Sophia Hart had no idea that someone considered her as a small disturbance. Even if she did, she would shrug it off. She was reaching a stage when opinions of known people would not matter, let alone a stranger whom she had helped. She had no idea about the boy she had saved or even why she saved him.
After thinking for long, she has thought of few plans. Now, all that remained was executing them.
After dinner, she completed her rehabilitation and continued to study. Even if this was second time she was facing final year of school, she did not remember much of her studies. She didn't even remember her exam questions. Well, there goes the chance to get out of out, cent percent marks.
She woke up early. Can't be helped. But she did not wish to disturb the caretaker, so she had to wait for someone to come to the room or till every one woke up and got ready. Some extra time to study, yay!
She had to go downstairs for breakfast. Every one was already there. The twins would go to school after breakfast. Generally they would be chirping like birds at this time. Mr Nathan Hart was having important meeting today. So the mood in the dining hall was a bit somber.
The caretaker pushed the wheelchair towards the dining table and left, as per prior instructions.
Every one in the room started showing care and love towards her.
"Baby, are you alright? Did you sleep well last night?"
"Sis, you are looking better today!"
"Sister, do you want your regular juice or something else?"
"Grab something more to eat. You are still recovering."
Listening to them, looking at their attention filled faces, Sophia felt someone had stabbed her, right into her heart. Why? Why? Why did everything change? How could people who lived her in their own way, change so drastically later on? She just needed their acceptance. Not even love, just acceptance. But all wore masks and used her and discarded her, pushed her to hell. No, that place was worse than hell. Yet, no one minded that. Perhaps, they even felt that it was a perfect fit.
Sophia didn't expect she would feel so bitter, after she had decided to be heartless and ruthless. She finally controlled herself to reply to all.
Yes, she had a nice sleep. She was better. Her regular juice and a sandwich should be enough.
After breakfast, she started her first step towards free life.
"Mom," she said, trying not to gag. She so did not want to call her mother. "Can you get me my card? I want to go shopping. I want to relax a bit before my teacher sends me all the work I missed these days."
Sophia had a card. All of the kids in the Heart family did, including her cousins. But curiously, she never used her card before. She never went out much with her friends. She did not have friends with whom she could hang out and spend a day shopping. Her parents purchased all the items she might have needed. Clothes, bags, shoes, accesories, painting supplies, books - go with mother, let her choose good ones, choose few among those and mother pays.
"Oh baby, you are just discharged from the hospital. Won't you feel tired running around in the mall? Why don't I call few shops to send few items to choose and buy?"
That indeed had happened before. Mrs Chloe Hart called it shop till you drop day. Her friends, the other Harts, any one with her invitation, all would come in. Many stores would bring their merchandise. These people would choose the items they wanted. Enjoying a sip of latte or a juice, having some facial in between, if needed. Or having a invigorating swim in between. In all, a relaxing day.
Never mind the fact that such days often happened when Sophia had to work in her painting room or practice piano for some recital.
"Mom, I'm bored of staying in hospital. Let me just roam around the mall. Please. I'll be taking the caretaker. Shll push me in the wheelchair if I find it too tiring." Sophia whined. And cringed mentally. How could Shirley or Steve not cringe when they whined everyday? This felt so...yuck.
"Fine, fine. Just relax. Don't rush around much. Come back soon. Don't waste the time there."
The first thing she did after getting the card? Change the password. Get account details of the card. After all, the Harts had been telling her that they were depositing all the prize money she had won from piano or painting into her card, just for her own exclusive use.
In her previous life, she never got use this card. This time, she will flip over the world if the need be, so what does a single card count as?
Sophia Hart was really ready to face the treachery. The evidence of the card transactions showed everything in black and white.
She had thought that her parents had realised she was not a Hart after this accident. Maybe because of blood group or something. The card showed that they knew the truth long back. The Harts had been siphoning money from her card from long time. That itself would not have been a red flag. There's an emergency, use the money in the card. That was understandable. What was unacceptable is not putting even a single penny back into the account.
This changed so many of her plans. Good thing, that she had even more plans. If she didn't have enough money, she would earn it.
She had to wait till the car came back after dropping the twins to Sky High. After informing Mrs Hart, Sophia donned simplest of her dresses and left, along with the caretaker, Mrs Higgins. The caretaker had started accepting the jobs after her daughter left to college. She was a nice lady, poised, unassuming and quiet. She didn't question the patient, just followed her and ensured that she did not suffer much.
The first stop was to the mall because Sophia said she would go to the mall. Can't lie. Can't lie and get caught.
After roaming around, purchasing just a simple dress, she left. What she was searching for was not here.