The act was getting old, and her words twisted something dark inside me. “We’re married,” I spat back. “What’s the point of lying to me now!” Spinning on my heels, I rushed to the door. “Eat, I’ll have someone collect the plate later,” I added before slamming the door behind me and locking it.
Normally, I’d take it back when I brought the next meal, but I needed time. I didn’t know if I would be bringing the next meal. I was tired of this game. If she couldn’t be honest, maybe she deserved to be completely alone. I didn’t feel like going through another session of denial with her.
Walking to my office, I poured a drink and sat down behind my computer. Staring at the screen, I wondered if there was someone I could ask to assist with a deep dive. How would I know the truth and get to the bottom of this?
If I could learn everything about her life, maybe she would open up if I confronted her with it. My fingers flew over the keys. Using her name and address, within seconds, the information appeared. All I could find was what I already had.
I couldn’t find anything new or different about her. So, why was she so insistent that she was the wrong person? I spent most of the evening battling on different sites. By midnight, I felt desperate.
Picking up the phone, I called my sister, Clara. Maybe her husband, Iosif, would know who could help me. All I needed was a name. I knew it was late, but in this life, no one sleeps.
The phone rang twice, and then Clara’s gentle voice came through. “Brother, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
Taking a deep breath, I replayed why I was calling as quickly as I could, not wanting to keep her. “I’m so sorry to bother you so late. Everything is fine. I need help with a deep dive into someone. I didn’t know who to ask. I’m sorry for disturbing you, but do you maybe know who would be able to get intel for me?”
I could hear the concern in her tone as she replied. “Yes, sure, no problem. Just give me the name, and I’ll have someone send you what they can find. Are you sure everything is fine? Is there something I can do?”
“All good, sis, thank you so much. I’m texting you with the name. Sorry for disturbing you so late. Have a good one,” I said before hanging up and texting her.
I passed the hallway for the rest of the evening. By five, I got an email. Rushing to my computer, I opened the file received anonymously. As I read through the information, I couldn’t believe it. Sophia was set up just like me.
The information relayed her entire life. Where she was born, grew up, her schools, friends, and family. It listed her father and mother, their occupations, medical records, and even tax filings. There was a lot more than I could have asked for.
Skimming through it, I found most of it to be useless until I came to her employment history. The firm’s name wasn’t visible on the employment record. However, the resume and records appear quite impressive.
She progressed from intern to general assistant to personal assistant within a year. Re-reading it, I scrolled to the bottom of the page to see what firm it was. I noticed she had also completed studies to become a lawyer, yet it didn’t indicate whether she had her license.
I sat frozen in the moment as my eyes caught the firm’s name. How can she be the boss if she’s the personal assistant? Is Sophia innocent after all?
Scrolling back up, I read it again and again. My brain slowly processed what I missed. Sophia was innocent! I took the wrong woman and forced her into marriage. I’ve been treating her like, like… Sitting back, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My chest felt tight as urgency filled me.
The owner of the company was, in fact, a woman called Melody Liams. Searching for her name, I found it all. She was a high-profile lawyer and the owner of the company.
My blood ran cold as I scanned the information I could find on Melody. Melody knew I’d come for her, and she changed the basics so it would reflect Sophia and not her. How cold can a woman be to use her assistant like this? She filed the lawsuits using Sophia’s name.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. Pushing my hands through my hair, I swallowed hard. My eyes were glued to the screen. “Please let me be wrong, let these details be incorrect. Oh, God, please,” I huffed.
I checked and re-checked the details, did more searches. All the evidence made it clear. I ruined an innocent woman’s life. This wasn’t just my fault. This cowardly lawyer used Sophia as a shield. The veins on my head pumped as my anger ignited. I never stopped for a second to even consider her youthfulness.
When I saw her for the first time, I should have known that such a young woman couldn’t possibly be so skilled. Panic started crawling up my back. What have I done? How the fuck am I going to fix this? It needs to be done quickly and quietly.
Shoving the chair back, I rose sharply. It scraped loudly against the floor as I rose, hitting the wall with great impact. Storming down the hall, I was ready to apologize and give her a divorce. This was a mess that I wasn’t ready to deal with. I had to clear it up.
Reaching her door, I noticed it was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I scanned the room. Did she really pick the lock? Of course she did! What was I thinking? She’s a resilient one. Checking the bathroom, I just confirmed my suspicions. Sophia has escaped.
Rushing, I moved through the house, checking every room. As I headed downstairs, I noticed the glass doors leading to the back open. There was only one place she could go through that door.
Stepping out, I saw her. She was quickly moving across the grounds to the back gate. Was she truly going to try to climb the fucking gate? This woman is seriously bonkers. She was insane if she believed she could get over that gate.
Taking longer strides than normal, I closed the distance between us in seconds. Just as I thought I was within reach, that I could grab her, she made a sharp turn. Sophia started screaming at the top of her lungs. “Help! Someone, please, help me!”
There weren’t a lot of neighbors, but someone might hear her and attract attention I didn’t need right now. “Stop that! Stop running!” I demanded. My voice filled with more aggression than I intended.
“No! You are a monster!” she yelled back over her shoulder.
Stopping, I eyed her for a second as I took off one shoe. Predicting her next move, I tossed the shoe at her. It fell to the ground just before her and sent her flying as she tripped over it. This wasn’t my original intention, but it worked for me.
As she went down, she blocked her fall with her arms. She rolled over as I approached her. The closer I got, the more she backed away. I couldn’t help the smile forming on my lips as she looked like a crab moving back on her hands and feet.
