Shocking truth
Sophia’s POV:
My eyes snapped open at the sound of the ringing phone. Half-asleep, I reached for it and answered without checking who was calling.
"Hello," my voice barely came out, hoarse from sleep.
"Where have you been since last night? Why does your phone keep switching off? Do you know how worried I was?" My father's angry voice echoed from the other end. He'd been furious with me since yesterday.
"Dead... that," I stammered, my throat dry. I sat up slowly, my body aching from the fever that had taken over me.
"Just tell me why you weren't at your own party last night," he demanded, his voice sharp and accusing.
"Dad... my friend's health suddenly worsened... I went to check on her... I told Dominic and left..." The words slipped out before I could think, the first excuse I could come up with. But as soon as I said it, doubt crept in. What if Dominic had said something different? What would I say then?
"You are a very foolish girl, with no appreciation for what you have," my father snapped. "Tell me the truth. Don’t you make Dominic happy?"
My heart sank. I knew it—Dominic must have complained about me.
"There are women like you who hand over their husbands to other women because of their own stupidity!" My father’s voice trembled with rage. "How many times have I told you to take care of him? To make him happy? Keep him calm? But no... you refuse to listen. How can anyone leave their own house and miss their own party??"
His words stung, and I felt a deep shame creeping over me. If I had been there, if I hadn’t left, maybe Dominic would never have dared to bring another woman into our home. A man as rich as Dominic, with women always around him, was to be expected. But it was my job to keep him, to protect him, to keep him in the circle of my love and care.
First, there was the news about his divorce request. Then, my absence from the party at our house. All of it had given other women the chance to invade, to ruin everything. Leaving my home and my husband alone was nothing short of foolishness.
"Listen to me," my father’s tone became more serious. "The place you're at right now is under the evil eye of unknown forces. Hold on to what you have, because once it's gone, you’ll never get it back. I’m telling you again, keep him happy and content. There were women in our time who would spend all night fanning their husbands, pressing their feet, just to keep them happy. And now, girls today won’t even lift a finger to serve their husbands, sitting in air-conditioned rooms while their husbands suffer."
"Yes," I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes.
He didn’t stop. My father went on, lecturing me endlessly, but I stayed silent, letting his words sink deeper, heavy on my heart.