World of darkness that glitters like gold

Sophia's POV

Instead of blaming my sister or letting her know I was aware of her secret, I thought of a way to assist her to continue going to her workplace. Or was I greedy because I did not want any of her personal issues to affect my studies overseas as it's three months left before admission?

Unfortunately, my sister got continuously sick as a result of emotional stress. I had secretly watched her neatly wrap up her barely swollen stomach. Dad knew about her sickness and had blamed it on overworking, but he never knew of Riley's pregnancy. He outrageously lamented to the Andrews for their partiality on a sunny day he sighted them from the garden he was in, and it had resulted in him being fired.

For a good two months and two weeks, Riley refused medications or going to the hospital. One day, she insisted that we relocate to another city in Lebanon. She was intimidated by how aggrieved my father would be about her pregnancy, but father had enough one morning when she suddenly fainted.

We rushed Riley to a nearby clinic, and were informed a few minutes later that she had woken up in a labour period. I was more terrified than my Father because besides her stomach packaging, I calculated that she was barely seven months pregnant. I had wondered how she could be in labour period then.

The doctor was in a hurry for my Father to sign a particular medical paper without being concerned about the conflicted emotions that were noticeable on his face. Father stared at me to be sure he heard them right, and I nodded my head in confirmation as my eyes were now clouded in tears. Out of coercion of the doctor groaning about Riley's life at the brink of death, my father signed the paper. I had watched in agony as a tear slid down from his eyes and dropped on the paper.

I used my hand to assist him in sitting on the waiting room chair. The whole waiting room was empty and I was glad.

My father was like someone in a mini heart attack as he kept muttering 'how' and 'why' until a Nurse came over with a gloomy face that made my heart skip countless times. My instinct instructed me to lure my father out, but it was too late as the nurse dropped the bombshell any parents wouldn't want to hear when they are alive "Miss Riley was not able to survive, but was fortunate to give birth to a premature son"

"Hun.." was my father's reply while I was already on the ground with my body rolling on the floor and my eyes bawling with agonizing tears.

"I accept that she is preg...nant, but plea..se can I at least see her and the baby?" My father's voice shook in desperation.

"I'm sorry about your loss…Mr Davis Joseph. You have a meetup with the Doctor regarding the baby. It's risky to tamper with his health" The nurse continued in a low tone that might be considered comforting.

A scream of excruciating pain and misery was what eluded my father as I quickly rushed to reassure him. I had no idea where the energy to bear the tragic moment came from as I got overshadowed by responsibility. Father passed out and got rushed into one of the emergency rooms and I couldn't help but feel dismal and lonely.

That day, my hands were trembling as I searched my phone to call some of our relatives. I had clicked on my closest cousin's number and while waiting for him to pick up, my eyes mistakenly came in contact with the news on the small flat screen positioned on the wall of the waiting room. It was about a wanted woman whose face was a bit blurred. She had stolen 100 million dollars from the prestigious Theodore Andrews. She was a manager with the same name as my sister until they mentioned a bit of her biography.

My heart aches as I can't take it anymore. My very sister was wanted for a theft crime, and a ransom for whoever caught her.

That explains why she had insisted about our relocation last week.

Our time was ticking. My sister was dead and she left with a premature kid who couldn't survive for some time without an incubator. My father had passed out, and my admission was in three days. If the world hasn't turned against me then who has?

June.19. 2018

The day I was in the middle of being deceased and alive. The day I wanted to reconsider my reason for existence.

I was mute and empty as I watched my cousin pick up. My whimpers were what I could hear as he grumbled and lamented about my sister's empty achievement. He stylishly insulted our luxurious lifestyle as enjoying stolen money when he wouldn't go a week without calling my sister for funds. My cousin warned me not to mention him and his family as our relatives and had immediately blocked my number.

How cruel of him, but why should I blame him?

I staggered to my sister's room to see that she hadn't been transferred to the morgue. I had to be strong before the nurses became suspicious. I had closed my eyes in pain as I uncovered her dead body. With eyes red as sunset, I cried out in distress. It took me a while to notice that she had a tiny piece of paper in her hand with the letter that seemed to have been rushed.

"Whether my father or sister finds this…I am sorry. I knew I wouldn't last longer as I was blinded by the world of darkness that glitters to me as gold. My water broke yesterday night, but I couldn't urge myself to tell anyone about it considering how ashamed I am. I can't tell you the Father of my child because you will live all your life hating him. Please take care of my kid. I had always wished for a daughter, but it doesn't matter if it's a son. The pin to my bank account is your favorite number, Riley. The money there is enough for you guys as long as you manage it responsibly. My last wish is for you not to hate on my kid because I left during childbirth. You don't know how happy I am for having this little pumpkin of his blood. I love you guys always" I whimper continuously as I blink my heavy eyes.

I later lost control of my devastation when I was informed that my father had fallen into a persistent vegetative state as a result of the traumatic news. He had to be hurriedly transferred to their headquarters in the United States of America, and I accepted out of desperation.

I hurried Riley's burial, and paid for my father's transfer fee to an overseas country for treatment. I bought some necessary things and insisted on fleeing to a more secluded city in Lebanon. I transferred my nephew to a neonatal intensive care unit for his special care. All in all, most of the money Riley left was spent on Father and Jason for the past few years as my nephew also kept experiencing different health problems as he was growing up.

My physical appearance transformed, and my surname changed to my father's surname instead of his name Joseph we had been using and I also bought myself a national identification as an orphan. I made sure everything about me was erased.

Jason is now my little bundle of joy. Although I never told anyone he was my nephew which made people laugh about my fake early childbirth, but who cares? He calls me mother and he knows nothing about his childbirth. He has been my reason to continue striving even in times of extreme and unbearable despair.

My father had woken up from his coma two years ago, but the doctors insisted he should still be there to receive treatment. All in all, it has been over five years, but we call each other and we have been living like that.

Even though I try to keep myself low-key and erase the traces of the bastard in my life, no myth can change my mind about the fact that Theodore Andrews is the villain bound to threaten my existence. I wouldn't mind smashing his head on a rocky surface any day I mysteriously meet him. I will be glad to watch his downfall, but I will keep all that in my dream until karma decides to resurrect.

"Look who is in deep thought again!!! I thought you were all smiley yesterday about Jason passing his text?" Tina, an elderly close colleague, jerked me out of my trance with a pitiful expression on her face. Unlike her usual self, her eyes were twinkling in sadness, and it made me scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. "What is wrong?" I asked in my usual distant and cold tone.

Tina heaved a sigh of exhaustion as she leaned her back on the slab with her right hand rubbing the other one. "There is a rumor circulating among the Chefs that the reason our manager has been delighted is because the famous Theodore is on a hunt for the restaurant for three times the worth" Tina muttered and stared at me, while I returned the gaze with a baffled expression.

"You can go to the main kitchen if you think I am lying. Mr Friday's side chick Karina, the chef I gossiped about having a secret affair with the manager told us that. The official announcement will be tomorrow. I can't believe the man you abhor hearing his name will be purchasing your workplace" She jokes while my system immediately stops functioning.

This can't be true! Someone is tampering with my mental health once again, but I hope it isn't true because this draws the line!