Chapter 61. Midnight Supper

"I hope you haven't forgotten my voice," Sofia's stepmother, Emma, spoke on the phone, her words piercing the silence that surrounded Sofia.

"Of course, ma'am. How can I forget your voice?" Sofia's voice held a touch of formality, a reminder of the distant relationship she shared with Emma since her childhood. Sofia was never allowed to address her as 'mother,' and 'ma'am' had become the designated term of respect.

"Sofia, your father and I are missing you," Emma said, and Sofia was taken aback by those words. Her ears strained to confirm what she had just heard. Could it be real, or was she merely hallucinating? After all, there seemed to be no possibility that Sofia's father and Emma would genuinely miss her.

Yet, a spark of hope ignited within Sofia's heart. Her poor, yearning heart, always longing for their love, dared to believe that perhaps they had finally realized her value in the household after she had left them. Maybe they wanted to check if she was doing well, a glimmer of