Moving forward

‘Knock knock’ 

The sound woke Sophia up from her sleep

“ Madam Sophia, The lawyer is here waiting for you downstairs ma'am” Sarah’s voice echoes from outside.

“ Thank you Sarah, give me a few minutes, I'll be there” Sophia manages to squeeze out a few words. Her voice is groggy and her throat dry.

The last two days have been a blur, she's been in her room ever since she got the annulment contract. She thought she's strong enough to handle everything life throws at her but reality gave her a slap. 

For the past two days, she's been questioning God on why he sent her back. She's tired and just wishes to rest with her child since life is extremely unfair to her. But it's all just wishful thinking, she's still here abandoned once more by her supposed husband.

Sophia couldn't help but shed another bout of tears. Her eyes were red and swollen from constant crying. 

Dragging her extremely weak body off the bed, Sophia made her way to the bathroom to wash her face. Staring at the woman in the mirror with hollow eyes, dark circles and hair like a bird's nest, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“ You can't break down Sophia, you can do this”  she encourages herself.

Taking a quick shower, Sophia dressed up and went downstairs to meet the lawyer.

“ Pleasure meeting you again Miss Sophia” Mr Lawson says. His displeasure is not hidden.

“ Sorry I kept you waiting Mr Lawson” Sophia walked past him and sat cross-legged. “ Shall we get down to business” ? She asked with raised eyebrows.

Suppressing his anger, Matthew hands her some documents. “ I will need your signature on this ma'am, this is the deed of the apartment and since you want it sold, I need your signature on these to complete the transfer”.

He put a Black card on the table and slid it to her, “ This card contains 25 million for the apartment”.

 Adjusting his suit and clearing his throat  “ Mr Brooks sent a reminder to you and your father ma'am, He says this is the end of all relationship between the Brooks and the Bennetts, and the favor have been returned, so on no account should either you or your father try to contact the Brooks ever again, or else the consequences will be dire”. 

“ So if there's no issue with the documents, you can sign them so I can be on my way ma'am” Matthew said

Anger and humiliation courses through Sophia, taking a deep breath to suppress her feelings, she signs the document and takes the card.

“ Thank you for your time Mr Lawson “ she stands and moves towards the stairs, halfway there she turns back.

“ You tell your boss that I will be moving out of the villa this week, and he can be rest assured that no one from the Bennetts will ever contact him again” Sophia's cold voice, void of any emotion, echoes.

Getting to her room, Sophia thinks of Alexander's message, “what favor is he talking about” she murmurs.

Thinking deeply, she's always found it strange that the Brooks' will agree to a marriage with her family and submit to her father's demands. 

Her curiosity won as she picked up her phone to call her estranged father. Xavier picks after immediately 

“ My darling daughter, how's your marriage with Alexander? Remember why you're there Sophia and make sure you give the Brooks' an heir soon. The future of the Bennet is depending on you Sophia. So you “ Xavier keeps rambling on and Sophia couldn't help but cut him off.

“ Why do the Brooks' owe our family such a big favor Dad?” Sophia questions

“ Who told you this Sophia? This is not something you should concern yourself about. Your focus should be on how to secure your position as Mrs Brooks and give Alexander and heir” Xavier's once relaxed voice now tight and threatening.

Unable to suppress her anger and hatred anymore Sophia lashes out “ Sorry to shatter your dreams Father, but there will be no heir, as Alexander plans to divorce me in three years. He made me sign a contract that binds me not to have any contact with him till we divorce and that includes you Dad”.

“ He promised to take back his investments and destroy the company if you try to blackmail the Brooks' with the ‘favor’ again. So it's time to wake up from your high dreams Dad, there's no heir and the relationship between the Brooks' and the Bennetts’ is over”. 

“ How dare you Sophia?” Xavier bellows in anger. Sophia could imagine green veins popping on his forehead.

“ Your grandparents and I worked so hard to get to this point with the Brooks' and you dare destroy it? You're so useless just like your mother. Olivia will not fail me like this, you are such an ungrateful brat” Xavier lashed out, his chest heaving. 

“ Come back right now and find a way to make amends with Alexander or else I'm going to destroy everything your mother left you and that stupid boy you're in love with” Xavier threatens as he hangs up the phone.

Sophia clenches her phone in anger, her body trembling. Thankfully she had packed the little valuables her mother left behind when she moved to the villa, as her Daniel, he'll be doing her a favor if he kills him. Sophia sneers.

Sophia's mother passed away when she was six years old, a few months after her mother's demise, Xavier had brought back Maria and Olivia. She was broken when she found out her father had a daughter the same age as her, he cheated on her mother. 

She hated Xavier and always threw a tantrum at home. Her grandparents probably took pity on her, so they took her back with them. She grew up with their love and care and they gave 35% of the company's shares to her.

When she was 15 years old, her grandparents passed away one after the other, so she went back to her father's house, and the cold war with Olivia and her mother began.

She remembered she had once stumbled on her father discussing with the family’s lawyer about getting the shares from her and sending her to the countryside. 

The lawyer had dissuaded her father and told him the plans her grandparents had made in advance to protect her and the shares.

Only Sophia has the right to willingly transfer the shares to whoever she wants once she's above 18 years and married. And if she loses her life before she transfers the shares, then the shares will belong to the charity organization which her grandparents have chosen.

Her grandparents not only curbed her father's greed but also made sure he protects her dearly. 

After that day, she became more willful and Xavier could barely control her. And that's when she met Daniel, who showered her with love she didn't know existed and as the naive girl she was, she threatened her father with her life just to marry him. Only to end up burnt alive with her unborn child.

Sophia's eyes burn with intense hatred as she remembers her past life.

Waking up from her reverie, she thinks of her future plans. Since Xavier now knows about her divorce with Alexander, he won't let her go scot-free. She has to leave this city and move far away from all of them.

Thinking of starting a new life, her fashion design business and coming back later to slap them all in the faces makes Sophia's blood boil with anticipation.