Episode 54

**"Her Story (part 1)"** is the fifty-fourth released episode of My Deepest Secret by Hanza Art. The story ventures into Sophie's past and the traumatic experiences she faced as an insecure high schooler harboring romantic feelings for the popular boy in class.

## Synopsis

In a flashback, high-school-age Sophie harbored a crush on a boy from another class named Jeremy. He was very popular among their classmates, known for his handsome features and bright personality. Knowing that he was leagues beyond her reach, Sophie resolved to settle with admiring him from afar. One day, Sophie returned to school after recovering from a sickness. Camie, a fellow classmate, handed Sophie a printout from the teacher, and expressed concern for Sophie's health. As Sophie shyly thanked Camie for her generosity, she noted how generous and beautiful Camie was. She was the polar opposite of Sophie, who was introverted and quiet.

A few days later, Sophie overheard several boys gossiping in an empty classroom. Unable to contain herself, she curiously inched closer to eavesdrop. One boy mentioned how Camie was the most desirable girl to date out of all the classmates. Laughing, his acquaintance mentioned that Sophie was the last person anyone would want to date. The boys laughed loudly in unison. Disheartened, Sophie quietly walked away from the classroom. To her shock, she bumped into Camie, who noticed the distress on her face. Sincerely worried, Camie took Sophie's hand and asked if she was having trouble fitting in with the rest of the class. Sophie reluctantly admitted that she lacked confidence and found herself as boring and ugly. Camie grabbed Sophie's shoulders, insisting that Sophie was pretty and possessed a lot of good qualities. As she encouraged Sophie to have more confidence, Sophie was overwhelmed with joy. Camie, the most popular girl in class, had complimented her.

After that conversation, Camie regularly checked in with Sophie. Their interactions eventually led to a close friendship. She introduced Sophie to her friends, inviting her to hang out with them. Camie's friends were just as kind as Camie, encouraging Sophie to accept herself for who she was. Surrounded by praise and positivity, Sophie came to believe that she had become one of them. She confided with Camie that she harbored a crush on a fellow student. Excitedly, Camie encouraged Sophie to confess. Though she lacked romantic experience, Camie insisted that boys tended to return romantic feelings if the girl was persistent.

With Camie's encouragement, Sophie worked up the courage to approach Jeremy. Every day, she would work hard to gain his attention, including striking conversations with him and offering him drinks when the weather was hot. Since Jeremy never turned her away, Sophie believed that she truly had a chance. One day, Sophie decided to confess her feelings to him. In the morning, she decided to put on makeup and dress herself in a bright outfit. When she ran into Camie on the way to campus, Sophie shyly asked Camie's opinion on her appearance. Camie assured Sophie that the makeup suited her. Reassured, Sophie silently reminded herself that her new confidence was all due to Camie's kindness.

Despite having high hopes, Sophie was harshly rejected by Jeremy. With no regard for Sophie's feelings, Jeremy sneered that he found her constant presence as creepy and unwelcome. Warning her to stay away, he coldly told her that she was ugly. He stalked off, leaving a very hurt Sophie in his wake. She could not understand what was wrong with her appearance; Camie and her friends had all complimented her looks that day. Some time later, rumors of Camie and Jeremy starting a relationship began to spread throughout the school. Many students agreed that the two suited one another, making an aesthetically pleasing couple.

One night, Sophie entered the living room of her home and overheard a conversation between two characters on a television show that her mother was watching. Her interest piqued, Sophie approached the screen and watched as one of the characters lamented over his misfortune of having been born ugly. The other character laughed cruelly, stating that ugly people were necessary sacrifices to make other people appear more beautiful. As the two characters continued conversing on the screen, Sophie reached an epiphany of the similar circumstances that she faced in her own life.

## Characters

*Characters are listed in order of appearance. Character first appearances are **bolded**.*

* Sophie McCarthy
* **Jeremy**
* **Camie**
* **Sophie's mother**