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Flashback: (few years ago)
Sophie's POV:

"Baby, today there will be people coming to see you and they may even be your new parents. So if you behave nicely, they will adopt you and then you will have parents who will give you toys and take care of you", the nun told me who takes on care of all the children in this orphanage. I am so happy that finally after a wait of 9 years, I will finally have parents who will take care of and give me toys and take me to different places.

I am 9 years old now and I came here when I was a baby when I came here. It's been 9 years for me in this orphanage and it's my home, but everyone needs parents.

Whenever anyone comes to see me, they adopt other children and leave me alone. I feel so sad and lonely. My parents left me in this orphanage when I was a baby, that's what our nun told me.

I don't know what I did for my parents to leave me alone like this. Although I am happy in this orphanage, I still want my own parents who only take care of me. The nun takes care of all the children with me like a mother, but we all miss our parents. We feel so bad when other children get adopted and they leave the orphanage happily with their parents.

Today I will behave very nicely so that the people coming to adopt a child will adopt me. I want parents of my own. I think I should ready now nearly, so that I look like nice neat girl.

3 months later......

"SOPHIE, SOPHIE YOU STUPID GIRL! I WANT YOU DOWNSTAIRS IN 10 SECONDS OR YOU WILL BE PUNISHED", my mom shouted at me from downstairs as I was sitting and doing my homework. As I heard her scream, I flinched in fear because I knew that if I don't reach downstairs in 10 seconds, I will really not get food for 3 days.

I quickly got up from my shaking chair which was old and rusty and took long steps, running downstairs to meet the glare of my mom.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU CLEAN THE VESSELS", my mom screamed at me as I looked down towards my shoes in fear.

"I am sorry mommy, I went to study. I will do it now", I apologized, still looking down.

"How dare you back answer me? Now you won't be getting food for 1 day! Now go fast and clean the bloody vessel, you have a lot of work to do", she said and stumbled towards the living room due to her drunken state.

"How many times am I supposed to tell you don't call me mom! I am not your mommy! Call me ma'am", she turned and scolded me.

"Sorry mo- ma'am", I stuttered and ran towards the kitchen to clean the vessels.

After I was done with all the vessels, I quickly went to the living room to see my mom sleeping on the couch. I went to her and shook her to wake up, and when she did, she glared at me

"I am done with the vessels. Can I go now to study ma'am?", I asked her looking down.

"Who will mop the floor then? Your mom?", she asked and stood up to take the cigarette pack from the coffee table. She took out a cigarette from the pack, put it between her teeth and lit it up, blowing the smoke on my face, which gave me a bad cough.

"I will do it right away", I said and turned around to leave, but I was yanked behind by someone pulling me by my hair.

"It's been 3 months since I brought you in this house, yet I have to repeat your chores everyday. Don't you get it in your mind in one day bitch?", man pulled my hair further back and my scalp was burning with so much pain. Tears dropped down my cheeks but I knew it was useless to cry in front of her. She actually enjoys when I cry for mercy.

"Let your sir come tonight! He will teach you a lesson when I tell him about you", she blackmailed me and my eyes widened in fear because I knew I was going to get a lot of beating tonight. I can't escape it.

"Now go!", she screamed and pushed me forward as I stumbled on my feet and fell on the floor, while the tears of pain and fear still kept running down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them off and went to the storage room to get the mop.

I don't know what I did to deserve this treatment from the only people I thought were going to get me out of that orphanage and take care of me like my own parents. That's all I wanted. But in return of that expectations, I get this, this miserable life where every night, I go to sleep with red and puffy eyes  from all the crying.

Sometimes I just want dig a hole in the ground, curl into a ball and bury myself in that hole forever and never leave it. I am just 11 years but I am going though a torture which even adults can't tolerate. Still I am living everyday, because I know that one day, I will find happiness, which will erase all the bad memories of my past. I know it.

I quickly moped the floor and went to the kitchen to cook some dinner for tonight. At least if the food is good, I will get less bruises tonight along with less pain to spend my night with.

I quickly finished cooking which took me an hour to finish. I have prepared fried rice along with chicken Manchurian. The nun in the orphanage taught me how to cook this because this is my favourite dish. Hopefully mo- ma'am and sir would like it.

I took off my torn apron and went to the living room. As I entered, I saw bottles of cheap alcohol were scattered on the ground here and there, which means I have to pick them all up and dump them properly. I started picking all the bottle but I didn't notice that one bottle was lying on the ground broken and so, it caused my feet to bleed due to walking on the scattered glass without noticing it. Due to the pain and stinginess on my feet, I shivered in pain cause of which all the three bottles I was holding fell from my hands and broke on the ground. Now I have to use a broom to gather all these pieces properly before they hurt someone.

I sat on a dining table chair and bought my leg on my other legs knees so that my feet was in proper display in front of me. What I saw made me scared but I knew that there was no one to notice my fear and so it was a useless. I grabbed a tissue from the table and slowly took of the glass from my feet. It hurt a lot but I had to be strong. My nun always told me, "If your present is dark, your future will be bright, so be strong and never quit living".

After I cleaned up the cut with a tissue, I stumbled on my feet towards the storage room to get a broom and a dustpan. But while walking, I again stepped on another broken glass piece and this time, it was a big one.

Due to the sudden shock and pain, I lost my balance and fell on my back, causing some glass pieces to cut my back. Ouch! Mommy! As I felt a lot of pain on my back, a tear went down my cheeks continued by more tears.

"Mommy, mommy, it hurts! Please help", I whispered to my mom who was still sleeping soundly on the couch.

"Mom....", I whispered again but my voice was hardly coming out because of the pain and my vision was getting blurry as well. Still no response.

"Mom...help.....", I tried once again and I saw mom shaking but she still didn't wake up.

"MOM! HELP PLEASE IT HURTS", I used all my strength and screamed.

Present:

"HELP MOM PLEASE! It hurts", I screamed and screamed but no one helped me. Suddenly I fell someone shake me by my shoulder.

"SOPHIE! Wake up", someone kept shaking my shoulder continuously and my eyes finally opened. As my vision came back, I was greeted with a pair of blue eyes.

"Hunter", I whispered and he smiled while he took my hand in his big ones.

"Sophie! You scared the living shit out of me. I was so worried and scared for you", he said and I saw a tear running down his cheek.

"I am fine Hunter. Shhh, you don't need to cry", I told him and wiped his tear. That little gesture gave me butterflies when I touched his cheek and it felt like he was feeling the same as me. I then gave him a small smile and he returned it with a cute smile of his.

"Had a nightmare?", hunter asked and raised his eyebrow while I nodded a yes to his question. I was glad he didn't ask me to elaborate what was my nightmare about.

"So what happened exactly?", I asked and tried to sit up but Hunter pushed me back on bed and motioned me to lie down.

"I am fine now. Let me sit up straight", I said and tried to sit again but he pushed me by my shoulder back down.

"You are not getting up until the doctors say so. And to answer your question, you had a few stitches on your head due to the glass cutting your skin. You had a lot of blood loss but thank god the doctors were able to save you", he informed me.

"So how many days have I been out for?"I asked hunter.

"A month. The doctors said that some of your or stitches opened due to which you had more blood loss then expected", he informed me and this reminded me of the nightmare I just wok up from. No one knows but when those alcohol bottle's glass pieces cut my back when I was in that torture house. At that time, I thought the pieces only cut my back but some pieces had even gave me cuts on my scalp from behind. I think those are the old stitches Hunter is talking about.

"Oh ok. Anyways, how are you and chace?", I asked and tried to change the topic.

"Don't try to change the topic. First tell me why did you have stitches before? How did you get them?", he caught me and folded his hands on his chest and looked at me with a commanding face.

"Oh that! I got them b-because......", I tried thinking of a reason and quickly came up with one, "because I had slipped from a slide when I was a child and busted my head. That's how I got those stitches", I lied and I think hunter seemed to buy my lie.

"Now it's your time to answer my question", I ordered him and he shook his head while looking down at his feet.

"I am fine but I don't know much about chace. After that day when he hurt you, he was never seen again. I heard from Savannah that when his parents got to know what he had done, the were very angry and disappointed in him and so they send him abroad to study at a boarding school", he informed and I felt really sad for chace. It wasn't his fault, it was mine. I shouldn't have come in between, but then he could have killed Hunter and I couldn't let that happen.

"I feel terrible Hunter. It wasn't his fault after all", I said and looked in hunters eyes with guilt.

"It was his fault Sophie. And by looking in your eyes, I know your blaming yourself. But Sophie, you actually saved him from killing me and you saved my life as well. So don't blame yourself because it was mine and his fault only", he told me and smiled while he brought his hands on my cheeks, stroking it softly.

"But why did you both fight? And what past were you talking about that made you both so animalistic?", I asked and he just chuckled at me.

"It's nothing. It's just he did something in school which is not at all acceptable and his future could be destroyed by the act he performed. I had seen him do that and so I have blackmailed him to behave if he doesn't want me to tell his deeds to the school management", Hunter clarified and I shook my head in understanding.

"Anyways, forget about me and chace. You should rest now because in evening, you are going to have a hell lot of a guests visiting you. They have been waiting to meet you for a month and they are going to be so excited when they know you are awake", Hunter said and smiled. I can't believe I missed one month of my life, I missed school, my friends and a lot more other things.

"Alright. But you need to rest as well, so go home now. I will be fine here", I told hunter and he shook his head in a no.

"Hunter, please go", I said and he still wasn't ready to go.

"Fine then! If you don't go, even I will not rest", I said and pouted while folding my hands around my chest.

"Sophie, quit acting like a child. I am not leaving you and going anywhere. So don't pout", Hunter said and looked at me with a commanding face.

"Fine!", I said and closed my eyes, because I knew it's useless fighting with Hunter.

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"SOPHIE!!!!!!", Andrea screamed as she entered and came running towards me, trapping me in a bone crushing hug. And she was followed by Savannah and Olivia, because of which i couldn't breath.

"G..guys, yo..you all are cr..crushing me! I can't b..breath", I informed them and they mumbled a sorry and left me.

"Looks like you guys missed me too much", I smiled and looked at them.

"Obviously! We have not talked to you for a month. We missed you so much that we don't have words", Savannah said and smiled safely at me.

"We actually thought that we lost you", Olivia said and wiped a tear which escaped her eyes.

"Alright guys. She is fine so let's make her feel better rather than worse", Andrea cut off both of them and looked at me with a bright smile.

"Girl you better feel well soon because we have a lot of planned for the four of us. We have to catch up on so many things", Andrea said and clapped her hands in excitement, making me laugh at her clumsiness.

"Alright sure. But guys, any idea when am I getting discharged?", I asked them and they looked at each while smiling like maniacs.

"Few more days and you will be out of this hell. The doctor said your injury has almost recovered in the past one month. They were just waiting for you to wake up from coma", Savannah informed me.

"Wait what? Coma?", I asked, looking at them with confusion. Hunter didn't tell me I was in coma.

"Oh! Seems like your clueless. You were in coma due to severe head injury for a month. The doctor said they aren't so sure when will you wake up. We were so worried and scared for you", Andrea informed me and I nodded my head. We then heard the door open and Hunter came in with 5 coffee cups, carrying them in a container.

"Coffee guys", he announced and all three got up to take their coffee cups from him. He smiled when he saw I was awake and came to me with my cup.

"Coffee?", he asked me while showing the cup to me.

"Sure thanks", I said thanked and took my cup from his hands.

"Did he tell you Sophie that he is the only one who never left your side at all when you were in coma?", Andrea asked and pointed at Hunter.

"Really?", I asked in disbelief and looked at him as he scratched his neck looking down at his foot.

"Yep! The only time he left was to eat some food or go to the washroom. You see that bag there?", Olivia asked and pointed at a black travelling bag which was lying on the single seater sofa in the room. I looked at it and nodded.

"That's all the stuff he bought here from his house. He actually made his home in this room itself with you", Andrea said and I smiled at hunter and looked at him apologetically.

"I am so sorry hunter. You shouldn't have done this", I told him and he just took my hands in his and stared at me.

"I had to do this Sophie. You are in this state because of mine and chace's fault, and I had to repent for what I did", he said and gave my hands a light squeeze in a comforting manner.

"Still....you shouldn't have-", he cut me off by placing a finger on my lips, shutting them immediately.

"Shush! Don't say I shouldn't have. I did it for my satisfaction and not for you", he said and gave me a smile that created a lump in my throat.

"Awwww! This is such a cute scene", Olivia teased us and smirked. This made hunter back away from me immediately.

"Shut up Liv", I whisper yelled and glared at her. This made all the three girls who are my supportive best friends laugh harder at my blushing face.(Note the sarcasm)

"Come on guys, let's leave now and let her rest. I have to drop you guys home and come back here", hunter said and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

Andrea and Olivia left with hunter and Savannah said she asked her parents to stay with me tonight. At first, hunter was a bit reluctant to leave me alone but after a lot of convincing and Savannah assuring hunter that I would be fine, he finally agreed to go to his house for tonight. We all bid our goodbyes and they left as Savannah smiled brightly and came to sit beside me on the bed.

"So? How was your life going for the past one month?", I sat up straight and comfortably while asking her the question.

"How could it go good when my first best friend was missing from my life?", she asked, looking at me with saddened eyes.

"I missed you guys too", I told her and called her in for a hug. She leaned forward and gave me hug.

"I am so sorry for what my brother did Sophie. I really am. I shouldn't have told you to forgive him because he doesn't deserve it", she said and gave me a guilty look. I quickly shook my head in disapproval and took her hands in mine.

"If you think I am your best friend, never say sorry to me again. Okay?", I asked and she smiled while nodding her head in a yes.

"And don't blame yourself for what your brother did. And he didn't do anything wrong, it was my fault to jump in between that fight when everyone else warned me not to", I said and my mind drifted off to the scene that took place on that night.

"Still! It's his fault. But he got the punishment for his deeds so I guess he will learn his lesson now", Savannah said and I gave her a confused look.

"What punishment?", I asked her, confusion dripping off my tongue clearly.

"Actually, when my dad got to know what chace did with you, he was so angry and disappointed in chace that dad sent him to the strictest school in the whole world. That's all I can tell you because even I don't know anything else", she informed me and guilt took over my whole body, brain, heart and soul. Chace got punished because of my stupidness.

"So when is he coming back?", I asked, hoping he won't be there too long because I had to tell him it wasn't his fault.

"He is not coming for the next few years. He may never come back here for a long time. That school even has a university branch which is much worse and stricter than the school branch. I don't know how is he going to live there", Savannah said and shrugged her shoulders while I was still trying to process everything she said.

"I need to speak to Mr Grayson and tell him not to punish his son for me. I feel terrible Savannah", I said and covered my face with my hands.

"Sophie, you don't need to feel terrible. Your not the only reason dad sent him there. Chace was out of our parents control and he needed to be brought back. So don't sweat about it ok?", Savannah smiled at me while asking me this and I smiled back while nodding my head. Her words still couldn't erase the whole guilt in my heart.

"Anyways, now go to sleep. The more you rest, the more earlier we can hold a girls night out", Savannah said excitedly and I smiled, laying back down on the bed with her help.

After a quick goodnight, Savannah went to the sofa while I closed my eyes trying to sleep. But chace was running in my mind. How would he be living there? Is he fine?

Wait! Why am I so worried about him when all he did was hurt my feelings? He always did things against my will, then why am I worried for HIM? Well, because he save your stupid ass you stupid girl, my subconscious mind screamed at me.

I think I should go to sleep before I get crazy. Yep! I definitely need to sleep.

"Savannah?", I called her out and she hummed in response, while her eyes were closed.

"If you ever get a call from him, please tell me. I want to speak to him about something", I told and she hummed again in response. Hopefully she heard what I said.

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"Wakey wakey sweet pie", I heard my uncle wake me up and when I opened my eyes, I saw aunt and uncle in front of me along with Mr and Mrs Grayson.

"Hey jack!", I smiled back at them and called my aunt and uncle in for a hug. The immediately came and trapped me in a bone crushing hug. What's with people trying to crush me?

"We missed you so much sweety. I almost thought that I lost my sisters special child", my aunt sobbed while my uncle side hugged her trying to comfort her.

"I am fine rose. Now don't make me cry and keep me happy if you want to see me at home soon", I said and she laughed, making me smile.

"That's like my rosy". I cooed her and she glared at me for calling her rosy. She feels irritated when anyone calls her rosy but I love troubling her and she knows it.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Sweet pie, Mr and Mrs Grayson are here to meet you", my uncle said and turned towards them, motioning them to come forward.

"Hi dear, how are you child", Mr Grayson asked as she sat beside me and kept a hand on mine.

"I am fine thank you mrs Grayson", I smiled and told her.

"Oh call me Carol please. Mrs Grayson makes me feel old", Carol joked and I smiled.

"Ok carol", I said and she smiled.

"Anyways, me and Oliver are here to apologise for the unacceptable behaviour of our son. We are very sorry Sophie", Carol apologised and took her hands in mine, they shouldn't apologise and they are not helping the guilt which is already a lot inside me.

"You don't need to apologise for chace Carol. It wasn't entirely his fault, it was mine as well to jump in between two guys who were having a brutal fight", I said and she shook her head in disapproval.

"No Sophie, he did something really wrong and he has been punished for it. We will make sure he regrets his doings", Mr Grayson said as he came to stand beside Carol who was sitting.

"Yes Sophie, Oliver is right. Our son is out of hands for the past many years. We always ignored his mistakes, but what he did to you was completely unacceptable and he was going completely out of control. He had to be punished some day or another", Carol said and gave me a small smile but her sad eyes and depressed face couldn't go unnoticed.

"So let him be there for a while. He will learn his lesson. Because we have-", Mr Grayson started but I cut him off.

"Sorry to interrupt you but Savannah told me about chace. I am so sorry you both have to stay away from your son because of me", I said and looked at them with guilt.

"We told you dear, it's not your fault. So forget it and rest. Our daughter is really lonely without you", Mr Grayson said and I smiled.

All of them said good bye to me and left. My aunt and uncle would be back after some time to meet me again. They were very sorry for leaving me alone but they had reasons and I told them it's fine.

After they went, I watched some TV which was thankfully available in the hospital room. The nurses and doctors came to check upon me time to time. After them checking on me too many times, I asked them why were they coming to check the same thing again and again. No one was ready to answer me but at last, one nurse told me why. Actually, hunter had threatened them to take care of me and check on me frequently while he was at work, otherwise he would sue them. I laughed at his weirdness and decided to make fun of him when he comes to visit me next time.

After a few hours of boredom, the nurse informed me that I had a visitor and I told her to let them in. It was actually hunter who was carrying tonnes of shopping bags.

"Oh my god hunter! So many bags? What is in them?", I asked him, pointing at the bags while he smiled and kept the bags beside me.

"These are for the queen. I thought you would want some good food and cloths. So I went to buy them", he smiled sheepishly and proudly for his thoughts.

"Really? Thank you so much but you didn't have to take so much trouble for me", I said and he looked at me with a pissed off face.

"How many times do I tell you it's for my satisfaction and happiness?", he asked and I looked down at my hands.

"I am sorry", I said and he came to sit beside me. He quickly wrapped his hands around my shoulder and grabbed my chin to make me look up at him. When I didn't, he told me to look into his eyes.

"You know that I feel so happy when I see that cute smile of yours?", he asked and I just stared at him in his eyes.

"I feel like my whole world is dancing when I see you smile. I feel so complete when I am with you, I feel the luckiest man in the would when you let me come this close to you. And I realised this when I almost lost you because of my stupid temper. Trust me Sophie, I am not lying when I say that my whole world collapsed when you collapsed in my arms. I couldn't stand seeing you in that state but when I saw your face, looking so peaceful and angelic, I got the courage to stay strong, not for myself, but for you. I may be your teacher, but I have developed special attachment with you which is way beyond the attachment which a teacher should have with their student. I have been waiting to tell you this since you were in coma that Sophie Wilson, I love you......a lot", hunter said and my mouth felt dry as I felt my whole world turn upside down. Hunter just confessed his feelings to me. My teacher just told me he loved me. He is my teacher and I am his student, how can we fall in love?

"But hunter, you are my teacher. How can we be together?", I asked him and he just smiled while he turned and took out a paper from his pocket, showing it to me.

"What's this?", I asked in confusion and he handed me the paper. As I opened and read it, I gasped at the content of the paper.

"As you have read it, it's my resignation letter for the teachers job. If being with you costs me my job, I am 200% sure to leave it for you", he said and I smiled. He is ready to sacrifice his career for me?

"But then your career-", I started but he cut me off.

"Don't worry, I have a degree in business administration. I should get an office job easily", he said and I sighed in relief.

"So Sophie, do you accept my love?", he asked nervously and his question caught me off guard. Did I love him? Was I ready for a relationship with a guy who is about a lot older than me?

"It's fine if you don't. I can understand if you-", he started but I cut him off, but the thing I did to cut him off was different. I gave him a quick peck on his lips to shut him up.

"Yes Mr hunter, I do accept your love. But hunter, love is a strong word. I need some time to realise if I love you", I said and he frowned a little bit but I smiled at his childish behaviour.

"But if this makes you fell better, I like you a lot Mr Hunter George", I said and this made his made instantly. Before I could say something else, he leaned in and captured my lips with his. At first I was shocked but then I smiled against his lips as I started kissing him back. He caught my cheeks with his hands and gave me a slow and sweet kiss. It was a short one but it had deeper meanings. As we both backed away, we were still leaned in, our foreheads together while we tried to catch our breaths. After we did, we separated and looked at each other in the eyes, he looked so happy and that bought a smile on my face.

"So will you be my girlfriend?", he asked and I nodded my head in a yes, still smiling. But my smile was soon replaced with a sad and worried face when I remembered an important question which has to be answered.

"Hunter?", I called him out and he hummed while he was tugging the strands of my hair, which were tickling my cheeks, behind my ear.

"How are we going to work now? What are we going to do next?", I asked and his hand froze midway on my cheeks.

Dunn Dunn Dunn Dunn,
So Sophie and hunter have become a couple now while Chace is suffering in another country in a strict boarding school. I guess we have to wait and watch what happens in the future.

And guys, thanks a lot for 400+ votes with 3K+ views for my book. Thanks a lot readers for supporting me. And sorry for updating after so many days.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter. And guys, I need ship names for hunter x Sophie & chace x Sophie.
Please comment some ship names and I would select the best one. The winner will be given a credit in any of the next few chapters.

Lastly, I just wanted to ask you all that who likes hunter and who likes chace? Please tell me who do you guys like because my future plans for this book depends on your choice guys.

So please don't forget to comment and PLEASE VOTE!!!

Thanks and love you all❤️