Chapter 50

She had no strength left to fight against the world around her. To them, she was nothing more than a toy, an insignificant insect, a blade of grass to be trampled underfoot.

Penniless and utterly alone, she was exhausted. The will to resist had drained from her.

If she endured another humiliation today, she would rather die.

At least reuniting with her mother in death would bring some comfort.

Ethan Blackwood's gaze darkened as he watched Sophia's submissive posture. Suddenly, he stood, his expression twisting with contempt.

"My bed is not a place for resistance," he sneered. "And you? You don’t even have the right to refuse." His voice was ice. "Remember your place. For the next month, you will act as my wife—nothing more. Don’t test my patience."

With that, he turned and left without another glance.

Sophia stood frozen.

She was provoking men?

A penniless, starving pregnant woman—who would she possibly seduce?

All she wanted was to survive the contract. Two more months, and she’d have enough money to feed herself and her child.

"I just want to live," she whispered to the empty room. "I just want my baby to survive. I won’t cause trouble."

The Next Day

Sophia rose early, as usual. She grabbed a quick breakfast on the way and took the bus to Grandview Medical Center to visit Aunt Eleanor. After a brief conversation, she hurried to Montgomery Designs.

She had missed work yesterday and needed to report to the design director.

"Director, I’ll submit a leave request," Sophia said quietly, head bowed.

She had already been absent twice in less than a month.

"Don’t bother." The director didn’t even look up. "Since you were just doing grunt work at the construction site, we’ll count yesterday as a workday."

Sophia knew Liam Sterling must have intervened.

"Thank you, Director," she murmured. "I’ll head to the site now."

"No. You’re being reassigned to office work starting today." The director finally glanced at her, then shoved a stack of files across the desk. "Make copies of these. Now."

Sophia blinked in surprise before nodding eagerly. "Yes, right away!"

Even menial office tasks were better than hauling bricks.

As she walked to the copy room, whispers trailed behind her.

"That’s the girl from the construction site, right? Heard she was scrubbing floors before this."

"Pathetic. Looks like a stray."

"Good. Now we don’t have to fetch our own coffee or wipe our desks."

Sophia ignored them.

But by the end of the day, she regretted her optimism.

Every person in the design department had ordered her around.

"Sophia, coffee."

"Sophia, copies."

"Sophia, lunch orders."

"Sophia, afternoon tea."

By the time she left, the office was empty.

Exhausted, she swayed slightly at the bus stop.

Then a sleek sports car pulled up beside her.

"Get in," Liam Sterling said, smirking.