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Chapter 1: I Don't Belong Here

Chapter 1: I Don't Belong Here

Sophie

"Sophie!" My foster mother yelled from the kitchen.

This is the fifth foster home I have lived with, I was brought to this world not knowing who my biological parents were and life had been hell for me. I struggled everyday just to survive, just to have food and shelter and living in hell is better than living with my present foster home.

My father turned me into his sex slave. As if that wasn't enough, he even removed my womb so that I can't get pregnant and ruined his name. To make matters worse, my mother was aware of everything, but she said nothing just because I am not their biological daughter. Just because I am not their blood.

At a point I couldn't take the sexual torture anymore and when I found out that they wanted to marry me off to a man who is enough to be my grandfather, I ran away and was left on my own wondering all alone the lonely big city in the middle of the night.

That night, I thought I was running to my freedom little did I know I was running to meet my end. I was transported from fire to frying pan, I ran into the hands of drunk human traffickers who wanted to sell me off for a little money. I was blindfolded and was taken to my buyer but all of a sudden, I heard the most angelic voice ever.

"Who are you and what are you doing with her? Let her go right now!"

I couldn't see her but her voice sounded like a sweet melody to my ear and from her tone, one can feel she is wealthy and radiates power. I guess it is not the end of me yet, that is why the heavens send their angel to rescue me.

Few months later

I woke up to another glorious and beautiful day to the vibration of my phone and alarm slowly getting louder. I used my pillow to cover my ear and waited for the chiming bell to stop before I rolled over and picked up the phone from the bedside table.

I never knew there is another life out there, after I have been bouncing from one foster home to another in search of a livelihood, a shelter and a family to call my own.

Seven months ago, I thought my life would have been over but the heavens sent their in person of Hannah to rescue me that night. She is a lovely, kind-hearted lady and she has a family I could never have. She is the mafia princess, she taught me how to live for myself and how to make a livelihood for myself and she when found out that I have zeal in art works, she picked interest in my art painting and helped me develop my potential. With her, I suddenly grew in popularity and was introduced to a life I never knew excited. She became my best friend, my family and a shoulder to lean on.

I have been to her house multiple times but I didn't think I would ever get used to the size of it. Her house took up nearly an entire city block and made me feel like I was two inches tall and very very poor. The immaculate trimming of her front door alone reminded me of the bill I had to pay and I mentally scolded myself as I frantically checked the date on my phone.

"Gosh, I don't think I have paid my electricity bill."

Before I could obsess over my financial oversight, my thoughts were interrupted by the massive door opening, revealing Hannah in workout clothing but a full face of make-up.

"Sophie!" She squealed as if she hadn't seen me in a long time but we just had lunch yesterday.

"I can't wait to see how your piece will look in the hallway." She said, reaching for the artwork on my hand.

"I thought you said it was going in the living room?" I asked as I entered the house, hearing my own voice echo off the marble floors.

"I was kind of thinking I wanted something bigger for the living room. Like bam right when you walked in, maybe some big pops of color." She said enthusiastically as we passed the large living room.

The thought of being contracted to create another piece for her was more than appealing, not only was she a low maintenance client who gave me tons of creative freedom, she also paid generously for my painting, well over my asking price.

I wasn't sure if the payment was because we were friends or because she valued my work but either way, I had utility bills that needed to be cleared and I don't care about the client's motives.

"Every time I come to your house, I find something new to admire." I said, tilting my head up to gawk at the elaborate chandelier that hung above us as we walked towards the hallway.

She rolled her eyes and waved her hand at the absolute masterpiece that was scattered along her walls.

"They are all outdated, I am trying to make this house my own and your pieces are my favorite. They are so edgy and trendy and I can't get enough of them." She was so excited to have my paintings.

Her compliments pulled a bright smile from me as I opened up the case, readying myself for her reaction to the large painting I had brought with me. No matter how many times I had received compliments from her, revealing my finished piece to anyone was nerve wracking.

"Oh my goodness! This is perfect, Sophie! Your work is to die for!" She clapped her hands together in excitement.

"I will have someone hang it immediately but first, let's talk about the payment."

This is my least favorite part. Making friends with Hannah had skyrocketed my business but I was still uneasy about assigning monetary value to my piece. If I priced them too high, no one would buy them and if I priced them too low, the high brow elite would lose interest and view me as beneath them. I don't know how to place a price on my painting work.

Hannah eyed me, waiting for me to name my price.

"Ten thousand?" I said meekly and it came out more of a question than a statement.

She let out a sigh and shook her head at me before correcting my obviously incorrect decision.

"I will give you twenty thousand and consider it a large discount."

What! Did she say twenty thousand? My mouth involuntarily flopped open at the large number before I could stop it and she gave me an over exaggerated eye roll in response.

"You have to stop doing that." She scolded me.

"Doing what?" I asked, closing my mouth and schooling my expression.

"Acting shocked when people offer what you consider to be a large sum of money for your work."

I knew she was right, if I wanted to sell to her high brow friends, I needed to at least be able to pretend I had seen so much money before.

"I know, I am just not used to it. I don't really fit in with all of this."

I waved my hand around the room, motioning to her entire house and wait-staff that were standing around in various places.

"Well, I think we need to change that." She said with a wide grin as she looped her arm in mine.

You can't change how we were raised, Hannah. Being with ten different foster homes is the opposite of lavish and luxurious. I am out of place here, no matter how much money you paid me for my painting.

"How do you plan on doing that?" I asked in a skeptical tone but mirrored the quizzical look on my face.

"Exposure." She responded.

"I don't understand."

"Come with me to a party tonight. Let me introduce you to the people who will help take your little business to the next level. If they think you are up and coming and also trendy, they will eat up your work and pay you top money for it."

Her suggestions made me nervous for so many different reasons with the main one being the type of people she and her family surrounded themselves with. It wasn't just intimidating to be around people with that much wealth, it was how they obtained their wealth that intimidated me.

Her father is high in the ranking of the mafias, I had seen him in the news a few times so l knew that the people who would be at the party would not be extremely wealthy but would most likely be extremely dangerous as well. My stomach knotted and she picked up on my apprehension immediately.

"Just come with me tonight, if you don't like it, I will never ask you again. Come on, be my date." Shd stuck out her bottom lip, giving me a comically pouty expression that I am sure her parents saw non-stop when she was growing up.

"Fine." I relented.

"But I don't have anything to wear."

"I have plenty of things for you to borrow, my dear." She guided me to her closet that was larger than my entire apartment.

I had to admit that the idea of attending such an exclusive party with some of the wealthiest people in the city was intriguing and exciting. I had never been exposed to that type of clientele before and my curiosity was starting to overpower my anxiety.

A few hours later, I found myself in one of Hannah's tight fitting dresses that was clearly tailored to her body and not mine but I could get away with it for a couple of hours. It was tight and restricting but the thin straps keep sliding off my shoulders every few minutes as if it were reminding me that I wasn't meant to be in it.

I nervously fidgeted with the ends of my hair that she had fixed for me. The split ends of my black hair twirled beneath my fingers as the town car passed by mansion after mansion, each one bigger than the last.

'Gosh, when was the last time I had a hair makeover?'

The excitement I had felt was starting to dwindle into downright anxiety as the car pulled up to a large house that looked more like a palace and somewhere that I definitely didn't belong.

"Ready?" Hannah's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Yes," I responded, forcing myself to smile as I awkwardly scooted myself out of the car in her fitting dress.

There were multiple attendants waiting outside, some were there to park cars, others were there to take coats and handbags and the rest were standing around as if waiting to be given a request. I had never seen anything like it before other than in the movies.

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