Chapter 5: Bleaky hope

It was at moments like these that Sophia wished she could drive. The compound had a variety of sleek cars—luxury brands that gleamed under the morning sun—but Ethan had taken the driver, as usual. No time to start thinking about that, she grabbed her bag, rushed out of the house, and stopped the first cab she saw.

"Where to, ma'am?" the driver asked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.

"DaeVille," she replied breathlessly. "As fast as you can go."

The driver nodded and drove into traffic. Sophia leaned back in the seat, trying to calm the storm of anxiety swirling inside her. She rehearsed the apology she intended to deliver, her fingers tightly gripping the file in her lap.

By the time they arrived at DaeVille Company, her nerves were having the best of her. The towering glass building loomed over her. She pushed a dollar note into the driver’s hand without waiting for change and bolted out of the car.

The security guards greeted her with hopeful smiles, clearly expecting a tip. But Sophia didn’t have time for pleasantries. Offering a curt nod in response, she sprinted to the elevator. By the time she reached the top floor, her hands were trembling violently.

The secretary at the reception desk looked up as Sophia approached. 

"Is Ethan inside?" Sophia asked, her voice tight with desperation.

"Yes, ma'am, he is," the secretary replied hesitantly. "But—"

Sophia didn’t wait to hear the rest. She pushed past the desk and made a beeline for the door, silently reciting the apology she had practiced earlier. Her heart pounded with each step, the file clutched like a lifeline in her shaking hands.

But nothing could have prepared her for what she saw when she opened the door.

The sharp scent of floral perfume hit her first, followed by the sight of a woman perched on Ethan's lap, her shirt unbuttoned and discarded. The stranger's hands were tangled in Ethan’s hair as his face pressed against her bossom.

Sophia froze, her breath caught in her throat. For a moment, time seemed to stretch and warp. Ethan's head snapped up at the sound of the door, and their eyes met. Panic flickered across his features before it twisted into anger. He shoved the woman off his lap, standing abruptly, his arousal clearly evident.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he snarled, his voice sharp.

Sophia's grip on the file slackened, and it slipped from her fingers, papers scattering across the floor. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Her body felt cold, numb, as if her soul fled.

The other woman sauntered over, her movements graceful and unbothered. She adjusted her blouse but made no attempt to button it fully. Her gaze raked over Sophia, sizing her up with a disdainful smirk.

"So, you're the infamous wife," She said, her tone dripping with disapproval. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Shut up and step back, Margaret," Ethan snapped, glaring at her.

Margaret scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don’t tell me to shut up, Ethan. You didn’t seem to mind my mouth earlier."

The audacity of their exchange was a slap to Sophia's already fractured heart. Ethan didn’t shout or lash out at Margaret the way he had at her. Instead, he sighed heavily and rubbed his temples, his frustration palpable.

"Sophia, I can explain," he said, his voice softening as he approached her with careful, deliberate steps. His hands were raised in an attempt to calm her.

Without a word, she turned and fled, her legs carrying her as tears streamed down her face. The secretary murmured an apology as she passed, but Sophia didn’t register it. She just kept walking, each step heavier than the last.

She wasn’t sure how far she had gone when the blaring honk of a car snapped her back to reality. She looked up to find herself standing in the middle of a busy road. A sleek black Benz screeched to a halt mere inches from her. 

The driver stepped out, his face contorted with anger. "Are you crazy? If you’re planning to die, why involve my car?"

Sophia turned to face him, and his expression shifted the moment he saw her. His brow furrowed, and he removed his sunglasses, his tone softening in recognition. 

"Sophia?"

"Alex?" she whispered, her voice cracking.

Alexander Dolen—her old schoolmate—stood before her, looking both familiar and foreign. He ushered her into his car before she could protest, his concern evident. Moments later, they were seated in a cozy restaurant, steaming mugs of hot chocolate in front of them.

"You look... different," Sophia said, studying him. His once lanky frame was now broad-shouldered and confident, his rough schoolboy hair replaced by carefully styled curls. But his eyes, mischievous and warm, hadn’t changed.

"Life happens," he said with a chuckle. "But enough about me. What’s going on with you? Why did I almost run the prettiest girl in school over?" This made Sophia look up from her drink. 

"Pretty?" She scoffed. "You so easily forgot Betty or the other one, Maddy." 

"I wouldn't classify Betty as pretty if I'm being honest. You never could tell if she truly was under that load of makeover she did back then." This caused a small smile to tug at Sofia's lips. He was right about that. "As for Maddy, seriously? You think Maddy was pretty?" There it was, that spark of mischief in his eyes. It cause Sophia to laugh.

"There it is." He said, a smile breaking out of his lips. " I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one that didn't change much."

"Are you kidding me, you've changed. You're much taller, cleaner—"

"—what do you mean by cleaner? I was always clean." He said with a pout, a dimple appearing on the left side of his cheek.

"You were only ever clean in the morning. After third period, you resembled a construction worker." This caused him to laugh out loud.

"When you put it that way...." He trailed off with a wink. "So tell me, what made the prettiest girl in our set sad?"

"Nothing," she replied flatly, staring into her drink.

Alex frowned, his brows knitting together. "Come on, Sophia. You don’t cry over ‘nothing.’ What’s wrong?"

She shook her head, unwilling to open the floodgates. "It’s just... a lot. I’ll be fine."

They fell into an awkward silence, broken only when Alex leaned forward, his tone gentle yet insistent. "If there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word."

Sophia hesitated before offering a small smile. "Not unless you can get me a high-paying part-time job."

Alex’s lips curled into a knowing grin. "Actually, I might be able to help with that."

He reached into his pocket and handed her a business card. The name printed on it made her heart skip a beat: Caldwell Investments. It was a company rivaling DaeVille in prestige and influence. Why would Alex have a card of it?

"Meet me there tomorrow at 9 a.m. sharp," Alex said, standing and tossing cash on the table. He leaned down to hug her briefly before walking out.

Sophia stared at the card, her mind racing. The thought of Ethan and Margaret resurfaced, but instead of despair, a spark of determination ignited within her. Ethan might have shattered her trust, but he wouldn’t ruin her life.

She had a chance to start fresh—and she wasn’t going to let it slip away.