5. STRIPPED OF DIGNITY

SOPHIA

I took a step back from Lucas, my legs trembling as water dripped down my soaked clothes. I couldn’t stand him or the questions spinning in my head about why he was here. Shaking, I turned and made my way toward the house, desperate to get away from him.

The air inside was thick, suffocating, as I heard Victor’s voice echo from the living room. I hesitated by the doorway, my heart pounding.

"Why didn’t you just marry me to Isabella?" Victor’s voice was sharp, angry. "You knew she was the one I loved."

My breath caught in my throat. I peeked around the corner to see Evelyn standing before him, her face tense. Isabella stood nearby, tears streaming down her face as she clung to the edge of her dress like a victim in a tragic play.

“Please don’t blame your mother,” Isabella said, her voice trembling with carefully placed emotion. “I was very sick at the time, and had to leave the country for surgery. But when I came back... I found out my sister had married you.”

Victor’s brows furrowed. “Sister? Since when do you have a sister?”

Isabella sniffled dramatically, her hand brushing her tears. “Sophia isn’t just some girl my father brought into the house. She’s my half-sister. My father took her in when her mother passed away. We treated her like family, but she betrayed us.”

I gripped the doorframe, anger bubbling in my chest. Her words painted a twisted version of my life....a life where I was welcomed and loved. Lies, all of it.

“She convinced my father to let her marry you while I was out of the country,” Isabella continued, her voice breaking. “I was devastated, Victor. But I kept quiet. I stayed by your side, taking care of you because she refused to do her duty as your wife.”

“That is a lie!” I yelled, unable to stay silent any longer. I stepped into the room, my wet clothes clinging to me like a second skin.

Victor’s gaze snapped to me. His face twisted in confusion and concern. “What happened to you?” he asked.

“Someone pushed me into the pool,” I said, my voice trembling with accusation as I stared directly at Isabella. “Someone who knew I can’t swim.”

She scoffed, crossing her arms. “Are you suggesting I tried to kill you? If that’s the case, why are you still alive?”

Before I could answer, another voice rang out, smooth and confident. “Because I saved her.”

All eyes turned to Lucas as he stepped into the room, his wet clothes leaving a trail of water behind him.

“Lucas!” Evelyn exclaimed, rushing to his side. “You’re back! But why are you drenched?”

Lucas’s gaze flicked briefly to me before settling on his mother. “I hurried back when I heard Victor woke up. On my way to the house, I saw someone drowning in the pool. I jumped in and pulled her out. It wasn’t until I got her to safety that I realized it was Victor’s wife.”

Victor’s expression darkened as he turned to me. “So you’re saying Isabella pushed you?”

“I didn’t see who pushed me,” I admitted. “But Isabella is the only one who knows I can’t swim. She has a motive, Victor. She wants you for herself and has been lying about being sick and absent during our marriage.”

Victor’s gaze shifted between us, his jaw tightening. “Then what’s the truth?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but Evelyn’s sharp voice cut me off. “Shut the hell up,” she snapped. Her glare was icy, filled with disdain. “You are nothing compared to Isabella. If I hadn’t caught you trying to seduce Lucas, I might have believed your lies.”

Victor’s head snapped toward his mother. “She did what?”

“I did no such thing!” I cried, my voice breaking.

Evelyn stepped forward, her voice rising. “Don’t lie! I caught you red-handed. It was the first day you came into this house as Victor’s wife, and you couldn’t even wait. Lucas only went to check on Victor, and you pounced on him, shamelessly throwing yourself at him. Did you think I would ever forget that?”

I shook my head, tears pooling in my eyes. “That’s not true.”

“I had to send Lucas away,” Evelyn continued coldly. “It was the only way to protect him from your claws.”

Isabella’s laugh cut through the tension, cruel and mocking. “Why am I not surprised? She’s been like this her entire life. Raised in the countryside, just like her mother..... who was nothing but a promiscuous teenager. My father told me all about it. Her mother slept with anyone who would have her, and Sophia’s no different. She’s just following in her mother’s footsteps.”

The room seemed to tilt. My chest heaved, rage bubbling to the surface. Before I could stop myself, my hand shot out, slapping Isabella hard across the face. The sound echoed through the room.

“Don’t you dare disrespect my mother!” I screamed, my voice shaking with fury.

Isabella stumbled back, clutching her cheek. But before I could take another breath, Victor’s hand grabbed my arm and spun me around. His eyes blazed with fury as he raised his hand.

“How dare you?” he snarled as his palm connected with my cheek. The force of the slap sent me to the ground, my head ringing. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, and tears blurred my vision.

I looked up at him, my heart breaking all over again. The man I had devoted myself to for three years had struck me. The man I had cared for, prayed for, loved.....he had become the very source of my pain.

“I feel disgusted,” he spat, his words cutting deeper than the slap. “I am disgusted that a piece of trash like you was ever allowed to bear my name.”

The room spun as his words sank in. I wanted to scream, to fight back, but my body wouldn’t move. All I could do was stare at him, tears streaming down my face.

“Daniel!” he barked at the butler, who appeared instantly. “Call my lawyer. Have him prepare the divorce papers. I want this... thing gone from my sight as soon as possible.”