Billionaire Contract Girlfriend

Chapter 2

The Sophia’s World II

Sophia’s POV

I had different thoughts as I walked home that day. The strongest of them all wasn’t the debt I had to repay and that in itself was strange. What I was most worried about was the strange customer I served earlier. I thought we had built a connection but he only ate and left without a word. I put in my all and I had expected a compliment after eating. However, he just left like that.

I shook my head. I shouldn’t expect so much from strangers. After all, all I did was my job. I was right at the front door now and I sighed, knowing well that I was up for a stressful evening. I entered, a fake smile on my face.

I could see Celine knitting some stuff again. That was all she knew how to do. Celine was both my stepmother and aunt. Yes, I know our family tree is quite messed up. After the death of my mother when I was four, my dad married my mother’s younger sister. They worked out fine for a few years but my dad lost his job and got depressed. Afterwards, he drowned himself in gambling and drinking, a habit that left more debts to be repaid and made me the breadwinner. I was responsible for my younger sister, Jemima, who was only twenty-two. She had a fragile heart. My mother died during her delivery so even though I was only four years older, I had to step up when Celine or my father wouldn’t. It was no surprise that I didn’t go to college and chose to work instead so I could send Jemima to college instead.

“Sophia! You’re finally here,” Jemima ran to me, holding my hand.

“What’s up?” I asked as I walked over. Celine hated being disturbed whenever she was knitting so I didn’t bother to bore her with my greeting.

“I have this project papers to submit but I’m a few days behind schedule,” Jemima narrated. I could tell what she was going to say.

“Then you should be working on it now instead of talking to me,” I acted as if I had no idea of what was happening.

“I need your help,” She cried loudly.

“Shut up!” Celine shouted angrily. She had turned now with her mean-looking eyes digging into our souls.

“Sorry, CeeCee,” Jemima muttered. However, this only infuriated Celine more. She dropped her knitting pin and walked towards us.

“Am I your pen pal? CeeCee, huh,” Celina said angrily.

“I’m sorry, stepmom. I just wanted to be…” Jemima was saying.

“If you are sorry, that’s it. Stop making cheap excuses, kid!” Celina retorted before turning to me. “Sophia! You got home late but it appears as if you’re waiting to be instructed before you enter the kitchen and make something for us. Just in case you haven’t noticed, I am starving!”

Taking a step back, I muttered, “You’ve been home all day. You should have cooked if you were hungry.”

I found out I made the right decision by taking a step back because I had barely finished that statement of mine when Celine tried slapping me. Her hands couldn’t reach me at once so she moved even closer. I ran further away from her.

“Come here, b***h!” She shouted. “How dare you speak to me in that manner. You are just as mannerless as your dead mother.”

“Stop it!” I exclaimed, unable to take insults regarding my dead mother.

“What will you do if I don’t stop?” She asked, literally daring me. “Your deadbeat, useless father was only able to produce disappointments. Now keep your mouth shut and enter that kitchen else I’ll chase you out of this house.”

“Sophia is the reason this house hasn’t been taken by loan sharks!” Jemima shouted, defending me.

“What did you just say?” Celine turned towards her angrily.

“You heard me right. Stop acting as if you sustain this household when all you do is knit all day. It’s not as if you knit to sell and make money. You just waste money and time creating pieces of s**t that will never be useful to anyone and everyone!” Jemima retorted. I ran to her immediately, urging her to stop. The shock on Celine’s face was unforgettable.

“Sophia taught you to do this, didn’t she?” Celine was crying. “I am sure she taught you to disrespect me!”

“Stop crying! You make me feel bad when I shouldn’t,” Jemima told her firmly. I wonder why Celine was still holding back. If I had said quarter of what Jemima had just said, Celine would have been brandishing a weapon, hoping to smash my skull.

“You should feel guilty, ungrateful kid. I raised you by myself when your mother died. You sucked my breasts for milk, I tended to you, I changed your s**t-soaked diapers, you should be grateful…” Celine started her cheap blackmail. Maybe it wasn’t so cheap though.

“That’s not all you did,” Jemima replied. “You also started f*****g my dad.”

That was it. I pushed Jemima into her room instantly before world war three would begin in this small house of hers.

“What has gotten into you?” I asked breathlessly. This was the first time Jemima would act this way.

“She needs to be told the truth,” Jemima told me. “She keeps on maltreating you and you take it from her. You’d better put her in her place. She still chases you around, threatening to hit you when you are already twenty-six years old.”

“Enough!” I said firmly.

“I’m just watching out for you, sister. I don’t like…” Jemima continued to say.

“Shut the f**k up!” I shouted. That hit home. Jemima stopped talking now. I took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. “I doubt you’ll be able to concentrate tonight. You should leave that project of yours and sleep tight.”

“You too,” She replied.

“And tomorrow…” I gazed at her. “Apologize to Celine.”

“Why should I?” Jemima was annoyed.

“Because I say so.”