"LEAVE MY FUCKING HOUSE." Benjamin came in shouting.

"Babe, what's wrong?" I asked but he just started laughing, I would always joke about saying babe to him. But today his so different.

"I TOLD YOU TO FUCKING LEAVE." He shouting again, glaring at me.

"Please Benjamin, don't hurt me." I couldn't help but remember my past when my step-father abused me.

"JUST GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE SOFIA." He said taking a threatening step and grabbing my hand.

"What did I do to you?" He asked pausing for a minute. "I stopped everything for you"

"Nothing, I swear Ben." I was so shocked. What did I do to him to make him hurt me like that? "Please calm down." I pleaded and started crying even harder and louder.

"Acting like you didn't do anything when you went Stripping for my friends." He took a long pause as I was about to explain myself he cut me off.

Chapter 1*

Sofia's POV.

"Elijah come back here or I swear to god I will kill you this time." I shouted for the hundredth time. Elijah never listens, Anette and him both just love playing outside not giving a shit about life. It's been three years and six months since I last saw Benjamin.

The love of my life.

The guy I thought was going to be the one that will always have my back, but life proved me wrong. My mom was right. I'm a slut, a whore no one cares about. And she was right once again. I never had friends no one wanted to be my friend. Until the day I moved to New York, the city that never sleeps.

"I'm here mommy." He said after taking his time, I'm very happy that I made two friends that have a daughter.

"Hey, why you looking at me like that Eli?" I asked him. Today he finally turned three but honestly, I believe his clever than any three years old.

"No mommy. I love momma." He answered.

The person I love most in this world just told me that. I'm so happy don't get me wrong but I know he either wants something or he did something.

"What did you do, Eli?" I looked at him in the eye but he just smiled.

"Sofia Valentines, I swear to god I'll kill you and your son." Anna came shouting from outside. Shit, what did Elijah do to her this time?

Anna Coetzee Kingston Hendricks is my best friend, she and her husband were the first friends I made when I moved here. They are happily married and have a three-year-old daughter named Annette which if I'm not wrong is the one Elijah did something too.

"What's wrong Anna?" I asked knowing that Elijah did something again.

"He painted Anette's face. Are you sure that he is only three years old today." Anna was shouting and she didn't notice that Elijah was hiding behind me because he was pretending to be scared of her.

When I was pregnant I almost gave Elijah up for adoption, but Anna and Marko helped me keep him. Anna is like a mother to him and she is definitely going to be taking care of him if something ever happens to me.

Because life is always unpredictable.

"Sorry, Anna but it is his--" Before I could finish talking Elijah cut me off.

"It's my birthday." Elijah mumbled, making Anna angry but she just started laughing and kissed him on the forehead.

"You both such cute babies." She said cleaning Annette's face.

"I'm not a baby. Tell her momma." Elijah was trying so hard to act angry he even rolled his eyes when he heard Anna say, 'my cute babies.'

"Of course you not Anna's cute baby." I told Elijah and he smiled until I added " You are my cute baby boy." He rolled his eyes and looked both Anna and me, thinking of a comeback until he heard Marko's voice.

"Where's my big birthday boy?" Marko shouted as he came in.

"Uncle Mark yay. I was--I missed you." Elijah was so excited that he forgot how to actually speak right. Anna and I both started laughing because we know he is going to tell Marko everything.

"Uncle Mark Mommy called me baby." Elijah said. I wouldn't have liked Elijah telling Marko or any other guy what I say to him, but it's actually not his fault that his father is gone and Marko is the only thing he has close to a father.

"Don't worry I'll punish Aunty and your dad--" Marko paused. What the fuck was he even thinking saying that today of all the days.

Your dad! Seriously?

"Where is daddy?" Shit, I hate you Marko Hendricks I hate you so much right now.

"Dad is going to be here soon baby his just umm, very busy right now." I always knew his going to be asking about his father. But what can I do if he doesn't exist for me anymore? Every time he asks this question it's going to be a reminder of my past. I left London for one reason. And that is to forget everything and everyone there.

But how can I when Elijah is a reminder!

"But mommy--" Before he finished the sentences I cut him off.

"No buts Eli, let's go." As I picked Elijah up, both Anna and Marko mouthed 'We so sorry.' And I just smiled at them giving them to assure them that it's fine and I kissed Annette before I left.

-

"Elijah come bath right now." I called him again.

This kid will be the death of me one day.

"I'm coming Mommy." I can't believe I believed him say that to me a thousand times for the last ten minutes. So I walked to his room and I found him already in bed sleeping. Didn't he just tell me he's coming? God, he's just like him.

flashback

"Sofia Valentines Carson let's leave." Benjamin started shouting again.

"I'm coming Benji Carson. No need to tell me a million times." I told him coming downstairs "Benji let's leave I'm ready." I said after a few minutes. He was shouting at me so we could leave but now where the hell is here.

"I'm coming Fia." He said.

"I'm coming to get you, Benji. You better be ready because I don't want you to blame me again." I quickly went back upstairs and just like that he was already in bed. Hell, we won't be going anymore.

End of flashback

"Mommy let's go let's go." Elijah jumped on my bed and just like every other morning he always gets up before me and wakes me up.

"Elijah baby what's wrong? It's not eight yet it's Sunday, my boy. Come sleep with me."

"Mommy it's uncle Mark's birthday." Shit, I forgot it. Elijah was born the day before Marko's birthday, and his birthday had to be on a Sunday today. My only day of rest.

I can't even believe I didn't get him a gift.

"Get in the bathroom Elijah we have to leave in less than thirty minutes." I quickly took a clean shirt and pants out for him and went to bath him. After that, I dressed him up and gave him porridge because I couldn't make anything else so fast. I told him to eat his porridge while I went to take a bath.

-

"Anna girl, where's the birthday boy?" I asked as I took a seat.

"He is no here." She replied. "Sofia, believe me when I say this but I seriously don't have a gift for him." She is crazy, but for once I'm glad because I also don't have any gift for him.

"Me also. Let's go buy now before he comes from work." So we both got up and told Annette's nanny to look after them both.

"What does he like Anna, you the wife." I said as she driving.

"We'll just get him clothes, you know he loves them." She replied giving me her phone to call Marko.

"Hey, babe" Anna greeted Marko.

"I'm sorry, love but I'll only come late home. Boss came to check all of us today." I know if Anna had a gift for him today then she would've been pissed off saying that it's his birthday and that he should come home early.

"It's alright, wouldn't want you losing your job." We both said it at the same time I know people would probably think I'm rude and he was talking to his wife only. But I'm like a small sister to him, and I will always be like this to him.

"Are you guys feeling okay today?" Marko asked but we just hang the phone and stopped the car at a mall.

-

"Is this okay, Sofia?" Anna asked as if I buy men's clothes on a daily basis. So I just smiled at her and told her, anything is fine. "No Sofia babe, it's not fine. You know how Marko is if it's not what he likes then he won't wear it to on every special occasion." She replied giving me a look that said you may be my best friend but I'll kill you if you don't choose wisely.

"You know I don't have a guy to know what guys like. The only male I have in my life is my baby boy." The regret I got after I said that, is something I could never take back. I hate myself for never telling Benjamin the truth.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that Sofia. Don't you even dare think of any of them, especially your ex! I won't forgive myself please." She said that almost sounding as if she was pleading. But it was a little too late for that because I was already thinking about the past.

The thing that hunts me at night. The regrets, sometimes I wish I wasn't born.

"I'll go pay for these Anna. We have been gone for hours." I told Anna

"Guess what I'm thinking of Sofia?" She asked and knowing her too well I knew that laugh and smile, she wants to surprise Marko.

"We going to go to Marko's workplace?" I asked and she made me wait for a reply.

"Yeah but I'll take the stairs to his office, not the elevator you know I'm scared of that thing." Anna is always so scared of elevators because of one the day she got stuck, she could've died that day if the emergency people didn't come in time and me on the other hand, hate stairs because I almost lost Elijah because of them, and plus I am just too lazy to go up.

"We here, Sofia let's go. Let's see who reaches the office first."

"And what about his boss? His coming Anna." I asked because I don't want him to lose his job because of us.

"Don't worry he already left because Felicity said he already checked on Marko." She said that while she was getting ready for the race.

"We'll see who wins, Anna." As I said that I saw Anna run to the stairs, she is very fast and I know she will beat me if I don't get in the elevator now.

I went inside the elevator and the elevator was about to close. I was trying to get ready to start pressing the number I want to go to so I could beat Anna. But then Someone just stopped the elevator from closing.

"Bitch couldn't you hear me shouting for you." The man said. I can't believe he ruined my mood. This man really made me so angry, who does he think he is, calling me a female dog.

"Firstly I ain't your bitch asshole, and secondly I didn't want to wait for you." I stated.

"Well if you work for me you fired." Who the hell does this man think he is, does he fire people just like that, now I know what Marko meant by no one likes him not any of the workers, only the women's flirter with him.

"I do work for you and I'm not fired. I know my rights Mr asshole." I said that trying to play him, what kind of boss is he when he doesn't know who he hires.

"What's your name ?" He asked so nicely, but I knew he just wanted to know my name that's why he is trying to be nice to me.

"It's Sof-" Before I could finish saying my name he turned around and shocked me.

"SOFIA!" He shouted.

"BENJAMIN?" My heart stopped beating for a second.

We were both so shocked seeing each other after three years and six months. Even though it took three fucking years and six months, to meet again. I wonder what's he doing in New York.

"So Sofia, I finally found you. Six years is a long time hey." Benjamin said stopping the elevator. I can't believe I lost, Anna won. But I don' care about that now, all I cared about is getting the hell away from him.

"It's been three years and six months, not SIX YEARS." I pushed him away from me and I pressed my number on the elevator.

"Yeah, a long time. So why did you cheat on me? Why did you go stripping for my friends, my business partners? The thing I'll never understand is what the fuck were you thinking humiliating me like that?" He asked me questions about what happened long before I married him, but I know if he knew the truth he would have never thrown me out that night. But the last question was what surprised me why did I humiliate him? Wow, all he really cares about is his reputation.

So I pushed him away without answering his questions because if I do, then I will just go back to the place I have been trying to get away from for years. My ugly past, my nightmares. The worst thing now is that I have to think of my son.

I tried to press my number again because he keeps stopping it, but then he pushed me against the wall.

"No matter where you go, I'll find you. Until you give me answers." Benjamin said.