Dead Weight

Sophia's Point Of View

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

This wasn't happening.

This couldn't be happening.

My entire body trembled with both fear and rage as I sat there in the wheelchair—no, stood, I had already exposed myself. My legs felt numb, not from any injury, but from the overwhelming dread pooling in my stomach.

How could I have been so stupid?

How could I have forgotten I was supposed to be faking an injury?

The moment I had stood up, the cameras had caught everything.

And now, the whispers, the murmurs, the accusations—they clawed at me like wild animals.

My career...

Everything I had built over the years.

Everything I had worked for.

It was all… crumbling.

And it was because of her.

Morana.

That woman. That curse. That snake.

She had ruined me.