His Secret [Completed]

Chapter Twenty-Three

He stood alone in the quiet apartment, staring out of the window overlooking the city skyline, as guilt surged through his body when he heard Sophia's careful footsteps pass him and leave his home. He sunk to the floor at the base of the tall window, and that was where he would stay for the rest of the night. Noah's phone rang from inside his blazer pocket, and  it was the first time he'd moved within that hour when he answered the phone and held it to his ear.

"It's done," Roger said on the end of the line. "She's safe."

"Where is she?"

"You told me not to tell you that, Sir."

He kept quiet for a second. "How is she?" Noah asked, his driver full of guilt.

"Hurt," he responded truthfully, knowing he may have overstepped.

"Keep an eye on her for a while."

"Yes Sir," Roger said and the line went dead.

*

The boathouse was more beautiful than she had remembered and definitely more homely. On that cool evening in April, Sophia found herself homeless and within a matter of only an hour she had another place to stay. Kelly greeted her on the driveway and comforted her, telling her everything would work itself out eventually, but Sophia knew otherwise. People only saw her as a poor, money-hungry woman who couldn't love a wealthy man without loving the amount he earned in a year.

Mrs McKenzie had taken her in to her home and given her a place to stay regardless of her husband's feelings towards Sophia. Sherry felt as though she finally understood Sophia in a way no one else did. She'd opened up, told Sherry her life story and that was something special. Sophia had tried to push it into the depths of her memory - she wanted to forget her past and move on - but it was a part of her and she was beginning to accept that.

Sophia had always been able to fool those who entered her life, it was something she was good at. She put on a brave face and a fake smile as she walked the streets of Brooklyn to her first full-time real job at Joey's diner. As she served the food and took customers' orders, the same happy smile was present on her pretty face, but it wasn't until she entered the bathroom during her break that the same smile she'd been carrying all day fell from her cheeks. Her eyes would turn heavy and her shoulders would slump. When no one was around, Sophia would be who she truly was; emotionless and broken.

A true, genuine smile never returned to her face while she worked for Joey. But the evening of the charity gala was when her smile returned and her heart glowed. It was the second week in February- she'd only been working at MKT for a short while and living with Noah for an even shorter amount of time - but in those quick two months, she felt more loved than ever before. She'd met a beautiful twenty-two-year-old college student who had quickly become her best friend and she'd kissed the arrogant man she'd been dreaming of since her awkward interview.

But that smile had vanished once again. Being accused of stealing and lying took a toll on her. Sophia felt as though she'd been punched in the stomach when he called her pathetic and desperate. One minute he'd be sweet, telling her he appreciates everything she does for him and the next he kicked her out of his apartment and his life without any real explanation other than he'd had enough. The venom in Noah's words jogged her memories of her time in the suffocating apartment with her ex-boyfriend and that was enough to wipe the smile from her face for good. She didn't see any chance she could make her way back from the edge and sometimes, she wished she wasn't even there anymore.

"Everything unpacked?" Kelly emerged from the spiral staircase and sat on the small couch.

Sophia nodded. "I didn't really have a lot so it didn't take too long."

"So I was thinking... tomorrow night: me, you, Jack, movies and popcorn?"

"Sounds good to me," Sophia grinned and her stomach gurgled at the mention of popcorn. The two women made their way down the stairs, out of the boathouse and towards the darkened manor. It was early, around one in the morning and neither of the women had slept, both for different reasons. Kelly was excited that Sophia was staying at the McKenzie house, whereas Sophia's mind was working overtime trying to understand what Roger meant when he said Noah was being manipulated.

After raiding the fridge and cupboards the two women said their goodnights. As Sophia left the manor, Kelly locked the door behind her. Once she reached the boathouse, Sophia did the same and locked the door, a futile action, as anyone could enter through the waterway if they wished so desperately. Still, locking the door for Sophia gave her a sense of comfort and security, knowing that she was safe (for at least that night) upon the guarded McKenzie estate.

The very next morning, Sophia wandered around the house aimlessly without a single thing to do. Both Alan and Sherry had left early that morning to go to their office and the twins had left for university an hour prior. It was only the first day of her living with the McKenzies and she was already bored out of her mind, yet she couldn't seem to sit in one place for too long. She tried watching television but became restless within a matter of minutes and switched the tv off with a huff. After that, she straightened the cushions on the couches, making sure they were the same distance apart, then admired her work from across the room. A second later, she rearranged them.

Sophia took a stroll around the garden, feeling the cool breeze from the lake on her bare shoulders, which unfortunately reminded her of the charity gala and Noah's sweet words. The spring air floated over the freshly cut grass and Sophia gave the gardener a small wave and walked over, asking if there was anything she could do to help. The two women had a brief conversation but in all the gardener said there wasn't much Sophia could do and went back to raking the grass.

*

As promised, Sophia, Jackson and Kelly sat to watch a movie with a large bowl of fresh popcorn to share between them. They snuggled underneath thick blankets and curled up on the couch, occasionally participating in small conversation about a scene that passed on the tv, but quickly became quiet once more as the movie continued. The sun set behind the boathouse across the garden, casting long shadows through the tall windows darkening the room the three occupied. As the evening went on, Alan and Sherry returned from work, both exhausted and wanting nothing more than to collapse onto the 'L' shaped sofa with their two children. However, at the sight of Sophia sitting between the twins, Alan stopped in his tracks, glanced at his wife and then back again. He repeated the action once more and then stormed into his office with Sherry following hot in pursuit. Even though the door was closed their conversation could be heard across the house.

"You said one night! That she'd be here for one night," Alan yelled, putting emphasis on the number of days Sophia would be staying and threw his hands into the air as his wife took a step towards him.

"She has nowhere to go, Alan."

"I don't care." His voice was now significantly lower as he became aware of his temper and was quick to correct himself. Their conversation falling to the ears of only them.

"How can you be so heartless? We're all she has."

Their conversation had quietened and was concealed within the four walls of the study. "I can't live in the same house as her. She'll destroy us, you know that."

"Not this again..." Sherry wrapped her arms around Alan's shoulders and pressed her body into his, her eyes looking into her husband's as if searching for a slither of compassion. "It's not for long, but we can't abandon her when she needs us the most. We owe that much to her grandmother."

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Thought I'd publish another chapter in the week as we all are bored in lockdown!
Please don't forget comment and vote.