Sophia's POV

I woke up to the faint beeping sound of the machine. The pungent smell of disinfectant and drugs invaded my nostrils as I jerked up from the bed, fully awake.

I looked around slowly to notice the wall was painted white. Just beside me was a small table, and not far from that, a couch. Fresh air hit my face and I looked at my right to see a small window. I looked around further, and the gown I was wearing confirmed I was in a hospital.

I felt a sharp pain in my forehead and I involuntarily cried out in discomfort.

"Ahh!"

I heard a shuffling of feet outside and the door suddenly pushed open. Donald was staring right at me as he walked closer, I couldn't place the look in his eyes. Was it irritation I saw on his face or what was that?

"What happened to me? Why am I here?" I asked but instead he was still staring at me, the irritation in his eyes was now back.

I was about to say another word when the door opened. A man in white robe walked in. He nodded towards Donald, maybe as a form of greeting. He then stopped in front of me, his professional smile not leaving his face even for once.

"Mrs. Briggs, how are you feeling now?" He asked, adjusting the IVs connected to my wrist.

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "I feel like my body weighs a ton."

"That's understandable," the doctor smiled lightly, "it's just your body adjusting to the situation. I'm sorry about your loss."

Loss? What loss was the doctor talking about? I didn't understand, so I cleared my throat, interrupting the doctor who was still offering soothing words.

"What loss are you talking about?"

The doctor looked confused, almost flustered. Then he went from looking between Donald and I, to fixing his gaze back on me.

"Err... I thought Mr. Briggs must have told you." The doctor paused, but seeing the curious look in my eyes, he continued. "I'm sorry, you lost the baby."

"No!"

I cried out in a high-pitched voice before breaking into continuous sobs. The doctor tried to comfort me before stepping out, but even that didn't do justice to the pain I was feeling. Why is my life suddenly turning upside down? First, it was the divorce. And now my baby is gone. Is the universe punishing me for a crime I committed?

Or was it because my parents had warned me and I hadn't listened to them? Even at that, this was too much punishment for my crime - that's if loving someone can be called a crime.

My eyes fell on Donald. He still hasn't said anything to me since he stepped into the room. His eyes were dark as I looked into them. It looked as if he abhorred all the hatred in the world for just one person - ME!

"Donald?"

"Don't," he raised his hands at me. "Don't you dare call my name. How could you even call my name, huh?"

"Please..."

"No, listen and listen good," he drew closer to me, his hot breath hitting my face. "You lost our baby! You lost the only good thing," he paused to catch his breath. "The only thing to come out of this sham of a marriage. Now it's gone. Because of your foolishness, it's gone!"

My chest tightened hard as his voice hit me like a tornado. How could he even think of putting all this on me? Does he think I'm happy for losing my baby - OUR BABY? All I ever did was love him. Why didn't he seem to understand that?

"Thinking about it now, it's all for the greater good."

Donald said and I looked at him sharply. What greater good can come from losing my baby!

"We have nothing binding us together anymore. All thanks to you." He smiled as he said this. "Nothing stops us from going our separate ways!"

I couldn't believe my ears. He didn't even have any sympathy that I just lost my baby. He was still all about himself and getting back with Laura.

"No, you can't do that Donald," I pleaded desperately.

"I can, and that's exactly what will happen. Now if you will excuse me, I'm done here."

He didn't look back for once as I kept calling his name. The sudden realization that he had finally left me hit me, a cloud of tears welled up on my face. This time, I didn't stop the tears as I allowed it to flow freely. I knew Donald to be cold but I didn't imagine him to be this cruel.

I was still trying to console myself when the door opened. I quickly try to hide the tears in my eyes, not wanting Donald to see me in that state. But it wasn't Donald that walked into the room. It was someone I had seen before but I couldn't remember where.

"Who are you?"

I asked the middle-aged man, thinking he might have probably missed his way. He didn't reply to me, he only observed me and I suddenly became conscious of myself. I quickly wiped away my tears as I stared back at the man. He was in a well tailored navy-blue suit that hugged his athletic frame perfectly. The color of his eyes was a sea blue, and despite the lines that were beginning to form on his forehead, I could tell he was a charmer in his younger days. His black shoes were all sparkling and classy. And even his gold wristwatch screamed expensive.

"Are you okay?" He asked, stopping in front of me.

I was about to answer when the door pushed open. The doctor that attended to me earlier walked in with a file in hand.

"Mr. Lance, here's the result of the test," the doctor said, handing the file to the man. "It matched yours, Sir."

The man nodded at the doctor, "I told you, I can never be wrong." Mr. Lance said with a smile.

"I'm surprised, I thought it was just a coincidence," the doctor said, then turned to me. "It turns out you were right afterall. Indeed, blood is thicker than water."

"What's going on here doctor?" I didn't understand what they were talking about so I called out to them. Both men turned to face me, now suddenly quiet.

"Dr. Philips?" I said once again, this time I called his name from the tag on his chest.

"Mr. Lance here was the one who mistakenly hit you," Dr. Philips explained but when he saw the look of anger that formed on my face, he quickly added. "He was the one that rushed you here also, he's your saviour."

"And so what?" I asked bitterly and the doctor slightly recoiled, "he saved me but I still lost my baby."

I sat up properly and faced Mr. Lance. "If you are really a saviour as he called you, why didn't you save my baby?" I questioned him, and he seemed to flinch. Maybe from my harsh tone, but I don't care, at least not anymore.

All I wanted to do was to make all those involved in my misery pay. Starting from Donald, I swore in my mind, he'd regret it. I don't know how I'd make that happen but I would.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry about your baby." Mr. Lance apologized.

I looked at him, as I tried to dismiss all the vile thoughts that were going through my head. I should forgive him knowing he didn't hit me intentionally. Yet, I can't seem to, even when I tried. The future I had planned to have with my child, it was now gone. I knew I shouldn't totally put the blame on him, since I was the one who had foolishly ran after Donald. If I hadn't run after him, I would still have my baby.

Something had shifted in me, I can't pinpoint it yet. But it had happened, when Donald had turned his back on me. It had happened, when he had left me alone to wallow in my miseries.

"I promise you will never experience pain again, not while I live." Mr. Lance said and I grunted in annoyance.

Who was he to think he can stop me from going through pain? I laughed bitterly then looked him straight in the eye, "And how would you possibly do that?" I sneered, "Or because the doctor called you a saviour earlier, you now think you are some kind of messiah?"

"He is Mark Lance, the richest man in the country."

The doctor announced and recognition dawned on me. I remember why I keep having the feeling of knowing him before. Now I understand I must have seen him in the television or magazine. He was truly the most influential man in the country and also a philanthropist.

"So you think you can be my saviour because of your money?" I asked in a harsh tone. "You think you can throw money around and everything will be fine, huh? Tell me."

"No. I can be a saviour because I'm your father."

I looked sharply at his face for any signs of a joke but he wasn't joking.

Sophia's POV

I looked at the doctor, then at the man who had just called himself my father and I laughed very hard. This must have been a joke but only that none of them had a smile. Their faces were both serious and I thought again within me, maybe we were now on a movie role so I decided to ask.

"Where's the camera?"

Both the doctor and Mr. Lance looked at each other. They did not understand where I was heading to. It was my turn to enjoy the look of confusion on their faces since they all decided to turn this into a movie.

Mr. Lance cleared his throat, "Uhm, what camera are you talking about Sophie?"

"Sophia," I interjected sharply. "The name is Sophia and not Sophie. And since you have both decided to make this a movie, I'm yet to see a camera."

"Mr. Lance, I would need to take my leave now," the doctor turned to leave but I stopped him.

"You can't leave yet, at least we haven't finished the movie you started," I said and he stopped on his tracks, his eyes twitching in confusion. "Anyway, what's my role in this blockbuster we are acting in?"

"Sophia," Mr. Lance called out slowly. "Why do you take this as some joke? Why..."

I couldn't take it anymore so I cut in. "No! You are the one who took my situation as a joke in the first place. First, you waltzed in here claiming to be my saviour, then next you claimed to be my father." I paused to catch my breath, "tell me how delusional can you be? You think I don't recognize my own father? Or that I lost my brain alongside the baby?"

The doctor had a shocked look on his face after my outburst. Obviously, he might think I was a little harsh or rude with the way I just chastised Mr. Lance but in all honesty, I don't care - even if he was the country's richest man. He had it coming when he kept uttering nonsense like someone that just got out of asylum.

"I know it's hard to believe," he began, choosing his words slowly. "I didn't believe it either, but first I saw this," he moved closer pointing to a mark in my forearm, "then finally this, it proved indeed all I said is true."

He completed his statement by handing me a piece of paper. I hesitated for a moment but he urged me to collect the piece of paper.

"What am I to do with this?"

"It confirms everything that seems to confuse you," he explains, "you can also see I have this in my arm."

I didn't notice he had taken off the top of his suit until he called my attention. He was having the same mark I was having on my right arm.

"It's a tradition in our family to give a new child this mark, right after birth."

"And this can't be a mere coincidence?" I asked but he shook his head.

"No, I've thought of that. That was why I asked the doctor for a DNA test. The result is what you are holding in your hand."

My eyes skimmed through the piece of paper in my hands. There was mostly medical jargon that seemed to make no sense to me. But there were also a few words that I understood. Only that I'm still confused and everything still doesn't make sense to me.

"For all I know, this could have been made up," I countered.

"And what do I stand to gain if I made that up? Don't you think about that?" He asked me then nodded at the doctor. I had suddenly forgotten he was still in the room with us. "Dr. Philips here can get another test done. But if you want a totally new hospital, then that can also be arranged."

I looked into his eyes and all I saw was sincerity. Even when I tried to come up with thoughts to refute his claim, most of them looked unreasonable. A lot of questions were ringing in my head that I had no answers to. He had no reason to lie. What does he even stand to gain by lying that someone like me would be his daughter? That would totally make no sense, would it?

I sighed loudly as I found myself believing him. But a new anger had suddenly welled up in me. And with that, I looked up straight at him.

"So you abandoned me all these years, and now you suddenly feel it's time to come claim me, huh? Tell me, am I some kind of a property?"

He flinched as he looked everywhere but me. Dr. Philip wasn't in the room with us anymore. He must have stepped out while I was deep in thoughts.

"I didn't abandon you," his voice was croaky as he faced me. Had he been crying? "Never will I abandon my own child."

"I was away on a business trip when I got the news," he paused, trying to stifle his emotion, then continued. "You were both involved in an accident when she was coming back home from a medical checkup. The car had almost burned beyond recognition. Only..."

"Wait! I don't get it, was I not in the car?"

"No, only your mother and the driver were in the car." He said and handed me a picture. "Her name is Fiona and you are the exact replica of her."

Looking at the picture in my hand confirmed what he just said. I was indeed a carbon copy of the woman in the picture. A tear dropped from my eye as I imagined what it would have been like to meet her.

"It was an attack."

"What?" I asked, not understanding what he just said.

"The accident, it was a planned attack." He said and I watched his fist tighten.

I could see the fury in his eyes as he fought the urge to keep the tears from falling. I could imagine the pain he went through reliving those memories. I shared the same pain with him, afterall, the woman in question was my mother.

We both fell into silence but the shrill sound of my phone brought me out of my thoughts. I looked at the phone to know who was calling and a sudden anger surged within me.

Why was this jerk calling me?

Donald's POV

I found myself staring at the magazine I was holding. But in all honesty, I wasn't reading a word. I was just staring at the pages. Instead, my mind was clouded with the thoughts of Sophia.

The lawyer had told me she still hadn't sign the divorce papers. I didn't know why she was taking too long. Did she think if she stalled a bit I'd rescind my decision?

I wouldn't give her that satisfaction. At least that should make her learn her lesson.

As a young bachelor, I wouldn't have thought of marrying a lady such as Sophia. I wouldn't have even looked at her twice if she had passed by my side. She's not up to the standard of women I roll with. But, despite knowing she didn't have a chance with me, she had managed to get into my life. My mother, rest her soul, had been the perfect gateway. She had warmed her way into the heart of not just my mother but also the rest of her family.

And what could be worse? Mother had insisted I marry her. To her, she was the best girl for me. She was an angel - the perfect woman fit to be my wife.

I had gone ahead with the marriage as my mother wanted. I had to, at least to honour her dying wish. But I saw through Sophia's charade. She couldn't fool me as she fooled the rest of the family. To me, she was just a plain gold digger, seeking treasures to loot.

"Do you really have to do that every morning?" I looked up to see Laura staring at me disapprovingly.

Her beautiful face was contorted in a frown as she stood with her arms on her waist. I almost laughed at her gimmicks but I knew better. For some days now, Laura has been complaining that I pay little attention to her.

The last few days had been hectic as I had been on the lookout for a potential contract. It's quite a big deal and I couldn't afford to lose such deals to my competitors.

Laura's eyes were still on me. She was clearly waiting for my answer.

"It helps calm me down." I smiled, adjusting slightly from where I sat.

"And you have to do it always?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow at me. "Even while I'm here?"

I sucked in a breath as I thought of how best to answer her. Knowing Laura, I wouldn't want to get into an argument this morning. She was and still is a fierce lady and that got me endeared to her in the first place.

"Okay, just a few pages more. I'd drop it soon anyway." I took a quick glance at my wristwatch. "I have to be at an important meeting by 9."

Laura seemed not to be pleased by my response. The look on her face told me that. I have to give up on reading the magazine.

Things we do for love!

"Are we still going to 'Red cuisine' in the evening?" She asked gently, now sitting on my lap.

I stared at her face, I became lost as always, staring at her blue eyes. Her mouth was pouted as she stared back at me, expecting a response.

I nodded my head still not taking my eyes off her, "We will baby, I just need to sort the meeting quickly."

Laura smiled then hugged me tight, it was obvious she was seemingly pleased with my response. For some days now, she had been talking about visiting this new restaurant in town. I had promised her we'd do that today.

Laura wasn't just some quick lay, she was much more than that. She's been in my heart since we were kids and no other woman had taken that spot. Even when she was out of the country it had still remained the same. And when she finally came back, I was more than glad to have the woman of my dreams.

The ringing of my phone sliced through my thoughts and I jerked up slightly. Laura got off my body and I made for the phone on the table.

"What's the matter Jane?" I asked my secretary immediately and I picked the call.

"Our client just confirmed he'd be on the way soon sir." Jane's voice cut through my ears and I sprang up slightly.

I glanced at my wristwatch. Shit!

How time flies!

"I will be there shortly." I said before clicking the line shut.

I rushed to the room then had a quick bath. I wouldn't want to waste time so as not to delay this client. It's quite a big deal for me.

My eyes scanned my wardrobe, then it finally landed on a navy blue suit.

I had to look good to leave a lasting impression on the client. They say first impression matters a lot. I'm willing to explore that saying to the best of my knowledge.

I checked the compartment that housed my wristwatch. But I instantly became alarmed.

My favorite wristwatch is gone!

I tried to do a quick calculation when I last used the wristwatch. It had been a while.

My mood suddenly became dampened.

Who could have taken the wristwatch I spent half a million bucks purchasing?

My mind only pointed to one person.

Sophia.

That good-for-nothing woman!

She must have been the one. I remembered the golddigger of a woman's eyes not leaving the wristwatch the last time I put it on.

I pranced around the room, my fists tightened by my side.

Sophia had definitely messed with the wrong person.

I hurriedly brought out my phone, then dialled her number. She didn't pick at the first ring and my frustration kicked straight to the edge.

I dialled the number once again. Immediately she picked, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"What is it?" She asked.

"How could you stoop so low?" I chastised, trying to control the anger within me. "I'm ashamed I ever have anything to do with a filth like you."