The afternoon sun hung high in the sky, casting golden hues over the quiet park. Despite its warmth, the cool breeze whispered through the trees, rustling leaves and carrying the distant laughter of children playing. Ella sat on a wooden bench, her hands trembling as she clutched the file against her chest. The weight of the words inside bore down on her, suffocating, relentless. The letters stared back at her, sharp and unforgiving, threatening to carve themselves into her soul.

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she held them back. She inhaled shakily, forcing herself to be strong. “I’ll deal with my problems later,” she whispered under her breath. “Right now, Sofi needs me more.” Determination laced her voice, but inside, she was breaking.

She pressed her lips together and exhaled deeply, gripping the edge of the bench as though it could anchor her to reality. Her thoughts spiraled as she recalled the doctor’s words: Your husband loves you a lot. He didn’t want you to live in fear.

Lucifer.

A bitter laugh escaped her. You shouldn’t have lied to me, Lucifer. The thought echoed painfully in her mind, her heart clenching with a mix of anger and sorrow. He  kept the truth from me—not out of malice, but out of love. He  not wanted  me to  live in fear. But now, all I  could feel is betrayal and despair.

The breeze picked up, tousling her hair as she tightened her grip on the file. The crisp sound of the paper crinkling under her fingers made her stomach churn. Her tears, stubborn as they were, finally slipped free, trailing down her cheeks in silent surrender.

She wiped them away with shaky hands, but they kept coming, refusing to be restrained any longer.
Why is this happening to me? she choked out,

She felt like she was suffocating, drowning in the weight of it all. The knowledge, the fear, the uncertainty—it pressed down on her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs.

“I can’t go,” she murmured desperately. I can’t leave him. I can’t leave Sofi. Mom… Dad… They need me. Sofi needs me.

Her sobs grew louder, her body trembling as she curled in on herself, clutching her arms as if that would hold her together. She didn’t know how much time passed—minutes? Hours? The sun had nearly disappeared now, leaving behind streaks of orange and pink in the sky.

Her mind reeled with thoughts of Lucifer. How many times had he held her close, whispering reassurances into her ear? How many times had he shielded her from pain, even at the cost of his own? She thought of Sofi, her innocent eyes filled with trust, the way she clung to Ella, seeking comfort.
How could she leave? How could she abandon them?

A fresh wave of despair crashed over her, and she buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. She was terrified. Of what, she wasn’t even sure anymore—of losing them? Of them losing her? Of the unknown? Of the battle she had to face alone?

She had always been strong. Always picked herself up no matter how many times she fell. But this… this felt different. It felt like she was standing at the edge of a cliff with no one to catch her if she fell.

I don’t want to go she sobbed, gripping the front of her shirt as if she could physically hold herself in place. Please, I don’t want to go.

The night air grew colder, wrapping around her like a suffocating embrace. The pages in her lap fluttered slightly, but she didn’t bother to stop them. The words were already burned into her mind.

She took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself, but it was useless. The pain was overwhelming, a deep, consuming ache that refused to let go.

The thought of leaving him—leaving them—shattered something deep within her. How could she walk away from Lucifer? From Sofi? From their parents? They needed her. Sofi needs me…

She buried her face in her hands, her body shaking with quiet sobs. The cool wind kissed her skin, offering no comfort, only a reminder of how fragile she felt. She had always been the strong one, the one people depended on. But right now, she felt like a glass figurine on the edge of a shelf—one wrong move, and she’d shatter completely.

A distant ringing pulled her from her thoughts. She glanced at her phone, her vision blurred by tears. Lucifer’s name flashed on the screen.

For a moment, she hesitated. Her thumb hovered over the screen, torn between answering and letting it ring out. She wanted to hear his voice, wanted the warmth it always brought her. But at the same time, she wasn’t sure if she could handle it. The weight of his love, his concern—it would crush her right now.

The call ended.

A sharp breath left her lips as she clenched the phone in her hand. The wind howled softly, as if whispering secrets she wasn’t ready to hear.

Her tears fell harder now, soaking the file in her lap. I don’t want to go. I can’t go. But the decision wasn’t in her hands anymore. It had already been made for her.

And that realization broke her completely.

The distant hum of the world around her barely registered in her mind. The park was no longer empty—passersby stole glances at the girl on the bench, her shoulders trembling, her hands gripping a crumpled file. A few slowed their steps, concern flickering in their eyes, but no one approached. No one dared to intrude on a sorrow so raw.

Children’s laughter rang in the distance, a cruel contrast to the silent sobs racking her frame. A couple whispered among themselves, debating whether to ask if she was okay, but in the end, they moved on, leaving her alone with the weight of her world collapsing.

Ella didn’t notice them. Didn’t hear them. Didn’t care.

She was drowning in a grief too deep, a decision too final.

Her fingers tightened around the damp pages in her lap, the ink smudging beneath her tears. The wind howled through the trees, but it could not reach the storm inside her.

She was breaking, piece by piece, and no one—not even Lucifer—could save her now.

***

Lucifer ran a frustrated hand through his hair, his jaw clenched as he stared at his phone. The call had ended without an answer. Again.

“Damn it, Ella.” He muttered under his breath, tapping his fingers on the desk. “Why the hell are you not picking up?” His voice was low, sharp with impatience.

His gut twisted with unease. He needed to know how Sofi was. Had she stopped crying? Was she still upset? His mind raced with possibilities, and none of them calmed him.

Sofi wasn’t answering either. She never ignored him like this before. It had been hours since he last saw her, and every second without a response made his blood run hotter. The need to see her, hear her voice, reassure himself that she was okay—it clawed at his insides like a sickness.

His eyes flickered toward his laptop screen. A picture of Sofi glowed on the display, frozen in a moment of innocent laughter. Her soft brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, her lips parted in a smile that made his chest ache. But now, that smile was gone. Because of the news.

Lucifer leaned forward, his fingers hovering over the trackpad. “Sofi,” he murmured, his voice laced with an unsettling tenderness. What’s wrong, doll? So what if you got pregnant? What’s so bad about it?

His fingers curled into a fist, his nails digging into his palm. Sooner or later, we were meant to have a child anyway. After marriage, before marriage—does it even matter? It’s ours. A part of me, a part of you. The proof that we belong together.

His lips curled into a half-smile as he traced the outline of her face on the screen. Learn to love this child, Sofi. It’s the first step… the first step toward everything I’ve ever wanted. A future where there’s no distance between us. Where you finally accept that we were meant to be.

He exhaled deeply, tilting his head as he studied her image. I know it’s a bit of a shame, love. Getting pregnant without marriage, the whispers, the judgment… But don’t worry. It’s just a matter of time. Once Ella is gone, we’ll be married. No one will question it.

His fingers danced across the keys, pulling up a live feed from the security cameras he had set up. His breath caught as the screen flickered, showing him the empty living room. Where was she?

His pulse spiked. “Don’t be sad, Sofi,” he whispered. “It’s not good for our child’s health.”

A sudden wave of desperation washed over him. She had been crying, he knew it. He should have been there. He should have held her, whispered reassurances in her ear, wiped away her tears.

His fingers twitched toward his phone again, dialing her number without a second thought. The line rang once. Twice. Then went to voicemail.

Lucifer sucked in a sharp breath, his grip on the phone tightening until his knuckles turned white.

“Sofi,” he said in a low, commanding voice, as if she could hear him through the screen. “Answer me.”

Nothing. Silence. It enraged him.

His mind spiraled. Was she with Ella? Was sofi filling her head with doubts? Was Sofi crying ?

He slammed his fist against the desk. The sharp pain did nothing to cool the fire burning inside him. “You don’t get to shut me out, Sofi,” he growled. “Not when I’m the only one who truly understands you.”

His breathing was uneven as he leaned back in his chair, running a shaky hand over his face. His eyes fell back onto her picture. The softness in his gaze returned, but the madness lurking beneath it never truly faded.

“You’ll understand soon,” he murmured, his voice carrying an eerie gentleness. “You’ll see that this is a blessing, not a mistake.”

He closed his eyes, imagining her there with him. Sitting across from him, her hands in his, her lips trembling but her heart open to him. He imagined the moment she would finally come out of this depression, when she would whisper his name with love. When she would cradle their child with warmth in her eyes.

A shudder ran through him at the thought.

“I will fix this,” he promised her picture, his voice barely above a whisper. “I will make you see.”

He reached for his laptop again, navigating to another screen. His next move had to be careful, precise.

His fingers hovered over the keyboard as he smirked to himself.

***

Kevin sat on the  bench outside the college gates, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers tangled in his hair. The sun was beginning to set, casting a soft glow on the pavement, but he barely noticed. His eyes were fixed on the entrance, watching, waiting.

“Bro, why aren’t you going home?” his friend asked, nudging his shoulder.

Kevin exhaled sharply, his jaw clenching. “She didn’t come again.”

His friend frowned, confused. “Who? Sofi?”

“Who else?” Kevin muttered, rubbing his thumb over his lower lip, a nervous habit he’d picked up.

His friend scoffed. “Man, why are you so interested in her? She barely talks to anyone. I mean, yeah, she’s beautiful, but she’s not exactly fun.”

Kevin’s head snapped toward him, his glare sharp and full of warning.

“What? I’m just saying the truth,” his friend defended, raising his hands in surrender.

Kevin didn’t respond. He couldn’t. His mind had already drifted back to her, to Sofi. He stared blankly at the ground, lost in thought.

She must be overthinking again. His chest tightened. What could’ve happened to her? Was she avoiding him? Avoiding everyone?

***

Sofi sat in the dark, her arms wrapped around herself as the weight of her thoughts pressed down on her chest like an iron cage. The cold night air pricked at her skin, but she barely noticed. Her body was trembling, but not from the chill—it was the storm inside her, the relentless voice of overthinking, suffocating her mind.

She could hear them. The whispers, the laughter, the judgment. They weren’t real, not yet, but they would be soon. The moment people found out, the moment the truth slipped from the cracks of her shattered world, the words would come to life.

“Slut.”

“She deserves it.”

“Look at her trying to play the victim.”

Her breath hitched. The voices weren’t real, but they felt real, clawing at her, tearing her apart from the inside. She clutched her arms tightly, her nails digging into her skin as she rocked slightly, trying to make it stop.

“She must have cheated.”

“That’s not a child. That’s proof of her sin.”

Her stomach twisted violently as nausea hit her. She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her palms against her ears. But the voices didn’t stop. They never did.

“Poor baby. How brave is she to carry her rapist’s child?”

“No, she must have wanted it in the first place. Just acting now.”

“If I were her, I’d drop it without a second thought.”

“Stop. Stop, please stop!” she gasped, shaking her head violently. The words circled her, closing in, pressing against her skull like they were ready to crack her open.

Her hands fell from her ears, her fingers trembling. Her face was stained with tears, but her expression hardened. A deep breath. Another. Then, she wiped her face, smearing the dampness across her sleeves, and forced herself to stand.

She had made her decision.

Her feet carried her forward. She didn’t stop walking.  Her eyes stayed forward, unblinking, her steps firm with an unsettling sense of purpose.

The world around her was spinning.

Sofi stood in the dimly lit hallway of her home, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The walls felt like they were closing in, the air thick with whispers that didn’t exist.

Slut.

She deserves it.

Her hands trembled at her sides.

Look at her, trying to play the victim.

He must be her lover.

She cheated.

Poor baby, how brave of her to carry her rapist’s child. Or maybe she wanted it in the first place and is just acting now.

Sofi’s knees buckled, and she gripped the stair railing for support. Her heartbeat was a wild, frantic thing, hammering against her ribs as if trying to escape. The whispers curled around her, venomous and relentless.

If I were her, I would drop it without a second thought.

the voices wouldn’t stop.

Her grip tightened on the railing as she forced her feet to move. One step. Then another. Then another.

She climbed the stairs slowly, her body heavy, her mind clouded. The soft creaks of the wooden steps beneath her feet seemed deafening in the silence of the house. She barely felt the cool air brushing against her tear-streaked cheeks as she reached the final step and pushed open the door to the rooftop.

The night sky stretched endlessly above her, a vast, merciless void. The moon cast a pale glow over the city, but it did nothing to comfort her. The world was quiet, almost too quiet, as if it was watching, waiting.

Sofi stepped forward, the concrete beneath her bare feet rough and cold. She reached the edge of the rooftop and stared down. The streetlights flickered below, their glow distant, unattached. The height was dizzying, but she didn’t move away.

I won’t kill it alone, she thought bitterly. If I have to kill, I’ll kill both of us.

A sharp gust of wind rushed past her, making her hair whip against her face. She exhaled shakily, her body trembling. One step forward. That’s all it would take. Just one step, and everything would end. The whispers, the shame, the pain—everything would be gone.

She lifted her foot.

To be Continued...