NOTE: This chapter has to do with Sonia's mum (Gloria) her past life and how she met Sonia's dad or rather not her dad. So don't be confused.

𝐓 𝐇 𝐈 𝐑 𝐃 • 𝐏 𝐄 𝐑 𝐒 𝐎 𝐍 • 𝐏 𝐎 𝐕
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

It was a quiet Saturday evening and Sonia was buried in her notes. The end-of-term exams were creeping closer like a storm cloud, and she knew she had to be ready.

Highlighter in hand, she traced over her scribbled text when click the front door creaked open.

She froze.

That was strange. She was home alone. Or she thought she was.

Her pulse quickened. She tossed the highlighter aside, slipped on her flip-flops, and tiptoed towards the living room. Each step felt like it echoed in the silence.

As she descended the stairs, the tiles felt cold against her feet. A rustling sound — closer this time — drifted from the dining room.

Panic bubbled in her chest. Was someone here?

Heart hammering, she turned quickly into the kitchen...

And froze.

Her mum stood by the counter, a bottle of tequila in one hand, pouring a generous stream into a glass. Her usually neat bun was undone, hair falling in strands across her face. She looked tired. Worn. Haunted.

"Mum?" Sonia whispered.

Her mum didn’t answer immediately. She downed the shot in one swift gulp, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then looked at her daughter like she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.

Sonia lingered in the doorway, unsure whether to speak again. Her mum rarely drank, not like this.

“Mum?” she repeated, softer.

Her mum finally looked at her. Her eyes were glassy, not from the alcohol, but from something deeper.

“You ever wish you could go back?” her mum muttered, swirling the glass in her hand. “Start over. Before everything got complicated. ”

Sonia stepped forward slowly. “What do you mean?”

Her mum let out a sharp laugh that didn’t reach her eyes. “Nothing. Just... ghosts from the past. ”

Sonia tilted her head, watching her. Something wasn’t right. “Is this about Dad?”

Her mum stiffened. The glass clinked as she placed it down — a little too hard.

“Go back to your books, Sonia,” she said. Voice low. Final.

But Sonia didn’t move. She couldn’t.

For the first time, she wasn’t sure who her mother really was.

“No mum, I'm not going anywhere! If you want to talk or say anything else please just do, what else are you hiding? Are you even my real mother?”

Her mum looked at her like she was being stabbed repeatedly in the heart, begging desperately for air.

“Sonia some things aren't worth knowing right now, you just need to rest and think about your life, you have exams coming up and─ ”

“Save the cock and bull story, you abandoned me in this house without a care in the world, now you're back drinking tequila and looking all miserable. ”

Her mum laughed, a painful laughter.

“You know, when I first met your dad I thought he could finally make my life better, considering the fact that he loved me, but he never changed. ”

“What do you mean by that mum?”

“Sonia, the truth is—” her mother’s voice cracked as she reached for the glass, her hand trembling. “I don’t even know who your father is.”

She took a long, burning sip of tequila, as if trying to swallow the weight of her past.

“Back in the day, I wasn’t just lost, I was gone. I was a prostitute. A hooker. A stripper. Whatever name they had for girls like me—I wore it like perfume. Men came and went like seasons. I stopped counting a long time ago. ”

Sonia’s lips parted in silent shock, her breath caught midair. Her mother’s words crashed over her like waves —cold, salty, and suffocating.

“I tried to forget. I really did. But then you came along, and I couldn’t run from it anymore.” She looked up, eyes glassy and rimmed with regret. “I never wanted you to find out like this.”

Silence.

Thick, loud and deafening silence.

Sonia’s heart thundered in her chest, a storm breaking behind her ribs.

“So you mean,” her voice was barely above a whisper. “I could be anyone’s child?”

Her mum nodded her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Sonia couldn't believe this ─ her life feels to always get worse any chance it gets.

Her mum continued breaking her heart with more news.

“I met your dad when I was two months pregnant with you. I was scared, I didn't know what to do and I didn't even have anywhere to go. I was an orphan and I had to fend for myself. He offered to take care of me and you. ”

𝐅 𝐋 𝐀 𝐒 𝐇 𝐁 𝐀 𝐂 𝐊

STILL IN THIRD PERSON'S POV

Gloria has always been unwanted as far as she knew, she has been always mocked by society for not having parents and for being a prostitute.

But she didn't have any other choice, she had to survive in a cruel world where sympathy clearly doesn't exist.

She never knew why her parents left her alone to suffer, was she cursed? Gloria would always ask herself this question everyday.

When the woman that was taking care of her secondary school education, suddenly stopped paying her fees and chased her out, Gloria knew she had to do something than to rely on anyone.

After sleeping under the bridge for almost one month, she met a woman who parked her car and was walking towards her. Gloria adjusted her position to get a get clear view only to be met with a fat plumpy woman in her fifties.

When the woman got closer she brought out some naira notes from her pocket and gave it to her. Gloria reached out to grab it, slightly confused.

Gloria blinked, unsure if the money was real or another dream. She’d had too many of those lately hunger induced hallucinations where strangers saved her and her parents came back to life.

“What's a beautiful girl like you doing out here?”

Gloria observed her features once more. She wore a silky green boubou that shimmered in the sunlight, and her perfume — something strong and floral.

“I was chased by my guardian so I'm staying here?” It came out more as a question than an answer.

The woman nodded her hand in understanding. “Are you looking for a job and a place to stay?”

Gloria was shocked by her question, but still managed to nod her head indicating yes.

“Okay, follow me then. ”

The woman gave Gloria a soft smile, the kind that warmed the edges of her anxiety. She extended a hand, helping the girl into the front seat of her sleek, black SUV. The interior smelled like lavender and money. Gloria glanced back at the bridge one last time, its cold, rusted rails now just a blur in her past.

"You don’t have to worry anymore," the woman said, her red nails tapping rhythmically against the steering wheel. "You're safe now."

Gloria exhaled, a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. For the first time in weeks, she felt seen — like someone finally cared.

They drove in silence at first, the hum of the engine and the occasional blare of a horn filling the void. Gloria’s heart settled into a strange rhythm, caught somewhere between gratitude and unease. The woman hadn't asked many questions. No name. No story. Just help.

Thirty minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a massive, double-storey mansion nestled between nightclubs and liquor stores. The building had tinted windows, a glowing purple sign with no name, and music thudding faintly from inside.

"This is it," the woman announced, stepping out.

Gloria stepped out too, her eyes widening. The house looked... expensive. But it wasn’t the size or even the blinding chandelier she spotted through the upstairs window that made her pause, it was the girls. Dozens of them, some barely older than her, walked in and out of the house in heels too high and skirts too short. They were laughing loudly, smoking, taking selfies, and strutting like models on a runway.

She blinked. What is this place?

"Come on, don’t mind them. That’s just how they like to dress," the woman said, already leading her toward the door. "You’ll fit right in."

A shiver crawled down Gloria’s spine.

She wanted to ask a question,maybe five, but her voice got stuck in her throat. Something wasn’t right. The girls looked too polished. Too performative. One of them gave her a long, pitying stare before disappearing inside.

Still, she followed.

She told herself not to overthink it. She needed help. Somewhere to stay. Something warm to eat. Just don’t reason too much about it, she whispered to herself.

But deep down, in the pit of her stomach, a quiet voice had already begun to scream.

As she walked, head hung to the ground to avoid eye contact with anyone, she heard whispers, but not the good kind.

“Madam Tope don find another one.”

“The girl doesn't know what's coming her way sha.”

“This one fit thief all my customers.”

Gloria tried to ignore all, keyword tried. She knew they weren't lying about her not knowing what's coming ─ because she truly didn't know what was coming.

When she stepped foot into the house, her senses started becoming much more alert, her whole body tensed up.

The air felt different — thicker, warmer, like it was holding secrets. The first thing that hit her was the smell: layers of strong perfume, cigarette smoke, sweat, and something vaguely sweet, like candy melted in heat. It wasn’t a homey scent.

The lighting was low and red, like a club, not a house. It wasn’t cozy; it was seductive. On purpose. Every hallway was drenched in this sultry glow, like the house itself was trying to flirt with her.

And the girls?

Everywhere she looked, girls were lounging on velvet sofas in lingerie, some in robes that barely covered anything. Their makeup was bold smoky eyes, heavy blush, glossed lips and some of them were literally straddling men in corners like it was just a normal thing to do. One girl walked by giggling, holding a champagne glass, while another was yelling at someone upstairs, saying something about payment being late again.

The couches were expensive, the floors were marble, and the walls were lined with mirrors, but it all felt fake. Like a performance. Like this whole place was dressed up to cover up the ugliness underneath.

And that was when it clicked.

This is not a house. This is a trap.

Everything about it screamed this is a place for prostitution. The kind of place girls get brought into and never walk out of the same.

One of the girls gave her a long, up-and-down stare before turning away with a tired smirk. Another one whispered to a friend, "Fresh meat," before disappearing behind a curtain.

Gloria swallowed hard.

Her stomach turned, and her heart? It was already packing its bags.

The woman beside her, the same one who smiled so kindly before, was now walking ahead like nothing was strange. Like this wasn’t straight-up giving red flags in neon lights.

“You’ll get used to it,” she said over her shoulder, her heels clicking like gunshots on the tile. “Most of the girls do.”

Gloria didn’t move.

She knew deep down, she was in the wrong place.

“I'm sorry but I don't think I can stay here. ”Gloria found her voice, even though she was still flabbergasted at the obvious trap she's just walked into.

The woman looked at Gloria straight into her eye, brushed her rough her aside and grabbed her chin to make eye contact. The sweet woman who was helping her at the bridge was gone, all she saw was an evil witch.

“If you leave now, you will have no where else to go. ” Each word came with a more painful squeeze on her chin. “I'm trying to help you and you're projecting, you ungrateful thing!”

Tears were already spilling from Gloria's eyes. She can't believe this is how life would be from now on.

“Temilade! Temilade!” She finally removed her sharp nails from her chin and started calling somebody's name.

A dark skinned girl putting on only a lingerie, who was in her twenties came with a glass of wine in her hands.

“Yes ma. ” The girl in question said.

“Please take this girl to her room, give her food to eat, some clothes and then teach her about the kind of business we do around here. If she misbehaves just tell me, I'll personally deal with her. ” The woman eyed me then spun on her heels and left.

“If you honestly don't want problem just do as I say.” The girl told Gloria.

Gloria accepted her fate, there was nothing she could do.

FIVE YEARS LATER
►►►►►►►►►►

“Madam Tope, I don't like this thing you're doing oh, I already booked her since last week and now you are here telling me  she's busy with another customer. ” A man in his sixties complained bitterly to an unfazed madam Tope.

“The person who already claimed her paid thrice the amount, so I had no choice. Come back some other time.” She said without a care in the world as she arranged her stack of money on the table.

The man obviously pissed, sighed and left in defeat.

Madam Tope hissed and continued what she was doing. “All these men that bring nothing to the table. ”

She stopped what she was doing and looked at Gloria escorting her customer out of the house, not before the man handed her a stack of money.

“Don't allow me talk just bring it. ” She says to Gloria immediately the man left.

Gloria handed the money over to her and sat down on one of the empty couches. She was exhausted and tired, only her had gone three rounds with a lot of men only today.

“This useless man came o, are you free this night?” She called Gloria's attention.

“No, I want to rest.” Gloria says weakly.

Madam Tope deciding not to disturb her summoned all the girls to the living room. She only did this when it's payment day, so the girls didn't waste time in coming down.

“You guys have made me so proud today. Only this week we've made 850k.”

The girls cheered, because they knew the payment is going to be higher this time.

“Before, you guys get excited, I just want to let you know that I'll be paying you according to how many customers you had. I have been seeing all of you, anytime customer comes some of you will refuse to attend to them.”

The smiles wiped off their faces immediately, some of them haven't even had a customer this week.

“Gloria gets 100k for having the most customers this week. ”

She was handed a stack of cash ─ naira notes joined together.

And for the rest of you...

𖢇𖢇𖢇𖢇𖢇𖢇

Gloria never knew she was going to be a big deal around here, customers always wanted her, she never knew why, but she didn't mind as long as she was getting paid.

Eversince she got paid 100k she has gotten hateful glances from almost all the girls. She even refused to eat anything because she was scared to be poisoned.

“Babe afar na. ” Temilade, the only girl she associates with greeted her. But the only problem was that Temilade always comes to meet her when she needs something ─ money to be exact.

“So I hear say them give you 100k for only this week. ”

I nod my head in confirmation.

“So you're not going to share, you this stingy girl. ” She laughed.

Gloria on the other hand knew that Temilade hasn't had customers for a while now, and she always uses the fact that she's her only friend to extort money from her.

“I'm actually saving this money. ” The laugh died down immediately she heard Gloria's statement.

“And what exactly do you want to use the money for?” There was an edge in her voice as she questioned her.

“For personal reasons, and I think you should start working more if you want money.” With that being said Gloria excuses herself leaving her friend stunned.

𝐌 𝐄 𝐄 𝐓 𝐈 𝐍 𝐆 • 𝐇 𝐈 𝐌

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

Once she got to destination, she rang the door bell. Waiting for the doorbell she looked around the mansion and the surroundings.

A matte black Lamborghini caught my eye first, then a white Mercedes Maybach just casually sunbathing like it wasn’t worth millions.

The house itself had two visible stories, but I had a feeling that was a lie, rich men love hidden basements and rooftop terraces. There was a water feature near the entrance — not a normal fountain, oh no, this one was long, narrow, and smooth like a koi pond from the future. It made soft trickling sounds that weirdly made everything feel expensive.

Surrounding the mansion was pure nature — tall trees, trimmed hedges, and grass that looked like it had never known the pain of dry season.

Madam Tope certainly hit the jackpot this time, this man definitely screamed money and opulence.

She was nervous, because this is her first time doing a job outside, she's never done that in my five years of working here.

After what felt like hours of waiting, someone ─ a maid in a uniform opened the door for me. She raised a questioning brow at her.

“I'm here to see someone named Ubong. ” She found her voice.

The woman looks her up and down, like she already knows who I am and what I already want.

“Wait here.” The lady says and went out of the living room.

In less than two minutes, the lady came with a dark skinned man wearing a black tee-shirt and joggers with a glass of wine in his hand.

Gloria got up from the couch quickly, short of words, not knowing what to do next, should she hug him or offer a handshake? Her brain was contemplating what to do next.

“Gloria, right?” His voice was smooth, deep, and dangerous in the most delicious way. The kind of voice that could calm a storm or start one. It made her shoulders drop, tension slipping away like water down a drain.

“Y-Yes, it is. Um... you have a beautiful home,” she managed, her voice a little breathy, like she’d just come up for air.

“That's nice,” he faced the maid who brought him. “Prepare something nice for the lady would you.”

She nodded her head and disappeared, leaving the both of them.

“You sit back down. ” He says, taking the couch closest to her, she could smell his perfume ─ chocolate and burnt orange with a hint of peach.

“So how are you?” Gloria looked back and front making sure he was talking to her and not somebody else.

“I'm doing fine, thank you.”  She responded.

Most of her customers she engaged with never asked that question. They didn't even speak to her at all, so this was foreign to her.

“My name is Charles Ubong, I'm a graduate from LASU with a first-class degree in business management. I'm 27 years and I work in a large company that deals with managing funds and the valuables of our customers.”

Gloria felt insulted, him talking about all of his achievements, reminding her she's just a uneducated hookup girl without a bright future.

“ENOUGH WITH THE TALKING!!!” Gloria blew up. “I know it's sex that you want, I'll give it to you okay? Can you please stop rubbing it in my face and reminding me that I'm a prostitute who doesn't have a bright future.”

Charles was surprised at her outburst, but much more surprised that tears had started pouring heavily from her eyelids and she was now sobbing.

“Hey listen,” he patted her back softly, comforting her. “I didn't mean to make you feel like this okay, I was just introducing myself and I don't plan on having sex, I just needed company, this house gets lonely sometimes.”

She quickly wiped her face with the back of her hand and laughed bitterly. “Sorry,” she sniffed, avoiding his eyes. “You pay for something, and I assume the worst. Occupational hazard.”

Charles gave her a small, gentle smile. “So I'm guessing you didn't take this job willingly and you were forced to do this.”

She nods in agreement. “I don't really have parents, a life or any other place to go to, I'm stuck with this job forever. ”

He holds her hand and gives it a little squeeze. “You know it's not the end of the world. You can still escape this. ”

“Yeah I know I will. ”

That's how Gloria found her favorite person to talk to, for the past two months, she couldn't go a day without talking to him. He promised her that he would help her get away from this lifestyle and she believed. She fell in love with him. And he fell in love with her.

➩➩➩➩➩

Gloria flushed the toilet behind her as she grabbed a towel to wipe her mouth, truth be told she doesn't know what's happening to her these days.

The occasional early morning puking, certain smells irritating her, fatigue and the constant need to eat food.

Temilade, who noticed these things about her cornered her when she finished using the toilet.

Gloria shrieked, the way Temilade came out of nowhere. “What's your problem? I don't have money to give you.”

Gloria side-stepped her but she blocked her path.

“Gloria you're pregnant.” She said in a lowered voice.

“Are you stupid? What type of useless talk is that? I don't blame you sha, just because of money see-”

“You didn't finish secondary school or have any type of education, so it would be appreciated if you would just listen to me madam.”

Gloria was shocked at her outburst but still kept shut to hear her out.

“You always vomit early in the morning ba?” 

She nods her head positively.

“When last did you see your period?”

“It was a long time ago, but I remember it was suppose to come out the day Madam Tope paid me that 100k. ”

“So you stopped seeing your period during the timeline when you were sleeping with different men?” She asks slowly, realization setting in.

It starts making sense to Gloria, but she didn't want this theory to come to past.

“Okay we need to take a pregnancy test.” Temilade says grabbing Gloria to her room, she brings out a white strip and hands it to her.

Gloria looks at it confused, her brow slightly raised as she looks at the foreign object. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Temilade blinks. “Girl, are you serious right now?” She grabs the strip back, waves it dramatically. “You pee on it, obviously!”

Gloria folds her arms. “Like how much pee? Do I dip it? Sprinkle it? Pour it like holy water?! Be specific!”

Temi rolls her eyes. “Anyhow they do it in your village, just pee let's get this over with.”

After Gloria does the whole pregnancy test process, they wait for like two minutes. She moves restlessly around the room, panicking.

Gloria bites her lip, the weight of what’s happening sinking in. “Temi what if it’s positive? I don't even have an idea of who the father could be.”

Silence.

Temilade, unsure of how to react to the situation just stays quiet as she lets out her worries. But the result of the test made her jump from were she was sitting.

“The line! It shows two lines!” Temilade grabs the strip and looks at it. “Gloria the test is positive. You're pregnant!”

She didn’t mean to say it so loud, but it echoed—loud enough for the entire household to freeze.

“Who is pregnant?”

Some girls barged into Temi's room, curiosity getting the better of them. They probably heard it.

Just then one of the girls sighted the strip. “Is that what I think it is?” She moved closer to get a better look but Temi blocked her.

“You guys should mind your business.”

As if things couldn't get any worse, Madam Tope walked right in. “Why are you guys making noise this early morning. All of you should get out!”

She screamed causing all the other girls to scurry off but Gloria still stood there trembling and shaking. Temi noticing this, tried to make things seem normal but Madam Tope already noticed.

“Gloria what's wrong with you,” she eyed her up and down. “Why are you shaking?”

Before Gloria could answer one of the girls helped her out. “She don carry belle.”

She scrutinized her once again before asking. “Is it true?”

Gloria makes eye contact with her before nodding her head positively.

“No problem, just abort the baby let peace reign.” She says dismissively, walking out of the room, dropping the bombshell on her like that.

“What does abort mean?” She asked Temilade who was at the corner of the room observing everything.

“You have to kill the baby.”

She couldn't do that...

So she ran to the only person who could help.

➷➷➷➷➷➷

“She wants me to abort it, I can't do that, I don't even know who has this child, I'm so devastated and confused. I'm a laughing stock there and I left cause the pain is too much and... ” Gloria breaks into uncontrollable tears as she pours her heart to Charles who just listened.

He wiped her tears and pulled her in a hug. “I'm sorry all this is happening to you, I promise I'll be here for you and the child.”

And he kept the promise.

𝐏 𝐑 𝐄 𝐒 𝐄 𝐍 𝐓 • 𝐃 𝐀 𝐘
↝↝↝↝↝↝↝↝↝↝

“Mum, all these things happened to you?” Sonia was still in shock as she heard her mum's story. She felt like a bad daughter for thinking everything was her mother's fault, when her mother fought for her life and hers too.

“I'm so sorry Sonia, I knew the truth had to come out sooner or later. I just didn't want to add to your already existing baggage, and I'm also sorry I don't know who your real father is.”

“So I don't really have a father.” Sonia stated, the realization fully hitting her.

“I’m sorry, baby. I wish I could undo it all. I wish I could give you a name, a face, anything at all to remember him,” she said. “But all I can give you now is the truth, even if it's messy.”

Sonia's heart ached. She wanted to scream. To cry. To run. But she stayed. Her mother’s pain was no longer a mystery—it was a mirror. And for the first time, Sonia saw not just the woman who raised her... but the girl who had once been broken too.

She nodded slowly, wiping her tears.

“It's okay, everything will be fine.” Sonia says wiping her tears. “At least you didn't abort me or get rid of me the first chance you got. Without you meeting that man who calls himself my father I honestly wouldn't be existing.”

“I love you mum, we will fight this together.”

↣↣↣↣↣↣
A/N

My hand dey pain me o😭

So guys this chapter was hard to write. I kept on mixing Sonia and Gloria together and wattpad kept on playing with my feelings by logging me out anytime I try to update.

But the update is here guys. So...
VOTE AND COMMENT.

If you have any thoughts on this chapter, let me know🤭

Also thanks for 17k 💕

Bye🧚🏼‍♀️