Chapter 1: A Night Away

“Are you going out again?” Sophia asked Caden who was about to head out. It was already ten and she didn't know where he was exactly going, but this has been going around for numerous times that she can't even begin to count.

Three years have passed. After their marriage, and life for Sophia wasn’t easy.

They don't fight or anything, but that's also because they never really functioned like a married couple.

If they do, it's only when they have family gatherings or when they are together in public.

They live in a huge mansion, and unlike Sophia who mostly spends her time working at home writing her books, Caden on the other hand was already working in the company that their family owns, so he doesn’t really have enough time to spend his days at home.

And at night, he would usually leave and come back the day after. It was a continuous cycle, they even slept in separate rooms, since he made it very clear to her that he didn't want to sleep on the same bed as her.

Sophia could only oblige to everything he wanted, but it didn’t mean that she wasn’t trying to have a good relationship with him.

Whenever he comes home drunk she would always tend to him, and in the morning she cooks him breakfast and makes him his favourite coffee.

But all her efforts seem to be not working.

Caden didn’t even bother replying to her. But she still gave a sweet smile to him and waved at him as he drove off. “Take care.” She whispered in a voice that only she could hear.

She was about to head back inside when her phone suddenly rang in her pocket. She looked at the caller and saw that it was her best friend Klare.

She picked up the phone and she instantly closed her eyes because of the buzzing sounds that she could hear from the other end.

“Sophiii! We’re hanging out in the bar right now. And pleaseee, I know it’s already late but I would really like it if you join us. The gang misses you. Misses you so much!” Sophia smiled hearing what she said.

She took a quick glance around her house that was empty and lifeless, thinking that she really did change a lot. She used to love club hopping with her friends, but things have changed, well at least for her that is.

“I’m sorry but I’m already in my nightgown. And the house would be empty if I leave. What if Caden comes home.” She said.

“Come on Sophi, stop killing yourself in there. You know that it would always be the same routine every single day. You still have a life ahead of you that doesn’t revolve around Caden. So please, have one night, this night! Enjoy yourself for pete sake.” Her friend reasoned to her, and as much as she wants to deny everything she said, she knows that what she said was true.

She couldn’t help but release a huge breath. “Fine, just this once.”

When the words came out of her mouth a shout from the phone immediately penetrated her ears.

“Yes! Finally! We’ll wait for you here. I’ll text you the place. See you soon.” Her friend squealed and hung up.

She went to her room directly and searched in her closet for something appropriate to wear. It was the first time after three years that she was going to places like a bar again.

She tried hard to leave a good impression on Caden which was why she became conservative. But just this once, she wanted to feel like her old self again. She missed the fun times she had with her friends.

‘It wouldn’t hurt to have fun. Would it?’ She thought, before picking a white dress that would compliment her milky white skin and silky chestnut brown hair.

She never once bothered to care about her appearance or wear expensive designer clothes when she was around Caden.

She knew that he liked the type of girl that was simple, so she decided to leave that part of her in her youth and embrace the life of a perfect married woman.

So wearing something like this again made her uncomfortable. But she soon got out of it, especially when she saw herself in the mirror.

It was like looking at the past.

Her past self.

…

It took her forty minutes to arrive at the bar that her friend texted. She looked around the place and saw different kinds of people.

There were intoxicated people, the shy ones who preferred to be in the corner, and the wild ones who were dancing on the floor, grinding with each other.

She smiled internally and started searching for her friends.

When she saw them in one of the tables, she instantly went over there, but then a guy popped up out of nowhere and blocked her path.

"Hey there, I'm Danny, Dan for short. Would you like to join us?" A guy with messy black hair invited her with an enticing smile pointing at a group of people. Although he was good looking, she knew better than to accept his invite and stir trouble. She was a married woman after all.

"I'm sorry but my friends are waiting for me." She said, and left him on the spot without giving him a time to say anything.

"Sophia!"

"Oh god girl we missed you so much!"

"Sophi let's party!"

"Well I guess I lost the bet. Nice seeing you Sophie."

All of them circled around her and greeted her all at once.

They were a party group of five. There was Marcus the savage, Aiden the father hen, Kate the wild one, and Klare the mother hen. And as for herself, she used to be the balanced member of the group, she was fifty-fifty on the wild side and mature.

"You react as if we haven't seen each other in ages." She laughed at her friends' faces and gave them a heartwarming hug.

"Well duh, but this is the first time that you have hung out with us like this for ages. So you can't blame us for being dramatic." Kate waved her hands as she spoke, trying to make a point.

"So we are going to get wasted today, because tomorrow and who knows for the next following years, you will be Mrs. Prim and Proper. So let's get this party started!" Marcus yelled and everyone cheered, each one taking a glass full of alcohol and chugging all of it in one go.

They kept repeating it until all of them were totally wasted.

Sophia already couldn't keep up with them.

She was getting hot, and decided to dance a little bit.

She staggered towards the dancing floor and started moving her body to the beat of the music.

Minutes later, her friends also decided to join her and they did some crazy dancing with impossible dance steps.

They laughed, jumped and were so energized because of the alcohol that was rushing in their blood.

But then, Sophia stopped, she looked at a particular figure that was sitting on the second floor of the bar.

She knew he couldn't see him because of the huge crowd. But she could see every detail of him, especially the woman who was talking with him in a flirty way.

"Caden?" She whispered under her breath, not taking her gaze away.

And as if Caden felt her presence, he started looking around and finally, his eyes landed on her.

Both of them looked at each other. And you could feel the intensity between them.

"Hey why are you just standing there? Come dance with us." Klare pulled her hand which got her attention back.

Sophia looked away for a second and when she looked back again, he was gone.

'Was I hallucinating?' She thought, suddenly getting dizzy.

"Guys I'm going to the restroom. I won't take long." She said,

"I'll come with you." Klare offered but Sophia quickly declined saying that she can handle herself.

She walked to the nearest restroom with half-lidded eyes. She tried so hard to make it there, but her world seemed to be swirling around her.

And then a person walking crashed into her making her falter in her footsteps.

Luckily a person caught her in time, preventing her from falling on the floor, she felt the person's arm snaking its way to her waist trying to help her up. But she was already too wasted to stand up straight.

And as if on cue, everything in front of her started to dim, and the only thing she remembered before she passed out were the sight of her friends running to her. And the blue ocean eyes of the man who caught her.