Sophia’s Pov

The house felt like a cage.

I sat by the window with my arms crossed tightly over my chest, staring at the street outside. No one walked past without looking at our door like it was diseased. The same people who used to smile and greet me now crossed to the other side of the road. Some even covered their children’s eyes when they walked by, as if my presence alone could poison them.

I had nothing left.

No status. No respect. No future.

Behind me, Brian kept pacing. The sound of his boots on the wooden floor made my head hurt.

“Will you stop walking around like...