Bound By Contract

Episode 2

"Rylan, you don't mean what you are saying; how could you say such a thing to me? No. Tell me that I am dreaming" Sophia said as she started crying when Rylan cut the call. Maya rushed as she held her from falling and started patting her back.

"Sophia, stop crying, what happened? Tell me, is there anything wrong? Could you just stop crying for a moment," she said. Maya, being someone who couldn't see her friend crying, her eyes turned cloudy as she was worried about what had happened.

Minutes turned to hours, and Sophia had not said anything and had not taken anything as she lost her appetite for everything that Maya had brought for her.

"Girl, you can't continue like this; you can still have something, be stronger and show him that you can still live without him in your life," Maya said as she sat near her on her bed, her hands on her shoulders. Immediately, Sophia's phone rang. She looked at her phone and it was her stepsister that was calling.

Sophia was reluctant about answering the call. It was very rare for her stepsister, Megan, to call her. They were never on good terms, so Sophia found it hard to believe that it was her stepsister calling.

She reluctantly picked up her phone and pressed it close to her ears while her and Maya shared confused looks.

"Hello?" Sophia's voice was low, barely above a whisper. Her voice was also rough from too much crying. Megan could sense it but she cared less about Sophia's feelings.

"Dad wants to see you at the family house today," Megan said.

Without waiting for Sophia's response. She hung up the call.

Sophia and Maya gazed at each other in confusion. It was rare for her father to call her over to the family house.

"You should go." Maya nodded her head slowly.

Sophia sighed and nodded her head in agreement.

She packed her bag because she was going to sleep over at their family house. She could not shake the feeling of seeing her wicked stepmom and Dad after a long period of being far from them. Seeing them just changed her mood as she drove for 5 miles before she reached their house.

The family house, which was an ancient building that was passed from generation to generation, still looked new after the renovation that her Dad had done to it.

As she walked inside the house, she was welcomed by their house help, whom she had missed for a long time. As she entered the living room, she thought she was going to meet her stepmom, who by this time should be done with her work, but she was surprised to hear that she was not back from work by this time of the day.

She packed her bags for her room. After taking her night bath, she made it a rule for herself to always take her bath twice a day before she sleeps. She went out to greet her Dad and stepmother waiting for her at the dining table for their dinner.

"Look at you, girl, you have grown twice your size just within a year. Come and hug Dad", Ethan

teased her.

"Oh, stop it, Dad. This is my size," she said as she hugged Ethan and Emily. "So what are we having for dinner? I have been starving since I arrived," Sophia said, as her eyes locked on her favorite meal.

As she stood, she was hit by the savory aroma of her favorite dish, chicken Parmesan with pasta. Her eyes widened, and her face wore a smile on seeing the perfectly breaded and fried chicken topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. She could spot the hot steaming pot of spaghetti; she had missed those dishes for so long.

"The maid made my favorite meal," Sophia said, her face beaming with happiness.

"How have you been?" Sophia's stepmother asked. She pretended to be interested in Sophia when deep down she was angry at just the sight of Sophia.

Ethan laughed as Sophia took her seat waiting for her first bite. As she took a bite of the crispy chicken and pasta, she closed her eyes in bliss, moving her mouth, the same with her head as she enjoyed the meal.

"So how has business been?" Sophia asked.

"Work is fine," Ethan said as they sat in the living room, embracing the quietness of the night.

"Megan said you guys needed to discuss something with me, so I am here now. Can we discuss it, since you said it is about me," Sophia said as she sat opposite her father, her eyes locked in gaze on her father.

Sophia was confused as to how her stepmom and her Dad looked at each other. "Yes." Ethan's face turned into a serious one.

He adjusted his posture on the chair as he stared at Sophia. She immediately knew he was about to talk about business. Her father showered her with so much attention, but when it came to money and business, he was strict.

Sophia cast a glance at Megan, who had been quiet since they started eating. She was obviously upset by something.

"Come on dad. What is it?" Sophia's voice broke the awkward silence.