Chapter 2

I brought Sophie back to the Hawthorne Estate.

On the way back, Jack kept glancing at me, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, are you sure this is a good idea? Maybe you should let Mr. Hawthorne know first. If he comes back from his trip in a couple of days and finds out, he might get really angry..." he said, his voice hesitant.

"He won't," I replied.

Honestly, he wouldn't dare.

The car rolled through the towering gates, glided past the sprawling gardens, and finally came to a stop at the front entrance.

Sophie was so scared that she looked like a lost chick, clutching her belly and crying her eyes out.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, please, just let me go. My mom's in the final stages of kidney failure, and she's counting on me to raise the money for her treatment," she sobbed.

"If it weren't for the money, I never would've gotten involved with Mr. Hawthorne. I was wrong. I really am sorry," she pleaded.

She was crying so hard that her words were all jumbled up, so I had to wipe her tears away.

"Shh, don't be scared. I told you I'm not going to hurt you," I said softly.

Compared to Ryan's thirteen other side chicks, all bold and calculating, she was honestly the one I liked best.

So I brought her back, led her through the long hallway, and we took the estate's private shuttle straight to the farthest corner.

There was a vintage pavilion by the pond, and a woman sat there with her eyes closed, looking serene.

I took Sophie's hand and walked over with her.

"Olivia," I said.

The woman slowly opened her eyes. "Mm."

She glanced at me, her eyes steady, but I caught a barely-there spark flicker in them.

"Is this that girl?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Did you find out?"

"Yeah, it's a boy."

"Good. Make sure you look after her."

"Got it."

With that, I took Sophie's hand and quietly led her out of the room.

By now, Sophie had stopped crying. She looked at me, still a little scared.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, why did you bring me here?" she asked.

I genuinely liked Sophie, and for once, I was actually being gentle with her.

"I'm bringing you into the light. You're pregnant. No use to keep it a secret now," I said.

Sophie looked at me nervously. "I-I promised I wouldn't try to come between you and Mr. Hawthorne..."

I cut her off with a smile. "Let's not talk about that. Come on, let's eat first."

You could tell Ryan had never taken Sophie anywhere fancy for a date. Even the bare minimum was fifteen dishes, and she ended up so full.

She gripped my finger, acting just like a little bunny.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, that ham dish was amazing. And the eggplant, it's nothing like what I've had before," she said.

I watched her skipping around, reminding her now and then not to trip.

Sophie laughed but after a while, her giggles faded into a shy smile.

"Sorry, Mrs. Hawthorne. I grew up with nothing, never really had the chance to experience any of this, so I'm probably just a little overwhelmed," Sophie said.

I just smiled and shook my head at her, then reached out and gently ruffled her hair.

"Do you like this kind of life?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."

That was good enough.

I gently led her back to her room and got her settled for the night.

Once the bedroom lights were off, the room was swallowed by darkness.

I stood in the garden, taking in the quiet, letting the familiar stillness wash over me.

The maid came over, holding out a cigarette and a lighter, looking just as hesitant as Jack had earlier.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, do you really have to go this far? I just don't think Mr. Hawthorne truly likes that girl," the maid said.

"She's only got youth on her side. When it comes to looks or education, she's nowhere near your league," she added.

"Does it even matter? I'm still stuck here, aren't I?" I muttered.

Year after year, I was so numb and bored, and it almost made me lose hope.

Maybe it was Sophie stirring things up during the day, but that night, lying in bed, I found myself drifting back to memories I hadn't touched in ages.

Back then, I was so bright and carefree. I didn't even know what hardship was.

We were poor, just scraping by on the farm, but my parents always loved and respected each other.

I wasn't a top student, but my grades were good enough to get me into Riverside University.

So when I met Ryan at twenty, the guy who ruled the campus, there wasn't a trace of fear or doubt in me. I never once thought I wasn't good enough for him.

While everyone else was chasing after him, I was too busy thinking about what kind of job I'd get after graduation.

Maybe it was the fact that I didn't chase after him like everyone else that caught his attention. Ryan ended up falling for me.

He put in a ton of effort just to win me over.

I couldn't care less about money, and fancy gifts never impressed me.

Ryan picked up handcrafts, making little wooden cats just to see me smile.

I liked to keep things even, and I was never into fancy restaurants or luxury dates.

Ryan ended up with blisters all over his hands trying to learn how to cook, just so he could make something for me.

He went to war with his family, risking everything, just to marry me.

I never really knew what he went through, but after vanishing for three months, he showed up in front of me, looking skinny as a rail, eyes all red and puffy, and said, "Violet, I can finally marry you."

He gave me a wedding that shook Harbor City. Our wedding made headlines for three days straight.