NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Chapter four
Sophia was nothing but decisive. She had decided to be heartless, ruthless and unapologetic. She ruthlessly pushed herself to get better and leave the hospital. It's better to walk and work by oneself rather than being dependent on others. Even if the others are family members, familiar faces or people working under you.
Thanks to that, one day the treating doctor said, "It's good to be young. You are recovering nicely. I heard you are studying even here."
"Exams are nearing. Can't slack." Sophia replied. Her face was somber, voice a bit flat. The doctor did not find those things odd. Once you escape from clutches of death, certain changes are inevitable. Important thing is to learn the lesson and move on.
"Still six months away I believe." He too had suffered from gruesome last year of highschool wher the pressure was maximum. It's not that college was easy. But the external pressure and teenage body are pretty much highly volatile mixture.
Sophia just nodded. Previously she had given up the chance to study in Kingston University just to stay with her family. This time, she would not compromise.
Admission to Kingston University was super difficult. They would not accept even high ranked students if they did not have something extra. She only had six months to become proficient in some subject and score high marks in the exams concurrently.
Looking at the solemn girl, doctor did not feel like teasing her. She still hadn't realised that he was going to tease her. No fun to tease such a child.
"Your test results are looking good. You can get discharged today. But follow up is mandatory." He admonished her. If not reminded, this kid would likely immerse herself in studies and forget it.
After some post discharge advice, Sophia finally left the hospital under her own steam, albeit on a wheelchair. She still could not walk for long.
She would return to the place she had called home for past sixteen years.
Home was not the ancestral home of Harts in old district. Only her so- called grandparents lived there. All the children after wedding had to move out and have a separate address. So home was in one of the posh suburbs, not quite a gated community. Harts are down to earth. How can they seclude themselves in a gated community? But a posh community with strict regulations on who can enter is entirely acceptable. Sophia had never thought of this. Now that she thought in depth, she realised that the whole family was fake, pretentious and full of pr*cks.
She had lost her weight during the hospital stay. Her old clothes were now hanging loosely. And her lovely family didn't realise this. Sophia mocked herself. Wow! When you want to complain, even breathing becomes obnoxious.
Sophia was trying very hard to be not that. But the situations were not helping her at all. They really didn't see her as a person. Her mother and sister had come to pick her up and bring her back to home. But they chatted happily through out the journey from hospital to home. Oh, look at that. The things they are talking, has no relevance at all. They are not even including her in the talks, even with a token 'Don't you think so, Sophia?'.
They were so thoughtful that they even got a caretaker even for this journey and made her sit next to Sophia. Let the caretaker take care. But will the caretaker will sit and chat comfortably with her employer?
The young lady of the family, Shirley Hart was describing what had happened in the school. Obviously, all the family members had to attend the poshest school present, Sky Lark . What seemed childishness before to Sophia now felt obnoxiousness.
So tripping a honours student girl in locker room was funny. Turning a boy into classroom clown was funny.
And Mrs Hart didn't think anything was wrong with it.
Why didn't she realise that the whole family was bad? Was she that naive? Was she always wearing rose-tinted glasses? Or was she just like them? Abusing others but say it was just fun between friends and classmates. No. She had never behaved like that.
The Harts had pushed the family face and honour on her shoulders, so she always had been mindful. But younger siblings were allowed to muck around. Such a pretentious family. Such bias.
As soon as she got down from the car, Sophia didn't wait for others, just instructed the caretaker to push her wheelchair towards her room. She was still weak that she could not walk for long. Thankfully , there was a lift in the house to take her to second floor, where her room was. Her legs had turned sort of numb from sitting so long in car.
"Sis is weird now!" Shirley complained to her mother.
"She's recovering. Don't worry. She'll be back to your loving sister soon," Mrs Hart appeased her younger child. Shirley and Steve were fraternal twins, just a year younger than Sophia. But they had born prematurely, so both were pampered very much from the beginning. Steve was obviously groomed to be heir from the young age, Shirley was allowed to be a free spirit.
There was only Sophia's room and guest rooms in second floor. As Steve and Shirley were young, poor in health due to being born prematurely, they were under constant care of parents. Which meant master suite and twins' rooms were in first floor.
Before, Sophia used to feel sad about staying away from her family. But now, she was happy. Happy to be away from them. The caretaker was given temporary room on basement but she would spend much of her time in Sophia's room. Sophia sent her down to get some food as she would not eat with the family today. The reason - she was tired from the travel.
She had some serious thinking to do. She had to plan for her future and plan for her revenge too. What? You thought revenge takes precedence? Get over it. Living well and living a rich life would be the best revenge against them.
The first butterfly wing swapping would be definitely her college. This time she would do her best to join Kingston. This family be damned. She will not fall for emotional blackmail.