Prologue

"Sophia!" a raged voice came out of nowhere while Sophia was cleaning the room. She looked back and saw her fiancé, Liam. Sophia gave him a wide smile and was about to go in his direction, but he suddenly pulled out her hair while his eyes trailed with blazing fire.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Sophia uttered a loud scream as she struggled to get out of Liam's painful and abusive hands.

"Don't you ever do this again, Sophia. You're mine, and only mine. No one can own you but me. Understood?" She nods her head in agreement with him, as she didn't want him to get angry at her even more.

Liam let her go, but his anger was still burning in his eyes as he looked at her. Sophia was terrified as she looked at him; her hands were also shaking, and she didn't know what to do. She was too stunned to speak while looking at Liam.

"Hey, I'm sorry," he uttered in a calm manner while stroking her hair. "I loved you so much, Sophia. I don't want to lose you," he added.

Sophia had been suffering from the abusive hands of Liam since they were living together because of their families decision. Sophia's parents didn't know about what was going on in their relationship. It was all fake. Fake marriage, fake feelings Everything is all fake.

The day of the wedding

Sophia walked down the aisle, her heart pounding, and she was having those flashbacks again. She tried to reassure herself that everything would be fine, but she knew deep down that it wouldn't. Her fiancée had become increasingly controlling and abusive in the days leading up to the wedding, and she knew it would only get worse once they were married.

She noticed her fiancée waiting for her at the altar, his face displaying a stern, angry expression. She tried her best to ignore him and concentrate on the ceremony, but the sense of dread that had crept into her heart wouldn't go.

As she took her place beside him, her thoughts raced. What would happen once they were married? Would she be happy? Would he hurt her even more than he already had? Would she ever be able to escape from his abusive hands?

As the ceremony went on, Sophia felt like she was in a daze. She heard what was being said, but it seemed distant and disconnected from reality. Sophia knew that she was making a mistake by marrying this guy, but she felt confined and hopeless.

Smile, honey," Liam reminded her while glaring at her. Sophia couldn't help but obey him.

The time had finally come for her to make her vows. She inhaled deeply and tried to steady her voice, but her hands were shaking uncontrollably. She raised an eyebrow at her fiancée and noticed the anger and contempt in his eyes; she realized she couldn't go through with it.

Her lips were trembling, and without a word, she turned and ran out of the church, tears streaming down her face.

"Sophia!" Liam shouted, but she kept on running until she got out of the church.

Sophia didn't care about the embarrassment or the shame of what she was doing; she only knew that she had to get away from her fiancée and start a new life without him.

As she ran, she had never felt such freedom and liberation before. Though she had no idea what lay ahead, she was confident in her decision. She felt more alive than she had in a long time after taking the first step toward liberating herself from the abuse and violence that had been holding her back.

After leaving the church, Sophia ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding with adrenaline. She didn't have a plan or a place in mind, but she knew she needed to get away from her fiancée as quickly as she could. Sophia's aware that Liam would use his connections just to find her.

Sophia stopped, took a deep breath, and then she realized that she had left the church without her phone or any money, and she didn't know anyone in the neighborhood.

A stranger appeared out of nowhere just as fear began to take hold. He was tall and handsome, with kind eyes and a gentle smile.

"Are you alright, Miss?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

Sophia hesitated for a moment, but something about the stranger's demeanor put her at ease. She nodded and explained what had happened, tears streaming down her face once again. The stranger in front of her listened attentively and offered to help in any way he could.

"You need to change your clothes first," the stranger said, and Sophia realized that she was still wearing her wedding dress.

After changing her clothes, he walked with her to a nearby café, bought her a cup of coffee, and insisted that she take a seat and relax for a bit.

As they sat and talked, Sophia felt a connection with the stranger that she had never felt with her abusive fiancée. The stranger listened to her without judgment and offered words of encouragement and support.

Hours went by before she realized it, and the sun was beginning to set. The stranger offered to take her to a motel close by so she could spend the night there and decide what to do next.

As they walked, Sophia couldn't help but feel grateful for the stranger's kindness. She knew that she had a long road ahead of her, but for the first time in a long time, she felt like she wasn't alone.

"Thank you so much for your help. I couldn't thank you more," she uttered as her eyes began to go teary again.

"Glad I can help," he said, and before they could part ways, Sophia ran into him and gave him a tight hug, making him surprised at what she did.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just got carried away," she apologized as she took a step back from him.

"It's fine, I need to get going then."

Sophia was grateful for the chance encounter that had given her the courage to start a new life, free from abuse and violence. She went to bed that night feeling optimistic and eager for what lay ahead.

Sophia surveyed the lively city below from the balcony of the motel she was staying at. She had finally taken the leap and started a new life, but as she looked out at the world around her, memories of the past flooded her mind. She remembered everything she had been through with her ex-fiancée.

She reflected on the happy and bad moments over the previous several years. She had been in a relationship that had ended in heartbreak.

Sophia realized that starting a new life was not going to be easy while looking out at the city below. She lets out a deep breath, thinking about how she can start a new life without having any money with her. She would have to make new friends, find a new job, and build a new support system from scratch.

That afternoon, Sophia decided to go out to look for a job; she was feeling a little hungry, and she didn't have any money with her.

She was already outside the motel, yet she didn't know where to go. She had no one to turn to for help, and she felt lost and alone. Sophia's eyes went teary once again as she was looking around; it was something she didn't want to do.

"Should I come back to him? How can I call my parents?" she asked herself tearfully in the corner of the street. She couldn't seem to concentrate on anything specific, and her thoughts were jumbled.

She continued walking, but some men approached her.

"Miss!" She didn't turn her head, and she began to walk faster, yet she was being followed. Her heart raced as she felt eyes on her. She knew that there were a group of men following her. Her mind raced with fear as she wondered what their intentions were.

She decided to take a shortcut through a park, hoping to lose the men. Yet as she walked towards the park, she realized that it was a mistake. The men closed in on her, and she realized that she was completely surrounded.

"W-what do you want from me?" she raged at them, yet her lips were trembling.

The men just laughed at her. "This is you, right?" The men then showed her the photo on the screen, and they were right; it was her. Liam had been looking for her.

"We just need the reward, so... You need to come with us; your husband is waiting for you." The man was about to drag her away, but someone stopped them.

Sophia's chest continued to race while she thought about her safety.

"And who are you?" a man asked the stranger to intercede.

When Sophia caught a glimpse of who it was, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the man from yesterday. Her mouth slightly open in surprise, "He's here again."

"Stop bothering the young lady," the stranger said calmly to the group of men.

Sophia couldn't believe how heroic the stranger was when he came to rescue her. She was amazed just by looking at the man's expression. She was cool and serious while he was dealing with those men.

She had never experienced anything like it before. The feeling of being saved by someone was new to her. For years, she had relied solely on herself to navigate the ups and downs of life. Yet when she was in danger, someone came to rescue her, and it was a feeling that she couldn't quite describe.