FROM STREETS TO PALACE

Life was once kind to Lina. At eighteen years old, she had everything a girl could wish for: loving parents, a comfortable home, and a future full of hope. But fate is cruel, and sometimes it changes in the blink of an eye. It happened on a stormy night. The car carrying her parents and her slid off the slippery road. The crash was violent and sudden. When Lina opened her eyes, she was surrounded by the cold metal of the wreckage and the sound of rain. She was bruised and in pain, but she was alive. However, when she called out for her mother and father, there was no answer. She was the only survivor. In one night, Lina went from being a beloved daughter to an orphan. The pain was unbearable, but she had to be strong. She had no other family left, no one to turn to. The False Hope News of the accident spread, and eventually, it reached the ears of a wealthy and well-known family in the city—the Montgomerys. Mr. Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Lina’s late father. Feeling a sense of duty—or perhaps wanting to appear generous in the eyes of society—he decided to take Lina in. "You will be safe here, child," he told her gently. "Consider this your home now." Lina’s heart filled with gratitude. She thought God had sent her angels. She thought she had found a new family. She worked hard, tried to be helpful, and treated them with the utmost respect, hoping to repay their kindness. The Mask Slips But Mr. Montgomery was rarely home. He was busy with business trips and work. The one who truly ruled the house was his wife, Madame Helena Montgomery. At first, Madame Helena was polite. But as the weeks passed, her true nature began to show. She hated the fact that she had to feed and clothe another mouth. She looked down on Lina, seeing her not as a daughter, but as a burden. "You are not one of us," Helena would sneer when they were alone. "You are just a charity case living under my roof." She stopped treating Lina like family. She gave her old, worn-out clothes to wear. She made her do all the heavy cleaning, cooking, and serving, treating her worse than a servant. Lina swallowed her tears and endured it, telling herself that she had nowhere else to go. The Betrayal One day, Mr. Montgomery had to leave for a long trip abroad. The moment he stepped out of the door, Madame Helena’s patience snapped. She had been waiting for this chance. She called Lina into the grand living room. The air was cold and tense. "Pack your things," Madame Helena said, her voice sharp as ice. "You are leaving this house immediately." Lina froze, her eyes filling with tears. "But... Madame, where will I go? Mr. Montgomery said I could stay..." "He is not here now, and I am the mistress of this house!" Helena shouted, her face twisted in anger. "I do not want a useless orphan like you living off my husband's money! Get out! I never want to see your face again!" Lina tried to beg, but the woman was heartless. She was literally pushed out of the massive front doors. Her small bag of belongings was thrown after her onto the pavement. Alone on the Streets And just like that, the heavy iron gates closed shut, locking away the last bit of warmth Lina had left. She stood there on the sidewalk, wearing thin shoes and simple clothes, with no money, no food, and no place to go. The sky was grey, matching her mood. She walked. She walked aimlessly through the busy streets of the city. People passed by, rushing to their homes and their families, but no one looked at her. She was invisible. Night fell. The temperature dropped. Lina found herself sitting on a cold bench in a dark alley, hugging her knees to her chest. She was hungry, she was scared, and she missed her parents more than ever. She had gone from having a family, to being adopted, to being thrown out like trash. Now, she was just another lonely soul wandering the dangerous streets, wondering if she would survive the night. Little did she know, this was only the beginning of her journey...