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Act 4 – Scene 2: The Photo That Changed Everything
Later that day, the mansion seemed to hum with silence.
Sarah wandered into the study, her fingers trailing along the
spines of unfamiliar books. She wasn't looking for anything in
particular—just a distraction, maybe—but then her eyes landed
on a drawer. Slightly ajar. Subtle. Unassuming.
It was Andrew's.
She froze.
Her instinct screamed no. She never trespassed boundaries—not
even of strangers. But something about that drawer pulled her.
Like gravity. Like fate.
Her hand moved before her mind caught up.
The drawer creaked slightly as she eased it open.
And there, tucked between the yellowing pages of an old
notebook, was something that didn't belong.
A photograph. Worn at the corners. Folded neatly.
She unfolded it with trembling fingers.
Her breath stopped.
It was her.
Four years ago.
8th grade. Assembly Day.
She was standing near the stage—her diary clutched in one hand,
uniform pristine, smile barely there. So small. So young.
The other students and teachers faded into the background as her
eyes locked on herself. The same exact memory she hadn't
thought of in forever.
And then the realization hit her like cold water.
He knew.
He knew me back then.
He's had this photo… all these years?
Her heart pounded, breath shallow.
Was he chasing me? Watching me all this time? Why? Why me?
She couldn't find her footing in the flood of thoughts. Her mind
raced faster than her heartbeat.
> Does he like me?
No. No—maybe he wants something from me?
This is insane. This isn't normal.
And then—a knock.
"Miss Sarah, your snacks are ready," a maid's voice chimed gently
from the door.
She snapped out of her trance, hastily placing the photo back in
the drawer, shutting it as quietly as she could.
"I—I'm coming!" she replied, voice unsteady, trembling.
She knew Andrew was at his company—AK Corporation—but the
photo still burned in her mind. Her chest felt tight. Her breath
kept faltering. The walls of the mansion seemed to close in on her.
Even as she sat at the table and ate her favorite fruits—grapes,
mangoes, watermelon—and drank sweet juice, her mind was
elsewhere.
She picked up the empty plate and glass and made her way to the
kitchen.
That's when she heard them.
Two maids. Speaking in hushed tones. They hadn't noticed her yet.
"He doesn't really know how to cherish her," the first maid said,
softly.
"She always looks so terrified… What's the point of bringing her
here if she's not happy?"
A pause.
"He's a business tycoon," the second maid chuckled. "You can't
expect much. But… he does everything quietly. Silently. Without
her knowing. Her preferences, her comfort—he tracks it all. He's
just… nervous around her."
The first maid giggled, almost fondly.
"I've seen it. He's changing. She's the only one who could do that.
Only she can soften him."
Sarah's heart skipped. Her fingers clenched around the glass.
She stepped in, quietly. Left the plate and glass by the sink, and
walked away without a word. But the voices, the photo, the
everything—they echoed.
Her chest was tight, not with fear this time—but with something
deeper. Warmer. More confusing.
I hated him, she thought. I feared him. I doubted everything
about him.
But now… now I don't know.
Her world, once black and white, suddenly swirled with
unfamiliar shades of grey. Of blush pink. Of gold like morning
light.
No more fear.
No more hate.
But shyness… nervousness… awkwardness—that stayed.
The tender, innocent defense of a quiet girl standing at the edge of
a feeling she didn't understand yet.
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End of Scene 2 – Act 4
@sharadox
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