Marked by darkness

Sophia Parks was a striking woman of twenty-eight, with long, chestnut hair and warm, brown eyes. For over five wonderful years, she had been Vincent Mathis’s girlfriend. She had given him her whole heart, treating him like her entire world, only to eventually realize that her absolute devotion to him had been a terrible mistake. The trouble started on a night that was supposed to be a celebration. Vincent’s father, Randall Mathis, a man who owned the massive NesCore Company and had just been elected state governor, was in the spotlight. As his father’s only son and primary beneficiary, Vincent was flying high, convinced his own path to massive wealth was guaranteed. He was even relieved to be leaving his job as a police officer, especially since his father had promised him the presidency of the company, provided he fulfilled a mysterious pledge. Sophia had overheard the comment while they were leaving the event, but she had no idea what it meant. During the drive home in a private car, Vincent told her he loved her more than anything. Sophia was on cloud nine, completely oblivious. Once they got to their shared apartment on the Upper East Side, the mood shifted instantly. Vincent told her that while he enjoyed their time together, his future now had to be his top priority. Sophia watched in confusion as he began marking strange, eerie symbols onto their clean, white living room walls. When she asked what was happening, he just gave her a chilling smile and stepped closer. "You’re my ticket into my father’s inner circle," he said, his voice flat and cold. Then, without warning, he shoved her hard to the floor. Before she could even process the shock, he was stomping aggressively on her head. She saw a terrifying darkness in his eyes and tried to shield herself when he pulled out a knife and began to stab her. Eventually, the pain became too much, and she lost consciousness. When she woke up, she was surrounded by flames, her lower legs engulfed in heat. Using every bit of strength left, she dragged herself toward the balcony door, where firefighters finally spotted her through the thick, blinding smoke. At the hospital, Sophia was terrified, struggling to answer the police officers. When they asked if Vincent had done this to her, she could only let out a shaky, gravelly hiss of a "yes." Her head was spinning, trying to make sense of the nightmare. "Vincent says an intruder attacked you both and forced him to leave the apartment at gunpoint," one of the officers told her. Sophia tried to scream that it was a lie, but her face wouldn't cooperate. She just stared at them, completely lost. She had suffered severe nerve damage to the left side of her face and was rushed into emergency surgery before being placed into a medically induced coma. When she finally woke up three weeks later, she felt a wave of devastation. Her first thought, strangely enough, was how she would ever pay the mounting medical bills. She didn't have insurance, though she did have some inheritance money from her late parents. She looked up and saw a man in a suit standing by her bed. His voice was raspy as she asked who he was. "I’m Phil Jackson, your court-appointed attorney," he said with a kind smile. "Aren't you a bit young for that?" she rasped out with a dry, painful cough. Phil laughed, thanking her for the sarcasm. "Vincent is in jail for attacking you," he explained. "He’s still trying to stick to that intruder story, but the police found a knife with his DNA on it in a dumpster behind your place, and your DNA was on his shoes. He’s being charged with attempted murder." Sophia tried to frown, but only half of her face responded. "You need to get your strength back so you can testify," Phil continued, his tone turning serious. "The media is obsessed with this because of who his father is. You should probably consider leaving the area once the verdict comes down. The Mathis family isn't someone you want to cross." Sophia knew the family had always been involved in shady business, but she had foolishly believed Vincent was different because of his police badge. "I'm a wreck, Phil. I don't think I’d even be able to talk on a stand," she mumbled, feeling a lump in her throat. She kept searching for a reason, some way she could have caused this, but the answer was always the same. She hadn't done anything wrong. Phil left and came back with a cup of ice chips, telling her to just suck on those for now. "If I leave, where would I go?" she asked. "I don't have family, and I don't have friends. My life was just Vincent." Phil thought for a moment, then suggested a friend of his, Otis Billings, who ran a hotel in a remote mountain town. He offered to reach out to see if there was a job for her there. "Why are you being so helpful?" she asked bluntly. Phil just shrugged. "Let’s just say I know you’re in more danger than you realize, and you need to be somewhere safe." The doctors mentioned fitting her for a glass eye later, but Sophia shook her head. "I don't have much money. An eyepatch will do." Phil promised to handle the discharge details and get in touch with Otis. After he left, the medical staff came in. They told her her legs would heal with time and that the facial nerves would eventually recover. As the doctor unbandaged her head, she asked for a mirror. When she finally looked, she didn't recognize the person staring back. A cloudy white mass covered her eye, and her skin was a sickly, bruised yellow. A tear slipped down her cheek as she pushed the mirror away. "I'll get you an eyepatch," the doctor said, urging her to start walking to rebuild her strength. "We’ll schedule the plastic surgeons for reconstruction once the wounds heal." The doctor left, and suddenly, Sophia’s heart began to hammer against her ribs. She struggled to catch her breath, gripped by a sudden, violent panic attack. The nurse rushed to her side, offering calming words and medication. As she tried to breathe through the terror, the reality hit her harder than ever. The man she had loved more than life itself hadn't just hurt her. He had systematically destroyed everything she was.