Sophie..Alex’s eyes kept dancing between mine and the road. It had been thirty minutes since we left the bustling city, now replaced by a serene environment dominated by small buildings and trees. The silence lingered, occasionally breaking Romi’s laughter whenever she saw a funny video on her phone. I turned my head away from Alex, facing the window, counting the trees and buildings, attempting to suppress the nausea brewing in my stomach. Also to distract myself from his dominative presence that slowly soaked into me. His cologne, unlike others, didn’t assault my nose.A subtle warmth jerked me back to reality as Alex cupped my hand, his eyes still fixed on the road. His big hand completely swallowed my hand, making it feel small. Masking the soothing warmth with a frown, I attempted to pull my hand away, but he responded by tightening his grip. “Resist again; I’ll be cuffing you to me. Then we’ll be stuck for the whole day.” Alex turned and winked at me before gazing back at
Alex . . I trudged inside my room, my legs too heavy to take me to my bed, so I collapsed on the sofa. Its softness eased the tension in my joints caused by my office swivel chair—maybe I do need to get a better-cushioned one. I shut my eyes, enjoying the comfort the silence offered, and began to unbutton my shirt. “Alex!” My mother charged through the door, her voice sharp, cutting through the calmness, grating my ears. Can’t a man have peace in his home? Another sigh escaped me. I opened my eyes, and they landed on her. Her eyes gleamed with fury, her brows furrowed, and I could only wonder what I had done wrong this time. “What did I do again?” I questioned, wiggling my brows. Tiredness drained the life out of my voice. “How would you embarrass Mia like that?” My mother questioned, tapping her feet against the floor. “Oh God,” I groaned as another headache shot through my head. I’ve had a stressful day, and all I needed was rest, not some old woman nagging at me—especia
Sophie ..My legs trembled as I descended the stairs; cramps held them captive. I had thrown up multiple times just this early morning. The nausea relentlessly churned in my stomach, and my eyes felt heavy like I hadn’t experienced sleep in my entire life.Entering the kitchen, my weary eyes fell on Luca. His athletic frame was clad in a well-ironed white dress shirt. The sleeves were short, exposing his toned arms. As he lifted the mug to his lips, his biceps flexed subtly, hinting at a strength that was impossible to ignore. Despite my physical discomfort, a spark flickered in me.“Good morning.” Luca greeted me, his eyes darkening in a sultry manner as they lingered on me, tracing my frame.My heart palpitated as I ran my hands across the black skirt that hugged my curves like it was the last day on Earth. “Is something wrong with my outfit?” I questioned I hesitated to put it on, but I loved body-hugging clothes. For someone as petite as me with hips as my only prominent featur
Sophie . . Walls do have ears. The air suddenly became cold, each breath sending fearful shivers through every nerve in my body. A ragged chuckle escaped my constricted throat. My fingers clutched my skirt. “Fred,” I called his name out as soon as I remembered it. “No, I’m sure you didn’t hear us properly.” I blink rapidly. Romi chipped in. “We were arguing if pregnant women can get horny,” she said with a forced smile. “Sophie isn’t pregnant.” Fred straightened his position, taking his back off the frame. His hands were back in his pocket, and he began approaching us. “You know, among the five senses, one tends to stand out more than the others,” he said, pausing as if searching for the next words. “And for me, it’s my ears.” A sinister smile tugged at the corner of his lips. The chill in the room intensified. With each step he took forward, the thud echoed in my ears like he was walking inside of my head. “With my pregnancy, I’m not getting laid anytime soon.” Fred
Alex . . My desk was cluttered with paperwork and business proposals, some with the most ridiculous idea that wouldn’t amount to anything. I have a meeting where I’ll have to sit and listen to people who have no clue what they are doing. Yet my biggest irritation was the two tiny torturers in my palm. I stared at the pills in my hand as though they were challenging me. I haven’t even swallowed it yet and my stomach had already begun protesting. Not only was it a drug, but it also had to be green and white—I had no issues with the white, but the green was an eyesore. I wanted to toss it into the bin, but I hadn’t taken it for some days. Even when I took it home two days ago, they remained untouched With a frown, I swallowed the pills, feeling my throat tightened as it journeyed down. Without a knock, the door opened, and Benjamin strolled in. He flopped onto the sofa and prodded his legs on my table. I picked up my pen and tossed it at his legs. “I leave my office to atte
Sophie..The clicks of my heels against the floor mingled with the buzzing sound that seemed to come from all corners of the hotel. It was a week to the fashion show, the tension was palpable, the air was tight. Everyone was expected to work twice as hard.“Good morning, morning, Ms. Sophie,” A worker greeted as she passed by. Her harsh pineapple-flavored perfume hit my nose aggressively, churning at my stomach and stirring nausea.I nodded and diverted to the bathroom. My stomach contracted as I retched, but nothing came out. I attempted multiple times to get rid of the queasy feeling tormenting my stomach, but all to no avail. Staring at my pale face in the mirror, I sighed and rinsed my mouth. I reached out for my lipstick and reapplied it.“Good morning, Ms. Sophie,” Fred greeted, his menacing voice filling the bathroom, sucking all the air out of the room. My eyes widened; this was the last place I had expected him to meet me. “What are you doing here?” I questioned, staring
The Sophie ..“How can I help you, Ms. Sophie?” Mr. Beckham questioned, his voice cold, squeezing every warmth out of me.“I..I. I have something to say,” I stuttered, my fingers erratically pinched at each other.Mr. Beckham dropped his pen on top the file on his desk. He leaned back, his eyes still burning.With every second that passed, the air kept thickening, suffocating me. I searched for the determination that I had before entering here—it was nowhere to be found. I had thought I could convince him not to fire me, but he wasn’t in a good mood—my apologies would likely fall on deaf ears. This was my first job; losing it could jeopardize other prospects. I didn’t have enough money to support myself and my baby, and I couldn’t keep burdening Luca like a leech. But then there was Fred. For the same reasons I wanted to keep this job, which is the same reason why I can’t keep up with his demands.My heart palpitated. The walls began to cave in on me, but there was no place to hid
Sophie . . Luca took the juice from Paula and placed it on the desk before me. There were files in the left corner of the desks. He drew the chair next to me and settled in, his body leaned towards me. His gaze was soft. “Do you want to talk about what’s making you like this?” Luca questioned, his voice as soft as his gaze. Reaching out for the juice, I took a sip—the citric tang was vibrant and the chillness was refreshing. I placed it back on the desk, and my hands flew to the hem of my skirt. “I was fired,” I stated; my voice had lost its usual vibrant edge. Luca jerked back lightly before leaning in again. I recounted everything—excluding the blackmail; I just couldn’t bring myself to tell him. Another wave of tears poured down my eyes. “I’m so sorry, my tears won’t just... I mean. I shouldn’t,” I apologized, unable to find the right words. “My emotions are just everywhere, and I can’t stop crying.” My pains had me at a chokehold. "Oh, stop coming out, you stupid tears,”