Chapter 6: Happy Birthday
1229 Words
The room descended into an oppressive silence.
Helen Bennett’s face morphed through a range of emotions—shock, discomfort, then outright fury. Her body seemed to vibrate with rage as her voice finally erupted.
“Sophia! Do you even understand what you’re saying? You’re pregnant—with his child? He’s a cab driver!”
Rex Carlson, who had already endured enough of Helen’s tirades for a lifetime, crossed his arms and shot back, “And what’s so wrong with being a cab driver? " Did I rob a bank or burn down your mansion?”
Helen’s anger flared hotter, and she surged forward, shoving Rex with all her strength. “Get out of my house!”
Sophia immediately stepped between them, arms spread wide like a shield. “Mom, stop! I’m not marrying Ethan Hansen. Give me time—I’ll find a way to save our family without selling myself off!”
Helen’s hand lashed out, the slap cracking through the air like a whip. Sophia’s cheek reddened instantly, her head snapping to the side from the force.
“You shameless girl!” Helen spat, her chest heaving.
Tears welled up in Sophia’s eyes, but she held her ground. “Shameless? What’s shameless is marrying me off to a man whose scandals fill the tabloids. Is that your idea of dignity?”
Helen’s face twisted in rage, her hand rising again to strike.
But this time, it never landed. Rex’s firm grip caught her wrist mid-air. His voice was calm but carried a dangerous undertone. “That’s enough.”
Helen recoiled as though his touch burned her. “How dare you lay a finger on me, you filthy cab driver!”
Without missing a beat, Rex wiped his hand theatrically on his pants and smirked. “Don’t worry, I’ll disinfect later.”
Before Helen could retort, Ethan Hansen, who had been silently seething, finally exploded. His face twisted in an ugly sneer. “Sophia, I thought you had some class. But now I see—you’re nothing but a cheap little—”
“That’s enough,” Sophia snapped, her voice like ice. “Coming from you? Let’s not pretend you have any room to talk about class.”
Ethan’s face turned crimson with anger. “You think you can talk to me like that after leaving this—this nobody touch you?”
Sophia’s glare could have cut steel. “And you think you’re entitled to my respect?”
Ethan’s response was pure rage. He grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it at the wall, shattering it into a thousand glittering shards.
Rex stepped forward, his voice quiet but menacing. “Sophia is carrying my child. That makes her my responsibility. If you touch her again, you’ll regret it.”
Ethan’s eyes flashed with fury. “Your responsibility? She’s mine to deal with!”
Before anyone could react, Rex’s fist collided with Ethan’s face, sending him stumbling backward. Helen screamed as Sophia gasped in shock.
“You’re dead!” Ethan yelled, lunging for a glass ashtray on the table, but Rex dodged effortlessly and planted a solid kick to Ethan’s stomach.
The blow sent Ethan skidding across the polished floor, gasping for air. Rex advanced, his expression cold and unrelenting.
“Stop!” Sophia grabbed Rex’s arm, her voice trembling. “Don’t—don’t hurt him anymore. Please.”
Ethan scrambled to his feet, blood dripping from his nose. “You’ll regret this, you—”
Rex picked up a decorative paperweight and lobbed it with precision. The heavy object struck Ethan squarely on the forehead, leaving him clutching his head in pain.
“Get out,” Rex growled. “Now.”
Humiliated, Ethan stumbled toward the door and fled without another word.
The Bennett Family Arrives
Helen’s face was a mask of fury as she hissed, “Your father and grandfather will be here any minute. Let’s see how you explain yourself then!”
Sophia’s shoulders sagged, her defiance momentarily replaced by exhaustion. The woman who was supposed to protect her was the one throwing her to the wolves.
Moments later, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hall. The rest of the Bennett family stormed into the room like a pack of wolves on the hunt.
At the front was Sophia’s grandfather, a stern, white-haired man who radiated authority. His sharp gaze landed on Rex immediately. “So, you’re the cab driver,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’re the man who ruined my granddaughter?”
Sophia stepped forward, her head held high. “Yes. He’s the father of my child.”
Her grandfather’s cane slammed against the floor in rage. “You’ve disgraced this family! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
The room erupted into chaos.
“She’s destroyed everything!” her father bellowed.
“What about the Hansen deal?” one uncle shouted. “It’s ruined now!”
“Abort the child immediately,” her grandfather commanded.
Her aunt sneered. “It won’t matter. Ethan wanted a virgin. She’s already worthless to him.”
Helen jumped in eagerly. “We’ll fix it. A little surgery, a good lie, and we can still salvage this. She’ll apologize to Ethan, and he’ll forgive her once they—”
“Enough!” Sophia’s voice broke through the noise, but her strength faltered. The weight of their words bore down on her, and the room spun.
Her knees buckled, and everything went black.
A Quiet Sanctuary
When Sophia opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was an unfamiliar ceiling. Panic gripped her as she bolted upright, checking her clothes. Everything was still in place.
She was in a simple, clean room with sparse furniture. A faint aroma of cooking wafted through the air, grounding her scattered thoughts.
She followed the scent to a small kitchen, where Rex stood at the stove. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he stirred a pot, the steam curling around his face.
Seeing her, Rex quickly stubbed out the cigarette. “You’re awake. Sit down.”
She hesitated but complied, her legs still shaky. Rex brought over a steaming bowl of noodles and placed it in front of her.
“What’s this?” she asked, her voice hoarse.
“Long life noodles,” Rex replied, pulling off an apron. “You could use the luck.”
Sophia raised an eyebrow. “You think a bowl of noodles will fix my life?”
Rex grinned. “No, but they taste good. That’s a start.”
As she ate, the tension in her shoulders eased. The noodles were surprisingly delicious.
“You’re full of surprises,” she muttered.
“I get that a lot,” Rex said, disappearing toward the door. When he returned, he was holding a small, hastily decorated cake.
Sophia stared, her eyes widening.
“Happy birthday,” Rex said simply, placing the cake in front of her.
For a moment, she could only stare. After everything that had happened, after all the betrayal and cruelty, this small gesture felt like an anchor in a storm.
“Thank you,” she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Rex shrugged, grabbing a fork. “Don’t cry yet. I’m not great at baking. It might taste awful.”
For the first time in days, Sophia laughed. It was small and fleeting, but it was real.
- Writer
