Chapter 16: Just a Friend

Sophia exhaled deeply, feeling the weight of her mother's question settle over her. Catherine's tired yet penetrating gaze bore into her as if peeling away her attempts to be vague. She wanted to keep the details about Alexander private for now because she hardly knew if he was trustworthy herself. But her mother knew her too well; there was no escaping.

Her voice softened. "Mom, I... It's just a friend," she began, choosing her words carefully, her tone measured. "A good friend who helped me."

Catherine's brows knitted together in that familiar, knowing way, even in her weakened state. "A friend who's done so much? Come on, Sophia. Tell me, is it a man?"

Sophia flushed, quickly averting her gaze. Ethan, catching his sister's discomfort, chimed in. "Mom, let's just trust Soph, okay? Besides, anything's better than being tied to that scumbag Marcus and his family"

Sophia shot him a grateful look, appreciating the lifeline. She knew her family's love was deep, even if they didn't know the full story. But there was still that gnawing worry in her chest. How could she explain Alexander to them when she hardly knew him herself? A part of her wanted to believe in him, but the other part warned her to stay guarded.

"Honey," Catherine's voice wavered, a pleading edge creeping in. "I just don't want you to sacrifice everything for us. You've been through so much... Can you take a moment and think of yourself?" Her mother's eyes shone with unspoken worry.

Sophia's breath hitched as her mother's words pierced through her, and tears pricked at her eyes. "Mom," she murmured, reaching for Catherine's hand. "You're my family. You and Ethan are everything to me. I'll do anything to make sure you're safe. I'll be okay, I promise."

They lingered in each other's gaze for a moment, a silent exchange that spoke volumes. Sophia squeezed her mother's hand, her resolve to protect them hardening. After chatting a while longer, she excused herself, giving each of them one last reassuring smile before stepping outside into the cool night. She needed to get back to her job applications, her mind already swimming with the weight of her responsibilities.

***

Meanwhile, at the Hawthorne estate, Evelyn paced her room, fingers tapping restlessly against her phone. She hadn't expected the call from the doctor so soon, and the panic in his voice put her on edge. She pressed the phone to her ear, her tone icy. "Can you calm down? What's the issue? Did you get rid of that woman?"

The man on the other end stammered, his voice trembling. "No, Mrs. Hawthorne, we couldn't… things got out of hand."

Evelyn's face hardened. "Out of hand? You mean to tell me you couldn't handle a weak helpless woman?"

The man sounded desperate.  "I don't know how the hospital director found out, Mrs. Hawthorne. He wasn't supposed to be at the hospital but he showed up. He fired us on the spot and blacklisted us from working at any Vision Care hospital. We're ruined!"

Evelyn felt a flicker of shock, but she kept her voice level, unwilling to let the man hear her surprise. "Did someone alert him or was it just a coincidence?"

"I don't know ma'am. But he was respectful and somehow afraid of that woman's daughter. Are you sure she's just an ordinary girl?" The man said, still afraid.

Evelyn scoffed, her disdain thick in her voice. "You're imagining things. There's no way that girl has any influence. She's nothing without my family's support."

But a chill prickled down her spine, and she quickly brushed it off. Before she could snap back, the door to her bedroom flew open with a loud bang, jolting her. 

She ended the call abruptly, turning around to see her husband storming inside, his face red with anger.

"Evelyn," he spat, his voice dangerously low. "Have your schemes not done enough damage yet?

Evelyn took a step back, masking her shock with a haughty sneer. "Pablo, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't play innocent with me," he snapped. "Do you know what your children have done? You've used them as pawns, dragging this family's name through the mud. And for what? Revenge on a girl who's already gone?"

Evelyn straightened, her pride reasserting itself. "I was just protecting our family," she said, her tone cold and steady. "Sophia is nothing but trouble. She's been a thorn in our side, and I was putting her into her place, ensuring she wouldn't worm her way back into our lives."

Pablo's face twisted in anger. "Protecting this family?" he repeated, raising his voice. "By bribing doctors to throw a sick woman out of the hospital? You're not protecting anyone. You're destroying us!"

Evelyn flinched, the words hitting her like blows. She hadn't expected Pablo to find out so soon, and certainly not to confront her so openly. She tried to recover, forcing a scornful smile. "You're overreacting dear. That woman has no influence and there's no way we can let her walk away unscathed after divorcing from our family. We're Hawthornes, Pablo. We do what we must to protect our reputation."

"Reputation?" Pablo's voice dripped with disgust. "Reputation built on lies and cruelty? If that's what you call protection, then maybe you're the threat to this family's reputation, not some divorced girl and her mother."

For the first time, Evelyn felt fear. She had always believed that she was doing everything for the family. But now, facing her husband's fury, she didn't know what to think.

"Pablo, please " she began, but he cut her off.

"Enough," he said, his voice filled with finality. "This is the last time you'll do something like this. If it happens again, you will be on your own."

Without waiting for her response, he turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Evelyn standing there, stunned and shaken.

***

Sophia's return to Valmere after the hospital fiasco was like stepping into a new life. The humiliation her mother faced gave her more reason to find work and be strong. She was shaken and exhausted, but there was a fire inside her, one that hadn't been there before. Seeing her family at the hospital being humiliated at the hands of the Hawthornes had cemented her resolve. The days of being under people's control were over. She headed straight to her laptop and opened her resume, feeling a strange mixture of fear and excitement. With a deep breath, she began editing her CV, adding every project and skill she could think of. Her eyes scanned the screen, the cursor blinking, waiting. She had never worked since marrying Marcus, all thanks to the Hawthornes' "standards" and Evelyn's insistence that the family's reputation came first. But all that didn't matter now. She was determined to stand on her own, even if it meant taking small steps into a world that felt foreign.

After a quick online search, one company caught her eye. Allure Fashion.The most prestigious design company in the country. They had advertised an opening. The words glimmered on the screen, taunting her slightly, as she knew her lack of experience might stand in her way. But then, she thought, Why not just try? She straightened her back and hit send on her application. She also submitted applications to three other companies as well. She was eager to start her life fresh and build her career. She also wanted to be independent and be able to support her family.

***

Meanwhile, across town, the Hawthorne mansion was anything but calm. Evelyn and Lauren sat in a lavish sitting room, the kind draped in silk curtains and pristine white couches that no one dared to sit on without being invited. Lauren's face twisted in frustration. "How can Sophia be this lucky? Every time we come at her, it just… fails. I don't understand," she muttered, shaking her head. Her mother, Evelyn, pressed her lips into a thin line, considering. "We need to lie low for now, Lauren. Your father is already furious about the hospital incident. He even mentioned divorce if this continued."

"What?" Lauren's eyes went wide with shock, her voice dropping to a whisper as she leaned in. "Dad would really consider that?"

Evelyn gave a bitter laugh. "Oh, he would, especially after what happened at the hospital. The idiots I paid to get Sophia's mother out ratted us out." She took a slow, angry breath. "I don't even know how your father found out, and he was very furious."

Just then, Marcus walked in, his expression dark and brooding. "Was it that same guy who helped Sophia?" he asked, almost to himself. His mother and sister looked at him with curiosity.