Chapter 1 - Shadows in the Corridor
The air inside the dimly lit hallway smelled of damp concrete and old trash bags stacked against the brick wall. Sophia’s small, dirt-smudged hands trembled as she clutched the plastic bag tightly against her chest. The bread inside was stale, but to her, it was a precious treasure that could quiet her mother’s painful stomach growls. Kneeling on the cold floor, she barely registered the echoing footsteps until a shadow fell across her small frame.
When her father knelt beside her, his tailored suit sharply contrasting with the grime of the corridor, his face was a portrait of sudden horror. His voice, heavy with confusion and anger, demanded to know about the monthly support checks he had faithfully sent. The realization hit him like a physical blow—the money had never reached them. Before Sophia could finish explaining the dark, moldy room where her mother lay shivering, a sudden loud bang echoed from the far end of the hallway, followed by the heavy click of a door locking.
