Emma moved through her day like a ghost drifting in daylight - present, but distant, carrying the weight of a past she didn't want to revisit. The small apartment she called home was a sanctuary and a prison all at once. Each worn piece of furniture told a story of survival, of battles fought quietly within walls that had seen too many sleepless nights.
At work, she kept her gaze sharp and her answers brief. The office buzzed with life around her, but Emma existed on the edges, a solitary figure who'd long since learned the cost of letting anyone in.
"Hey, Emma, you coming for lunch?" a colleague called once. She'd just smiled tightly, shaking her head. "Maybe next time."
But there was no next time - not really. The truth was, she was scared. Scared of being seen. Scared of trusting again.
The evenings were the hardest. Alone in the quiet, the memories crept back, uninvited and relentless. She'd replay the moments when promises were broken, when she was left holding pieces of a heart that never quite healed.
Yet beneath it all, somewhere deep inside, a stubborn spark refused to die. The girl she used to be still whispered for a chance to live again - not just survive, but truly live.
And maybe, just maybe, that chance was closer than she dared to hope.
The city noises filtered through the cracked window, but Emma barely noticed. Her mind was elsewhere - calculating bills, juggling deadlines, and planning how to make it through another day without breaking down.
She had learned to keep the chaos inside. To smile when needed, even when her heart was heavy. To laugh softly, just enough so no one asked questions.
At times, she wondered if anyone truly saw her. Not the woman who scolded, snapped, or pushed people away, but the girl who once dreamed of love and kindness. The one who had believed promises that were never meant to be kept.
She thought about her mother sometimes - the strength she'd inherited, the sacrifices made so Emma could have a better life. But even that was a delicate memory, often buried beneath layers of pain.
Emma wanted to believe that things could change. That one day, someone might break through her walls - not to take from her, but to give.
For now, she'd keep moving forward. One step at a time.
To be continued....