Sophia De Santos
I sprawled on the bed like a lazy starfish, my hand blindly moving around until it came in contact with my phone. I turned it on and drowsily glanced at the screen, only to jump in the next second. God, God, God, what have I done!? All traces of sleep vanished from my face as I glanced at the screen and saw several missed calls and my alarm, which hadn’t gone off because my earphones were still plugged in. I scrolled through my missed calls and dialed the hospital first, my heart thumping in my chest as I unplugged the earphones and threw them somewhere. “Hello, good morning, Nurse Chris. Sorry I missed your calls; my phone was on silent. Please, how’s Ryan? Everything is well… with him, right?” My voice vibrated as I asked impatiently. “I figured you might be busy. Actually, I shouldn’t have called more than once, but I didn’t want you coming to the hospital when the doctor in charge of Ryan’s treatment won’t be available today. He asked me to let you know it’s best to come tomorrow. In addition, he said he has something to discuss with you when you come. Lastly, Ryan is responding great to the treatments.” It was only after I heard that last statement that I exhaled, sinking onto the bed as if all the strength had been sucked from my limbs. “Thank you. I’ll definitely come tomorrow. Have a nice day.” I hung up and threw the phone somewhere on the bed, facepalming myself as I lay back, shutting my eyes and staying there for a moment. My cellphone vibrated again. I grabbed it, answering the call without even looking at the screen. “Sophia,” a high-spirited voice sounded from the other end. “Hannah,” I mumbled, yawning silently. “Good morning.” “Wait a minute… don’t tell me you’re still in bed?” she whisper-yelled. “Kind of,” I replied, rubbing my eyes as my gaze flew to my bag on the table. I stood up and walked to it, opening the bag to see a grand staring back at me as though it was a dream. But it wasn’t—it couldn’t have been a dream, not when I was still here, reaping the consequences of staying up late last night, chatting and opening up to a man I’d be meeting for the first and maybe the last time. I doubted I’d see him again—he said it himself. “Are you even listening at all?” Hannah groaned. “Ah, yes… what were you saying?” I smiled sheepishly. She sighed as if she were about to repeat herself for the hundredth time. “I said I thought you’d be at the hospital.” “Oh yes, the hospital,” I repeated, suddenly remembering. “It’s been postponed to tomorrow,” I exhaled. “Hope there wasn’t an issue with it being postponed? I thought it was supposed to be today.” “I know, but the hospital just called. I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see him,” I said with a sigh. “Are you at work yet?” “Yes. And just a reminder—since your plan for the hospital is no longer valid today, if you’re ever interested in checking out our company’s proposal, you can just reach out to me, okay?” “What proposal?” I asked, slightly confused. She groaned again. “Don’t tell me you forgot about it already? The ice-skating deal with my boss—the video, Soph, the skating video that went viral!” She dramatically emphasized every single word, and I could imagine her exaggerated expressions even if she was at work. “Oh… the video… well, since I’m free today—the store gave me the day off, and I requested one in every other place I worked mainly for Ryan—but since I’m no longer going, it’ll be a waste to stay at home.” “So what are you saying?” Her eagerness almost seeped through the phone, making me roll my eyes. “I’m going to come.” “You don’t actually mean it, do you? YES, GIRL! That’s more like it. You know what? Since you already know the company, I don’t need to send you the address. Let me go now and inform my boss before anyone catches me taking calls in the storage room. I’ll call you later. Bye!” “Bye,” I replied, a little smile playing on my lips as I hung up and put the phone on the bed. Stripping, I entered the bathroom for a quick shower. I fixed my hair, and since first impressions mattered a lot, I didn’t want to mess this up for any reason. I rummaged through my wardrobe before settling on a black dress with white designs, put on heels, and added lip gloss—since I couldn’t afford makeup. Not that I liked wearing it anyway. I grabbed my bag and headed for the company. ~~~ By the time I got to the magnificent and one of the biggest A&D Entertainment enterprises, the receptionist directed me to the boss’s office. This might sound like I was overreacting, but I couldn’t stop my legs from going weak with nervousness. This was really happening. What if he suddenly didn’t like the video and wanted to withdraw? What if he didn’t like me or thought I was too old, considering the fact that sports agencies prefer sponsoring younger and more promising people, unlike me—a failed skater? You’re fine, Sophia. This is totally fine, I chanted in my head, doing the cross sign before eventually knocking on the office door. “Come in.” A very familiar voice answered from behind the door. Where have I heard that before? I tried to remember but couldn’t. I opened the door and almost jumped back in shock. Sitting at the desk in front of me was a regal, tall man. Even if I didn’t want to recognize him, the grand in my bag served as a burning reminder. His brows knitted slightly, his steel-grey eyes sizing me up before his lips curled into a slight smile. “You’re here.”Sophia De SantosHow do you react when the man you throw away your dignity in front of, all because of money is in front of you?Especially when you've thought about them earlier that morning before coming here only to find him sitting right there, just a few meters away from you.I suddenly lost my confidence. And my mind turned blank, completely short of words. I hope I succeed in this interview. And maybe he wouldn't even recognize me… but that's impossible, the lights had been so bright last night that I know it's impossible not to remember me, but I can't lose this chance. I need the money... for him. For Ryan.I quickly composed myself and walked towards him, and in turn he gestured for me to have a seat across from him.“And what may I call you miss,” he demanded without looking up from his paper. Evidently showing he didn't care much about this meeting, I mean it's pretty obvious by the way he pretended as if he can't remember me from last night. Since it was like that, I a
Sophia I stared at the brown envelope sitting on the dining table—the miracle I never thought I’d have. A baby. I couldn’t believe it, not after years of being told it was impossible. And now, with this life growing inside me, I held on to one desperate hope, maybe this baby could bring Alexander back to me. I wasn’t just fighting for our marriage anymore. I was fighting for our family and for a future I had dreamed about since the day we said our vows. “It’s a miracle, Mrs. Sophia De Santos. You’re two months pregnant,” Dr. Dexter had said with disbelief earlier at the hospital. Two years ago, that same doctor had told me my chances of conceiving were slim to none. For hours that day, I worked on dinner, setting the table perfectly. I knew deep down he probably wouldn’t eat it, just like he hadn’t the last dozen times. But tonight was different. I had news that might just save us. I looked at the envelope again, my hands trembling. Was I stupid to hope? My chest tightened
Sophia I woke up to the sound of the door opening. Out of impulse, I held my stomach and tried to lift myself up, groaning quietly. I felt like complete trash—no, worse. I had cried myself to sleep on the couch after he left. The sound at the door told me it must be Alexander. I was surprised he came back tonight. Because sometimes, he’d disappear for weeks, even months, after we fought. Not even this time, which involved a divorce, I stood up quickly, ready to open the door for him, but froze when I heard his laughter. My stomach twisted. Alexander never smiles at me, much less laughs. Was he on a phone call? I wondered, as I heard his voice at the door. "Come on, let's get inside." Inside? Was he with someone else, not on a phone call as I'd thought? My heart raced at the idea, silently praying it would not be his friends, they never liked me and they didn't even try hiding it whenever they came here. The door clicked shut, and I heard the squeak of wheels as Alexander
Sophia I woke up to the sharp smell of antiseptic, my stomach twisted into nots. My hand flew to my abdomen instinctively, but a dull pain greeted me. Everything felt off—blurry, like I was stuck in some kind of fog. What happened? I tried to think, but nothing came. My body felt heavy, my mind felt even heavier. I forced myself to sit up, but the room spun violently, and I dropped back down, breathing hard. The faint creak of the door made me look up. Someone in a doctor 's lab coat stepped in through the door, her expression was both concerned and hesitant, like she wasn’t sure what to say. “Where… where am I?” My voice came out rough, like it belonged to someone else. “You’re in the hospital,” she said, her tone was gentle but serious. “You were brought in critically injured five days ago. It’s a miracle you survived. Do you remember anything?” Five days? I fumbled through my thoughts, trying to grab onto something, anything. But it was all fragments. I blinked
Leonardo Marquez We were just stepping into the car when Max, my assistant, called out beside me. “Boss,” he said, holding up a phone. “You have a call from the hospital.” I didn’t hesitate. I took the phone from him immediately and answered before pressing it to my ear. The moment I heard the doctor’s voice, the knot in my stomach began to loosen. “She’s awake, she woke up this morning,” the doctor said. I felt the relief flow through me, but it was quickly replaced by a faint unease. “How is she?” I asked, keeping my voice steady, hiding the rush of emotions in them. The doctor’s tone was even, but there was something unmistakable in her words. “She’s... not handling it well. She’s breaking down after learning of the loss of her baby. And her husband not showing up made it even worse.” My jaw clenched, and heat spread across my chest. I had known that bastard wouldn’t show, but hearing it out loud still hit me like a punch to the gut. How could he treat her like tha
One year and half later. I stirred my black coffee, no sugar, and gulped it down in one go. The bitter taste slid down my throat, sharp and unwelcome, but I needed it. I had a long night ahead. My phone buzzed on the table, pulling my attention away from the growing fatigue in my body. I glanced at the screen to see it was Hannah. I picked it up and pressed it to my ear, bracing myself for whatever she was about to say. Her voice came through, she sounded very excited and squealing, making me wonder what had gotten her so hyped. “You won’t believe this!” she practically shouted. That I had to take the phone away from my ear a little bit. I rolled my eyes, my head aching a little as I rubbed my temples. “Hannah, please just get to the point. You know I’m terrible at guessing.” I stated as a matter of factly. She groaned, clearly not pleased with my lack of enthusiasm, but then she burst out, “Your freestyle video had blown up and gone viral on my I*******m! People are losing it,
Sophia De SantosI should have walked out. It would’ve been easier that way because not only was the darkness making my hands tremble unnoticeably, but I was also beginning to sweat. Still, for some unknown reason, my feet stayed rooted to the ground. My hand slipped away from the doorknob as I debated leaving. I was about to ask him a question when his voice echoed behind me again. “How about five bills for sitting here with me? Of course, I won’t demand anything obnoxious from you.” I gulped. The offer was tempting, too tempting really. I needed money, as much as I could get, but I couldn’t help but wonder why someone would pay five hundred dollars just to sit with them. “How about a grand then?” His voice came again before I even had a chance to respond. Turning slowly to face the man, his features still hidden in the darkness surrounding us, I said, “Do you really mean you’re going to pay me five hundred dollars or a grand for staying?” My voice sounded desperate, but the
Sophia De SantosHow do you react when the man you throw away your dignity in front of, all because of money is in front of you?Especially when you've thought about them earlier that morning before coming here only to find him sitting right there, just a few meters away from you.I suddenly lost my confidence. And my mind turned blank, completely short of words. I hope I succeed in this interview. And maybe he wouldn't even recognize me… but that's impossible, the lights had been so bright last night that I know it's impossible not to remember me, but I can't lose this chance. I need the money... for him. For Ryan.I quickly composed myself and walked towards him, and in turn he gestured for me to have a seat across from him.“And what may I call you miss,” he demanded without looking up from his paper. Evidently showing he didn't care much about this meeting, I mean it's pretty obvious by the way he pretended as if he can't remember me from last night. Since it was like that, I a
Sophia De Santos I sprawled on the bed like a lazy starfish, my hand blindly moving around until it came in contact with my phone. I turned it on and drowsily glanced at the screen, only to jump in the next second. God, God, God, what have I done!? All traces of sleep vanished from my face as I glanced at the screen and saw several missed calls and my alarm, which hadn’t gone off because my earphones were still plugged in. I scrolled through my missed calls and dialed the hospital first, my heart thumping in my chest as I unplugged the earphones and threw them somewhere. “Hello, good morning, Nurse Chris. Sorry I missed your calls; my phone was on silent. Please, how’s Ryan? Everything is well… with him, right?” My voice vibrated as I asked impatiently. “I figured you might be busy. Actually, I shouldn’t have called more than once, but I didn’t want you coming to the hospital when the doctor in charge of Ryan’s treatment won’t be available today. He asked me to let you know
Sophia De SantosI should have walked out. It would’ve been easier that way because not only was the darkness making my hands tremble unnoticeably, but I was also beginning to sweat. Still, for some unknown reason, my feet stayed rooted to the ground. My hand slipped away from the doorknob as I debated leaving. I was about to ask him a question when his voice echoed behind me again. “How about five bills for sitting here with me? Of course, I won’t demand anything obnoxious from you.” I gulped. The offer was tempting, too tempting really. I needed money, as much as I could get, but I couldn’t help but wonder why someone would pay five hundred dollars just to sit with them. “How about a grand then?” His voice came again before I even had a chance to respond. Turning slowly to face the man, his features still hidden in the darkness surrounding us, I said, “Do you really mean you’re going to pay me five hundred dollars or a grand for staying?” My voice sounded desperate, but the
One year and half later. I stirred my black coffee, no sugar, and gulped it down in one go. The bitter taste slid down my throat, sharp and unwelcome, but I needed it. I had a long night ahead. My phone buzzed on the table, pulling my attention away from the growing fatigue in my body. I glanced at the screen to see it was Hannah. I picked it up and pressed it to my ear, bracing myself for whatever she was about to say. Her voice came through, she sounded very excited and squealing, making me wonder what had gotten her so hyped. “You won’t believe this!” she practically shouted. That I had to take the phone away from my ear a little bit. I rolled my eyes, my head aching a little as I rubbed my temples. “Hannah, please just get to the point. You know I’m terrible at guessing.” I stated as a matter of factly. She groaned, clearly not pleased with my lack of enthusiasm, but then she burst out, “Your freestyle video had blown up and gone viral on my I*******m! People are losing it,
Leonardo Marquez We were just stepping into the car when Max, my assistant, called out beside me. “Boss,” he said, holding up a phone. “You have a call from the hospital.” I didn’t hesitate. I took the phone from him immediately and answered before pressing it to my ear. The moment I heard the doctor’s voice, the knot in my stomach began to loosen. “She’s awake, she woke up this morning,” the doctor said. I felt the relief flow through me, but it was quickly replaced by a faint unease. “How is she?” I asked, keeping my voice steady, hiding the rush of emotions in them. The doctor’s tone was even, but there was something unmistakable in her words. “She’s... not handling it well. She’s breaking down after learning of the loss of her baby. And her husband not showing up made it even worse.” My jaw clenched, and heat spread across my chest. I had known that bastard wouldn’t show, but hearing it out loud still hit me like a punch to the gut. How could he treat her like tha
Sophia I woke up to the sharp smell of antiseptic, my stomach twisted into nots. My hand flew to my abdomen instinctively, but a dull pain greeted me. Everything felt off—blurry, like I was stuck in some kind of fog. What happened? I tried to think, but nothing came. My body felt heavy, my mind felt even heavier. I forced myself to sit up, but the room spun violently, and I dropped back down, breathing hard. The faint creak of the door made me look up. Someone in a doctor 's lab coat stepped in through the door, her expression was both concerned and hesitant, like she wasn’t sure what to say. “Where… where am I?” My voice came out rough, like it belonged to someone else. “You’re in the hospital,” she said, her tone was gentle but serious. “You were brought in critically injured five days ago. It’s a miracle you survived. Do you remember anything?” Five days? I fumbled through my thoughts, trying to grab onto something, anything. But it was all fragments. I blinked
Sophia I woke up to the sound of the door opening. Out of impulse, I held my stomach and tried to lift myself up, groaning quietly. I felt like complete trash—no, worse. I had cried myself to sleep on the couch after he left. The sound at the door told me it must be Alexander. I was surprised he came back tonight. Because sometimes, he’d disappear for weeks, even months, after we fought. Not even this time, which involved a divorce, I stood up quickly, ready to open the door for him, but froze when I heard his laughter. My stomach twisted. Alexander never smiles at me, much less laughs. Was he on a phone call? I wondered, as I heard his voice at the door. "Come on, let's get inside." Inside? Was he with someone else, not on a phone call as I'd thought? My heart raced at the idea, silently praying it would not be his friends, they never liked me and they didn't even try hiding it whenever they came here. The door clicked shut, and I heard the squeak of wheels as Alexander
Sophia I stared at the brown envelope sitting on the dining table—the miracle I never thought I’d have. A baby. I couldn’t believe it, not after years of being told it was impossible. And now, with this life growing inside me, I held on to one desperate hope, maybe this baby could bring Alexander back to me. I wasn’t just fighting for our marriage anymore. I was fighting for our family and for a future I had dreamed about since the day we said our vows. “It’s a miracle, Mrs. Sophia De Santos. You’re two months pregnant,” Dr. Dexter had said with disbelief earlier at the hospital. Two years ago, that same doctor had told me my chances of conceiving were slim to none. For hours that day, I worked on dinner, setting the table perfectly. I knew deep down he probably wouldn’t eat it, just like he hadn’t the last dozen times. But tonight was different. I had news that might just save us. I looked at the envelope again, my hands trembling. Was I stupid to hope? My chest tightened