The Price of Dreams

In a quiet village in Poland, where the land was rough and the people were humble, there was a girl born to a poor family of farmers. Her name was Emilia. From a young age, Emilia dreamed of a life far beyond the muddy fields and meager harvests. She craved luxury, comfort, and all the things her parents scorned. They were deeply religious, believing money to be a corrupting force. When Emilia expressed her dreams of wealth, her parents beat her, punishing her for wanting what they believed to be evil. Her friends mocked her, and even her high school sweetheart ended their relationship with a harsh slap when she spoke of wanting more from life.

Her village, where everyone was poor yet seemingly content, felt like a prison. Emilia couldn’t understand how they could accept a life of struggle without wanting anything more. As soon as she became an adult, she left her home, cutting ties with everyone who had belittled her dreams. She moved to the city, driven by the hope of building a life on her own terms.

In the city, Emilia found work as a nurse in a hospital. Her first pay check left her stunned; in one month, she had earned more than her family would in six. Overcome with pride, she sent some of the money back to her parents, hoping to share her success. But their response crushed her. They sent the money back, calling her a pest who found happiness in evil things like money. They wished she had never been born. Heartbroken but still hopeful, Emilia went back to her village to speak with them in person. She wanted to explain that she only wanted a better life for all of them.

But when she arrived, they were waiting for her, their anger boiling over. They beat her mercilessly, cursing her and abusing her as they struck her. Her parents, siblings, and even neighbors joined in, condemning her for wanting to bring “evil” into their lives. They tied a rope around her leg, hooked it to a tractor, and dragged her out of the village, her clothes tearing as her body scraped the ground. They left her at the edge of the village, threatening to kill her if she ever returned.

Broken and bleeding, Emilia returned to the city, her apartment becoming her prison of despair. For days, she cried, unable to understand why the people she loved so much had treated her with such cruelty. She realized that to survive in the practical world, there needed to be a balance between religion and financial stability. But her family couldn’t see it that way, trapped in their beliefs that poverty was somehow righteous.

In the weeks that followed, her suffering grew deeper. Friends from the village sent her letters, telling her never to contact them again. They called her the problem, claiming her family was fine and that only she was tainted. Her former boyfriend, the one who had slapped her, also wrote, calling her filthy and saying he was ashamed to have ever been with her. He was going to the church to “cleanse” himself of the impurity she had brought into his life.

These rejections broke Emilia completely. She became numb to the pain, her heart turning cold in the face of the world’s harshness. No one wanted her, and she realized she was truly alone.

Heartbroken and overwhelmed by the rejection, Emilia spiraled into deep depression. The trauma of her childhood weighed heavily on her. She began to wonder if life was worth living at all. Every day, the pressure mounted as she watched the city people, richer than the villagers, but equally unhappy. Nothing made sense to her anymore.

One day, Emilia made a mistake at work. The senior doctor berated her harshly, calling her a burden and a failure. A junior doctor, named Aleksy, witnessed the incident. After her shift ended, he followed her to her home, hoping to offer some comfort. Emilia had grown cold and guarded from years of mistreatment, but Aleksy persisted. He shared a drink with her, smoked with her, and spent two years slowly breaking down the walls she had built around herself.

After all that time, Emilia finally confessed the pain she had carried for so long. She told Aleksy that she was alone in the world, abandoned by her family and friends because of her desires. In response, Aleksy kissed her gently and told her he wanted her in his life, not just as a friend, but as something more. Their connection deepened, and they made love that night, both of them finding solace in each other’s arms.

Over time, their love helped Emilia heal. Her work at the hospital improved, and soon, she moved in with Aleksy, who had become a senior doctor. Emilia left her nursing job to become a housewife, dedicating herself to writing. She poured all her emotions and dreams into stories about human desires, love, and fantasy. Her books were published and became wildly successful, earning her a fortune. Aleksy was by her side every step of the way, a kind and supportive husband.

Together, they had six children—four sons and two daughters. Their family thrived, and the fortune Emilia made as a writer ensured that her children never had to struggle for money.

But despite her success, Emilia’s past haunted her. Her family, jealous of her achievements, sent goons to threaten her newfound happiness. Fearing for their safety, Emilia and her family fled to England, settling in a peaceful village far from the danger. In their new life, they found peace and happiness, but the darkness of Emilia’s past still loomed.

One night, Aleksy took matters into his own hands. He returned to Poland and confronted Emilia’s family, ending their threats once and for all. The ties to her old life were severed completely. Emilia and her family lived quietly in England, enjoying the fruits of their hard-earned success. Her children, though they had never struggled, lived comfortably off the fortune Emilia and Aleksy had built, free from the hardships that had once defined their mother’s life.

In the end, Emilia’s dreams had come true, though not without a heavy cost. She had found love, success, and wealth, but she had also lost her family and nearly lost herself in the process. Yet, in her new life, surrounded by her children and her loving husband, Emilia finally found the peace she had always longed for.