The sun had already begun to sink behind the tall buildings , casting a soft orange glow across the city as Eliane sat beside her ailing mother. The hospital room smelled faintly of antiseptic, and the rhythm of the machines beside the bed seemed to count down time itself.
Eliane was barely holding herself together. Her clothes clung to her frame, soaked by sweat and exhaustion. Her mother's skin looked more pale than ever, but her eyes glistened with concern more than weakness.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Mama," Eliane said softly, taking her mother's hand in hers.
Her mother smiled weakly. "You should be resting."
Eliane lowered her eyes. "Mama, I... I don't know how I'll manage this anymore. The hospital bills, the rent, college. I saw some girls... they... they seemed to be surviving, doing something I...."
Her mother suddenly tightened her grip. "No. Don't even finish that sentence. You may lose me... but I beg you, don't lose yourself."
Eliane's tears finally fell. She collapsed onto the bed beside her mother, sobbing into her gown. "Then how, Mama? How do I survive all of this alone?"
Her mother brushed her daughter's hair away from her face, her voice steadier than it had been in weeks. "You survive by keeping your soul intact. Whatever happens, promise me...don't let this world turn you into something you're not. If you do anything foolish, I swear, I'll take my life. I won't live to watch my daughter destroy herself."
That sentence burned itself into Eliane's bones. It became her creed, her anchor.
Eliane worked tirelessly. She moved to Zurich with a small suitcase, filled more with dreams than clothes. She got admission into a respected university and began tutoring younger students to earn just enough to survive. Some days, she went to sleep with an empty stomach. Others, she pawned her books to buy medicine for her mother. She barely spoke to anyone, burying herself in study, obligation, and letters she wrote to her mother daily.
She became top of her class in psychology . Professors started recommending her name. After years of survival, she was finally offered a position as a junior professor.
It was supposed to be the start of her new life.
But now, as Matteo loomed in his cold office, Eliane looked like that same desperate student all over again.
"You think your little sob story matters to me?" Matteo's voice was sharp.
She flinched.
"You ruined me, Professor. You watched me break and you did nothing. I lost my parents.... I lost everything."
"I didn't mean to," Eliane whispered, her voice cracking. "I never told anyone what happened between us. I didn't show the video. The other girls...."
"But you let it happen. You stood by in silence," Matteo hissed.
She fell to her knees, sobbing.
"Do you know what it's like to come home and find no one you care about ? Do you know what it's like to carry that guilt because someone else decided you were a problem?"
Eliane could say nothing. She just cried. The wounds from her past echoed in the silence.
Matteo turned away, a cruel smile rising to his lips. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"It's done," he said. "Now do it."
That evening, the grand fashion show was the pride of Geneva.
When the voting concluded, Annelise was declared the winner. Cameras flashed, people stood up to cheer, but when the host turned to bring the Golden Hill trophy.....it was gone.
Chaos broke out.
"It was right here!" a coordinator screamed.
"Search the backstage!"
Security scrambled, and murmurs ran through the crowd like wildfire. Some accused sabotage, others speculated theft. The models stood stunned.
Annelise's joy turned to confusion, then quiet devastation. She stood at the center of the runway, still in her dress, holding her breath.
Merci tried to calm her, but Annelise's gaze was frozen. That trophy was her redemption, her statement to the world.
They returned home, disappointed and silent.
In her Luxorious house, Annelise undressed silently. The silence pressed against her chest like a weight. She opened her cupboard to hang her dress...and then froze.
Inside, where her jewelry box should've been, lay a velvet pouch. Her hand trembled as she reached for it.
She opened it.
Later that night, when Eliane returned to her apartment.....her body aching from exhaustion, her mind barely holding itself together.....she noticed an envelope slid under her door.
It was from the administration office.
Her fingers trembled as she tore it open.
"This is to inform you that due to consistent complaints of unprofessional behavior, emotional unavailability during lectures, and failure to fulfill basic teaching duties, your contract with the university has been terminated effective immediately. Further details will follow within the week."
Her knees buckled, the letter slipping from her hand. She sat there on the floor, stunned.
Everything went silent.
Just days ago, she still had a purpose—however faint. Now, it is gone.
The soft hum of the refrigerator, the ticking of the wall clock....everything seemed to mock her. Her mother's old photo sat on the table nearby, watching in silent judgment.
That night became a dark reality for Eliane.
A night she would never forget.