No Choice But You

The contract

I walked ‘Home’, the one place I didn’t want to go to. The one place I always hated going back to.

When I reached the gate, I stopped. Bent down slightly, hands on my knees, breathing hard. I wiped my face, trying to steady my emotions, so the tears wouldn't come again. I won't let anyone see me like this. I sniffed, then stood up, straightened my shoulders before walking in.

The moment the door clicked shut behind me, I knew something was wrong.

The house smelled like fresh flowers. Warm and oddly welcoming.

That alone was enough to put me on an edge.

“Sophia"

My father’s voice was unusually soft. Papers slipped from his hands and scattered across the desk.

“You’re back earlier than I expected.”

Earlier?

I glanced at my watch. It was almost midnight.

I looked at him, he was smiling. The kind of smile that never reached his eyes. Practiced and Fake. I knew he wanted something.

“What do you want?” I asked. I wasn’t in the mood for games.

He pointed to the chair. “Sit. We need to talk.”

I glanced at Callie.

She was silent. No shouting, no complaints, nor sharp remarks about my clothes or the time.

A cold chill crawled down my spine. I would have preferred her yelling than her being quiet.

Mia sat nearby, legs crossed, chewing gum lazily, eyes glued to her phone like nothing in the world concerned her.

My father cleared his throat.

“I’m sure you know the company is currently in bankruptcy.”

I frowned.

What did that have to do with me? He never involved me in the family business, but I kept quiet.

“The board is breathing down my neck. Accounts are locked. If nothing changes, we will shut down this week.”

He paused and looked at my face.

“Someone sent a representative today.”

That caught my attention.

“A man interested in investing fully in our company.”

My fingers curled into my palm. “ But there’s a condition,” he paused and looked at me for a while then continued “He wants a wife, for one of my daughters and he asked for you, Sophia.”

My chest tightened. His words didn't make sense at first:“What did you say?"

" The man wants you as his wife Soph. This is the only way the company can bounce back” with no remorse in his voice.

That was when Mia finally looked up from her phone, gum still rolling between her teeth.

“I guess he must be old,” she said casually, eyes already back on her screen.

Callie chuckled , her eyes lighting up.

I stared at my father. “You don’t even know him.”

“ I don't have to know him Sophia. All that matters is that he’s wealthy and ready to invest fully in the company,” my father replied.

“ Are you all pranking me right now?” I asked looking at their faces.

“This is an opportunity,” he said firmly. “For all of us.”

I burst out laughing, forgetting the pain I’d been feeling just minutes ago. It all sounded so ridiculous.

The flowers suddenly made sense.

“I guess we’re done here.” I stopped laughing.

I pushed the chair back and stood.

“I don’t care, If the company collapses, that's none of my business.” I said and turned to leave.

His chair scraped violently against the floor as he shot to his feet.

“Don’t you dare walk away from me,” his pretense suddenly snapped.

I stopped but didn’t turn.

“You think you have a choice?” he snapped. “ This is our family business!!”

I faced him. “It’s never been my business.”

That did it.

His face darkened, anger burning through every line of it.

“After everything I’ve built?” he barked. “After all the sacrifices I made?”

" Sacrifices? did you make them for me?” I asked.

The silence that followed was heavy.

Then he spoke again

“If you refuse this marriage,” he said, "I'll make sure your useless mother rot in jail. "

The words landed like a slap.

A sharp, satisfied smile flickered across Callie's face. She didn’t bother hiding it.

Mia stopped chewing her gum.

“You won’t touch me,” I said, my voice tight. “But you’ll destroy her.”

He didn’t deny it.

“That woman’s fate is in my hands now,” he said coldly. “And I won’t hesitate in doing whatever I please with her.”

Callie finally stood up, stepping closer to him, her hand resting on his chest.

“Calm down,” she said softly, though her eyes were still gleaming. “You’re too upset.”

He shrugged her hand off, breathing hard.

“She needs to understand what’s at stake.”

“She will,” my stepmother said gently. “Give her time.”

He stared at me for a long moment, then spoke through clenched teeth.

“You have the whole night,” he said. “By morning, I expect your answer.”

I said nothing.

I walked past them and up the stairs, my heart pounding, knowing one thing for sure.

This wasn’t a choice but a threat.

I got inside my room and shut the door behind me. The sound was soft. My legs gave out.

I slid down until I was sitting on the floor, my back against the bed. The cold seeped through my clothes, but I didn’t move. I didn’t have the strength to.

The tears came down slowly, sliding down my face and landing on my hands. I stared at them like I didn’t recognize myself.

Everything hit at once.

Lucas, his lies, my mother , the marriage.

I didn't even know what to think about anymore.

The weight of all of it pressed down on my chest, heavy and suffocating, making each breath feel like work. My heart felt trapped beneath it, squeezed so tightly it hurt. I wrapped my arms around myself, curling inward as if that could keep me from breaking apart.

My mother’s face filled my mind.

The last time I saw her, she was sitting across from me, her hands wrapped around mine, her smile tired but gentle. She had tried to be brave for me. Trying to pretend like she wasn’t scared.

“ Don’t worry about me, Soph, she’d said softly. Just live your life”

My throat tightened.

I had shaken my head back

then, gripping her hands harder. I remembered my own voice, too steady and sure.

“I promise,” I had told her. “I’ll do anything. Anything at all to get you out of there.”

Her smile had widened at that. Warm, proud and full of faith she didn’t know would become my cage.

The memory crushed me.

The tears blurred everything as that smile lingered in my mind, burning into my chest. I pressed my forehead against my knees, breathing shallowly, feeling the full weight of my promise settle over my heart.