C16 It hurts

Sofia's POV

"Mrs Holmes," Rae called, pulling my attention. "Mr Holmes demands to see you,"

"Why? Tell him I am not seeing him," I replied gruffly, tearing off my cardigan away from my body, and leaving the armless gown I was wearing.

"He says it's urgent and you cannot decline it," She said again, making me look at her.

"I'll go then," I said picking back the cardigan to wear when the door was clicked open.

I hurriedly drew the cardigan over my chest, as the footsteps got louder, and without even looking, I already knew who it was.

"What? Are you trying to cover yourself from me?" He asked, his face filled with a mocking smile.

I said nothing to infuriate him because I couldn't bear the next thing he might want to do...rip the clothes off my body.

"I was just coming to see you, what do you want?" I asked, pulling the cardigan over my body again.

"I'm having a visitor over and when she comes, I need you tonight to be in her way, whatever she wants, you give it to her," He said and I scoffed at his ridiculous words.

"I'm not a maid here dear husband, I am your wife, the mistress of this house, and if in any way I don't like the visitor you're hosting, I've every single right to send her away," I retorted, making his face distorted in anger.

"Sofia..." He growled exasperatedly, running his hands through his hair.

"At this rate Sofia, I don't mind if I give up my entire Holmes assets to make sure I snuff life out of you," He said, and I could feel my chest clench at his words. Hurt at the stark contrast between his reaction to me and this woman I haven't even met.

His eyes lit with a small light as he talked about her, while—I stood in front of him, as he threatened to sniff life out of me.

I blinked away the emotions in my eyes, raising my head higher.

"You have the guts to bring your whore to this house and you ask me to respect her? Isn't that ridiculous, dear husband?" I said, stepping closer.

"She is not a fucking whore!" He growled, closing the space between us.

"Don't you fucking talk about her like that, she's worth more than you ever can, and for your information, her father didn't sell her out to settle the debt of his fallen business," He retorted.

I stilled at his words, everything he said hurt, but hitting it clearly to my face that my father sold me to him... hurt more than anything.

"What? Did that hit a nerve?" He mocked, yanking my arms closer.

"I'm going to make sure I remind you every time that your father sold you to me Sofia, so I can do whatever I want, why? Because you're just a commodity," He said and walked out of the room.

I blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that brimmed in my eyes. Letting out the breath I didn't know I was holding. My heart clenched tightly as I plopped to the rug in the room.

"It... it.., it hurts," I muttered as I let the tears run down my face.

"Miss Sofia," Rae called, trying to help me to the bed.

"Leave me, Rae," I said, throwing her hands off mine. "I cannot let you stay like this," She said, moving closer.

"Leave!" I yelled, and however bad I felt, I was glad that she left the room with a short bow.

I gasped for air as my chest tightened unbearably, the room spinning around me. My hands trembled uncontrollably, clutching the edge of the rug beneath me as though it could anchor me to reality. My breath came in short, shallow bursts, and the walls seemed to close in, suffocating me with their weight. The pounding in my head grew louder, matching the erratic rhythm of my heartbeat.

"No... no... I can't..." I whispered, my voice barely audible through the haze of my panic. My vision blurred with tears, the edges darkening as my body betrayed me. I pressed my hands to my temples, trying to block out the torrent of emotions and the cruel echo of his words—"You're just a commodity."

My throat felt like it was closing, my body trembling uncontrollably. I wanted to scream, to run, to fight the overwhelming despair clawing at my chest, but I was frozen, trapped in this suffocating whirlwind. My breaths turned into desperate gasps as I clawed at my throat, my body trembling violently.

"Rae," I croaked, though my voice barely reached a whisper, before I collapsed fully onto the floor, curling into myself as the panic consumed me.

Rae burst through the door, her face pale and frantic. “Miss Sofia!” she cried, rushing to my side. Her hands trembled as she crouched beside me, trying to lift my limp body from the rug. “Stay with me! Please!” she pleaded, her voice breaking.

I could feel her struggling, her small frame barely able to hold my weight. Her breath was ragged as she looped an arm around my shoulders, trying desperately to pull me upright. “Help!” she screamed, her voice echoing down the empty halls. “Somebody, please help!”

My head lolled against her shoulder, the world around me spinning in and out of focus. I could hear footsteps rushing closer, hurried voices blending into a chaotic hum. “What happened?” a deep familiar voice asked, panic lacing his tone.

“She’s not breathing properly—she’s having some sort of attack!” Rae cried, her voice cracking as she clutched me tighter. “We need to get her to a hospital now!”

I felt myself being shifted again, stronger hands taking over as my body was lifted effortlessly from the floor. The sensation was strange, like floating, my limbs weightless and unresponsive. I tried to open my eyes, to say something, but the darkness pulled at me, dragging me further into its depths.