Chapter 5

SOPHIE 

I had just finished closing up the bar when I noticed the mysterious man sitting alone in the corner. The guy who said his name was Lorenzo. The bar was nearly empty, with only a few patrons remaining.

"He can't possibly be waiting for me," I muttered to myself as I checked the clock. It was already late and he seemed to be alone. I assumed his friends had left him.

I was eager to go home, as my son Miguel had been crying nonstop despite my attempts to calm him down. "Hey, shh. Mama's here for you. I'll never leave you," I whispered to him. Even though he couldn't yet speak, I knew he could understand my words as he gradually quieted down.

I watched as the remaining patrons stood up and left, leaving the mysterious man as the only one left in the bar. I grabbed Miguel's things and walked over to him. He appeared to be deeply asleep, his head nodding forward.

I gently tapped his shoulder. "Hello, wake up sleepyhead," I said.

He didn't stir, so I picked up the jug of water on the table and poured it over his head.

"What the hell!" he exclaimed as he jolted awake, wiping the water from his face. He looked up and saw me standing before him, one hand on my hip and the other still holding the jug.

I slammed the jug back down on the table. "I'm sorry, but it's closing time," I told him firmly.

He glared at me as he raked his hands through his hair. "I'm not leaving this bar," he said, crossing his arms. "You can either agree to talk with me or we'll end up spending the night here, just the two of us." He gave me a sly smile. "I don't think you want that, do you?"

I glared back at him, trying to decide my next move. "Fine, let's talk. What do you want?"

He leaned in closer, his hands on the table. "Here's the thing. I want to take you out on a date. I want to get to know you, and I want you to get to know me."

I cut him off. "Why should I do that?"

He shrugged. "You're the only woman in this bar who didn't drool over me. You didn't even seem to acknowledge my presence. That's a first. So I'll give you a pass."

I stared at him, trying to make sense of what he was saying. "Mr. Casanova, I have no interest in you. My answer is no."

He leaned in even closer. "Sweetheart, please hear me out. I want you to act as my wife."

I laughed in disbelief. "I'm not your sweetheart and I'm definitely not going to act as your wife."

He looked at me with pleading eyes. "Just give me a chance, you might change your mind."

I shook my head. "I highly doubt that, but for now let's just finish this conversation and you can leave."

"You're right, I am an arrogant jerk. But I can't deny the fact that I need your help. The truth is, I'm in a bit of a bind and I need a wife, even if it's just for show. I'll explain everything, I promise. But please, just give me a chance," he said, his eyes pleading.

I considered his request for a moment. I knew there was more to this story than he was letting on, and I couldn't help but feel curious about what he had to say.

"Fine," I said finally. "I'll give you a chance. But if I don't like what I hear, this is the end of it."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, missy. I promise, you won't regret this."

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension as I wondered what I had just gotten myself into. But for better or for worse, I had agreed to hear him out.

"Why do you want to pretend we're married?" I asked, trying to understand his motives.

"It's a long story. Just say yes and go on a date with me. I promise I'll explain everything," he replied, trying to persuade me.

I raised an eyebrow in skepticism. He continued, "If you're worried about falling for someone as handsome as me, don't be. I can't love anyone." He said this with a sense of pride.

I scoffed. He had a high opinion of himself and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "You think too highly of yourself. Why would I ever fall for someone like you, an arrogant jerk? That's both impossible and ridiculous," I said with a hint of sarcasm.

He smiled and nodded his head twice. "You're right. You can't seem to acknowledge you'd fall for my innocent-handsome face. But that's to my advantage. Let's date tomorrow, you'll get to know me as well as I want to know you. You might as well have good reasons for coming to our country.. And believe me sweetheart. No strings attached. How do you see that?" he asked, trying to persuade me.

I exhaled at his audacity. "How did you know I'm an immigrant?" I asked, surprised by his knowledge.

He gave me a killer smile. "Trust me honey.. I know a lot of things. Things your beautiful brain can never think of," he replied, his confidence unwavering.

"Fine. I'll go on a date with you. But don't get your hopes up. After the date, if I don't see any suitable meaning on why you want me to pretend to be married to you.. I'll have no harm in declining. You get that?" I asked, making sure he understood the terms.

"Uh-huh. It's crystal clear sweetheart," he said and shoved out his fists in the air for a knuckle bump.

I stared at his fists and shook my head. "One more thing. You won't get to call me names that's not my name," I said, setting boundaries.

He nodded. "Would the damsel in distress mind telling me her sweet name?" he asked, respectful of my wishes.

He never ceased to amaze me with his flirtatious attitude. "Sophie," I nonchalantly said.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful lady. So tomorrow it is... I'll pick you up by 12p.m. That should be enough time for you to be ready," he said and stood up. His eyes fell on Miguel who was suckling his thumb.

"Your baby-boy is really cute," he complimented, finally acting like a normal grown-up man.

"Thanks. But you don't actually know where I live. How do you intend on finding me?" I asked, still skeptical of his intentions.

"Like I said.. I'm many things you'll never dream of. Tomorrow it is. Come, I'll do you the honour of dropping you off," he said and held my hand to help me stand up without waking Miguel.

I locked the bar as we stepped out. Lorenzo brought my things to his car, shoved them in the backseat and hopped in. He unlocked the front seat and I climbed in, as he locked the door behind me.

"Buckle up, honey. We're about to take off," he said, honking the horn and speeding away.

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Back in America, Laura and Damian had just returned from their honeymoon and were settling into their new home. Laura couldn't shake off the feeling of emptiness as she gazed around the house. She missed her job, her daughter, and her life in New York.

"I've missed New York. This house. My job, and my lovely daughter," she said to Damian.

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her. "Me too, honey," he said, before leaning in to give her a light kiss on the lips.

Laura smiled and pulled back. "Sophie should be back by now. Let's go see her," she said, taking Damian's hand as they left their room. Laura had wanted to surprise her daughter by coming back without her knowing, but she had tried calling Sophie and she wasn't picking up.

They drove to Sophie's house and knocked on the door. There was no answer. They tried calling her phone again, but it went straight to voicemail.

Laura was starting to feel uneasy as she walked around the house, peeking into windows. Everything seemed in order, but Sophie was nowhere to be found. Just as they were about to leave, Laura spotted an envelope hidden under a pillow on the couch.

Laura took the envelope and tore it open. Inside, she found a letter written in Sophie's handwriting. She stared at it for a moment before beginning to read.

"Mummy, I'm truly sorry for not telling you about this. You've been a good mother, even though you act like you don't care about me. I know you do. I don't know what happened between you and dad, but you never talk about him. I wish I could be there for you, but you're pushing me away. I'm sorry, but I have to find my dad. I love you, mum. Congrats to you and my stepdad. Love, Sophie."

Laura's eyes filled with unshed tears as she read the letter. She tried to hold them back, but they fell down her cheeks. Damian was confused by what was happening. Laura had never talked about her ex-husband with him, and he didn't understand why she was so upset now.

"It's alright. Everything will be okay, honey. Sophie is an adult now. It's not your fault, even if we were here, I doubt we could have stopped her from leaving," Damian said, trying to comfort her as he held her close.

"She left me after I tried to hide her father from her. She's gone to Holland... What if her life gets destroyed like her father's? What if she ends up like her older brother?" Laura cried.