Chapter 135 - 134

Her grandfather took her in, but he could not accept that she was the offspring of the man who took his daughter from him. He blamed Austin for the accident, if Nova had married the man of his choice, then she would never have died while she was still in her prime. She would still be here in front of him, alive and happy.

He wanted to take out his frustration on Sophia, but he couldn't since Sophia resembled her mother like they were hewn from the same mold. He gave her everything, the latest clothing, accessories, shoes, anything a little girl would want. But the only thing Sophia needed from him, his love, he withheld from her. 

To keep her mother's memory alive, Sophia wore most of her mother's clothes, they were all old, and ill-fitting outfits, which made the other kids laugh at her. But she did not care, she was in mourning and this was the only way to keep her mother alive.

Her uncle, the only sibling her mother had, was initially kind to her. He would make Harper, his daughter, help Sophia with things she did not understand about city living. But eventually, that had been short-lived when he learned that the properties and businesses would be split between the two grand-children, Harper and Sophia.

From then on, Harper took on a new personality, she was unkind to Sophia, making fun of her like the other kids. During these days, she wished things went back to the way they were, her parents were still alive, and her dad still called her his princess. 

Somewhere along the road, she met Gavin. His father and her grandfather, Mr. Sterling, were business associates. Gavin was that bright light amid the storm, he was kind to her, it gave her hope. When she turned 20, Gavin's family instructed him to propose to her to strengthen their business. 

It had been natural for Sophia to be chosen for the family merger since she was older than Harper. Gavin and Sophia grew up together, and since they had a good relationship as friends, they both agreed to the decision of the elders. Sophia wanted to marry for love, like her parents, who adored each other. And since Gavin had been nice to her, she thought it had been love that she felt for him. 

Sophia wanted the same support and encouragement she saw from her parents, so in order to get praise from Gavin, she changed herself to fit his ideal woman. She learned how to cook, starting with his favorites, so she could always cook them when they get married. 

Her parents gave each other handmade gifts all the time, so she thought Gavin would appreciate it if she learned how to knit. She planned to make him sweaters, mittens, and scarves for when it got too cold. It had been time-consuming to learn how to make the perfect sweater, so she beamed with pride when she finally made something. 

The thought of Gavin praising her for her effort made her smile. But when he finally received her gift, his response was not the one she had expected. He took one look at her present and shoved it under the couch so nobody would see it. She had been naive to think that he had real feelings for her. As Gavin's visits became infrequent and his responses more terse Sophia should have taken the hint, but she believed in the goodness of people, making excuses for Gavin because she could not accept that he was changing as well. 

She told herself he was just busy and she should not disturb him so much. But when she hadn't seen him for a month, she decided she would cook him his favorite dishes and visit him at work. She wore something simple, a typical white dress shirt partnered with a loose-fitting, long black skirt. Her hair was braided just as her mother had taught her, and though she looked presentable, she looked like someone who did not really put any effort into how she was dressed.

Gavin had been embarrassed to see her, so he scolded her, 'If you want to see me or give me anything, you should just wait at home. I don't need you coming to my place of work embarrassing me like this. Look at your dress. You look like one of the maids,' he said loudly enough for everyone around him to hear. So when she got out of his office, the staff who overheard started mocking her and laughing at her.

Her heart broke that day, but she still hoped that it had just been a mistake, that Gavin would come and apologize to her the same day. But he didn't. He came 2 days later and acted as if nothing happened.

But it seemed fate always had a way of messing with her. When Sophia's grandfather passed away, she learned that everyone around her was just using her, they were vultures, just waiting to devour her. All the properties, businesses, and stocks had been transferred in her Uncle's name. So Gavin's parents diverted their attention over to Harper, now that she was the heir to her father's business, they thought it better for him to marry her instead of Sophia.

For the second time in her life, Sophia was devastated. Gavin had broken off their engagement, stating that she had nothing to offer now that her grandfather was gone. She had begged him not to leave her, 'You are the only person I have in my life. I will do anything you want. Just tell me what to do.'

'I always saw you as a friend, I caved to my parent's request, but all this time, it was Harper that I loved. I just couldn't tell you. But now that your grandfather is not here to oppose our relationship, I want to be with Harper,' Gavin replied.

Once again, she did not know that she was competing with cheerful, sweet Harper, and as always, Harper won. Now she understood why he had been cold towards her the past few months, she guessed that around the same time, he probably started seeing Harper.

Sophia's aunt and uncle had kicked her out of the house in fear of her asking for a portion of her inheritance. It was ironic that in one day, she lost everything, and the people who had betrayed her were the ones she trusted the most.

Six months later, Gavin announced his engagement with Harper, justifying her speculation that they had been cheating behind her back.

This situation transformed Sophia from a sweet, innocent young woman to a cold, calculated adult who never cared for anyone except for her own well-being.

After the funeral, the heavens finally opened up and showered Sophia with good tidings. Her grandfather's death had been in the newspapers, and that was how the executor of her parent's will found her. They had squirreled enough money for her to live on her own, but because he also sued the truck driver and won, she got extra money from the insurance.

The executor had been trying to find her since she got transferred to her mother's ancestral home, but nobody gave him a forwarding address, so while she was growing up, the money her parents set aside for her grew as well.

It had been hard to start from scratch, nobody knew who she was, and they did not care if she had a good product. But eventually, all her hard work paid off. All those sleepless nights, scrimping every little money she had, not eating when she was not hungry, and buying only the necessary clothes and toiletries had been essential to her company's success.

When somebody recognized her products for what it was worth, her sales and production shot through the roof, and she never looked back. She had now grown into the smart woman she was. Not letting emotions or circumstances dictate her future.

The Sterling family had their luck change as well when they kicked out Sophia. The family business had been prosperous when her grandfather had been alive, but once they changed hands, her uncle sank most of the business in debt. He had been riding on his father's coattails, pretending he knew how to run the business. ]When in reality, all he was good at was spending money and bragging about their wealth. 

And once Sophia became rich, the Sterling family wanted to ride on her achievements. But she remembered how they kicked her out when she needed their help, so she avoided them at any cost. 

On days like this one, Sophia wished she had been with her family when they passed away. Though she showed this steel hard facade, she couldn't help admitting that she was lonely. She cursed the skies for taking her family and leaving her to be alone in this cruel world. 

Tears fell on her cheeks as she remembered all the pain she had endured over the years, but she promised herself not to dwell on the past anymore. With sheer determination, she wiped her tears and vowed never to let her sordid past spoil today's triumphs.