— Dad… why doesn’t mom love me?
Daniel Ortega almost choked on his coffee. In front of him stood his five-year-old daughter Sofia, with big sad eyes, holding an old teddy bear that had belonged to her real mother.
— Why do you say that, my dear? he asked softly. Mom Clara loves you.
Sofia shook her head.
— She calls Emma “my princess”. Me, she calls Sofia… coldly. She scolds me all the time.
Daniel felt a weight in his chest. He searched for an explanation, even a fragile one.
— Clara is tired. Your little sister is still small… You are big.
— But I am a child too… Sofia whispered.
He had no answer.
Clara then appeared, annoyed, cutting the conversation short. Sofia lowered her eyes and left. That evening, Daniel thought about Elena, his first love, who died a week after their daughter was born. He still remembered their promise when choosing her name: Sofia, because she represented all their hope.
A year later, Clara entered their lives. At first, she seemed kind. But after Emma was born, everything changed. Sofia became invisible, then a burden. Years passed, and one day at school, Sofia got into a fight after a boy told her Clara was not her real mother. Daniel then understood that the truth had been revealed without his consent. He realized too late that he had not protected his daughter.
At nineteen, Sofia also lost her father. A few weeks after his illness, Daniel died.
A month later, when she returned home, Sofia found a suitcase in the hallway.
— You are leaving, Clara said coldly.
And at that moment, Sofia understood she had just lost everything.
— What? — Your father is gone. This apartment is mine now. You are an adult, I won’t keep you.
Sofia was in shock. After a moment frozen like stone, she made a decision… and did something that left her stepmother completely stunned.😱😱😱
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Sofia spent the night at the bus station, holding her suitcase tightly.
The next day, her friend Laura found her and helped her. Thanks to her, the university offered her a small room.
While unpacking her things, Sofia found a coat her father had given her. When she touched it, she felt something inside the lining. She opened the seam.
An envelope.
A letter.
“My daughter… if you are reading this, it means I am no longer here to protect you.”
He explained that the house legally belonged to Sofia, inherited from her mother Elen. And that a safe contained all the documents.
Tears fell. But this time, they were not tears of despair, but of regained strength. Sofia wiped her face, held the letter tightly, and understood she was no longer alone or defenseless. For the first time, she was ready to fight… and take back what belonged to her.
