The contract

Sofia's POV 

"We have got a situation Sofia," I heard my father's voice echo as I stepped into his office, halting me in my tracks.

"I'm sure you've been well aware of everything that's been happening, haven't you?" He asked and I nodded, turning my attention to the man seated on one of the leather chairs in his office.

"I'm talking to you Sofia! This isn't the time to zone out," My father snapped, pulling my gaze back at him.

"Yes Papa, I'm sorry, I — I was just..."

"Enough," He said, stepping closer. 

“That is Micheal Holmes, he's the one who'll be helping us out," my father explained, and I nodded with a smile, happy that the whole mess of the fire was finally coming to an end.

"She's a good one, James, she's perfect," Micheal Holmes said and I turned back to my father, unsure of the meaning of his words.

"What is he talking about papa?" I asked, stepping closer to my father.

"He agreed to help us under a condition," My father added, and I nodded, gulping nervously at the supposed condition.

"You've to marry my son Alex Holmes," the man said, and I darted a questioning look at my father. "This is a joke yeah? I mean that cannot even possibly happen," I blurted almost immediately.

"It is not a joke Sofia, that's the condition," My father added, stilling the forced laugh in my lips.

"A—wait...you cannot be serious about this," I said, turning to the faces in the room, but they stared deadpanned back at me.

"Get ready to sign the marriage certificate, we'll finalize it and once it's done and you will move to your husband's house," my father said, walking away from where he stood to meet Micheal.

"Father!" I yelled, feeling tears brim in my eyes. "You really want to pimp me out to these men? For what? Drugs? Money? Do you even..."

"Do you want me dead instead? Have those men I'm owning come after you and me? Aren't you happy with this beautiful life and heaven I've built for you Sofia?" My father retorted, forcing a bitter laugh from my lips.

"And you think, I ever cared about those men? You were the one who saw nothing else to do but sell drugs! How many fucking times did I warn you, Father, to find something else to do, you ruined fucking half of the lives of the people in this city!" 

Pak! 

My head spun from the intensity of my father hitting my face.

"I'm done with words Sofia, and just before you wag that mouth of yours, I want you to know that I brought you up with the money of those fucking drugs you claim to have taken the life of many, you are what you are now Sofia, because of those drugs! So now you do nothing but keep your mouth shut and sign the paper that'll be brought to you," My father said, motioning to the man beside him to head outside.

"Do you even know what day it is Dad?" I asked, stilling him in his steps.

"I don't care whatever day it is Sofia, I'm not going to be moved by anything you say, this deal must go on." 

"It's my birthday Dad.." I whispered, the words trembling as they escaped me. My voice broke rising into a desperate yell.

"Today is my birthday Dad!" I yelled, sniffing in the tears that dripped down my eyes, with my chest heaving heavily to the strong weight of my emotions.

"It's bad enough that you didn't even remember my birthday, you're forcing me to get married to a man I know nothing about Dad..."

"Happy birthday Sofia," My father said, cutting in on my words. "Really?" I scoffed.

"Happy birthday? To me? It's a god-damned sad birthday, there's no fuckin happy thing about this birthday, it's the worst birthday of my life," I blurted, feeling the room spin, ripping air from my lungs, leaving me gasping heavily.

"I'm just twenty, just twenty Dad!" I yelled, feeling my head cloud inexplicably.

"Th- this isn't supposed to happen... please don't do this...to me," I begged until I felt my knees buckle and I collapsed onto the cold floor of my father's office. Pressing my palms flat against the floor, I tried to get back up but my strength failed, sending me back to the floor.

"Get up from the floor, Sofia," my father barked, standing over me, his expression cold and unyielding as steel. I couldn’t. My breath hitched, sharp, and shallow, each attempt to inhale leaving me feeling like I was drowning. My chest tightened, a crushing weight pressing down, and my trembling hands instinctively clutched at my chest.

"Papa..." I choked out, my voice barely a whisper, as if the words themselves struggled to break free from the suffocating hold on my lungs.

"Sofia," my father repeated, his tone sharp, but I couldn’t focus on his words. My vision blurred, tears mixing with the sweat slicking my face. My hands reached out, clawing at the air as though grasping for something—anything—to pull me back.

"Please... stop..." I rasped, the words broken, barely audible, but laced with every ounce of desperation I had left. My arms trembled, and I tried to lift myself, my fingers splayed against the ground, but my body refused to obey.

"You think this changes anything? His voice was sharp, but for a brief moment, I thought I could feel a flicker— a hesitation— in his voice.

His eyes darted away for a fraction of a second, just long enough for doubts to creep into my chest. But then his expression hardened like a mask snapping into place.

"Pretending with things like this is not going to undo the deal I've made with Micheal," he added, his tone much colder now as if he were convincing himself as much as me.

My lips parted as I tried to respond, but no sound came. The air refused to return to my lungs, and I sank further, my head resting against the floor as darkness began to creep into the edges of my vision.

"Someone get her up," my father ordered, his voice echoing faintly, as if from a great distance. The weight in my chest tightened further, and the echo of his retreating footsteps as he walked away from me, distant and indifferent, as if I was nothing more than a burden he couldn't wait to get rid of. My breath got thicker and darkness filled the room.