"MARRIED TO STRANGER, LOVED BY ANOTHER.."

The gentle chime of the Silverdale College bell echoed across the ivy-covered courtyard, signaling the end of another lecture. Eda Silvester, nineteen and full of fragile hope, stepped out of her philosophy class, clutching her worn-out notebooks and brushing her long auburn hair behind her ears. The campus was alive with laughter, youth, and dreams — everything Eda longed to grasp. But in the depths of her heart, she knew her world was on the verge of shattering. eda was the simple and normal like other girls with lots of dreams in her eyes.Eda lives with her so called family .In her family she has her stepmother(named noona) silvester), her stepsister (named nima silvester) ,and her fathe(named noam silvester) who was the only one who loves eda unconditionally. Eda had never known the comfort and feeling of the of a complete family. Her mother passed away when she was barely five, and soon after, her father remarried. Noona Silvester, herstepmother, came into their home with an air of elegance and manipulation. She had a daughter of her own, Nima, who was Eda’s age. From the very start, Eda sensed she wasn’t truly part of this new family. Noona treated her like she is not the part of the family and with cold politeness, reserving all her affection and resourcesfor Nima. The morning sun came through the small cracks in Eda’s window. Dust floated in the light, but it didn’t make her feel warm. Her tiny room in the attic was cold, just like the rest of the house. Eda had already been awake for hours, scrubbing the kitchen floor until her knees hurt and her hands were sore. Suddenly, the sound of high heels echoed in the hallway. Click. Click. Click. Eda froze. That sound always filled her with fear.Her stepmother, mooma, was awake.“Eda!” noona shouted. Her voice was sharp and angry. “Why isn’t breakfast ready yet? Do you want me to starve?” Eda quickly stood up. “I’m making it now, mom!” she said in a shaky voice. She ran to the stove, trying not to drop the eggs. Her hands were shaking, her heart beating fast. nima walked into the kitchen, dressed in a fancy silk robe. Her face was cold, like a statue. She looked around the room with disgust. “This is what you call clean?” she said with a sneer. “You live in this house because of me. Don’t forget it.”Eda nodded without looking up. “I said, look at me when I talk to you!” noona snapped. Eda lifted her eyes quickly. “Yes, mom.” Just then, ,nima Eda’s stepsister, walked in, yawning and smiling like she owned the world. She sat down at the table, playing with her phone. “Is breakfast ready, servant girl?” nima said with a smirk. “Don’t burn the toast again like last time.” Eda felt her face burn with shame. She remembered the last time. noona had thrown a pan at her. She had cried all night from the pain, but noona didn’t care. Neither did nima. but she did not tell her father beacause she knows that fer father do not want any chaos in the house and she knows that her so called mother will manipulate her dad , she will be scolded as always Eda placed the food on the table, trying to stay quiet. She wasn’t allowed to eat until they were finished—and sometimes, they left her nothing. As they ate and laughed, Eda turned away. She bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying. Once, she had a real family. A kind mother who brushed her hair at night. A loving father who read her bedtime stories. But everything changed after her remarried.Both her parents were gone, enen her father was alive and Eda was left alone. From that day, Eda’s life became a nightmare.Now, she wasn’t treated like a daughter—but like a servant. After cleaning the kitchen, Eda started scrubbing the bathroom. Her whole body hurt. But noona voice called out again. “When you’re done with that, hand-wash nima;s clothes. And make sure you iron them properly!” nima laughed from the couch. “Maybe she’ll burn them and finally be thrown out of this house.”They laughed together, like it was a joke.But Eda didn’t laugh. She couldn’t.She was scared—every single day. She was scared of noona"s voice, the cold stares, the sharp words. She was scared of the belt that hung on the pantry wall. noona never used it because of eda"s father —but always reminded her it was there. whhen it comes to eda she always said that “Dreams are for girls who have a future,” she said. “You’re just a burden.” That night, Eda cried into her pillow, the smell of burnt paint still fresh in her mind.But even after all that, every morning, she woke up and worked. She did it not because she wanted to—but because she was too scared not to-She was scared of being punished. Scared of being thrown out. Scared of being alone in the world. At home, conversations always circled around Nima’s needs. “Nima deserves the best education,” Noona often insisted. “She has the potential to shine.” And Eda, though quietly brilliant and kind, was expected to accept her fate without question. Their father, Noam Silvester, a mild-mannered man burdened by his own insecurities, struggled to defend Eda. His love for her was undeniable, but his spine had long been worn down by Noona’s manipulations. one day after finishing all the house chores eda was sitting alone in the corner in her deep thoughts what if her real mother not died , then how happily she be living her life. Then, one evening, Noona delivered her verdict over dinner. "We’ve found someone for Eda to marry. Ahad Draxler. He’s decent, responsible, and willing to help with Nima’s tuition." Eda’s fork froze halfway to her mouth. “Marry?” she whispered. Noona raised an eyebrow. “You’ll be doing something meaningful for your family.” Noam looked at his daughter with silent sorrow. “It’s a good match, Eda. He’s a good man.” Tears welled in her eyes. “But I want to study. I have dreams. This isn’t fair.” Noona’s voice turned sharp. “And do you think life is fair? You have no say. The wedding is in three weeks.” Eda cried herself to sleep that night, the ceiling above her blurring through tears. Her heart felt torn in two — one side yearning for freedom, the other resigned to duty.