Life continued at the same pace—painful, heavy, and cruel.
That was... until that day.
I was walking home from work, dragging my body, weighed down by exhaustion and silent sadness. My shoulders were aching. My head was about to explode from the pain. I was walking alone, the storms swirling around me. That's when I saw him—tall, broad-shouldered, with a gentle face that didn't belong in this cruel world. He walked slowly and quietly toward me, radiating hope. And before I could ask him, he said...
"You look... tired," he said in the soft, caring tone of someone worried about you. "Is life that hard for you?"
Honestly, I didn't know how to respond, but somehow... my heart opened. "I work a hard job," I told him, "because I need the money."
He smiled, the kind of smile that makes you feel seen for the first time in years.
"Then leave him," he said. If you're unhappy, why don't you work with me? Not as an employee, but as a friend. We could live together. Share a life. You'd earn a good income, more than enough for you to never feel like a burden again.
For a moment, I forgot who I was. His words filled me with a warmth I'd never known before. Could this be real?
Money... enough to stop being a burden to my parents.
Freedom... from a job that crushed my dignity daily.
A friend... someone who truly cared about me.
He was offering me everything I'd ever wanted, and I agreed. Without thinking. Without fear. Without even asking his name.
He told me we'd be moving to another city where the project would begin, and I'd have to sign a contract. "I'll sign, too," he reassured me. "It's just a formality. You'll see."
My mind didn't question it. My heart was full of hope. I packed my things and left with him, believing I was finally walking toward the light.
And first... the light. He was kind. He made me breakfast. He told me I was his only friend, that I was worthy of love, that I mattered. Even though I wondered why he saw me of all people, I can't describe the joy I felt. For the first time, I felt human. I lived. It was as if the world had finally looked up and smiled.