His Secret [Completed]

Chapter Twenty-One

"You gold-digging bitch!" Kelly threw Sophia's phone onto the table and stormed out of the room only to return a couple of seconds later to give her a disgusted look, shake her head and walk out again as if she were checking what she'd just heard was real. "My Dad was right."

"Kelly, wait!" Sophia yelled after the confused girl, who'd made her way into the kitchen and was leaning over the sink, taking in calming breaths. Jasmine followed closely behind, ready to defend her best friend if needed. It had taken Sophia a while after she'd met Jasmine to come clean about her past. She was ashamed of what happened to her and felt as though it'd make her less of a person and somehow not worthy of the friendship she'd built with Jasmine. It was only a few months prior to them being evicted that she'd told her the truth. Sophia had been quiet over that week, barely talking to anyone and she'd done this every year around that time. Jasmine had noticed and simply assumed it was the anniversary of her brother's death. Then one night Sophia just came clean, she broke down into tears and told Jasmine everything. Ever since that night, the two had been connected by that secret and Jasmine promised she'd never let anything like that happen to her again.

"Just get the fuck out," Kelly screamed while still looking out of the window ahead of her. Sherry walked into the kitchen due to the shouting and found herself in the middle of something she knew nothing about.

"Let me explain-"

Kelly spun around and shook her head, again in disgust. "You're not even worth my time."

"I really think you should hear her out." Sherry placed her hand onto her daughter's shoulder.

"Mom you don't know what's going on, so stay out of it."

"If you don't hear her out, I will." Sherry released her hand from her daughter's shoulder and gestured for Sophia to follow her into the living room. Jasmine, about to follow, was asked to stay in the kitchen by Mrs McKenzie. She looked to Sophia for permission and she nodded.

"I don't believe you're a bad person, Sophia. At least I don't want to, but I need to know what's going on." The two women sat on the couch and Sophia told her everything. Sherry felt like a mother figure to her. She listened, comforted and said everything would be okay. After the trauma Sophia had gone through over the years she hadn't had a mother to turn to, not after Mary had committed suicide. Her father wasn't much help either. He spent his time drinking and so Sophia was alone. As she began speaking she broke down and told Sherry everything, from the death of her brother to her mother's suicide, her father's heart attack and finally, her abuse. Sherry pulled her close into her slim frame and wrapped her arms around a woman who had been reduced to a vulnerable girl over the course of the story. Sherry then knew Sophia better than anyone, because there were things she knew that even Jasmine didn't.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll talk to Kelly... if you want me to, of course."

Sophia nodded. "Maybe don't tell her everything. I don't want her to think badly of me."

"Trust me, she won't think any different of you. She's an understanding girl and if anything, she'll feel guilty for not being the one sitting here hearing you out." Sherry dusted off her skirt as she stood and left, leaving Sophia in the living room by herself. Yet she didn't feel alone; thanks to Kelly's mother, she felt more loved than ever before. Even though a man who she one-hundred per cent believed loved her was able to do those things to her. She came to realise that romantic love wasn't as important to her. What was important was the love of friends and those who truly cared about her, and not the man who played with her emotions over and over again.

She relaxed back onto the couch, closing her eyes briefly, trying to listen to the conversation in the kitchen but all she could hear were quiet murmurs. All of a sudden the living room door was flung open and in rushed Kelly, her arms stretched wide, encasing Sophia tightly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know..."