Chapter 04

Sofia Bliss

My fingers were trembling. My palms were ice cold.

And still… I couldn’t move.

This couldn’t be happening.

My dad… had he really given up?

“No… no, no, no,” I whispered, shutting my eyes tight like I could somehow force reality to rewind.

But it didn’t help.

The truth was there, loud and brutal in the silence of the room.

I could almost hear the beeping of the monitors, the hiss of the oxygen tank, the muffled voices of nurses and doctors.

And the worst part—the part that made everything burn—

I lied.

I told my aunt I had a job.

That I was earning money.

That I could help.

And for a second, there was hope in her voice.

I heard it bloom.

And I… I let it grow, knowing it was a lie.

But what else could I have done?

Tell her the truth? That I had nothing? That I was just another broke girl, lost in a city that didn’t give a damn if I lived or died?

Tell her to pull my dad out of the hospital and send him back to that filthy little village?

Let him die without medicine, without a doctor, without dignity?

No.

I couldn’t.

The sobs came like a storm.

I choked on them, folding over the bed, clutching the pillow—anything—to anchor myself while I fell apart.

“I don’t know what to do…” I whispered to no one.

This wasn’t just a breakdown.

This was being on my knees, with the whole world crushing my back.

But I had to move.

I threw the phone onto the bed and stood up, stumbling out of the room, wiping my face with my sleeve.

Letícia was already home. She stood in the kitchen, barefoot, holding a glass of wine, her heels tossed aside.

She looked tired—but somehow still stunning.

I walked over, no idea where to start.

And when I finally opened my mouth, the words tore out, raw and frantic:

“Letícia…”

She turned fast, her eyes locking on mine—red, wet, a mess.

“Sofia...? What happened?”

“My dad…” I could barely get the words out. “He tried to kill himself. Today. He’s in the hospital. He’s not doing well… and… and they can’t afford to keep him there.”

“I told my aunt I got a job. That I was doing fine.”

“I lied, Letícia. I lied.”

Her eyes widened. She jumped to her feet and rushed over.

“God… Sofia…”

“I didn’t know what to do!” I shouted, burying my face in my hands. “What was I supposed to say? That he had to go back to that disgusting village? To die on a moldy mattress, alone? No meds, no help, nothing?”

Letícia wrapped her arms around me, tight and grounding, and I broke again, sobbing into her shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry for dumping all this on you like this…

But I’m desperate, Letícia.”

She gently pulled back, holding my shoulders, her eyes full of worry.

“Hey… look at me.”

“I’m with you, okay?”

“You’re not alone.”

My lips trembled.

“I lied to my family. I’m here with nothing. Empty hands. No plan. No idea what I’m doing.”

She brushed my hair back and took a deep breath.

“Breathe. We’ll figure this out. I know it feels like the end… but it’s not.

"We’ll figure something out. I promise."

And in that moment, even though I felt completely shattered inside…

I wanted to believe her.

Because I had nothing left to hold on to.

Letícia gently sat me down on the couch, like I was some scared little girl.

She offered me a glass of water, but I shook my head. My stomach was tied up in knots.

She sat beside me, still watching me with concern in her eyes.

“Maybe… maybe someone from the company will call tomorrow, Sofi. You said the interview went well, right?” she said, trying to smile, though she sounded unsure. “Maybe they were just waiting until the end of the day. Or maybe there's a second round. Who knows…”

I nodded slowly. I wanted to believe that.

I really did.

But there was a hole inside my chest.

And it was growing wider by the minute.

“What if no one calls?” I whispered. “What if there’s no position? What if… everything goes wrong?”

She looked away.

That silence told me everything.

Even she didn’t really believe in that hope.

Not anymore.

“Sofi…” she started, wringing her fingers, clearly nervous. “I didn’t want to bring this up. I swear I didn’t. Especially not when you’re already like this—”

“But?”

She bit her lip.

Stayed quiet for a few seconds.

Then let it out, like she was unlocking a door she’d kept shut for too long:

“But… maybe you should consider… what I do.”

My eyes widened.

“Letícia…”

“Just hear me out,” she said quickly, lifting her hand like she was begging for forgiveness. “I know it sounds crazy. And I swear I never wanted you to go through what I went through.

But what you told me… this isn’t just any emergency. This is your father’s life we’re talking about.

You don’t have time to wait for résumés. Or interviews. Or luck.”

I stayed silent.

And that silence scared her.

She expected me to yell. To say no. To say never.

But I didn’t.

Because as much as it hurt…

She was right.

“It’s not prostitution,” Letícia added, once again. “At least… not how people usually imagine it.

I’d go with you. I’d be right by your side. You wouldn’t have to do anything extreme.

Just... talk. Flirt. Listen to what they want. Give orders.

It’s a role. A character. You just play it for a few hours.

And they’ll pay you more in one night than a normal job would in a week… maybe even a month.”

“I’ve never even…” I murmured, too ashamed to finish the sentence.

But she understood.

“I know. And you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I promise.

If you hate it, if it makes you feel sick… we’ll figure something else out.

But maybe, Sofia… maybe this is the only way you can save your dad right now.”

The word 'save' hit me like a punch to the gut.

I leaned back on the couch, the weight of that decision crushing me.

My throat burned. My hands were sweaty.

I wanted to be strong. To say no again.

To keep being that good girl who grew up surrounded by cows and Sunday church… even if she sometimes got lost in some 'very' sinful books.

But that girl’s father was dying in a hospital bed.

And her hands were completely empty.

“I… I need to think,” I finally said, voice hoarse. “Just… give me until tomorrow.”

Letícia nodded, gentle as ever.

“I understand.

And no matter what you decide… I’m with you.”

I thanked her, genuinely.

And I prayed—harder than I’d prayed in my life—for some kind of miracle to come in the next few hours.

Because I was out of time.

Out of options.

And I didn’t want to give myself to the world Letícia lived in now…

Not unless it was the only way to keep my father alive.