"Wah, wah, waaaah!"
Her ears immediately picked up the high-pitched sound of a weeping child as she passed through the corridor. Some might find it irritating, but to her, it was like listening to a dramatic symphony as the tension reached its crescendo.
Immediately, she stopped and stared at the beautiful boy, who was clearly seeking some attention. His cute little hands waved in the air as if beckoning her, while his strong feet kicked alternately, adding to his dramatic flair.
"I swear, if you can take home every child I deliver in this hospital, you'll probably be running an orphanage." Her friend, Dr. Ashley Bennett, commented as she found her lurking at the hospital's nursery.
For years, she had lived with the pain of losing her parents, and most especially her child.
In instant—
In a split second—
In the blink of an eye, she lost them in that horrible car accident. Her parents died on the spot, but the doctors said her child survived.
She vaguely remembered hearing his cry when he came out to this world, but because of her weak body, she had lost consciousness before she could see or hold him in her arms.
By the time she woke up, the doctor told her that her baby died because of a heart defect. Losing her parents was devastating, losing the love of her life was heartbreaking, but the death of her child was the final straw.
Her physical body might have survived the crash, but deep in her heart, she was as dead as the child she buried six years ago.
"You know I just adored them." She would love to hold the baby and console him until he fell asleep in her arms, but, of course, that was not possible.
All she could do was stare and wish that her own son was still alive. What she would give to hold her son even just once, but that would never happen.
"I know." Ashley stood beside her on the glass window. "But if you really want a child so badly, why don't you just pick a man to marry?"
If only it had been that simple. But she had sworn off men. To her, they were all liars, cheaters, and narcissists.
Subjecting herself to love was a mistake she had no intention of ever making again— Not after what her ex did to her.
"With your new look..." Her friend whistled as if admiring her perfect hourglass figure. "It's not like you don't have a long line of groom to choose from."
Her friend had a point. Since her parents' death, she had worked hard to lose weight. Not because of the usual reason.
Her Mom always assured her that her weight didn't define who she was. But her motivation had a deeper reason. It stemmed from her hunger for justice.
If there was one man she wanted to fawn over her, it was the man who ruined her life. It was the man who taught her how to love, but only to spit it back into her face.
"Or, just get pregnant." Ashley quickly added, probably noticing the reaction on her face. "You know... the sperm bank is just on the fourth floor." Her friend mischievously said.
"Oh, brilliant idea, but seriously, I have no plan of putting another life in danger." Reminding her friend of why she was still alive.
Making those who wronged her pay in court was out of the question. She needed another plan— a way to get into their world without anyone suspecting.
With a new name, Sophia Maddison, a new appearance through a thorough makeover, and a stronger self-confidence and personality, she believed no one would recognize who she once was.
"Are you sure you're ready to face them?" Ashley concernedly asked, putting her hand on her shoulder.
For the first few months after the accident, there was not a day that she didn't think of ending her life.
The only thing that had kept her going was the thought of killing the Don. To make him pay for what he had done.
But killing one of the most powerful men in the city was like attempting to assassinate the President. She would be dead before she could even touch his hair.
"It's now or never." She turned to Ashley to reassure her that she had this under control.
For the first couple of years, she had worked in various odd jobs just to put a roof over her head and food on her belly.
Keeping a low profile, she had hidden her real identity, afraid that whoever wanted her and her family dead would find her to finish the job.
"But—"
"I know what you're thinking, Ashley." She stopped her friend, knowing she was only thinking of what was best for her.
One day, on her way to work, she assisted a pregnant woman who collapsed in the street and brought her to the hospital. It turned out that she was a patient of Dr. Ashley Bennett.
"You know I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your help. And I am forever indebted to you." She would never forget that. But her mind was already set.
Not only did she reconnect with the doctor who assisted her birth, but they became close friends.
Not only that, but the pregnant woman, Jenny, was also a daughter-in-law of a business mogul in the fashion industry, the Sinclair family.
As a reward for her Samaritan work, Jenny offered her a job at their company. It was an entry-level job, but she didn't mind. She worked hard until she rose to the rank.
Now, she was one of their executives and the brand ambassador of the Sinclair Brand of clothes and jewelry.
"But this is it." She turned to the baby, who had finally stopped crying after getting what he wanted.
Just like the child, the only way that she would finally feel a semblance of peace was once she had taken what she wanted.
It had been six years of fuming and planning. Finally, she had found her opportunity. She could not let this slip through her fingers because she might not get another chance.
"Well, be careful, Amelia." Her friend whispered in her ear. Then, her name echoed in the hallway. "I gotta go. Duty calls. But call me if you need me."
Alone again, she also finally said goodbye, placing her hand to the glass partition, wishing she could feel his soft skin against her palm.
The coffee shop, the delicious hotdog stand outside her apartment, one of her few indulgences left, Kenji, the dog who loved to play freeze-bee with her and his Japanese owner at the park, and the hospital nursery were some of her stopovers during her jog.
A minute later, she stood at the elevator, waiting for it to open. She was on her way back to her apartment after her early jog, which had been her morning routine whenever she didn't have a schedule.
Until—
Blag!
"Aaagh!" That hurt. It felt like someone had just hit her in the gut. Literally.
With the sudden pain, she slightly crunched down, holding on to her bruised stomach.
"What the he....ck...le...!" She grumbled irritably, but as soon as she saw the culprit, she tried to hold her tongue. Not wanting to curse in front of the child.
"I'm sorry, Miss... I didn't mean... to bump into you." A young, skinny boy slightly stammered as he lowered his gaze to the floor. Clearly, he felt guilty.
"You should watch where you're going." Immediately, she changed her tone. "Anyway, why are you running?" Raising her eyebrows in question. "And where are your parents?" Noticing that the boy was alone in the hallway full of busy adults.
"That's the thing." The boy flicked his index finger as if ordering her to come closer. "I'm running away from him." He whispered, as if it were a top secret, when she was close enough at his eye level.
"Him?"
"My Dad... Duh!" The boy said as if that was common sense. "He's with that dumb bimbo again."
"Dumb bimbo?" She felt like she was playing twenty questions.
"Yeah, try to catch up, will you? She wants to be my new Mom, but I don't like her." The young rascal told her as if she were his trusted confidant.
She could not help but smile at the wiseass kid, unable to hide her fascination and admiration. The kid had the guts to stand up to his father. She respected that.
"Well, I hate to break it to you, kid, but I don't think that's up to you." Sadly, that was the truth. The child usually had no say in family decisions.
"I'm not a kid." The boy complained, giving her a sharp look to emphasize his point. "I'm Caleb. And you are?"
The way he acted, she wanted to believe that he might be a grown man in a child's body. He seemed mature for his age. Probably even a genius.
"Call me, Sophia." That was her name now.
"Caleb, there you are? I told you not to run or you might hurt yourself." A middle-aged woman in a uniform slowly approached them. It was obvious she had been running for a while, probably trying to catch up with the boy.
"Who's that?"
"That's my Nanna Rosita." Caleb genuinely smiled. Obviously, the boy adored his nanny.
"Well, you'd better listen to Nanna Rosita." She advised him. "And one more thing... maybe you should tell your Dad what you feel." Remembering the kind of relationship she had with her own father.
Usually, she didn't give unsolicited advice, but the boy had definitely made an impression on her.
"Well, I gotta go." She said as the elevator opened again for the third time. "It's been nice meeting you, Caleb."
She stood in the middle of the metallic box when the boy suddenly shouted. "Will you be my new Mommy?"
But she also heard someone else. "Caleb, who are you talking to?"
Then, the double door slid closed.