Crumpled Dreams

Astor’ Residence

Sophie woke up near the bed. She didn’t sleep beside the pervert and instead in a sitting position near the bed and only rested her head on one side of the bed.

She tried to pick the cuff that chained her left foot to the bed post. Last night after the pervert finished his perverted ways, he lifted Sophie to bed but Sophie defyingly stayed away from him.

“Good morning love”, the pervert said teasingly.

Sophie only replied with a look of disgust and disdain.

The door was opened and a man in his forty’s spoke,

“Sir, we were worried a while ago why you didn’t attend your usual meeting at 1:00am”, the man asked.

“Never you mind. I had a great sleep last night”, Roldan spoke looking at Sophie beside the bed. Sophie looking at the man trying to ask for help by shaking the chains.

“Noted sir. What’s for your breakfast?”, the man asked.

“Ask her”, Roldan replied turning his head to Sophie.

“What do you want miss?”, the man asked.

“Home”, Sophie replied sorrowfully. “I want to go home”.

“Never gonna happen my love”, Roldan said. “Bring her some toast and coffee”.

“Noted sir”, the man said as he exited the room.

**** Bayne’s Residence

“Try contacting Mr. Gulf, he is my batch mate. He will help us find Sophie”, Mr. Bayne said to Marcela as she was clicking the numbers, the telephone in her ear.

“No response”, Marcela replied.

Since last night, the couple didn’t sleep worried where Sophie might be. They knew Sophie has no friends within the neighborhood or rather her entire life for her to request for a sleep over.

They contacted Sally who knew some people at the company where Sophie went for an interview. Sally told them that Mr. Page, the bald man who interviewed Sophie said that Sophie left the room right after the interview was finished.

“This is why I didn’t approve of her going outside. I always had this premonition and it’s true. Now came the worst”, Mr. Bayne told his wife.

“But honey, she was only gone last night. Maybe she lost her way. The kid is afraid to use taxi, maybe she walked and lost herself while trying to come home”, Marcela replied but feeling worried where Sophie might be.

**** Roldan’s Room

A tiny woman served the coffee and toast. She looked at Sophie and looked down, terrified of Mr. Astor.

Sophie was seated at the cushion facing Roldan. Roldan smiling at her and she looking desperate to punch him in the face.

“Eat now love”, Roldan said teasingly.

“Please stop calling me ‘love’. I am not your love and I will never be your love”, Sophie replied her eyes looking irritated to what this pervert is calling her.

Sophie doesn’t have the pride anymore to forget about her stomach. She was very hungry that she ate the toast unaware she didn’t wash her hands.

“My name is Roldan. I own the company you’re trying to spy at”, the pervert told her.

“How many times will I tell you that I’m not a spy”, Sophie said as a response. “I went to apply for a job to support my family because my father met an accident and that he couldn’t work anymore. Even though he still wanted to.”

“What are you applying for?”, he asked

“A job my friend Sally told me. A job that checks and reads emails”, Sophie said mouth full of toast.

“Ah. A clerical position. Then I wouldn’t have approved of you even when your application reached me”, he said.

“Why?”, she asked.

“Because you are incapable of doing anything more than just to seduce me”, he said smiling at her.

“Curse you. You know the moment you touched me, I realized you are evil. And not just evil, the worst of them”, Sophie snared trying to push his anger button.

“Yeah I’ve been called that name many times. Mostly from my victims. And it’s only natural for you to say that”, Roldan replied mockingly at Sophie whose intents didn’t succeed.

“Anyway, I enjoyed your body last night, wanted to strip you naked and insert myself inside you”, he opened up trying to tease Sophie.

Sophie coughed. She couldn’t believe herself facing this man who nearly have gotten her honor and purity with his perverted ways.

“Be thankful that I still respect you. I don’t want my son to be born out of wedlock or r**e”, he said.

“And what do you want? Me to align with your perverted acts?”, Sophie replied almost sobbing.

“I want us to make love like a couple ought to be. Like I said, I want you to be my wife”, Roldan said to her.

“And why would you want to marry someone like me?”, Sophie asked for the first time questioning her worth. “I don’t have a wealth that could equal that of yours. Besides, I am poor and my family has always been.”

“I love you for your body, not your status”, he replied.

“Ahh so you just want to marry me so you could have all the freedom to do your perverted acts”, Sophie told him.

“Could be”, he replied. “How much are you worth so I can send it to your family?”

Sophie reached and slapped him. Her long curls waved as she took the step. She never felt so down and humiliated before. Roldan touched his cheek where she slapped him.

“Your hand is soft dear. Reminds me of last night when I intertwined them with mine”, he said teasing the disgusted Sophie. “Never was I slapped all my life. I’m the one who always do that.”

“My father was right all this time. The world has people like you, you who makes it dangerous. I shouldn’t have attended that interview”, Sophie sobbed.

They were interrupted by the man who knocked on the door earlier.

“Sir. It’s time to prepare for the meeting”, he said.

Roldan kissed Sophie’s cheek and whispered, “Be right back love. We’ll continue later”. He tried to kiss her lips but she moved away.