When Sofia insults Chloe, an old classmate working as a shop assistant, the last thing she expects is to see her husband entering the same store with a mistress. But after he offers Sofia money to make up for his mistake, Chloe discovers an evil plan in store.
While browsing through designer outfits, Sofia encountered Chloe, an old classmate working in the store. She smirked, checking out her clothes compared to her own designer clothing. “Chloe, is that you? Oh my god, I cannot believe you’re working in this hellhole!” she greeted, her tone sweet but her words scorching.
Chloe smiled kindly despite the obvious mocking. “Hi, Sophia. Glad to see you! How are you?” she asked. Sofia did a little twirl, her smirk still in place. “Best of all, baby!” she exclaimed, her hands lifting as she showed off her jewelry. “I drive a Porsche, wear diamonds, go to parties, and enjoy life in general as always.”
She then sighed, shaking her head at Chloe, and told her how sorry she felt for her. “I told you! If you had dressed up, made your hair, and gotten a little plastic surgery, you wouldn’t have had to work either,” Sofia added. When Chloe attempted to change the subject by offering her some tea, Sofia promptly requested a coffee. Chloe called over Liam, another store attendant, to fetch the drink.
But Sofia had to show off again. She snapped her fingers at the young boy. “I’ll have a latte, lactose-free, skimmed milk with cream. Make sure it’s not too hot,” she demanded. “Hello? Are you listening?” Liam and Chloe shared a knowing look but stayed polite, and Liam left to get the coffee. Sofia turned her attention back to Chloe and criticized some more.
”Chloe, believe me, I wasn’t going to come to this hellhole, but Tom got an urgent call from work,” she explained. “Tom owns his own large company; he makes his schedule, but—What am I talking about? You wouldn’t understand.” Chloe continued smiling and nodding while trying to steer her old classmate toward their selection.
”Anyway, in short, I decided to have some fun while he finishes his business, so I ended up here,” Sofia finished as Liam arrived with her coffee. “It’s cold!” She pushed the coffee cup into Liam’s shirt, making him flinch and almost drop it. Knowing that Sofia was about to start another degrading rant, Chloe intervened, talking about the new collection and its exclusivity.
Sofia shut up, gave Liam a lip curl, and let Chloe lead her to the upper floor to show her the pieces. Suddenly, a couple entered the store, openly affectionate and planning their evening. The woman was chirping, thanking her man for bringing her shopping, and the man’s gruff voice was interrupted by some affectionate chuckles.
Chloe watched them for a second before giving Sofia another hat to try but suddenly realized that Sofia had turned to ice and wouldn’t let go of the current hat she had on. Chloe tried to get her to check out the new one, but Sofia slapped her hand away. The small movement was enough for Chloe to see her old classmate’s tearful eyes. “Sofia, what’s going on?” Chloe asked, frowning, but a flash of intuition gave her the answer. “That’s your husband, isn’t it?”
Sofia just stood there, her breath choppy as she restrained her tears. Her emotions starkly contrasted with the woman from only a few minutes before. “Aren’t you going to confront him?” Chloe asked. “I thought you were stronger than this.”
”I can’t. Everything is his. He has all the money, and even my cars are in his name,” Sofia whispered. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it obvious that he’s already tossed you aside?” Chloe remarked, pointing toward Tom’s public affection with the other woman. “Money is one thing, but he should at least respect your marriage.” Sofia sniffed and squared her shoulders. “You’re right,” she whispered to Chloe before turning and marching downstairs.
”Tom!” Sophia yelled in a booming voice that echoed through the entire store. “How dare you! What’s going on? Who is this woman!” Tom, eyes widening like a deer in the headlights, replied, “Um, listen, what are you doing here? I thought you were at home.”
”Oh, I’m Melissa; nice to meet—” the woman beside him started, lifting her hand forward. “Keep your claws away from me!” Sofia interrupted. Sighing, Tom urged Melissa to browse the store before turning to his wife. “For God’s sake! You’re making a scene! I don’t need a scandal,” he snapped at Sofia. “I don’t understand. What about our marriage? Don’t you care about my feelings?”
”Feelings? Come on, are you crazy? This ring means nothing,” Tom laughed cruelly. “And you know that! You married me mostly because of my money, and I married you as an investment.” “No!” Sofia countered. “I married you for love.”
”Jesus. Come on! This is a beneficial relationship only,” he declared, taking a gold card from his wallet. “Here, buy yourself something nice.” Enraged, Sofia threw the gold card back at his chest, screaming, “You can keep your stinky money! We’re done!” Then, she ran out, followed by Chloe. Outside, Chloe consoled Sofia, offering her a job and a place to stay. “You’ll figure it out. I can help you if that’s okay with you,” she suggested, patting Sofia’s back.
”I-I’m sorry, Chloe. I’m sorry,” was all Sophia could say, but she accepted Chloe’s help readily.
Tom and Melissa left the store only a few minutes later, their date ruined. He took Melissa home and called his best friend, Luke, to his house. They discussed the ramifications of Sofia leaving, which would mess up his plans. “I can’t set her up to take the fall for the company’s financial eeh…creative moves if she divorces me,” Tom confessed. “That’s why I was spending so much money on her.” “A gold digger is always good as long as there’s gold,” Luke assured him. “She’ll come back. She hasn’t worked in years. She’ll see how horrible it is and come crawling to you.”
”Maybe, but perhaps,” Tom paused, serving himself a stiff drink. “I could do something else.”
Chloe invited Sofia over and told her to stay as long as she wanted. But there was something no one else knew about her. That night, when Chloe was already asleep, Sofia got sick and vomited terribly in the bathroom. Her morning sickness only hit her at night for some reason. How can I raise a baby alone? With no money? Sofia lamented but then told herself she could do it. If others can, I can, too. Right? She went back to bed only to be surprised by an incoming text from Tom. It read:
”Sophia. I’m sorry. To make
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