Chapter 4

Sophia's POV

I looked at the doctor, then at the man who had just called himself my father and I laughed very hard. This must have been a joke but only that none of them had a smile. Their faces were both serious and I thought again within me, maybe we were now on a movie role so I decided to ask.

“Where's the camera?”

Both the doctor and Mr. Lance looked at each other. They were not understanding where I was heading to. It was my turn to enjoy the look of confusion on their faces since they all decided to turn this into a movie.

Mr. Lance cleared his throat, “Uhm, what camera are you talking about Sophie?”

“Sophia,” I interject him sharply. “The name is Sophia and not Sophie. And since you have both decided to make this a movie, I'm yet to see a camera.”

“Mr. Lance, I would need to take my leave now,” the doctor turned to leave but I stopped him.

“You can't leave yet, at least we haven't finished the movie you started,” I said and he stopped on his tracks, his eyes twitching in confusion. “Anyway what's my role in this blockbuster we are acting.”

“Sophia,” Mr. Lance called out slowly. “Why do you take this as some joke? Why…”

I couldn't take it anymore so I cut in, “No! You are the one who took my situation as a joke in the first place. First, you waltzed in here claiming to be my saviour, then next you claimed to be my father.” I paused to catch my breath, “tell me how delusional can you be? You think I don't recognize my own father? Or that I lost my brain alongside the baby?”

The doctor had a shocked look on his face after my outburst. Obviously, he might think I was a little harsh or rude with the way I just chastised Mr. Lance but in all honesty, I don't care — even if he was the country's richest man. He had it coming when he kept uttering nonsense like someone that just got out of asylum.

“I know it's hard to believe,” he began, choosing his words slowly. “I didn't believe it either, but first I saw this,” he moved closer pointing to a mark in my forearm, “then finally this, it proved indeed all I said is true.”

He completed his statement by handing me a piece of paper. I hesitated for a moment but he urged me to collect the piece of paper.

“What am I to do with this?”

“It confirms everything that seems to confuse you,” he explains, “you can also see I have this in my arm.”

I didn't notice he had off the top of his suit until he called my attention. He was having the same mark I was having on my right arm.

“It's a tradition in our family to give a new child this mark, right after birth.”

“And this can't be a mere coincidence?” I asked but he shook his head.

“No, I've thought of that. That was why I asked the doctor for a DNA test. The result is what you are holding in your hand.”

My eyes skimmed through the piece of paper in my hands. There was mostly medical jargon that seemed to make no sense to me. But there were also a few words that I understood. Only that I'm still confused and everything still doesn't make sense to me.

“For all I know, this could have been made up,” I countered.

“And what do I stand to gain if I made that up? Don't you think about that?” He asked me then nodded at the doctor. I had suddenly forgotten he was still in the room with us. “Dr. Philips here can get another test done. But if you want a totally new hospital, then that can also be arranged.”

I looked into his eyes and all I saw was sincerity. Even when I tried to come up with thoughts to refute his claim, most of them looked unreasonable. A lot of questions were ringing in my head that I had no answers to. He had no reason to lie. What does he even stand to gain by lying that someone like me would be his daughter? That would totally make no sense, would it?

I sighed loudly as I found myself believing him. But a new anger had suddenly welled up in me. And with that, I looked up straight at him.

“So you abandoned me all these years, and now you suddenly feel it's time to come claim me, huh? Tell me, am I some kind of a property?”

He flinched as he looked everywhere but me. Dr. Philip wasn't in the room with us anymore. He must have stepped out while I was deep in thoughts.

“I didn't abandon you,” his voice was croaky as he faced me. Had he been crying? “Never will I abandon my own child.”

“I was away on a business trip when I got the news,” he paused, trying to stifle his emotion, then continued. “You were both involved in an accident when she was coming back home from a medical checkup. The car had almost burned beyond recognition. Only…”

“Wait! I don't get it, was I not in the car?”

“No, only your mother and the driver were in the car.” He said and handed me a picture. “Her name is Fiona and you are the exact replica of her.”

Looking at the picture in my hand confirmed what he just said. I was indeed a carbon copy of the woman in the picture. A tear dropped from my eye as I imagined what it would have been like to meet her.

“It was an attack.”

“What?” I asked, not understanding what he just said.

“The accident, it was a planned attack.” He said and I watched his fist tighten.

I could see the fury in his eyes as he fought the urge to keep the tears from falling. I could imagine the pain he went through reliving those memories. I shared the same pain with him, afterall, the woman in question was my mother.

We both fell into silence but the shrill sound of my phone brought me out of my thoughts. I looked at the phone to know who was calling and a sudden anger surged within me.

Why was this jerk calling me?