"You better pay up all your outstanding bills or you don't graduate." " I will get the money sir, just give me a little more time." After the death of Sophie's father about a year ago, it was really hard for her mum to pay up all her bills, like her school fees and she wouldn't graduate. Sophie had to indulge herself in a secret after school job as a masked stripper. But thing took another turn, when a billionaire who was fond of coming to club, start to harbors feeling for her. He was known for his fathers wealth, and was announced that he recently got engaged. Sophie and Scott had different encounters, without her mask on but he despises who she truly was. Meanwhile, Sophie exceed her limitscas a striper and fell into a night stand with Scott, which lead to her pregnancy. There was no way he was going to accept a stripper, talk more of who she truly was without her mask. Will Sophie keep the baby? Will Scott accept to be the father? When her true identity is out, will Scott or his family accept her? What will happen to Scott's fiancee? Read on to find out.
"Dear, I'm entrusting into your hands the responsibility of taking care of your mother. Never let her shed a tear, she's the only family you've got now...." Andrew's quivering voice lingered in the room as he struggled to breath.
Tears coursed down Sophie's cheeks as she held her father's hand even more tightly.
"Dad, please stay with me. Don't say that, you're still here with me. You'll be fine" Sophie encouraged her dad but it almost sounded like she was trying to make herself believe he would survive.
Andrew's face split into a dry smile, "Honey, I've fought enough. I'm tired of fighting, my body seeks peace."
Sophie shook her head in disagreement, "No dad. You can't stop fighting now, you have to keep trying, please."
Andrew's opened his mouth to speak but all that came out were coughs.
The huge sum of money he had spent to cure himself of pneumonia amounted to nothing as he was now on the verge of death.
"Mom..Mom, stop crying and come see, dad won't stop coughing." Sophie called the attention of her crying mother.
Maria rose up quickly from the couch, "Andrew, Andrew, are you okay? Shou.. should I call the doctor? Please talk to me."
Observing the situation, Sophie's instincts wouldn't let her be, "Doctor! Doctor! Please come check what's wrong with my dad." She yelled while dashing out of the room.
Sophie arrived immediately with a doctor.
Andrew's cough was reducing, but this would have been good news if blood wasn't dripping from his nose.
"Mr Young. Hang in there." The doctor said as he placed his stethoscope on Andrew's pale body in a fit to hear his heartbeat.
Maria and Sophie stood by in silence, while trying their best to stay positive.
Andrew took one last inhale of air before going silent. He finally succumbed to the cold hands of death. Andrew Young lived no more...
The doctor's sad bow said a lot but Maria relied not on her assumptions.
Gulping down hard on the lump that formed in her throat, Maria asked, "Doctor...What's wrong? How's he doing?"
The doctor lifted his gaze to Maria's, "I'm sorry Mrs Young. We lost him."
Maria was overwhelmed by shock that she fell on her knees without realizing.
Sophie was struck by shock as well, her eyes bulged out so much in fear.
Were her ears working fine or did she just hear the most heartbreaking news?
"Dad, wake up!!!" Sophie screamed at the top of her voice as she turned to look at her father's corpse.
*****
"Ring!!" The doorbell blared through the living room.
"I wonder who that is." Maria thought as she removed her hand from the dough she was kneading.
"Ring!!" The doorbell rang again.
"I'm coming!" Maria replied in a sing song tone while trying to wipe off the flour on her hands.
"This will take too much time, I'll just have Sophie get the door." She muttered to herself before yelling her daughter's name.
"Alright mom, I'll get the door." Sophie called while walking down the stairs.
Sophie twisted the door knob open to meet unfamiliar faces at the door.
"Who..who are.."
"Hello ma'am. Are you Maria Young?" A lady dressed in a cooperate fit asked Sophie just before she could finish her sentence.
Sophie hesitated before responding, "No. She's my mother."
"Alright, please go inform your mother of our presence." The man standing by his female colleague instructed.
With a subtle nod, Sophie yelled her mom's attention to the door.
Maria appeared at the door with a towel in her hand, "Hi, how may I help you?"
"We're from the citizen's bank. Apparently, your husband, Late Mr Andrew Young loaned some amount of money from the bank and he used this building as a collateral, he also made you his guarantor in case of his absence or inability to pay up." Michael explained.
Maria was utterly speechless.
She had barely recovered from the death of her husband and now they're faced with another problem? That too much, such a difficult one?
She sighed as she tried to gather her thoughts, "Umm, i actually never knew about this until now. I'm currently not working, I and my daughter feed on the little that I am able to provide, so please give me some time, when I find a good job, I'll sort out this loan." She finished while scratching the top of her nose to ease the helplessness she felt.
"I'm sorry ma'am but unfortunately we won't be able to give you enough time. You have to pay up the loan of three hundred thousand dollars or else we'll have to ask you to evacuate the building." Marilyn declared in an assertive tone.
Sophie felt embarrassed on her mom's behalf, she knew she couldn't just stand there without trying to placate the situation.
"She said she would sort it out. If she has a job, paying the loan wouldn't be a problem, please understand." Sophie implored but the officials stood firm on their words.
"The loan's already overdue. We can't give any more time."
"How much time is left until we're asked to evacuate the building?" Maria inquired.
Sophie, who stood behind her mom opened her mouth in surprise, what's mom asking? She wondered.
"Seven days. After that, you'll be forcefully evacuated from the building." Marilyn said.
"Such a short notice? This is unfair." Maria complained.
"Not paying a loan in the due time is also unfair ma'am." Michael retorted.
Maria pursed her lips, "I understand."
"We'll take our leave now. The ball is in your court. Good day." And with that, the officials turned on their heels and exited the compound.
With the officials out of sight, Maria closed the door gently.
The tears she had been fighting back began to flow freely, seeing her mother in tears, Sophie drew her in for a hug.
"Mom, please don't cry. Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."
"Ever since your dad's death, life became terribly difficult for me. We can barely afford good food and now I'm supposed to pay up a loan of three hundred thousand dollars?" Maria sobbed even harder in her daughter's arms.
Sophie patted her mother on the back softly, "We'll surely find a way out...don't you worry mom."
******
Samantha took another look at the book in her hand, "The only job available is that of a garbage collector."
"No. I can't do that." Maria refused immediately.
Samantha raised a brow,"Aren't you the same woman who crawled in here begging desperately for a job? You really got preferences on this?"
Maria frowned, "Just because I'm in desperate need of a job doesn't mean I'd take any kind of job."
Samantha scoffed, "Would you look at that? So much pride from a lowlife?"
Maria's eyes widened, "Samantha! Mind your language." She warned with a pointed finger.
"Wow, I'm over here trying to look for an available job and you talk to me in that manner? Get out of my office." Samantha declared angrily while gesturing towards the door.
"Fine. Silly woman." Maria hissed.
"I got a job for you." A voice said by the door the moment Maria stepped out.
Chapter 1 After the Great Loss
22/07/2024
Chapter 2 The New Job
22/07/2024
Chapter 3 I Need Money
22/07/2024
Chapter 4 I Am A Stripper
22/07/2024
Chapter 5 At The Club
22/07/2024
Chapter 6 The First Kiss.
22/07/2024
Chapter 7 I Need Help.
22/07/2024
Chapter 8 The Perfect Escape.
22/07/2024
Chapter 9 He Is Engaged.
22/07/2024
Chapter 10 I'm In Love With Him.
22/07/2024
Chapter 11 Nightmares and Realities.
17/08/2024
Chapter 12 Entangled in the Shadows
17/08/2024
Chapter 13 Unwelcoming Assistance
18/08/2024
Chapter 14 Unspoken Tension.
18/08/2024
Chapter 15 Unseen Ties.
18/08/2024
Chapter 16 A Day of Surprise.
19/08/2024
Chapter 17 CAUGHT BETWEEN FEARS.
14/10/2024
Chapter 18 A GOOD DAY AHEAD.
14/10/2024
Chapter 19 SHADOWS OF BETRAYAL.
14/10/2024
Chapter 20 UNFORGETTABLE MISTAKE.
14/10/2024
Chapter 21 A NIGHT WITH MR BILLIONAIRE
15/10/2024
Chapter 22 ECHOES OF THE NIGHT.
17/10/2024
Chapter 23 DIVING INTO FEELINGS.
18/11/2024
Chapter 24 UNEXPECTED LEAD.
18/11/2024
Chapter 25 I'M DONE WITH THIS.
18/11/2024
Chapter 26 THE BIG FIGHT.
18/11/2024
Chapter 27 A DANGEROUS CALM.
18/11/2024
Chapter 28 THE PROMISES.
18/11/2024
Chapter 29 THE SECRET DANCER
24/11/2024
Chapter 30 HIDDEN FEELINGS.
24/11/2024
Chapter 31 MIXED SIGNALS.
24/11/2024
Chapter 32 ALL FOR THE STAGE.
24/11/2024
Chapter 33 WHISPERS OF DOUBT.
24/11/2024
Chapter 34 THE THREAT KEEPS COMING.
24/11/2024
Chapter 35 A HEARTBEAT AWAY.
24/11/2024
Chapter 36 THE BIRTHDAY MORNING.
24/11/2024
Chapter 37 BIRTHDAY PARTY.
24/11/2024
Chapter 38 A BETRAYAL UNVEILED.
24/11/2024
Chapter 39 A HEART BETWEEN WORLDS.
24/11/2024
Chapter 40 TORN LOYALTIES.
24/11/2024