Chapter One – The Scholarship Dream
Eliana Thomas believed her life was measured in grades, not in gold.
The morning the letter arrived, she stood frozen in the parlor of her parents' small flat. Her fingers trembled as she held the glossy envelope bearing the university's crest. Her mother lingered in the doorway, drying her hands on her wrapper, while her father leaned forward in his chair, knuckles pressed against his jaw.
"Ellie, open it," her mother whispered.
Eliana tore the envelope. Her eyes darted across the page. "We are pleased to inform you…" She gasped.
"It's a scholarship," she breathed, then laughed and cried at once. Her mother wrapped her in a tight embrace, and her father stood, his weary face splitting into a smile that softened years of hard labor.
"You did it," he said, kissing her forehead. "My daughter is going to university."
For a moment, everything was perfect. Every late-night study session, every skipped meal, every sacrifice—worth it.
Her best friend, Maddie, screamed when she heard the news.
"Eliana Thomas, full scholarship winner!" she announced dramatically, throwing her iPhone aside as if the moment required both hands. They were in her family's massive living room, sunlight bouncing off marble floors and tall glass windows.
Maddie twirled in her silk blouse, bracelets jingling. "Do you know what this means? We're going to university together. Me, with my allowance. You, with your brains. A perfect duo."
Eliana laughed nervously, sitting carefully on the edge of the cream sofa so she wouldn't stain it with her old jeans. "Don't exaggerate, Maddie."
But deep down, she was relieved. Facing a new world was terrifying; at least she wouldn't be alone. Maddie's carefree energy had always balanced her seriousness.
The first day on campus was overwhelming. Students hauled suitcases across the wide lawns, parents gave last-minute advice, and the tall university gates gleamed like an entrance to another life.
Eliana's dorm room was small but cozy. She unpacked her modest belongings: folded clothes, secondhand textbooks, a framed photo of her parents. Above her bed, she pinned the scholarship letter like a badge of honor.
Maddie, of course, wasn't staying in the dorms. Her parents had rented her a furnished apartment off-campus. Still, she dragged Eliana to the university's "welcome party" that very night.
Inside the brightly lit hall, music thumped and perfume lingered. Students in designer clothes laughed and danced. Eliana tugged at her simple blouse, suddenly self-conscious.
"Relax," Maddie whispered, looping her arm through hers. "Nobody cares about labels when you're with me."
Eliana smiled, but her nerves didn't fade. She lingered near the wall, sipping soda while Maddie disappeared into the crowd.
That was when she saw him.
Stephen.
He stood across the room, tall and confident, his laughter rising above the music. The way he carried himself — easy, assured, magnetic — made him impossible to ignore. Eliana's breath caught, though she quickly told herself it was nothing. Just a crush. Just one glance.
Still, her eyes kept drifting back to him.
Later that night, lying on her narrow dorm bed, Eliana hugged her pillow tightly. The day had been a whirlwind: the letter, Maddie's excitement, the party, the brief moment when she thought Stephen's eyes might have landed on her.
She whispered into the darkness, "This is just the beginning."
She didn't know how right she was.