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Stretching my aching back, I opened my eyes yet again to come face to face with that similar window, showing nothing but the darkness of night. There were no stars in the sky and I couldn't find the moon either.

Tired of changing sides and trying to sleep, I let go off the warmth of the blanket I was wrapped in and walked towards my balcony. It was quiet there. It was so peaceful around but my my heart wasn't at peace, my mind wasn't at peace.

I sat there, the coldness of the floor seeping through me while I watched the dark, black sky. It reminded me of myself. The sky looked lonely, just like me. It did not have anything shining on it that night. I could locate no single star above me.

Depressing thoughts never left my mind but I had nothing better to do. I felt like I was trapped in a house where there was only a single door to exit and that too was locked. I felt like those windows which could come to my use had also been locked tightly.

And just like that, drowned in my own thoughts, I stared above me. It wasn't Just that night. It was like that since the day I found out about my marriage. Seconds changed into minutes and minutes changed into hours. I could no more feel my sore butt, sitting on the same position for hours with my hands wrapped around my knees.

Slowly, I realized it wasn't night anymore. I could witness the change of colour in the sky. The different shades that decorated the surface of the sky. The chirping of birds entered into my ears and it was that moment that I was able to detach my mind from all those depressing thoughts. I was reminded of the saying that always helped me survive: After every dark night, there is a brighter day.

With that hope in mind, I laid back, letting my eyes close and started to explore my own dreamland.

I woke up to the sound of someone talking near me. Realizing it was only Rebecca, I tried to drift back to my lovely sleep when she came in between us. "Sophia, come on! Out of thousands of beds of this house, you chose to sleep in your balcony? Why?"

Registering the meaning behind her words, I figured I was not on my bed. That reminded me of my now cracking back and I groaned out of pain. "Ahh. Will you help me up now?" Grabbing Rebecca's hand, I pulled myself up, letting out multiple grunts in the process.

"Who told you to sleep out here?!"

"I didn't want to sleep there, okay. I just dozed off without my knowledge," as we walked in my room, I answered her back. My eyes landed on my bed and the blanket that I had been wearing last night.

Nothing was more welcoming that that thing at that point of time and I decided to jump on it but Rebecca had different plans. "No no no!" She pulled my body away from my bed.

"Why can't I just sleep?"

"Because you have to bath!"

"Why do I have to bath?"

"Because your parents are waiting for you in the dining hall. So you've to take a quick shower and be down as fast as you can." She declared before completely pushing my body in the washroom. There I was having hard time even moving my fingers and she wanted me to bath. That was just torture.

Hesitantly, I immersed my body into the water when I found it enough hot to not send shivers through me body. I let the water wash over me and stood under the shower for long. By then my fingers had turned numb and my hands appeared wrinkly.

Remembering I had people waiting for me, I quickly got myself into the clothes Rebecca had offered. As I was brushing my hair, I inspected myself in the mirror before me. I was not getting ready to impress anyone. Because if there was any chance of my parents getting impressed of me, they would've been impressed already after all of my efforts.

It was nothing near the reason of impressing the monsters. The actual reason I dressed up and was pinning my hair was because I didn't want them to shatter the left over self-esteem I had. I had some self-respect and I didn't want them to take that away from me. It was that self-respect that urged me to look good.

I sighed after walking out of the door. As I made my way downstairs I hoped it is nothing like the atom bomb my parents dropped on me some days back. And the destruction it did in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was relatable. Because I have been destroyed the same way.

Because the only reason my parents were ever home was because either they were planning ways to torture me or to use me for their worldly, materialistic benefits.

Entering into the dining room I had expected to see my parents involved in a deep conversation and also expected to stop just after landing their eyes on me. However, I didn't see that. I found Mom spreading butter on her toast, her eyes never leaving it while Dad was busy reading the news paper.

Something seemed really off about them. Ignoring that, I walked towards my usual chair and placed myself there. After waiting long for them to speak, I started with my breakfast. Reaching out for the toast plate, I grabbed hold of one. Still none of them spoke a word.

"You wanted to talk?" Finally I questioned causing both of them to raise their heads towards me.

"Oh yes. We did." Dad replied briefly looking at Mom as he let go off the newspaper and sipped on his tea. "I just wanted to inform you about your marriage."

And there again was this topic. The topic that I wanted to avoid– the word that I never wanted near my ears. But like always Dad had always done what I hated the most.

The weird behaviour of my parents no more disturbed me. It was the meaningful glances they were throwing at each other. If only I could understand. "What about my marriage?"

"The date has been fixed." This sentence caused the toast to fall from my hand and in the plate.

"What? When?" Even though I controlled myself but the words just couldn't remain in my mouth.

"It is in twenty seven days. Which means you have the time of almost a month. Lucas's parents and we discussed over this and it is the most suitable day we can think of in between our business meetings and all." At this I didn't miss the huff Mom let out.

With my mouth hanging open, I blinked severally, unable to process the information I was just fed with. "It's just-" before I could even get a chance to say something Mom interrupted me.

"And today Lucas will be here to pick you up. You guys are supposed to decide your wedding cake, wedding dresses, the decorations and all. So be ready when he comes." Things kept mounting on my head and I listened to all of them with my heart beating faster each passing moment.

"I don't care if it is fine with you or not. It's what we fixed and you will follow our orders."

"You don't care about anything in this world Richard." Dad didn't even wait to hear what Mom had to say and walked out of the room. My eyes stayed on his retreating back while I tried to take in the information that was inhumanly thrown on me.

"So now you know you've to go out with Lucas today. Knowing you, I have figured you have a very bad taste in almost everything. I just wanted to tell you one thing; stay quiet and let the do all the choosing. I don't want anything funny on your day of marriage."

"Also, there will be a sea of people at your am wedding and before buying anything think of what others would say if it. Please don't suggest anything stupid. This will only cause our humiliation and nothing-" She kept speaking but I could only hear her words. They didn't reach my mind. It was like my nervous system had been stopped. Like all of abilities of understanding and comprehension were blocked.

All I could think of was the time I had before I was going to be called Sophia Woods and not Sophia Anderson. All I could think of was the time I had before even a little amount of freedom I had was going to end. All I could think of was the fact that I had only twenty seven days to hope things would turn out good and not the way they were going to. The way they were supposed to happen.

I could see Victoria's mouth moving, and also I could hear her words but they didn't reach to point of understanding. I wanted to cry but no tears left my eyes. It was like my eyes were dry. And there were no tears left to be shed. Life kept giving me such deep wounds that now I had become used to it. Yes those wounds pained but I had become accustomed to the pain.

"Are you even listening to me?" Mom's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"I understood Victoria. Don't worry, I won't let you down." Just as those words were out of my mouth, she nodded in my direction and started to walk out of the dining room.

By then my fists were clutched tightly. To control my heartbeat was the hardest thing to do at that time. I wanted to kill someone. Anyone. Even myself. I wanted to let this anger out. I wanted to retaliate but that all was out of my bounds. Pushing my plate agar I rested my head on the table.

After banging it slowly for the fifth time I stopped torturing myself. Feeling a presence beside me, I turned my head in that way to see my little brother sitting there.

"Are you still very gloomy?" He asked in his innocent voice referring to my words from the past night. I sighed and nodded slowly.

"I'm still very gloomy Josh. You've to get used to seeing me that way just like I've gotten used to being that way, gloomy."

"But it's your marriage. Girls are happy at their wedding. You should be happy too." I smiled sadly at him, not knowing how to explain things to him. So I stayed silent.

"Don't you like Lucas? I like him, he's cool."

"I like him, Josh. That's the thing. You don't marry people you like. You marry people you love." I thought that would explain him but, no, he was Richard's son.

"But he's a nice guy. What's-" Josh started to say and even though I wanted to talk to him and explain to him the most easy way possible but I couldn't stop that mouth of mine.

"He isn't Carter."

"Oh." Just then my phone started to ring. Looking at the caller ID of Amber I gulped before grabbing hold of the device.

Pressing the answer option on it I kept it on my ear to be greeted with a chirpily jolly voice which was itself a prove of how suitable she was for Carter. "Hi soon-to-be-sister-in-law!"

"Hi Amber." I did not even try to sound excited to hear her voice.

"Congratulations! We'll be sister-in-laws in just twenty seven days! Oh my God! You must be so happy!" She exclaimed from the other side of the phone.

"Yes I am. How are you?"

"I am awesome! You know, Carter is the best guy I have ever come across. He's like the perfect guy out there. And all thanks to you Sophie. I'm just saying this but I think I'm falling in love with him."

If I told you my heartbeat had been fast earlier, I didn't know what actually fast heartbeat is. My fists clenched tightly, so tight, my nails were poking in my palms.

"Why did you call Amber?" The most sensible thing at that moment seemed to change the topic and that I what I did.

"Ah, yes. I called to apologize. I'm really sorry I couldn't accompany you and Lucas today like I was supposed to. You know I'm at Carter's place today and he really wants me to meat his parents. Now you would know no one can say no to Carter." She chuckled but all I wanted to do was strangle her.

I was literally dying of jealousy. "Plus I felt like I would look like a third wheel and you guys need some bonding time now, don't you?"

I really didn't want to answer that question of hers. And thankfully I was saved from the torture. "Hey baby!" It wasn't clear to understand that she was talking to Carter. "Yeah, Sophia is on the phone."

"Sophie, Carter is sayin' 'hi'!"

"Tell him I said hi too." After I said that I never got a reply from her. I heard shuffling from the other side of the phone which was followed by Amber's giggles. I waited for a reply but what I heard were her giggles.

It was clear that I was not needed one but there. It was clear that she was no more interested in the conversation. This made me seethe in anger. "Okay, I'll talk to you later Amber. Bye." Without waiting anymore, I switched off my phone and threw harshly on the table before me.

I opened my clenched fists to witness the nails had left dark red marks on my skin. The hands were now wobbling and I felt like I had gone totally crazy. But I knew I had to live with this. I had accepted the fact that I was sent to this world for being used, treated like shit and for being tortured. That was going to be my fate.

My life was like a world where the darkness prevails and the sun never shines. And I had accepted it because that was the only option I had.

* * * * *

If I had noticed something about Lucas, it would be that he was very punctual. I was still roaming in the house aimlessly when he arrived at our house all dressed up.

I felt guilty for making him wait another hour for me. But even though I didn't want to do that to him I couldn't help myself. As I got ready and went out of my room I expected to hear him shout at me, or at least be a little mad.

But what actually surprised me was that he greeted me with his million dollar smile. And that multiplied the amount of guilt building up inside me. I didn't want to make him wait that long but I couldn't make myself work faster than that. My unwillingness was at its peak.

As we walked towards his car, he opened the door for me first and then settled on his seat, the smile never leaving his face. The car ride was completely silent and I was happy because I was in no position to fight. My eyes landed on my palms and I flinched at the sight.

Minutes later we arrived at the cake shop where they made customized cakes. Lucas and I surveyed many sample cakes. Just like Mom had explained, I stayed quiet and agreed to whatever Lucas suggested.

It wasn't like I didn't like them. I had things to suggest myself but I didn't want a thing as little as the cake to be the issue that day. Whatever Lucas showed me, I agreed.

At last we settled on a four layered cake with white covering and light pink decorations on it. The inside of the cake was kept as chocolate flavour which left nothing at all to argue.

After we were done with that Lucas started to drive towards the designer. But he stopped the car at the corner of the road. "What is it?" He questioned me all of a sudden the smile no where to be seen. His eyebrows were touch bf each other as he inspected my every move.

"What is what?"

"What is the matter with you? This is not gonna work out this way Sophie. I know you don't like me and you are least interested in this marriage but can't you even pretend to be happy? I'm doing so much here for you only to get what? Nothing from you?"

"Each time I look at you with that look on your face, I feel like I'm a huge ass. I can't do anything to stop this shit. I can't help you with this Sophie. So just please would you cooperate with me? Because really, I'm tired." Even while scolding me, his tone was a soft one. He was hardly scolding me. All he did was whisper those things to me.

I felt bad for him. For doing what I was doing.

"I'm sorry, it's not that I don't like you. You're a total package of hotness in any girls point of view. Plus you're a gentleman too. And you're smart and sweet. All of it in a single guy. It's just that– that. . . You're. . ."

"That I'm not Carter. Yeah I know." He nodded lightly at me. At his answer, I looked down at my fidgety hands.

"You know, I feel like Carter is the luckiest guy of this world?" Lucas started the car after briefly looking at me.

"Why?" I inquired.

"Because he's got your love. He's actually got someone who would sacrifice her happiness for his safety. Who would care about him and only him. Who would always be his. Who wouldn't care before giving her life for him." Lucas explained.

I stared at him while he spoke.

"I'm sure thousands of girls die for those eyes of yours every day." I tried to joke.

"But none of them is like you Sophie. None of them would give up their desires to safe my life. None of them would give their heart to me and me only. None of them would love me like you love your Carter."

"What about you Lucas? Will you sacrifice your happiness for someone?" I questioned while wiggling my eyebrows.

"I already did." He chuckled humourlessly while shaking his head.

"Who was the lucky girl?" I couldn't keep the excitement away from my tone. "Was it someone from the HighSchool? College? University? Oh I get it. She is someone from your office, isn't she?"

Lucas just shook his head at my guesses.

"She was someone who had me totally wrapped around her fingers."

"Someone who?"

"Someone who made me totally crazy for her."

"Who made you totally crazy?"

"Someone who broke my heart beyond repair."

"Who is that someone?" I could no more control my curiosity.

"Anna. Her name was Anna." He revealed not making eye contact with him. There was this sad look in his eyes that made my heart break for him.

"Where did you meet her?"

"I met her like I met you. We had an arranged marriage thing." Lucas surprised me with his latest revelation.

"Oh my God! You're married?!"

"I was, yes." He laughed lightly at my reaction.

"What happened then? Why did you and Anna divorce?" I asked him, turning the whole of my body towards him.

"Sophie, she ran away. She ran away with her lover the next morning. I woke up to find her gone and no body was able to locate her. Somedays later I received her email where she demanded divorce. And I had no other option but to give that to her. Because I knew he made her happy and I didn't. So I let her go. I sacrificed my love, my happiness for her."

"Oh."

"Sophie, be truthful with me, okay? You don't have any such plans, right?" Lucas turned his gaze towards me as we stood before the red signal.

"No, no! God, no! I would never do that. Even if I would want to I would've told you first. And I promise I have no such plans. I can't have such plans. Carter has moved on and is with no one else but your own sister. I can't do that even if I want to. And I would never want to do that it would mean putting Carter's life in danger."

"I'm sorry. I know you're nothing like Anna. I just, I thought it might be possible. . . you know? And look at me now! I've got you as my soon-to-be-bride. Can I be any luckier?" Winking in my direction he said.

"I thought you were going to try and stop this marriage?"