Sophia stood frozen in place, her eyes were wide and unblinking as she watched Ellie walked onto the stage. Her mouth was slightly opened in surprise as she was finding it hard to believe the scene before her. Her lips were parted, trying to utter some words but the words wouldn’t come out. Her eyebrows were high raised, and a slight of furrows formed on her forehead, amplifying the confusion and disbelief etched on her face.
“What ….. are you …. talking about? She is the CEO?” Sophia finally asked, facing Claire who was standing beside her, with her finger pointed in the direction of Ellie.
“Yes, she is. She is the CEO and founder of Annie Fashion Group. Hope you like the surprised we planned for you?” Claire said, as her smile transformed in an instant, revealing something far deeper than the polite, practiced expression she had always worn. The edges of her lips curled up slowly, but there was no warmth in the gesture. Instead, it felt calculated, sharp, as if the smile was a mask that had finally slipped away to reveal what was hidden beneath. Her eyes gleamed with a cold, knowing light, devoid of the friendliness they had once projected. It was then Sophia realized she had been played all along.
“Thank you, Miss Lily, for granting us the opportunity to work with your company. We look forward to our successful partnership with you” Daniel, who was standing beside Ellie on the stage said, smiling, as he shook her hand. The genuine smile on Daniel’s face and his indifferent reaction towards the revelation about Ellie further made Sophia confirm that she had been the fool and the one in the dark all along. There was no doubt that Daniel knew about Ellie’s identity as the CEO of Annie’s Fashion Group.
She watched as both Daniel and Ellie sealed the deal by appending their signatures on the agreement and the paparazzi didn’t fail to capture all the moments.
“Looking forward to a successful collaboration with you too, Mr. Daniel” Ellie responded smiling, as she shook Daniel’s hand and faced the camera to take a picture with him. Just when Sophia had thought the shock was over, Daniel dropped a shocking revelation which broke her heart.
“Dear all, I want to use this medium to thank you for gracing this occasion and at the same time, use this medium to make two special announcements. I want to bring to your notice of my intention to step down from my position as the president of the company” Daniel declared, which came as shock to everyone.
“What? Is he really to handover the company to her?” Sophia had thought, venting her anger on the hem of her dress. She wanted to shout, yell and disrupt the occasion but something within her was holding her back, cautioning her not to embarrass herself.
“My second son, Richard will be taking over from me as the President while Miss Lily standing beside me, will be taking over the position of the Vice-President from my first son, Edward. Also, I would like you all to know that the union of my son, Richard, and his fiancee, Miss Lily, will be taking place in two months’ time. Look out for your invites. Thank you all for your time, that will be all” Daniel further stated, as he made his way down the stage. In no time, he was surrounded by the media personnels, who wanted to know the reason behind his decision. Seeing that all attention had been diverted to Daniel, Ellie walked gracefully to where Sophia was standing, with a satisfying smile on her face.
“How was my surprise for you? Was it well received?” Ellie asked, with a smile which was that of mockery on her face.
“So, you have been playing me all this while?” Sophia managed to ask, as she was burning with fury.
“Whoa!!!!! You didn’t know?” Ellie asked with a mockery voice.
“How could the big and mighty Sophia be so stupid not to know she had been played the whole time? For your information, everything that happened right from the day I reappeared on Austin’s birthday, till now had all been planned by me. You think Daniel would put the company in your care? No, you are mistaken. The idea of getting a collaboration with the company was all planned by me. And in case you do not know, I and Daniel had been in touch throughout the five years I disappeared into the thin air. He knew we would show up at Austin’s birthday party. He has been in support of me the whole time, but you failed to notice that Buffon!!!” Ellie yelled in a low voice, in order not to call the attention of the guests to her. Sophia stood stunned, as she couldn’t believe she had not only been played but also fooled.
“Why didn’t I notice any of these?” she had silently thought, amid her defeat. She knew she had been defeated. She knew she had reached the bottom pit, which she had feared her whole life. Her last hope of becoming the President of Lion’s Fashion Group and rising back to the top had been crushed. She knew she had reached the crossroad and there was no way out for her. Fear was all over her, which anyone who had looked at her keenly would have noticed. She looked confused and lost, not knowing what to do and the next step to take. Her lips began to tremble, she wanted to speak and give Ellie a counterattack, but the words wouldn’t come out. She felt defeated and blamed herself for getting played.
“Feeling defeated already? No, you can’t be. I am not done with my revenge yet; this is just the tip of the iceberg. The real show begins in less than 30 seconds” Sophia said, with the desire for retribution evident in her eyes as she checked her watch.
“What are you talking about?” anxious Sophia, who was worried as to the scheme Ellie had up her sleeve asked, with horror in her eyes. Her heart was beating very fast in her chest, and she felt it would burst anytime soon. Ellie didn’t give a response as she began her countdown instead. As she counted the numbers, her eyes were fixed on the door, as if she was expecting someone to come through there anytime soon. When she reached number 24, the door to the hall flung open, and Ellie put on a satisfied smile upon seeing the people who had walked into the room. Sophia’s eyes widened in shock as she saw the police enter the room and walked towards her. Her fear heightened and her legs began to tremble.
“What have you done?” Sophia’s voice cracked as she glared at Ellie, who simply chuckled, her laughter sharp and cruel, cutting through Sophia’s rising panic.
“What I did? I did what a lawful citizen should have done, which is to report the crime I had witnessed. I reported the murder you committed last night and mind you, you can’t have your way out of this as you have always done. I have a lot of evidence to prove you guilty of the crime” Sophia said, smiling sheepishly.
“Miss Sophia, I am placing you under arrest for the murder of Mr. Kevin Smith. You have the right to remain silent as anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney but if you can’t afford one, we will get one for you. Do you understand these rights?” the female police, who had bridged the gap between her and Sophia said, as she tried to make sure she had comprehended the situation. Surprisingly, Sophia didn’t say a word and stood still, looking at no one blankly. Everyone in the room was surprised by the police’s accusation, except for Ellie, Richard, Claire and Daniel who had plotted the whole thing. The guests’ mouths were wide agape and soon afterwards, gossip began to fly around the room. The media weren’t left behind as they made sure to capture every detail, ready to make a newsworthy headline.
“Please, turn around and place your hands behind your back” the police demanded, when she got no response from Sophia. She was handcuffed after which she was led out of the room into the police van but not without Ellie whispering into her ears, “Thank you for helping me get my revenge on Kevin, without me getting my hands stained”.
As everyone watched Sophia walked away with the police, Ellie put on a victorious smile as she had finally exerted her revenge on those who hurt her.
But do you think Sophia would give in to defeat that easily?