Chapter 1 Meeting a Strange Gentleman
Sophie’s POV
“You’re limping around and you think you’re going to college? You’re so selfish! Your brother doesn’t even have money for his wedding, and you presume to waste your time in school with our hard-earned money? You’d better forget your stupid dreams and concentrate on finding a husband! Bring home a decent dowry and do something useful for once at least!”
My father followed and scoffed, “Who told you to be a hero? Rushing in front of a car to save a stranger! We had to pay for your treatment with every penny we saved, you reckless fool. You ruined us, and for what? For someone you don’t even know!”
I shivered as my parents’ harsh words hit me, my eyes tearing up as I remembered the reason for my lame leg.
A week ago, I had been walking down the street, on my way to register for university, when I was hit by a car because I tried to save an old lady crossing the street.
But my parents didn’t think it was worth spending money to save a daughter’s leg, and they forced me out of the hospital.
However, even then, I didn’t regret what I had done. It was important to me that the old woman was alive.
It’s just that I didn’t have any savings left to support myself in college. I originally paid for college by working part-time jobs. My parents wouldn’t give me any help at all.
My fists clenched. I wasn’t going to give up like this.
“That’s not true! The old lady gave you 100,000 pounds, but you refused to let me continue my treatment!” I couldn’t help but argue back. While I was in the hospital, I had overheard a conversation about the old lady giving my parents money for my medical expenses. But now they acted like it never happened, and my heart felt crushed, making it hard for me to breathe.
With a loud pop, my father’s beer bottle struck my forehead. Blood immediately oozed out, and my head spun with dizziness.
“How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know how much money we’ve spent on you? Medical bills, treatments, everything! And the years we spent feeding you and raising you? You didn’t grow up on air, bitch!” Father yelled angrily.
My mother glanced at my wound and immediately turned away, her voice dripping with disgust as she said, “Don’t even think about school. Who would hire a crippled person? You’d better find someone stupid enough to marry you before they realize you’re a burden.”
My eyes widened. Were they really my biological parents? I was eighteen years old, and I could separate from them. I’d rather work to support myself than follow their arrangements.
I glared at them and shouted, “I absolutely won’t accept your arrangements! Absolutely not!” After I said that, I saw my father’s eyes turn red as if he wanted to kill me right there. He tried to rush at me, but my mother stopped him. “Mark, we still need her. If you kill her now, we’ll lose a lot of money.”
I heard my father snort coldly, then reluctantly sit back down. My head was still bleeding; I needed to bandage the wound. I had to return to my room first.
By dinnertime, my head finally felt a bit better, and my stomach was growling with hunger. I planned to wait until my parents finished eating before going to the fridge to look for leftovers. I didn’t want to be insulted by them again; I had no energy left.
Suddenly, there was a knock on my door. It was my brother, Jack.
“It’s dinnertime, Sophie. You know, you need to put on some weight so men will want you,” Jack said, giving me a stupid grin.
I glared at him immediately. I didn’t want to argue because I knew my parents would side with him anyway.
When I went downstairs, my mother came out of the kitchen and started yelling at me as soon as she saw me, “You lazy b*tch, I prepared dinner, and all you know is to come and eat!”
I bit my lip hard, struggling not to let tears spill from my eyes.
My eldest brother Simon and my father looked at me with disgust before turning their attention back to their plates. I pulled my chair as far from them as possible. On my plate, there was only spaghetti, no side dishes.
Except for me, Simon and Jack’s plates had steaks on them. I shook my head; as long as I could get full, it was enough. I immediately started eating the spaghetti quickly.
“Simon, come on, eat more beef,” my mother encouraged my brother, her tone full of love. “You’re still developing, you need to eat more beef to build muscle.”
“Jack, you eat some too,” Mark added. “Your test is coming up and you can’t afford to be at the bottom of the class again, okay?”
I glanced at Jack, who was wolfing down his food like an animal. He had poor grades and had just started middle school, but our parents still spoiled him. He was overweight, his round face and squished features always pointed down while he ate, making loud noises as he stuffed food into his mouth.
Jack sneered, “So what if I come last? It doesn’t matter. When Sophie gets married, her dowry will be mine, and the money she earns will also be mine.”
Mother nodded, then turned to glance at me, her eyes cold and indifferent. “Over the years, our family has sacrificed too much for her. It’s time she starts repaying us. My side of the family has a distant cousin—he’s a bit older, about forty-five—who’s been trying really hard to find a wife because he’s missing a leg. Sophie’s a perfect match for him.”
What are they saying? They really have it all arranged; they have already chosen my husband, no, a buyer for me!
My blood froze. I sat right next to them, but the way they schemed, it was as if I didn’t exist. I knew they expected me to have no strength to resist.
My brother Simon frowned slightly; he wasn’t worried about me, just anxious about the family’s reputation. “Mom, are you sure this is wise? If people find out we’re marrying Sophie off to a crippled old man, it’ll be humiliating. What would people say?”
“Who else would want her?” she snapped. “What, does she think she’s going to marry a prince? She should be grateful anyone is interested. A lame girl would never get better than this.”
My hands were trembling, and they completely ignored me. I knew arguing would only lead to another beating.
I won’t let their plan succeed!
I can’t let them ruin me out of their selfish greed.
I’m now totally convinced I’m not their biological daughter. Even if I am, I bet they’ve hated me just because I’m a girl. From my earliest memories, I’ve never received any care from them.
I always got top grades in school. I received scholarships and grants every year, but the money never went toward my education. It went into Jack’s pocket. He wore expensive shoes and the latest clothes, while I had to wear old shoes and second-hand clothes that my relatives had thrown away.
My self-esteem withered. At school, I kept my head down, too ashamed and exhausted to look anyone in the eye.
But when I finally got into college, I saw hope. I worked tirelessly and saved every penny to pay for my tuition. I saved in secret, knowing my parents would never approve. After months of hard work, I finally managed to save enough for my registration.
For a while, my future seemed bright.
But a week ago, that incident happened, wiping out all my money. Parents like mine made sure I had nothing, and they were confident I wouldn’t be able to run away.
I’d rather get beaten to death by a vagrant than let their plan succeed.
I gathered what little I had—a backpack with my papers and a few personal items. I grabbed an old stick to support my injured leg and walked toward the front door. I didn’t know where I was going, but anywhere was better than here.
I had barely made it halfway down the street when I realized there was a black limousine following me. My heart beat wildly, and I gripped my cane tighter.
The rear window of the car slid down smoothly, revealing a face I didn’t recognize but couldn’t ignore. A man in the backseat looked at me, freezing me in place.
His face was well-defined, his jaw sharp and clear. The shadow of the streetlamp cast across his features—so handsome it took my breath away.
I hesitated, taking a few steps forward. But he kept following, right alongside me. My throat dry, I swallowed nervously. Who is this person? Why is he here?
Finally, I couldn’t help it. “Excuse me, are you following me?” My voice trembled slightly.
The man didn’t say a word as the driver got out and opened the car door. When he stepped out, my breath caught again. I looked like a beggar, standing there with a bulky backpack and an improvised crutch, my limp obvious, while the man seemed almost otherworldly, sacred and untouchable.
All my senses were overwhelmed by his commanding presence. I stood frozen, my mind going blank as I stared foolishly at him.
He walked toward me, his large hand reaching out to pat my head. My eyes widened, feeling as if I was bathed in warm sunlight, overwhelmed by an unfamiliar warmth.
Before I could react, his deep, magnetic voice spoke. “I heard your leg hasn’t fully recovered. Why did you suddenly get discharged from the hospital?”
I felt my heart stop. With the driver coughing softly in embarrassment, I finally regained my senses and quickly stepped back.
I swallowed, then asked the question I’d been wanting answered. “Who are you...?”
