Mr. Brightside || João Félix

F I F T Y - T W O

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 7:45 PM

I rush back to the hotel lobby alone since everyone else had left to the stadium. Well I went with everyone to the stadium but had to come back to my room once I realized I had forgotten my phone. I run up to my room to get my phone and as I'm walking around the lobby heading out again, I hear someone call me.

"Sofia," Hayes says with a huge smile.

"Hey, I can't stay and chat, I've got to sing soon," I say trying to rush out again.

"Give me a few minutes of your time," I hear a woman's voice behind me.

I close my eyes and huff knowing exactly who it is even though I have never met this woman before in my life. "Hayes, why ?" I ask.

"I'm so sorry, I- she just wanted to meet you," Hayes sighs, "I told her I could help."

"You're not worth my time," I face her rolling my eyes and heading out.

"Sofia wait," she says grabbing my arm.

"Don't touch me," I pull my arm back.

"Sofia please," she pleads, "just a few minutes to explain myself."

"You don't owe me anything," I say, "now, I'm running late, so if you guys excuse me."

"Sofia, please," she begs, "you have to listen to me, your father isn't who you think he is."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure he's been putting on this facade for the past 21 years of my life and has never let it falter," I scoff.

"Well no," she says, "I'm sure your father has been good to you, but he wasn't good to me. He was awful and said the nastiest things to me during my pregnancy, he begged me to get an abortion. I obviously refused and when I did, he signed away my parental rights. I tried to be there for you but when I did, your father took you away from me, it was a nasty legal process, but since my name was signed on those documents and your grandmother said she saw me sign them, there wasn't much I could do. I'm so sorry."

I laugh, "cute story, but I'm not buying what you're selling lady," I scoff.

"Sofia, you have to believe me," she practically gets on her knees and holds my hands.

"Yeah, you need to seek professional help," I laugh, "your story doesn't add up, and I don't have the time, nor the patience to explain to you why."

"Sofia, I think you should listen to her," Hayes says.

"You just want me to because you know you can't get me through my father so you want to reach me through her, but news flash, she's not my mother," I say. "I don't care what DNA says, she's not my mother, I already have a mother. I told you I didn't want to meet her, why would you put me through this ?"

"A mother has the right to know her daughter," Hayes says, "she just wants to know you."

"That's what Google is for, she can search up Sofia dos Santos like the rest of my fans," I scoff.

"Sofia, I am your mother, not a fan," the woman says.

"No, you are not my mother, that title is reserved for the woman that showed up in my life and was there for me, the woman that stayed," I argued.

"I didn't stay because your father didn't let me," she cried, "what aren't you understanding ?"

"I don't believe you, leave me alone," I groaned. "Why, why wouldn't he let you stay ?" I ask, "it makes no sense."

"Your grandmother, she was a witch, and she hated me, she wanted me gone," the woman sobbed.

"Yeah, listen, you can feed Hayes your lies, he clearly pities you enough to believe you, but I'm not just gonna stand here while you bad mouth my family," I say.