Bound By Contract

Episode 4

"Hello, why are you crying? Is everything okay? Talk to me Sophia, you are scaring me right now." Maya asked over the phone. Her tone was shaky and her heart raced in fear for her best friend. Sophia could not hold it anymore as she told her everything that her dad and stepmom had just told her.

"This is the greatest betrayal that I have seen in my life" Sophia said.

"What do you mean? That you are going to marry because of a loan which your parents borrowed. That doesn't make sense to me, girl. Maybe since you don't want to, how about running away to a place where they won't be able to find you so easily?" Maya said, and she wished she was with Sophia right now to comfort her.

Sophia gave Maya's suggestions a second thought, but she couldn't stand and watch her father suffer; she wasn't going to buy this suggestion. She was downcast and betrayed by her father.

" I don't have to do that, Maya. I just pray that dad will understand; it has been made already. I have to face my fears," Sophia said as she wiped her tears slowly. They chatted for some time until Sophia was fine and started laughing like before.

She didn't talk to her dad throughout the night. She was still shocked by what happened. When morning came she was still lying on her bed when a knock came in.

"Who is there? Come in. The door is not locked."

Immediately, her stepmother walked in. Unlike her father, Sophia's stepmother did not care about Sophia's feelings. She was only concerned about the fame and wealth that would come with Sophia's marriage with James.

"What are you doing here?" Sophia's voice was barely above a whisper.

"What am I doing here? Quit acting like a child, Sophia! You are old enough to get married. Your father is old enough and needs to carry his grandchildren. Make him proud as his first daughter!" Her stepmother snapped at her.

Sophia sighed as she felt anger rise in her. She walked out of the room because she could no longer handle her stepmother's bickering.

The marriage plan began because the time for the agreement had reached, and they had to play their path. On the engagement day, Sophia was shocked that it was only her family and his family, and with some other influential people. But it was not a big wedding. She could remember her father saying that.

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"Oh, babe, I forgot to tell you that I have finally broken up with Sophia. I know she is in pain right now, but I don't care right now," Rylan said as they both laughed. He sat on the plush couch with a grin plastered on his face.

Rylan and Megan were involved in a secret relationship. They had s*x with each other many times, even when Rylan was still in a relationship with Megan.

Megan did not really have eyes for Rylan, she only did all of that because she was after his money, her mother was in support of her relationship with Rylan. Besides that, Megan always had eyes for anything that belonged to Sophia.

Rylan, on the other hand, was a billionaire who did not care about anyone. He believed that the whole world revolved around him.

Days later, when Rylan heard that Sophia was getting married, he was shocked and furious at the same time. He hated the idea that Sophia had been so quick to move on and not just with anyone, but it happened to be his rival from her college days, James.

James and Rylan were also business rivals. It was like a competition going on between both of them for the best billionaire in the country. He had tried to sabotage James in the past several times, times without number.

Rylan had once even started a scandal in James' company. One that lasted for a long while. It was the same scandal that pushed William Bellevue to rush the marriage arrangements between Sophia and his son.

It was finally the day of their marriage, Sophia and James' marriage. There was a lot of tension in the atmosphere, all eyes were now on the newly wedded couple and it was the talk of the town.

Sophia stepped out of the limousine which carried her to the church for the blessings so that they could be fully joined as husband and wife.

Sophia, the bride, looked stunning in her lace, mermaid-style wedding gown. The gown, which hugged her body and displayed her curves perfectly, showcased her slender figure. She wore a delicate silver necklace with a diamond pendant, a gift from her mother. Her eyes were cast downwards, her lashes fluttering as she fought back the tears from rolling down her cheek. Despite all that she was facing in her heart, Sophia exuded a quiet grace and beauty, making her a perfect bride.

The church was decorated beautifully, with a serene environment for the ceremony as the glass windows reflected different colors of light. The pews were decorated and lined with white flowers, and the altar was fancy with a breathtaking arrangement. As she walked, she could behold the beauty of the church, which made her smile. She managed to smile at the soft music which was being played.

As Sophia walked down the wide aisle, her eyes met with James as he faked a smile at her. Sophia's heart started racing as her palms grew sweaty. She couldn't believe that she was doing this.

James took her hands as they made their way to the altar. The ceremony continued as it was a blur, but Sophia could remember the kiss, the vows and the ring. They were all so real.

Just as they were pronounced husband and wife, a great wind swept through the church, causing the lights to flicker off. In the chaos, Sophia felt a hand on her shoulder, which drew her near, and she assumed that it was James. But as she looked up she saw a pair of piercing blue eyes which she didn't recognize.