Fate leads me to Steven Wolker

**SOPHIE MADSON’S POV

Agreement, but I regret opening my eyes. My head was pounding from the amount of alcohol I had consumed. I open my eyes with some difficulty, feeling quite confused, and when I look at the man beside me, I'm startled, but then the scenes from the previous night come rushing back to me, various events flashing in my memory.

Oh my God, what have I done?

I slowly get up so as not to wake him. I need to leave before he wakes up and escape the situation I caused myself. He is proposing an early honeymoon to me. It's all complete madness. I gather my scattered clothes on the floor, then hastily put them on one by one, almost stumbling in the process.

"Good morning, Sophie," his voice startles me.

I jump in fright at his voice and look over at Steven lying in bed, covered only by a blanket up to his waist. My face is flushed, and I don't know where to put my head out of sheer embarrassment.

"Um, hi... good morning! I'm leaving. It was very pleasant," I affirm without looking at him again.

"But we're engaged. How can you just leave like this?" he says excitedly, his voice still husky from sleep.

"What? Engaged? How is that possible? I'm sorry, but I don't remember," I pretend not to recall anything.

Only alcohol could be to blame for agreeing to marry a stranger out of nowhere and ending up spending the night in a five-star hotel. Although he's so handsome and enticing that I wouldn't need much alcohol to sleep with him again.

I remember that I'm married, or rather... was married, and I still need to sort out the divorce.

He stands up and approaches me, my heart racing nervously at the situation I've gotten myself into. I just want to go home and forget about this, treat it like a casual encounter and nothing more.

"Sophie, I'm telling the truth. I want you to marry me," he stands before me still naked, and I blush even more.

"You... should get dressed," I look down, noticing the temptation between his legs.

Steven also looks down at his body and grabs a robe folded on a bedside table, puts it on, and ties it around his waist.

"This is madness, what you're proposing. I am... I mean, I'm getting a divorce, and you're proposing marriage? I need to go," I say, grabbing my bag.

"You're the perfect woman for what I need. Let me make you a proposal."

He follows me to the door as I walk, almost stumbling over the furniture.

"It's better to forget what happened. Have a nice day."

This was utter madness, and I wouldn't accept it. My life had taken a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn since the last event of the previous day. I slam the door to the suite, rushing out into the hotel corridor like a mad woman. I still have countless unresolved situations to deal with in my life.

---

*One hour after leaving the hotel...

I arrived at my apartment and as I opened the door, everything came flooding back. My current "ex-husband" cheated on me with a woman in our bed, then the bar, and then the intense night with Steven.

My life has transformed rapidly. I only wished to have a normal marriage, a normal job, and an absolutely... normal life!

When I entered the bedroom, I saw a mess of broken glass and clothes scattered on the floor. Cleaning it all up fell on me.

I don't regret what I did—in a few vindicated. All the love I felt for Hector has turned into hatred. I should admit that it was never love.

I hear the doorbell ring and go to the door. Upon opening it, I find Hector staring at me.

"How dare you come here?" I widen my eyes.

"We are married, and we need to resolve the situation. Sophie, it was a mistake, and..." He tries to explain.

I advance towards him and slap him several times, becoming irritated by his feeble excuse. He still dares to try to justify such an absurd action.

"Hearing your voice disgusts me. The only thing you will do is take everything that belongs to you before I put an end to all of this. I never want to see you again," I shout when I finish speaking.

"Are you ending our marriage over a trivial matter? A mistake?" He speaks without shame.

"A TRIVIAL MATTER?" I shout. "I will file for divorce today. Disappear from here or I'll call the police. I'll be civil and send your belongings, even though you don't deserve it."

"Sophie..."

I slam the door shut before hearing what he has to say. I don't want to face lies, look at him, or hear him, as it only adds to my headache.

Furthermore, I have a long day ahead of me, to reorganize everything, gather all of his belongings and remove them from this apartment, and also file for divorce.

Ignoring the hangover that consumes me, I start to tidy up the house to keep my mind occupied. I called work and informed them that I was feeling unwell, which isn't a lie, considering how I felt amidst all these events. My coworker volunteered to help me with the tasks at the company.

Looking around, I sigh. Organizing the apartment will at least keep my mind occupied, and that's all I need right now. I dedicate myself to putting everything in its proper place.

Minutes later, with the house properly cleaned and organized, I look around, feeling satisfied.

I rearranged some furniture to feel like I'm in a new home, a fresh start in life. I still have a day full of tasks, and after a shower, I opt for comfortable clothes to go downtown.

After a long conversation with a lawyer, I went to the designated location and filed for divorce. Observing the images from my apartment's security cameras, I noticed Hector deleting several images, but I never realized it. This proves that he has been cheating on me for months, and I was able to prove the infidelity since he didn't have time to delete the last images.

It was painful to have to go through this, to prove that I was being betrayed to get the divorce quickly. I managed to sort everything out, filing for divorce to free myself from what hurts me so much.

When the late afternoon came, I returned to the apartment. Upon entering, I took off my shoes, threw them on the floor, and headed to my room. Upon entering, I observed the emptiness of living alone, feeling that I had become accustomed to being married.

My phone rings, and I answer immediately.

"Sophie Madson!" I hear a male voice.

"Yes, it's me!" I reply, getting nervous.

"It's from the hospital, Mr. Thomas. Mrs. Ester Madson has been admitted, and we need your immediate presence!"

"Okay, I'm coming right away!"

My body trembles, and I feel dread take over. My mother means everything to me, and I've always dedicated myself to helping her. She fought hard for me, even after suffering from my father's infidelity.

I put on my shoes again and left the apartment, running down the sidewalk until I found a taxi. I indicated the destination, and the driver realized it was an emergency and tried to go as fast as he could.

Likewise, I arrive at the hospital, run to the reception, and inform them of my mother's name. I am quickly directed to a waiting area. The doctor takes little time to arrive, holding some papers.

"I'm Sophie, doctor!" I shake his hand. "What happened? Where's my mother?"

"Mrs. Madson was medicated and is in one of the rooms. She sought treatment feeling intense pain, and I immediately requested tests. We detected that she needs to undergo a valve replacement procedure in her heart. The urgency is evident; it's a state-of-the-art treatment."

He reveals, making me even more nervous. I rub my hands on my face and take a deep breath, keeping calm.

"What needs to be done, doctor?" I ask anxiously.

"Intense treatment, monitoring, and surgery to replace the valve with a mechanical valve. We are available for the other procedures, but the replacement requires payment. Because this valve must be developed exclusively for your mother."

I look at the man attentively; he explains all the necessary treatment for my mother, and he also explains that she may undergo surgery. This makes me even more terrified.

I almost fainted when the doctor handed me the paper with the procedure costs explained.

"All of this?" I'm bewildered.

"As I mentioned, it's a new procedure that must be done exclusively for the patient."

I cover my mouth with my hand, astounded by the extremely high euro amount. I try to imagine where I would get that much money.

"Until when do I have to pay this amount?" I ask.

"In three days. She's already well taken care of, but the surgery must happen soon."

I don't want anything to happen to my mother, and I realize I'll have to appeal for a miracle to come up with this amount. I could sell my apartment in three days!

"Can I see her?" I look at the doctor, pleading.

"Of course, you can't stay for long because she's medicated, but follow me!"

I follow the doctor as he walks through the corridors. Minutes later, we arrive at an intensive care room, and I prepare to enter.

I saw my mother's small eyes open when I entered the room. She forces a smile and extends the hand with the intravenous access. My heart is crushed, seeing her like this. I'd rather be betrayed a thousand times than see my mother in a hospital.

"Daughter, it's so good... to see you!" She speaks with difficulty.

"Mom, why didn't you tell me you were feeling unwell?" I hold back tears.

"I thought it was nothing, didn't feel many symptoms, and..." My mother grimaces, pausing her speech.

"You don't need to explain. Don't talk to avoid feeling pain. I'll take care of everything, and soon we'll be together." I stroke her hair.

"How will you pay for this unexpected surgery? It's... a lot of money." She closes her eyes, feeling weak.

"Don't worry about any of that; I have everything under control."

I dared lie so she wouldn't worry. I noticed she closed her eyes and fell asleep. The nurse approached and advised me to let her rest.

I leave the room and walk through the long corridor. I feel exhausted, physically and mentally. In one day, I'm living through the most painful and crazy moments of my existence. The universe is not on my side.

I made plans to sell the apartment, but the only problem was doing it in such a short time. I consider taking out a loan, but the bureaucracy will also hinder the speed of the process.

Furthermore, I took a deep breath and spotted the doctor who was attending to my mother. He was not alone. He shakes hands with a man in a suit. To my surprise, Steven is a few meters away.

I need clarification on his presence in the hospital. I continue walking and approach, curious to know what's going on.

"Steven, what are you doing here?" I look at him with widened eyes.

"Miss Madson, Mr. Wolker has assumed all the additional costs of your mother's treatment and has also made it available for us to do whatever is needed without worrying about payments. We'll start as soon as possible, excuse me!"

The doctor smiles and walks away down the corridor. I look at Steven, who has his hands in his pockets.

"What does this mean?" I'm scared to ask.