Sophie’s pov ;
I trembled as my parents’ harsh words crashed over me.
“You’re limping, and you still think you can go to university? What are you going to do, hobble around campus while your brother slogs away in that dead-end job? You’d better forget about your silly dreams and focus on finding a husband! Bring home a proper dowry, at least do something useful for once!”
My father, Mark, sat at the kitchen table, his hands gripping a half-empty beer bottle. He snorted. “Who told you to be a hero? Jumping in front of a car to save some stranger! We had to use every penny we had saved to pay for your treatment, you reckless fool. You’ve ruined us, and for what? For someone you didn’t even know!”
I squeezed my eyes shut, my mind flashing back to that day. I was walking down the street, headed to register for university.
The elderly woman was struggling to cross the road, leaning heavily on her cane. I noticed the speeding car hurtling down the street. Without thinking, I sprinted forward, throwing myself in front of the woman and pushing her to safety. I felt the impact of the car slam into my legs, and I passed out.
When I woke up in the hospital, my world had changed. The doctors had told me I would walk again, but only after extensive surgery and rehabilitation. My right leg had been shattered in the accident, leaving me with a pronounced limp. Yet, even then, I hadn’t regretted what I did.
The elderly woman was alive and that was what mattered to me.
But my parents saw it differently. They didn’t see the act of kindness. They only saw the medical bills, the debt, and the burden I had become.
I sat there now, my leg still aching, as my mother’s voice rose higher in the small, cramped living room. “All these years we’ve sacrificed for you! Your father and I worked ourselves to the bone, and this is how you repay us? We spent everything on your medical bills! And now, you want to go back to school? You’re delusional, girl!”
My heart clenched painfully.
I opened my mouth to speak. “But…Mrs. Williams gave you enough money for my surgery. Didn’t she–?”
The sharp slap echoed in the room, and my cheek burned from the impact. I instinctively raised my hand to cover my face as it sting.
“How dare you speak to me like that? Do you have any idea how much money we’ve spent on you? The doctor bills, the therapy, everything! And what about the years we spent feeding you, raising you? You didn’t grow up on air, bitch!”
My father sneered from his spot at the table. “That old woman’s money didn’t even cover half of it. And besides, you’ve been nothing but trouble from the start. It’s time you start pulling your weight around here. Forget about school. Who’s going to hire a cripple? You’re better off finding someone stupid enough to marry you before they realise what a burden you are.”
I could barely make out their words through the roaring in my ears.
My father let out a derisive laugh, taking another swig of his beer. “Saving an old woman? She’s probably forgotten all about you by now.”
I knew that wasn’t true. But it wasn't entirely false. After the accident, the old lady or her family members not once came to visit. So, maybe they didn't really care that I saved her. But I didn't regret saving her.
However, Mrs. Williams paid for my treatment, and it was my parents who lied about needing more money for surgery. They took the £100,000 Mrs. Williams offered and promised to get me the operation I needed, but instead, they pulled me out of the hospital the moment they got the cash.
Without the surgery, my limp would be permanent. I would never be able to walk normally again.
I went to the hospital in the afternoon with what little money I had left. My leg was still hurting, and deep down, I hoped they’d have some new treatment or at least something to ease the pain.
I sat there in the waiting room, staring at the cold walls, trying to ignore the knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach.
The nurse came in after what felt like hours. She looked kind, her expression soft, but I could already tell what she was going to say.
“I’m so sorry. But…you’ll have to leave. You owe medical bills, and without payment…”
I felt my heart sink. I wanted to argue, to beg for more time, but I could see the sympathy in her eyes.
“I understand,” I whispered, forcing myself to stay calm. My throat was tight, but I managed to hold back the tears.
The nurse gave me an apologetic smile. “I wish I could help but…I’m sorry.”
I nodded and gathered what little dignity I had left. As I walked out of the hospital, my cane tapping on the tiled floor,
When I finally got back, my family was happily having dinner. I stood quietly at the end, my leg aching from the long day, but no one seemed to notice me.
My parents were fussing over my two brothers, as usual. They had always been concerned about my older brother, Simon, and younger brother, Jack, but I had long since learned that no one cared about me.
When my mother saw me she began to curse. “Where the hell were you?! Go and wash the dishes!”
I went to the kitchen in pain but couldn't stop the tears as I busied myself.
“Simon, come on, eat more meat,” she urged my brother, her voice full of affection. “You’re still growing. You need your strength.”
“Jack, you should eat up too,” Mark added. “Your exams are coming up soon, and you can’t come in last in the class again, alright?”
I glanced across the table at Jack, my younger brother, who was stuffing his face like an animal at a trough. His grades were terrible, and he just entered secondary school, but our parents doted on him regardless. He was overweight, his face so round his features seemed to squeeze together, and he ate with his head down, making loud, grunting noises as he shovelled food into his mouth.
Jack sneered, “So what if I came in last? It doesn’t matter. Once Sophie gets married, her dowry will be mine. And any money she earns? That’s mine too.”
My heart tightened at his words. What are they talking about? Are they…are they really thinking of selling me?
Jane turned toward me, a cold expression in her eyes. “She has cost this family enough over the years. It’s time she starts giving back. There’s a distant cousin on my mother’s side—he’s a bit older, about forty-five, and he’s been struggling to find a wife because he doesn't have one leg. It’s a good match for Sophie.”
The words hit me like a slap to the face. They wanted to marry me off to some old man without a leg? I couldn’t even process the horror of it.
Simon, my older brother, frowned slightly, not out of concern for me, but for the family’s reputation. “Mom, are you sure that’s a good idea? It’s kind of embarrassing if people find out we’re marrying Sophie off to an old lame man. What will people say?”
“Who else would want her?” she snapped. “What, does she think she’s going to marry a prince? She should be grateful that anyone’s interested at all. It’s not like a limping girl will have her options.”
My hands trembled as I quietly washed a dirty, ragged dishcloth, the stench of mildew clinging to it. They had already made plans to marry me off, and to an older man with a lame leg, no less.
I can't let them trap me in a life I didn’t want, tied to a man I didn’t love, all for the sake of their selfish greed.
I must escape before that.
I often wondered if I was truly their biological daughter. How could parents be so cruel to their own child? Why did they treat my brothers with such kindness and affection, while I was nothing more than a burden in their eyes?
When I was in school, my grades were always at the top of the class. I had won scholarships and grants every year, but none of that money ever went toward my education. It had all been funnelled into Jack’s pockets. He wore expensive shoes and the latest clothes, while I was left to wear hand-me-downs—tattered old shoes from years ago and secondhand clothes that relatives no longer wanted.
My self-esteem was withered. At school, I kept my head down, too ashamed of my worn-out appearance to look anyone in the eye.
But when I finally got into university, I saw hope. I worked tirelessly, saving every penny I could to pay for my tuition. I had done it all in secret, knowing my parents wouldn’t agree. After months of hard work, I managed to scrape together just enough to register for classes, and for a moment, my future seemed bright.
But then came the accident. And now this.
How has my life come to this? Why was fate so cruel to me?
After the family finished their dinner, I quietly collected the dishes, my stomach gnawing with hunger, but I wasn’t allowed to eat. I’m only permitted one meal a day, and that’s why I’m so thin, barely able to keep up with my brothers.
I gathered the plates carefully, knowing even the slightest mistake could lead to harsh punishment. It wasn’t always this easy. When I first hurt my leg, moving was a nightmare. I dropped dishes and tripped constantly, which always led to my father’s curses or a sharp slap.
Now, I’ve learned to move quietly, adjusting my limp. Everyone else was in bed. They have comfort—I didn’t even have a proper bed. Just a lumpy old mattress Simon outgrew. I curl up tight every night to avoid hitting my head on the clutter.
But tonight I have made a decision. I couldn’t stay here anymore.
I gathered what little I had—a backpack with my documents and a few personal belongings. Grabbing an old wooden stick to help support my bad leg, I made my way to the front door. I didn’t know where I was going, but anywhere would be better than this place.
I hadn’t made it far when I noticed a black luxury car seemed to be following me. My heart raced and I gripped my cane tighter.
The back window of the car rolled down smoothly, revealing a face I didn’t recognize but couldn’t ignore. A man, sitting in the backseat, looked out at me and that made me freeze in place.
His features were sharp and handsome, almost as if they were carved from marble.
The car inched forward as I hesitantly took a few more steps. It was following me, staying right beside me. I swallowed, nerves bubbling up in my chest. Who was this man? Why was he here?
Finally, I couldn’t hold back any longer. "Excuse me, are you following me?" My voice shaked.
I must have looked pathetic, standing there with my oversized backpack, clutching a makeshift cane, my limp more noticeable than ever.
The door to the car opened, and I watched as the man stepped out. He was tall—towering, really—at least six foot three. I had to tilt my head back just to meet his gaze.
I was struck by how perfect he looked, like someone who stepped out of a magazine, but his eyes…his eyes were cold as if they could see right through me.
He stared down at me. "I heard your leg hasn’t fully healed. Why did you leave the hospital so suddenly?"
The richness of his voice startled me, and I flinched slightly. I’d never heard anyone speak like that before, so calm yet intimidating.
My cheeks flushed without warning, and I quickly averted my gaze, feeling embarrassed by my reaction to him.
"Who are…you?" I asked, trying to sound braver than I felt.
