•Chapter 3• Fooled

I woke up to sun rays streaming in through the glass window. I stretched my arms above my head. Ugh! I needed Martha's Coffee.

I freshened up and wore a blue floral sundress and skipped down the stairs.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" An annoying high-pitched voice fell on my ears.

"Good morning to you too, Nancy," I said, rolling my eyes.

"It's her house, Nancy. She is Hannah Clarke and last I checked it's her name on the deed of this house" my dad's voice rang throughout the room making Nancy tremble with fear.

"Good morning, Hannah"

"Good morning, dad" I smiled

"I wanted to have breakfast with you but I had to be at the office." He told me.

"It's okay"

"I might call you to the office later," he said and walked out of the living room without giving me the chance to answer him.

"Now who's going to protect you, bitch," my lovely stepmother said to me.

"I am a big girl now, Eva. I don't need anyone to protect me" I said.

It was useless to have a conversation with Eva and Nancy, they were immature and just plain evil.

I decided to go down to the coffee shop to have breakfast, the one I used to go to with... Him. I entered the coffee shop and the familiar scent of coffee beans and cupcakes filled my nostrils.

"Can I have a latte with strawberry cream cheese croissant, please"

"Your name?" the man behind the counter asked

"Hannah Clarke," I said and he looked up wide-eyed.

"Hannah Clarke? Mayor Clarke's daughter?" He asked

"Yes?"

"I am Todd, Todd Hemingway"

"Oh my God, Todd. How are you?"

"Well, as you can see. I own this little cafe now, so I've been good" he smiled goofily.

"No way!"

"But you are now some hotshot designer, I heard," he said

"You are looking at the Co-founder of C&W."

"That is so cool"

We sat there in the cafe and talked for hours. He told me about everything that has happened since I left and I told him all about my life. We laughed at our awful childhood memories. We used to be neighbors and he was the first guy I became friends with at school. My phone rang breaking our conversation.

"Dad?" I answered

"Where are you?" He asked agitated, his voice cold and distant

"I am at the Hemingway's café"

"I'll send a car for you. Meet me at my office"

"But---" He hung up on me.

"Everything okay?" Todd asked

"Yeah, my dad wants me at his office like now"

"Oh, I could drop you"

"No, I'll call dad's driver"

A few minutes later, we were still talking when a deep voice interrupted our conversation.

"Miss Clarke?" A man dressed in a black suit appeared before me.

"Yes"

"Your father has sent me to fetch you, follow me please," he said professionally.

"Bye, Todd"

"Bye, Hannah, call me"

"Sure!"

I followed the guard to the black limo parked outside. When did dad buy that? He opened the door for me and I slid in. The whole car ride was quite boring I kept texting with Luke as he was going crazy without me. I laughed at his exaggeration.

The car came to a halt and the door opened, I stepped out and then I noticed the inscription on the car's number plate as it drove away.

HARDING

I sucked in a sharp breath. I felt as though something has walked through me and left me numb shaking.

"Shit!" I whispered to myself.

"Miss Clarke, please follow me" a woman neatly dressed in a pencil skirt and white buttoned-up shirt approached me.

I nodded and followed her mindlessly, the name 'Harding' kept playing in my mind over and over again. We stopped outside a large wooden door.

"Your father is waiting for you inside," She said and left me there. I entered and saw my father sitting behind his desk working on his laptop.

"Dad"

 

I was suddenly getting nervous. My father had this powerful aura surrounding him that would make anyone nervous. 

"You are here. Sit down, Hannah" I sat opposite to him and raised my brows in question.

"Look it's going to be a lot to digest but you are a big girl you can handle it," he said

"Now, I am scared" I laughed a little.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Which one do you choose?" He asked as he leaned back in his seat.

"Do what?"

"Answer my question, Hannah"

"Easy way?" I said unsure as to what he was trying to ask.

"I want you to do something for me"

"Okay..."

"I want you to marry someone"

"Is this a joke?"

"When was I ever the one to joke around, Hannah?" He said in all seriousness.

A deep line appeared between my brows as I felt confused and somewhat angry. "What does it mean? Marry someone?"

"I want you to sign this" he slid a file towards me and as I was about to open it, he slammed his hand over it. "It's a marriage contract"

"I won't sign it"

"Yes, you will."

"Let me read it"

He sighed and took off his hand. I opened the file and found the pages blank with only a signature box. I was already confused before but now words couldn't describe how muddled I felt. I was never going to sign it but still wanted to know what he wanted.

"It's... Blank"

"I want you to sign it"

My eyes widened in disbelief. "I'm not going to sign anything!"

"Hard way it is then?"

"Huh?"

He stood up and walked around his desk. I flinched away from him but held my arm in his vice-like grip. He pulled me up and dragged me towards the door in the corner of his office.

"Dad, what are you doing?!" I shrieked as fear consumed me.

 

He put his hand onto the scanner and the door opened to reveal some kind of surveillance room.

"What is this?" I questioned the second we entered.

The door locked behind us. A feeling of dread crept up from the pit of my stomach.

"Dad, what are you doing?!" I asked, as my eyes began to tear up.

 

I looked around confused and afraid. Dad typed something on the keyboards before him and all the screens turned on. The first screen turned on and I could see Luke in his office. The next turned on and it was Scarlett's apartment; she was lounging in her living room without a care in the world. The third screen turned on and it was John's office.

"What?" A whisper slipped my lips.

"Since you won't sign---"

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! Did you bug their offices?"

"Not only bugged them but they're at my mercy twenty-four/seven."

"What does all this even mean, dad? Why are you doing this?! What the hell is happening?!"

He handed me the blank contract and ordered. "Sign!"

"No, what is wrong with you?!"

"Then I have no choice but to kill them"

"You wouldn't!"

"Don't underestimate me, little girl"

I looked at the man before me with nothing but hurt and disbelief.

"I'm not gonna sign a stupid marriage contract. I want to go back to New York. I should have never come back here!"

"Oh, Hannie bear" he chuckled. "You know, your friend Scarlett looks like she needs some company. Or you can choose, which one of them looks more lonely to you? I can send them some company"

I shook my head, unable to accept whatever he was doing. "You wouldn't..."

"That's where you are wrong, Hannah. Sign the contract before you lose one of them" he threatened in a calm yet bitter way.

"Dad, please, dad, please stop" I pleaded

He stared at me for a second then averted his gaze. "Just sign the contract, don't make this difficult for yourself, Hannah"

"I don't want to..." I said in a scared and broken voice.

Dad pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number. He waited and put it on the speaker.

"Sir, I'm right outside Scarlett Anderson's apartment. We're ready for your order"

"Make it look like a robbery and shoot her---"

"NO!" I screamed as tears rained down my face. "Please, dad please, no, please" I begged

"Sign the contract, Hannah"

I took the file from him, my hands were trembling terribly. I looked at dad one last time, I pleaded with my eyes that I didn't want to do it.

"Ring the doorbell" he ordered through his phone.

My eyes went as wide as they physically could. I could see Scarlett getting up from her couch and walking towards the door.

I immediately opened the file and signed wherever it needed to be signed. I don't know what will happen or what did I just do but Scarlett's life was way more important to me than anything else.

"I signed it!" I looked towards the screen and found Scarlet talking to my dad's men. "I SAID I FUCKING SIGNED IT!"

"Call it off," Dad said to his men as a satisfying smirk graced his face.

The next second, Scarlet closed the door and shrugged before going back to her living room.

Dad walked past me and unlocked the door again. He walked out but I just stood in there, watching Luke,  John, and Scarlett, thinking how close she was to her death and it was all because of me. I would have never forgiven myself if my father had done something to them.

"You can come out now" I heard dad say from behind me.

I clenched my jaw as I turned to face him. "Leave. Them. Alone."

He smiled. "No, I think I'm gonna keep them at my mercy for a while just to make sure you behave"

I strode past him back into his office. Dad followed me and locked the door again.

He turned and walked back to his desk. "I have confiscated your passport and ID. You are in a contract with me for two years. You can't leave and if you still tried. Well, you know what will happen, don't you? If you try to leave, Hannah, I won't leave anything for you to get back to. No C&W, no Luke Walker, no life at all"

"Why are you doing this?" I cried

"Well, as you are my only legitimate heir, I had to do something about it," he said and sat back in his seat.

"Is that what it's about?! Your money?!"

"It's about my legacy!" He snapped

"I never asked for your legacy, I have never asked you for anything" I yelled frustratedly.

Tears were streaming down my face uncontrollably. He was the one who kept hoarding my bank accounts. I have told him thousands of times that I don't need his money but he didn't listen.

"I did you a favor. You call that playing “dress-up dolls” your life? It's pathetic really. I can't believe you are my blood"

"Dad, please stop whatever you are doing please I beg you. If you ever loved me then please don't do this to me" I cried helplessly

"You will be honored here, you will live with respect. It's just for two years, after that you can leave, I don't care" He shrugged nonchalantly.

"To whom am I getting married?" I asked

"You'll be glad to hear his name" he smiled

I scoffed and shook my head at his ignorance. "Who is it?"

"Sebastian Harding," he announced and I died inside, standing there, at that very spot.

"No..."

I wept into my hands. This can't be happening to me. My sobbed echoed in his office, my shoulder shaking vigorously with each whimper. Someone rubbed my back and I looked up to find my father beside me.

"I am not the villain here, your mother also wanted this for you"

"No, please don't use her, please"

"You think she only left you letters? She left me one too" he said and pulled out a crumpled paper from his pocket. He handed it to me and I took it with shaking hands.

________

Hey, Suits!

When you will read this, I'll be gone. Far away from you and Hannah.

I'm sorry for what I did but I can't do this anymore. I can't keep doing this and I can't keep living my life pretending that everything is fine. I just can't. I'm tired, Mason.

I know whatever we had between us is long forgotten and gone. I know you don't love me anymore but I will always love you. I love you and only you till my last breath. You and Hannah are my whole life.

 

Hannah, our baby girl.

Please take good care of our daughter, she is a symbol of our love.

I hope my daughter can live a happy life unlike me. I know whatever you will do for her will be in her best interest. Even though you don't love me anymore but I know you love our daughter.

Take care of her please, Mason.

I know I couldn't give you a son, the son you have always wanted but I can relieve you from my unnecessary presence. So, you can marry another woman and bear a son with her.

My only wish is for my daughter to live a happy and healthy life. She will never be happy if my worthless shadow is above her. I will only drag her down with me.

I am killing myself for her, so she wouldn't have to see me destroying myself with each passing day. I see the fear in her eyes when she sees my anorexic face. She is scared of me, my own daughter is scared of me. I need to get rid of myself for her sake. She has so much to live for but with me, she will be stuck here. So, I am leaving you and her to live your best life.

Please, Mason, take care of her. Don't ever leave Hannah alone.

Goodbye, Suits, I actually meant it when I said till death do us part, I love you.

Yours forever,

Sophia.

 

________

A great tremor overtook me. Tears raced down my cheeks. I placed the letter against my chest as I sobbed hysterically.

"She died for you, Hannah. She knew I'll only do what was best for you. The least you can do for her is listen to me" he said in my ear and gut-wrenching sobs tore through my chest.