Sophia’s Point of View
Maybe I shouldn’t have done what I did next. Not that it changed in the end.
I was just hurting a little too much. So I flung open my wardrobe and reached for the letter in my luggage.
The letter Jerry had sent to me what felt like a lifetime ago before I left on this trip. The letter I had once been so sure I would never open.
I tore open the sealed envelope and within there was a photograph and a letter.
The photograph was beautiful. It was that of a couple sitting next to each other, the lady’s head on the man’s shoulder, their hands intertwined and soft shy loving smiles on their faces.
The lady was a classic beauty with dainty features and a shock of beautiful deep lavender waves that fell to her waist but it was the man that held my attention.
It was Mr Prescott but softer. His grey eyes were warm and trained on the woman next to him, his smile was easy and genuine.
His hair was longer in the picture brushing his shoulders and he had never looked more like my one night stand than he did in that photograph.
Blood rushed in my ears as the possibility of Mr Prescott being my one night stand seemed even more probable than before.
I opened the letter with shaky fingers. It was written in Jerry’s loopy calligraphic handwriting and it read…
“I sincerely hope you read this letter, Sophia. In my ignorance, I have wronged you in so many ways that I cannot atone for but in this, I wish to do right by you.”
Lord help me, Jerry actually seemed remorseful. Not that it mattered to me at this point. I continued to read the letter, my heart skipping a beat at the next line.
“I took something my brother treasured once,” The letter read. “I broke Penelope and now he wishes to do the same to you. Reid Prescott is more calculating than you think. Your marriage to him cannot have a happy ending.”
That was the end of the letter. Instead of answering my questions, the letter had left me with even more questions.
Penelope. Penelope. Why did that name sound familiar? Right, Daphne had mentioned her earlier in the restroom.
‘Penelope tried the same. She thought she was special but Reid discarded her as he will you.’
That was what Daphne had told me. That Mr Prescott had discarded Penelope but Jerry’s letter seemed to be implying the opposite. That he had somehow been behind the separation of Mr Prescott and Penelope.
Who was telling the truth and who was lying between Jerry and Daphne?
I wasn’t sure. Both of them weren’t trustworthy.
But as I stared at the picture. As I stared at a side of Mr Prescott I had never seen before, I wondered who Penelope was and if she was the reason Mr Prescott had sealed off his heart.
Mr Prescott didn’t return to our room till later in the wee hours of the morning only to leave early once more leaving only a short note informing me about another dinner that night.
Was this what the rest of our marriage was going to be like? Full of public appearances as a couple while we drifted apart in private?
I cradled my belly. Where would the children fit into all this?
I still didn’t have the answer to that question when Mr Prescott led me through another turn on the dance floor at the party.
He excelled at dancing as he did everything else and although we were close, so close that I could have lost myself in him, I had never felt more apart from him.
“Are both of you alright?” Rita asked and I was startled out of my thoughts.
Mr Prescott was discussing with his associates, Derek at the forefront while I had drifted towards the squad, the only familiar faces at this party.
Margery and Jill were arguing about Jill’s hasty investment in what Margery had dubbed ‘an obvious scam’ with Eliza running interference. I didn’t realize Rita had noticed my dark mood with all the ruckus.
“Does it seem like we are at odds?” I said stalling and fighting back tears for some reason.
Damn pregnancy hormones.
“No,” Rita said carefully. “But your hold on your wine glass is… tight.”
I looked at my hand, I didn’t even realize I had picked up a glass of wine.
I dropped it with a sigh before facing Rita.
“I don’t know what I’m doing, Rita. I just feel so lost. Like I’m way in over my head.”
Rita nodded like she understood what I was talking about even though I was almost certain that she didn’t.
“Have you tried talking it out with him?” She suggested.
Talking it out.
Rita made it sound so easy but talking with Mr Prescott was never just talking. I would get overly emotional or he would walk away or we would end up giving in to our desires.
I looked down at my hands surprised to see them trembling.
“It’s alright,” Rita said softly, taking my hands in hers, her voice dipping slightly. “No marriage is perfect all the time, Sophia. Apart from love, marriages need loads of effort to flourish.”
I wasn’t even sure if Mr Prescott loved me. But effort, that part I could do.
Maybe Rita had a point. I needed to talk to Mr Prescott about Penelope or maybe even just everything. We couldn’t go on like this.
“Thank you so much, Rita,” I smiled at her wiping away my stray tears. “I think I’ll go talk to him now.”
Rita’s smile was broad and encouraging.
“You’ve got this, Sophia.”
I wasn’t sure if I agreed with her completely but I began to walk towards Mr Prescott.
He lifted his phone to his ear obviously taking a call then he raised a finger excusing himself from his conversation with Derek Terrence.
Alright, this was better. I would be able to talk to Mr Prescott alone.
I left the party, hastening my steps and walking in the direction of the turn I had seen Mr Prescott take.
I rounded the corner just to come to a complete halt at the sight of Daphne kissing Mr Prescott.