LOGINSophia stood outside the sleek building, her heart racing with excitement. She had landed the cleaning job at St Clair Industries, and today was her first day.
As she stepped into the office, she was greeted by the friendly face of Mr Daniel, her new boss. “Welcome, Sophia! We're thrilled to have you on board”.
Sophia beamed with happiness, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over her. “Thank you, sir. I'm excited to get started”.
Mr Daniel led her to her new workstation, where a sleek cart of cleaning supplies awaited her. Sophia's eyes widened as she took in the modern office space, feeling a sense of belonging.
After a brief orientation, Mr Daniel discussed her pay package. “As we discussed earlier, your monthly salary will be $4000”.
Sophia's eyes sparkled with delight. “That's amazing, thank you!” she couldn't wait to share the news with Tina.
As soon as she had a break, Sophia called Tina, barelu containing her excitement, “Tina, guess what? I started my cleaning job today!”.
Tina's voice came through with the line, filled with excitement. “Yaaaas, girl! Congratulations! What's the pay?”
Sophia took a deep breath savoring the moment. “It's $4000 per month”.
Tina's voice rose to a squeal. “Wow, that's massive for a cleaning job! You must be the happiest cleaner in the world!”.
Sophia laughed, feeling happy and kind of relieved. “I know, right? I'm still in shock”.
Next, Sophia called Alex, her boyfriend, to share the news. “Hey, babe! I just started my new cleaning job,and I'm loving so far”.
Alex's warm voice came through the line. “That's amazing, Sophia! I'm so proud of you. What's the pay?”
Sophia grinned, feeling happy and relieved. “It’s $4000 per month”.
Alex whistled. “Wow, that's incredible. You'll be able to save up more for your mother's surgery”.
Sophia beamed with joy, feeling grateful for her supportive ones. “Yes, thanks Alex. I'm really happy, I need to get back to work, bye”.
“Yeah, bye” Alex replied.
………
Mr Daniel smiled warmly and gestured to the group of cleaners gathered in the corner of the office. “Everyone, please welcome Sophia, our newest team member”.
The group turned to face Sophia, their eyes filled with curiosity. One of them, a petite woman with a messy bun, whispered to another, “Wow, she looks so….. beautiful. What's she doing here”.
Another cleaner, a tall, lanky man with scruffy beard, snickered. “Must be a victim of circumstance, huh? Beautiful girl like her,cleaning services?”.
“This is Mariah, your team lead. She'll show you the ropes”.
Mariah, the petite woman with the messy bun, smiled warmly and extended her hand. “Welcome, Sophia. We're glad to have you on board”.
As Sophia started, she couldn't help but notice the whispers and glances from her coworkers. She tried to focus on work, but the gossip continued.
“I heard she worked in a strip club downtown”, one of them whispered.
“No way, I don't think so”, another replied.
With newfound determination, Sophia dove into her work ignoring the gossips, her cleaning cart gliding smoothly across the floor. She was determined to make a good impression, to show them that she was a hard worker, no matter what her circumstances were.
Two months later……
After six months of working in the St Clair Industries, a mysterious incident occured. Julian's prized diamond necklace was stolen. Sophia was revealed to be the last person who cleaned had cleaned his office the previous evening.
As the investigation unfolded, Sophia became the prime suspect. Her coworkers began to whisper among themselves, and the office gossip mill went into overdrive.
Sophia was shocked and devastated by the accusations. She knew she didn't st
eal the necklace, but how can she prove her innocence?.
Sophia barely noticed the way the sun melted into the horizon or how the trees leaned against the fading light. Her mind was too loud — too full of Tina’s voice, Tina’s laughter, Tina’s eyes when she used to dream about the future. Sophia found herself thinking about just the good times with her.She pressed her forehead against the window glass, cold air brushing her skin. How could life turn so fast? Just yesterday, they were both talking about their plans — how Tina would open a beauty shop and name it “Glow by T,” how they’d travel to Italy one day. Sophia could still remember how Tina giggled while trying to pronounce “Ciao” properly. And now she is gone — pregnant and dead.A tear slipped down Sophia’s cheek before she could stop it. She quickly wiped it off, as if hiding her pain from the evening shadows.When the car finally stopped at the gate, she took a long, shaky breath. The house looked calm, too calm. The warm lights glowed from inside, but she didn’t feel comforted. S
The air smelled like rain when Sophia arrived at the small white house at the end of the street. The house hadn’t changed — the same peeling paint, the same narrow porch, the same rose bush by the fence that Tina’s mother always trimmed on Saturday mornings. But now the roses were dry, the petals brown at the edges.Sophia stood there for a long moment before knocking. She didn’t know what she would say. She didn’t even know if she was ready to hear what Mrs. Henderson had to say.The door opened slowly.“Mrs. Henderson?” Sophia said softly.The older woman looked smaller than she remembered. Her shoulders were bent, her gray hair pulled into a bun that had loosened at the sides. There were faint shadows under her eyes, the kind that came from too many nights without sleep.“Sophia,” she said, surprised but not unkind. Her voice was cracked and weary. “You came.”“Yes, ma’am,” Sophia whispered. “I… I heard about Tina.”Mrs. Henderson nodded slowly and stepped aside. “Come in.”The liv
Mrs. Cooper sat on the old porch rail, the wood creaking beneath her. Her wrinkled hands twisted together as if she was trying to squeeze the words out.Sophia stood frozen by the gate, the word dead still echoing in her ears.“Mrs. Cooper…” her voice trembled. “What did you just say?”The older woman sighed, a tired sound that seemed to carry the whole weight of the neighborhood. “It’s true, honey. Tina’s gone. It happened two nights ago.”Sophia’s breath caught. “Two nights ago?” she repeated softly. Her eyes blinked rapidly as if she could shake the truth away. “But that’s impossible. I…”.Mrs. Cooper gave a slow nod. “That’s what made it so sudden for everyone. Folks around here still don’t know what really happened. But the word going around…” She paused, glancing toward the dusty road as if someone might overhear them. “They say Alex had something to do with it.”Sophia’s eyes widened. “Alex?”Mrs. Cooper hesitated before meeting her gaze. “Yeah. People say he was the last perso
Sophia stood by the window, staring at the fading city skyline. Morning light had spilled through the curtains, soft but empty. Something inside her had been calling all night—a pull she couldn’t resist. And now, she knew what it was.She needed to go home.Not the house she shared with Julian. Not the mansion that reeked of St. Clair prestige and silence.Home—where her mother, Margaret, once lived.Where her childhood memories still breathed in the walls.Sophia slipped into a simple cream dress, tied her hair loosely, and drove herself. The road was quiet, lined with jacaranda trees shedding faint purple petals. The scent of dust and distant rain filled the air. With every mile, her chest grew tighter, her heartbeat louder.By the time she reached the small gate of her mother’s old house, her hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel. The building still stood—paint fading, flowers wilted—but it was home.She stepped out slowly, her heels crunching against the gravel. The house
The house felt too quiet that evening. The twins were asleep, their soft breathing echoing faintly through the baby monitor. The hum of the refrigerator, the ticking of the wall clock—every sound seemed louder than usual, pressing into Sophia’s chest.She sat by the window, hugging her knees, watching the night lights flicker across the city. Julian had gone to take a late call, his voice calm but distant as always. She didn’t know when things had started to feel this heavy—maybe since the message from Brooks Industries, or maybe even before that, when everything began to fall apart piece by piece.Her thoughts wandered back to the first time she met Julian—the contract, the reasons, the promises. It was supposed to be business. A way for both of them to get what they wanted. But now, it didn’t feel that way anymore. Somewhere between pretending and protecting, she’d fallen for him.And now, she couldn’t stop thinking that maybe she was ruining everything.The phone buzzed on the tabl
Sophia’s body went still as the elevator doors slid open with a soft ding.Out stepped a woman—tall, poised, dressed in a fitted black suit that screamed quiet authority. Her hair was neatly pulled back into a bun, and her heels clicked sharply against the marble floor as she walked. There was something commanding about her presence, the kind of confidence that didn’t need to be spoken.“Miss Brooks?” the woman said, her voice smooth but assessing.Sophia stood automatically. “Yes.”“I’m Mrs. Hale. I handle external affairs here at D Brooks Industries. I was told you came in to make an inquiry.”Sophia nodded, her fingers brushing nervously against her purse strap. “Yes, I just— I wanted to know who runs this company. I’ve seen the name ‘Brooks’ and… it’s my surname too.”Mrs. Hale’s gaze didn’t waver. “And you’re wondering if there’s a connection?”“Yes,” Sophia admitted softly.For a moment, Mrs. Hale said nothing. Then she gave a thin, polite smile. “That’s understandable. But I’m







