After an unexpected encounter with Brandon, I couldn't focus on work anymore, constantly thinking about him, haunted by his disappointed and angry face.
I don't know why, feeling like I should distance myself from him by hurting him, but when he showed hatred towards me, it hurt me deeply. If it weren't for the feud between our parents, I would gladly accept him again.
"I miss him, and miss him more," I muttered to myself, looking at the gloomy evening sky.
"Victoria!"
A cheerful voice called from the right, making me turn and see Stefani coming with a medium-sized shoulder bag. She's one of the employees at this café, and she'll be working the night shift with the other Kimberly.
"Is Kim coming today?" she asked, pushing the door.
"Yes!" I nodded. "She'll come after I go back home."
"Okay, I'll go in then."
I just nodded and let her enter the café, then quickly walked towards the pedestrian path. Along the way, I pondered the tranquil and chilly evening atmosphere because it was still raining, even though the streets were somewhat wet from the afternoon rain.
The overcast sky seemed to reflect my gloomy heart, unable to see a bright future, always with Brandon in my heart while my mother wanted me to start a relationship with someone else.
"Maybe if I could love another man, I could be happy. But the problem is, I can't do that at all... Even Jacob has a girlfriend... I can't rely on him to protect me from Brandon," I thought anxiously, feeling tired, feeling pathetic about myself.
"Kim..."
My gaze shifted to Kim walking towards me, already in her work attire and carrying a small shoulder bag, then she braided her hair into two parts.
"Victoria..."
"Where's Sophia? Did you leave her alone at home?" I asked anxiously, of course, because Kim should have left home when I arrived.
"She... She's with her dad," she replied, pointing behind her.
Instantly, I felt enraged, imagining Brandon's face and his intention to take her away from me because he didn't want her to have another father. Not wanting to waste any more time, I immediately ran towards the house about 100 meters away.
Gasping for breath, I tried to get there as quickly as possible, imagining what he might be doing there. Maybe just pampering her, or even taking her away while I'm not there.
Oh God, these thoughts torture me so much. I kept running until my breath felt like it stopped, finally arriving in front of the house and seeing a blue sports car there.
"He didn't take her away..." I sighed, slumping down, leaning my hands on my knees as I saw Sophia coming out with Brandon, holding hands and carrying the red shoulder bag she often brings when traveling.
I furrowed my brows, immediately approaching them, my gaze fixed on Brandon who looked grim.
"How dare you think of taking her away?" I immediately pulled Sophia, but he held back.
"I just want to spend time with her!" she hissed, staring at me sharply. "I'm her father, and I haven't done anything wrong, but you're keeping us apart. So now we have the right to be together!"
"I want to be with Daddy!" Sophia clung to his leg. "He's my dad... He told me... You don't want me to be with him, do you? Why? You're mean... You don't want me to be with my dad!"
"Sophia..." I was stunned, my throat felt choked, unable to fight her protests.
"He explained everything... And now he wants to have fun with me, even move to a new house!" Sophia spoke again with her high-pitched voice, furrowing her brows, showing anger towards me.
I shifted my gaze to Brandon.
"You have no choice," he said.
"Did you forget what I explained?" I asked softly, unable to hide my sadness because he made me powerless in front of Sophia. "Your mother and my mother are behind all of this..."
"They just don't want us together... It doesn't matter," he said curtly. "but they can't stop me from being with my daughter! Whatever happens!"
"Brandon, please... you don't know the consequences!"
"What? What are the consequences? Are you going to say your mother will scold you, say you're using Sophia to get back to me?" He asked impatiently. "Don't worry... She won't do that because my goal is to be with her, not with you!"
My chest tightened, and my heart shattered, for some reason, his words seemed to indicate that he didn't want me anymore.
"You said you already have a girlfriend, so use your spare time to be with her... Let Sophia be with me," he said again.
"Do you think she's a burden to me?" I asked, feeling even more hurt by his words. "I'd rather continue to be with her and have no time with my boyfriend than let her be with you... I've never been away from her... I can't, she means everything to me!" I asserted.
"And she means everything to me too, starting now!" he hissed, clutching his chest and then turning to Sophia. "Now she wants to be with me... you have no right to stop her. Whatever your reasons... you have no right to stop her, let alone she has never been with me all this time!"
"But..."
"You hurt me already, so don't hurt me by stopping me from being with my daughter!" He didn't let me speak, immediately taking Sophia to the car.
Silent, I watched them enter the car, instantly the shadow of he would take her far away scared me, making me rush to the car and pound on the window.
"Please, don't take her away!"
Suddenly he opened the window, staring at me flatly.
"What?"
"Please don't..." I shook my head. "It will be very bad for her and for me too... I beg you. You can meet her, and play with her, but don't take her away or even show her to your family. It could endanger her!" I begged, unable to hold back my tears.
"I'm not that crazy... We can talk about this later," he replied flatly.
I nodded with a thin smile, then looked at Sophia sitting in the back.
"But where are you going? Why don't you just play here?" I wondered, still unable to trust him to take her away even though it was just nearby. Because who knows he intends to still take her away far.
"If you don't trust me, you can come with us," he replied, then the window closed and the car engine started.
I didn't have much time to think other than immediately opening the back door but couldn't open it until I switched to opening the right door and immediately got in, sitting next to him feeling awkward.
Without saying anything, he immediately drove off, leaving the house area, while I quickly fastened my seatbelt.
"Yeah, finally I'm with Mom and Dad!"
Sophia's voice broke our silence, and it made him smile.
"Can I sit between you two?"
"Of course, Sweetie. You can sit on my lap," Brandon said, immediately pulling over the car and unfastening his seatbelt.
"Thank you, Daddy ... I love it ... Tomorrow I will tell my friends that I have a Daddy and my Daddy has a cool car!"
"You can say that Darling ... You have everything, Daddy will give you anything you ask for."
I could only stay silent, listening to their conversation which sounded so sweet, interactions that had only been my imagination until now but now are happening. It's very beautiful, but behind all of this, there is an overwhelming fear of my mother or his mother finding out.