A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 121: SOFIA

Chapter 121: SOFIA

I have heard and read about a person’s life shattering, but none of it came close to experiencing it in reality.

I didn’t care if I was disturbing the serenity of this working place, I ran for the elevator. Vera’s voice calling,

"Hey, stop running!"

Normally, I just needed to press the button once, but I didn’t care, I kept pounding on the button until the metal doors dinged open.

Once inside, I did the same for the descent button, perhaps it had more to do with not wanting anyone to join me. I sagged to the cold hard floor as the doors sealed shut, like the sudden plunge down, my tears began to fall like a fountain that had been barricaded for a long time. Hot streaks cascading my cheeks, gaining momentum as the memories of seconds ago replayed over and over again in my mind.

It all felt like a horrible dream. A dark nightmare that I couldn’t wait to wake from. Except that for the last seconds it had been Alicia’s words still reverberated in my ears,

"Five minutes"

"Am I understood?"

Never had the leash she had on my neck felt more tight. I was breathing, but it also felt like I was suffocating. I was feeling a lot of things at the same time, emotions colliding and crashing within me.

Anger. Hurt. Regret. Sorrow. Fear.

And others I couldn’t even place a name on. That was how it felt for someone’s world to shatter. It happens so suddenly, without warning. One minute you’re standing and the next you are falling, with hard jagged rocks on your wake.

Rocks that will impale you in place. Trapping and crushing you firmly to your fate. The illusion of escape was, as its name, a delusion.

The elevator dinged signaling the end of my solitude and emotional ride. I knew what I had to do, what must be done for the situation not to get any worse. For the wound in my heart not to fester with pity.

Forcing myself to stand, I wiped my tears as thoroughly as time allowed, plastered my best smile and walked out.

It hurt, but I forced myself to stretch it a bit further as I responded to greetings from people in the lobby.

"Sof!" Someone called.

It was Emily, but I couldn’t stop. If I dared stop to speak with her, I doubt my tears would be held back any longer. Even as I turned to signal her that I couldn’t talk, my tears were on the brink of falling.

I didn’t care if she understood the signal I made with my finger, I turned and kept walking. The noise of traffic and the heat of the sun felt good as I stepped outside. But that could only last a while, with haste I hurried down the street to board a cab. I hadn’t even thought of calling for an Uber, I was a mess.

I was surprised when a cab screeched to a halt a few paces from where I stood, my hand raised to hail. But then again, life had dealt me a huge blow, perhaps this was its pathetic way of making up for it. As if there was any making up for it.

I boarded the cab, muttering an inaudible greeting to the driver. I didn’t bother taking in his appearance, I just sat facing the window.

"Where to?" The man gruffed.

"Leek Park" I replied, not taking my eyes off the window.

"That’s fine, fair lady. How’s your day going?"

"Just take me to my destination, I’m in no mood for a chitchat" I snapped.

He grumbled something that sounded like "young people these days", but I didn’t care. I didn’t even give my heart the grace to dwell on the guilt of snapping at him. There was a lot going on already, a lot of emotions to process.

My tears spilled down my cheeks, staining the glass before disappearing down the bottom of the pane, leaving a trail of pain and aching sorrow. I felt the gaze of the man on me a few times, but he knew enough to stay silent.

The ride didn’t even take as long as I wanted. I needed more time, my tears were far from ceasing and I wasn’t ready to pretend again. To smile, to fake it. I just wasn’t ready.

I had sneered at Charlie’s vet as we sped past, if the eyes could launch a missile, the glare I threw at the shop would have certainly burnt it to crisp. But Charlie wasn’t a today problem, especially not with the allocated time Alicia gave me.

It was more than five minutes already and I didn’t care. What more punishment would she melt that would hurt more than stripping me of my dream?

I paid the driver and scoffed as he said,

"Hey lass, I don’t know what it is you have going on, but everything will eventually be aight"

I offered no response, I just took my change and stalked off. He had no idea what I was going through, he couldn’t possibly imagine and yet he thinks all will be alright. People can be dumb at times.

They’ve gotten so used to optimism and it’s bullshit that they don’t know when to stop or when to succumb. There are things that can never be alright, things that will only get worse with time. Try as you might to change it and it will only get worse.

Like me, trying to change my fate landed me in this position. A position of no choice, but acceptance. I tried running from it and yet, here I am being dragged back to it.

I was this close to changing my fate. This close to making my dreams come true. If only I had signed the damn slip, perhaps the rules of the contract would have saved me from this cruel fate. If only I had not wasted precious time arguing and pissing Richard, perhaps he would have come to my rescue.

But who am I kidding? Even if I had signed the contract, Alicia would still have made me unsign it. She just had to pull at the leash she had fastened to my neck and I will do as she asked. Or she might just let it slip to Richard if he dared a rescue, had I signed the contract and he would tear the damned thing himself. After all, who wants to be in any legal bind with the daughter of a world convict?

The gothic façade of the Blake Mansion appeared into view and I forced myself to do the needful. This will only go well if I don’t have Alicia suspecting that it was not what I wanted. I will have to smile and fake elatedness. It all has to be very believable so as to avoid Alicia’s scrutiny or that of her evil daughters.

I wiped my tears, smiled and mounted the stairs. A knock and Sir Felix opened the door, I was at him. He had orchestrated the whole thing and I know he didn’t mean for it to go this way, but he was to be blamed.

Without greetings, I tried to shove past him. His leg wedging the door and denying me entrance, he said,

"Dear child, you must understand I didn’t know it would lead to this. I’m very sorry"

I hated that. People rendering nonsensical apologies that do no good or offer no help.

"Well, keep your apologies to yourself. What good is it since it won’t make any difference, two weeks from now, I will be saying ’I do’ to a man I thought I loved but can’t stand now. Congrats, Felix, you’ve aided in ruining my life"

He flinched. I didn’t know if it was because for the first time, I called him by his name without addressing him as ’Sir’ or the hostility of my words.

Before he could say anything, Alicia called from the living room,

"Felix, who’s there? Is that Sofia?"

Without waiting for him to answer, I shoved him aside and walked in. He staggered a few steps, but his grip on the door held him from falling.

"What took you so long, Sofia?" Alicia queried, looking up from the magazines cluttered on the table.

"So sorry ma, I made a quick stop at Char... my husband-to-be’s and apologized for not taking the news well. I was just overwhelmed at the time, but now I can’t wait to be his wife"

Lying and acting came easier now. I was so good at it. So good that a part of me actually falls for it most times. I hadn’t even thought those words, they simply poured out. Lying and acting has become a defense mechanism and even when I wasn’t prepared, it always was.

I suppose it should be that easy, after all, I’m the daughter of the world’s greatest con artist and thief. Lying and acting runs in my veins, it’s in my DNA. It’s who I am.

"Good," Alicia purred, "I was almost beginning to think that I need to remind you that this is the best you can actually hope for. For someone with your past, it can’t get any better for you. And thank gracious, you know that..."

The doorbell rang.

"Mama, we came hurrying as soon as you called. Dear Sofy, getting married? Tell me it’s not true?" Annabel whined, her twin hot on her heels.

"It’s true, my dearests. Now, come over here and help mama with the preparations, you know Sofy has a terrible fashion sense" Alicia replied, urging them over.

"But mama," Mira started as she sat on Alicia’s left while the other sat at her right, "this doesn’t make any sense, why should she be getting married and of all persons, Charlie? She doesn’t deserve him"

Alicia gave her daughter a levelled look and in spite of myself, I was intrigued. From Mira’s tone, it sounded like she liked Charlie and if that was true, then this just got interesting.

"But Mira, I love him and he loves me, so much in fact" I thrilled.

The glare I received was more than enough proof. Mira really does like Charlie, how intriguing.

Alicia suspected as well, but she quickly dismissed,

"Let’s begin the preparations, it’s in two weeks and don’t you want Sofy out of our lives?"

"You don’t have to tell me twice," Anna agreed.

"I suppose" Mira quipped, indecisively.

I should have known that this was how it was going to be. I would also have to be a bystander in the preparations of my own wedding. A figure meant to stand and simply observe, bobbing my head in response when a suggestion was raised, even though my take doesn’t matter. Whether I bobbed a yes or not, they will choose whatever they want.

"What do you think of this dress, Sofy?" Alicia asked, holding up the magazine on the page with a jewel studded strapless dress that flowed to the floor like a sparkling sea of crystals.

"Oh nevermind," she answered for me, before I could speak, "this will be too expensive, we should probably look for something less shiny, this wedding won’t be grand after..."

Another knock.