock and disbelief.

*****

I bolted out of the car with a scream, but my stepfather’s grip yanked me back tightly.

"Call 911! Now!" I shouted in the direction of my mother. She looked more confused than I. Her eyes were wide with unshed tears.

The distant wail of sirens filled the air, a sound that should have been comforting, but my chest tightened with dread.

The highway was fully deserted, the stillness making the chaos feel even more unreal. At least no reporters were here to know what was happening. If this made the news, our whole family would be ruined.

"I knew something was wrong!" I screamed, shrugging out of his grip.

My feet barely touched the ground as I bolted towards the lake. Uncertainty swirled in the pit of my stomach. Was Sara dead or alive?

My hands trembled as I stepped closer to the lake, my pulse hammering in my ears.

“Sara!” I screamed, scanning the murky water. Nothing. Just the rippling waves swallowing the car’s last traces. "Sara!!"

Red and blue lights flashed across the surface as rescue divers arrived and plunged in.

The minutes dragged on painfully. Each second without news was another twist of the knife in my gut. Then, they emerged, dragging someone with them.

The driver of the jeep. Bloodied and lifeless.

I clamped my hand over my mouth, stifling my scream within myself. A sickening wave of nausea hit me at this point. If they had found the driver, they should have found Sara, too.

But another hour passed, and it seemed like all hope was lost.

Then, one of the divers emerged, shaking his head. “We found the car, but there’s no sign of her in it."

My stepfather collapsed onto his knees. His choked sobs shattered the silence.

“No, no, please, keep looking! She has to be there! Please!”

Another hour passed, yet the lake gave nothing back. Then, a solemn officer stepped forward.

“Sir, we have to call off the search for now. We’ll resume  by afternoon with better equipment.”

My stepfather looked like a man who had just lost everything he had ever worked for. His facial expression turned pale, hollow, and broken, and he turned to the officer, desperate.

“My daughter… she can’t be gone. You can't tell me she is gone.” My mother cried.

“We’ll do our best to get her, sir” The officer’s voice was gentle but firm. He gave a nod before leading his team away.

A heavy silence settled. I turned to my mother, my throat dry.

"What? What do we do now? Sara can't be gone, right?" I sobbed, taking her hands in mine and squeezing them with the pain in my heart.

Her mouth opened, but before she could answer, my stepfather moved toward me. His eyes were dark with something cold and dangerous.

Something about his stare made fear creep into my soul. His grip on my arm was iron-tight as he yanked me aside.

"I can't lose everything. I know exactly what we do now. YOU are going to fix this!"

A chill crept up my spine with words. "Fix what?" I whispered, squirming to release myself from his grip. "Let go of me!"

His expression hardened at once. “Life thinks it can play a fast one on me, but I won't be defeated. You will take Sara’s place.”

I froze at that spot as the word escaped my mouth. "What?"

“Ricci doesn’t know which daughter he’s marrying. I won't have him backing out of the deal. I will NOT go back to suffering. Not when you're here!"

My stomach twisted at once. “Are you crazy?! I have a life and a job! You’re insane.”

SLAP!

The impact sent my head snapping to the side. The sting burned within me, but the shock numbed me.

“You will watch your tone when talking to me,” he snarled. “Either you do this, or I’ll disown you and divorce your mother.”

I stared at him for some time, my heart breaking in ways I didn’t know were possible. He was a monster.

My gaze flickered to her. She stood frozen, her face pale, her lips pressed together. She didn’t dare speak a word to defend me. She didn’t stop him. Her eyes pleaded with me.

Crying was pointless. At this point, I had no choice in my life.

My gaze fell as I spoke, my voice defeated. “What do I need to do?”

A sickening grin spread across his face. “That's my girl!”