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The next morning, Sarah crept down the stairs, her heart clinging to a fragile hope. Maybe, just maybe, her mother would be waiting in the kitchen with a faint smile, maybe she'd kiss Sarah's forehead like she used to. Maybe life would pretend to be normal again.
But the house had no warmth left in it.
Only silence hugged her, heavy and suffocating.
The kitchen table was empty. No coffee mug, no breakfast plate, no sign of her mother's morning presence. Sarah's chest tightened.
She tiptoed back upstairs, her knuckles tapping lightly on her mother's door.
"Mom?" she whispered.
No response.
She knocked again, louder this time. Still nothing.
The third knock was hesitant, her hand trembling, when suddenly her mother's voice came through — muffled, cold, stripped of comfort.
"Sarah, go to school. I'm not in the right mind to take you today."
Her throat burned, but she forced herself to swallow it back. She wanted to beg, to cry, to ask for just one hug… but she didn't. She only pressed her lips together and nodded, even though her mother couldn't see.
Sarah walked to school that morning, her bag heavy, but her heart heavier. She was sad — sad for her mother, sad for herself. But more than anything, she was angry. Angry at her father for leaving, for vanishing, for tearing their family into silence.
---
At school, Sarah sat quietly at her desk, her eyes fixed on nothing. The world around her blurred, voices of classmates muffled into meaningless noise. Inside, it felt as if everyone she cared about had slipped through her fingers. Her father was gone. Her mother was shutting her out. And now… it seemed like no one saw her at all.
She felt invisible.
It was the same suffocating loneliness she once knew in her old school — the kind where every problem pressed down on her shoulders alone.
Behind her, a cluster of girls suddenly erupted in squeals.
"Did you hear? There's a new transfer student!" one girl gushed.
"Yes! And guess what — he's Dr. Duke's son!" another whispered, as though the words themselves were made of gold. "You know, the Dr. Duke of Duke Oil Corporation? He's, like, the richest man in town!"
The giggles and swoons rose higher, filling the classroom like a storm.
Sarah didn't care. She sank deeper into her chair, lost in her own world.
When the teacher finally entered, the class fell silent. "Settle down. We have a transfer student joining us today."
The door slid open.
A boy stepped in. His uniform fit perfectly, his presence commanding without effort. The whispers began immediately — handsome, tall, Dr. Duke's son.
He bowed politely. "My name is Adrian Duke. Please take care of me."
The teacher pointed to the empty seat beside Sarah. Adrian walked over and sat down, his cologne faint but noticeable, the hush in the room following him.
"Hi," he said softly, turning to her, extending his hand. "I'm Adrian."
Sarah didn't look at him. Her gaze stayed locked on the desk, her hands folded in her lap. To her, he didn't exist.
Awkwardly, Adrian let his hand fall back. Still, he respected her silence and said no more.
When class ended, the room exploded with energy. Girls swarmed his desk, shoving past Sarah without a second thought. One even bumped her shoulder hard, nearly knocking her off balance.
Annoyed, Sarah pushed through the crowd and left. She didn't notice Adrian's eyes following her retreating figure through the chaos.
The rest of the girls circled him like moths to a flame, firing off questions — his phone number, his house, his hobbies, anything that would make him laugh.
But Adrian wasn't listening. His eyes were on the empty doorway Sarah had walked through.
---
After class, Sarah walked home in silence. The streets were eerily quiet, the weight in her chest refusing to lighten. She wished the ground would just swallow her whole.
Then she heard it.
"Sarah!"
She froze.
"Sarah, wait!"
She turned sharply. Adrian was jogging up the path behind her, his school bag slung carelessly over one shoulder.
Her brows knit together. "What's your problem?" she snapped.
He stopped, caught off guard by her sudden fire. For a moment, he looked stunned — then, slowly, he smiled.
"I… just wanted to know more about you," he said simply.
Sarah glared at him for a long second before scoffing and turning away. Without another word, she walked off, her footsteps sharp against the pavement.
Adrian stayed where he was, watching her disappear into the distance.
And for the first time that day, Sarah had no idea someone was watching her not with envy or judgment — but with genuine curiosity.
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