Sophie stood outside Benita’s door, her fingers clenched into a fist. She had been standing there for the past five minutes, debating whether to knock or turn around and leave.
It had been days since she last spoke to Benita. Ever since their argument about Alex, she had avoided her calls, ignored her texts, and buried herself in work.
Now, she had nowhere else to go.
She sighed and finally raised her fist to knock—
But before she could, the door swung open.
Benita stood there, arms crossed, an amused smirk playing on her lips. “So, you do remember where I live.”
Sophie’s eyes widened in embarrassment.
Caught.
She quickly shut her eyes as if that would somehow make her disappear.
Benita laughed. “You really thought I didn’t hear you pacing out here for the past five minutes?”
Sophie opened one eye, then the other. “I was not pacing.”
Benita raised an eyebrow. “Mmmhmm. Sure.” She stepped aside. “Are you coming in or do you plan to stand out there all night?”
With a reluctant sigh, Sophie stepped inside.
The TV was blaring in the background, some reality show playing on full volume.
Sophie shook her head. “You and your TV obsession.”
Benita grinned. “What can I say? It’s the love of my life.” She grabbed the remote and turned the volume down. “But enough about me. What’s up with you? You ghosted me.”
Sophie hesitated.
She lowered herself onto the couch, suddenly feeling drained.
Benita’s eyes narrowed while Sophie remained silent.
Benita groaned. “Ugh! Did something happen?”
Still, no response.
Benita threw a pillow at her. “Say something!”
Sophie picked at the hem of her shirt, struggling to find the words.
Benita’s gaze softened. “Sophie, what happened?”
Before she could answer, the TV screen flashed with a breaking news segment.
“Ugh, I hate the news,” Benita muttered, grabbing the remote to change the channel.
Then Alex’s face popped up on the screen.
Alongside Mara’s.
Benita was about to press the button, but Sophie grabbed her wrist.
“Wait.”
Benita frowned. “Wait, what?”
Sophie’s heart thumped violently in her chest. She stared in disbelief at the screen, unable to look away.
The headline read: "Billionaire Alex Donald’s Arranged Marriage Confirmed—Fiancée Revealed as Socialite Mara Kensington."
The words blurred.
The room spun.
Her breath hitched, her head grew light, and suddenly—
Everything went black.
****
The next thing Sophie knew, she was waking up in an unfamiliar room.
She blinked a few times, confusion settling in.
The ceiling was white. The walls were pale blue. The scent of antiseptic filled the air.
Her fingers clenched around soft sheets.
Where am I?
She struggled to sit up, but a sudden dizziness washed over her.
Then, it hit her. The news.
Alex.
Mara.
Their marriage.
Her chest tightened.
“Sophie!” She turned toward the voice and found Benita sitting beside her, relief washing over her face.
Sophie opened her mouth, but her throat was dry. “What… happened?”
“You passed out,” Benita said, reaching for a cup of water and handing it to her. “You scared the crap out of me.”
Sophie took a sip and winced as the memories rushed back.
“I saw the news,” she whispered.
Benita frowned. “Yeah.”
Sophie let out a shaky breath. “They’re getting married? You are right.”
Benita hesitated. “It… looks that way.”
Sophie clenched the bedsheet, her chest aching. She had told herself she wouldn’t cry. She had promised herself that Alex Donald wasn’t worth her tears.
But knowing that he was about to marry the woman he had introduced to her as his ex left her picking up the shattered pieces of her heart.
It hurt.
It hurt like hell.
Before she could say another word, the door opened.
A doctor walked in, a kind smile on his face.
Sophie turned to him in confusion.
“Ah, you’re awake,” the doctor said, flipping through a file. “How are you feeling?”
Sophie blinked. “I—uh… okay, I guess?”
He nodded. “Good, good. Though, you’ll need to rest properly. No stress, and definitely not overworking yourself for the next few months.”
Sophie frowned. “What do you mean?”
The doctor smiled.
Benita suddenly stiffened in her seat.
The doctor closed the file and said casually. “Congratulations, Miss Carter. You’re four weeks pregnant.”
The words crashed into her like a wrecking ball.
Silence.
The room tilted and her breath caught.
She turned to Benita, her hands shaking.
Benita’s eyes widened.
Sophie’s lips parted. “I’m… what?”