Surprise guest
1247 Words
Sophia Turner. The very woman he had met at the restaurant earlier. The same woman who had thrown orange juice at him for being late, publicly humiliating him as if he were nothing but trash. Now, she was here, sitting at his dining table with his mother and another woman he didn’t recognize.
Mike had no idea there was a dinner invitation at his house. His mother hadn't mentioned it at all. However, he chose to remain silent, walking further into the room while trying to avoid eye contact with Sophia, who continued to give him an uncomfortable stare.
“Mike, where have you been? Go upstairs, change your clothes, and come down for dinner,” his mother scolded, eyeing his disheveled appearance. Mike's hair was a mess from the fight earlier, and his clothes were slightly stained.
His mind was racing, too overwhelmed to process everything. Without saying a word, he rushed upstairs to the bathroom. Staring into the mirror, he saw just how worn-out he looked. He glanced down at his hand, still wrapped in Felicia's pink handkerchief. The scent lingered, even though it was stained with his blood. Mike let out a small, tired smile before quickly washing his face and heading back downstairs.
When he returned, his mother gestured for him to join them at the dining table. He took a seat, aware that all eyes were now on him. The atmosphere was tense until his mother broke the silence.
“Mike, let me introduce you. This is Madeleine, an old school friend of mine. And this is her daughter, Sophia.”
Mike glanced at Sophia, who immediately averted her gaze, still clearly upset with him. He wished he could apologize, but now wasn’t the right time.
“Hello, Mike. It’s so nice to see you again. The last time I saw you, you were just a little boy,” Madeleine said warmly. “Look at you now, all grown up into a handsome young man.” She smiled. “Oh, Hannah, you really gave birth to a son who looks just like Max.” She referred to Mike’s late father, who had passed away when Mike was just five.
“Sophia, this is—”
“I know who he is, Mom,” Sophia interrupted, her tone sharp.
“Oh, really? That’s good then,” Madeleine responded, trying to maintain her composure.
“Mom, let’s just leave. I don’t want to stay here with a man who humiliated me in a restaurant,” Sophia whined, turning to her mother.
“Sophia, what are you talking about?” Madeleine asked, confused by her daughter’s outburst.
“Mike?” This time, Hannah turned to her son, her eyes demanding an explanation.
“I can explain,” Mike said, setting down his spoon and trying to maintain his composure. “There’s more to the story than you think.”
“Oh, you should know how your son made me wait for 30 minutes in a restaurant, making me look like a fool. Everyone was staring at us! He completely embarrassed me!” Sophia shouted, her face reddening with rage.
The tension in the room thickened, and Mike had no idea where to begin.
“Mike, is that true?” his mother pressed.
“I can explain, Mom,” he repeated, turning to her with a steady gaze, trying to convey that it was a complicated situation. But before he could continue, Sophia lashed out again.
“I can’t believe you associate with people like him, Mom. They’re disgusting!”
“Sophia!” Madeleine hissed, clearly mortified by her daughter’s behavior but not doing much to stop her.
“Mrs. Coulthard, you should teach your son some manners,” Sophia sneered. “He needs to know his place. No woman would ever want to be with a gynecological nurse like him. The only way he could ever attract someone as beautiful as me is through money or groveling, and I don’t see either in him.”
“That’s enough, Sophia,” Madeleine interjected, holding her head in her hands. Despite her words, she did little to truly curb her daughter's venomous tirade.
Mike clenched his fists under the table, his anger rising as Sophia not only insulted him but also had the audacity to lecture his mother on how to raise him.
“You’ve crossed a line, Miss Turner,” Mike said firmly.
Madeleine quickly grabbed his hand, trying to prevent a full-blown confrontation from breaking out at the dinner table.
“Don’t you dare lecture my mother on how to raise her child,” Mike shot back, his voice steady but seething with controlled fury. “For your information, I’m proud of my job. At least I’ve earned my place through my own hard work. Don’t you ever belittle what I do again.”
“Mike, that’s enough,” his mother warned, her tone pleading for him to let it go.
"Oh, now I understand why your family is still poor!" Sophia retorted.
"You’ve crossed the line, Miss Sophia."
"Both of you, enough!" Hannah interjected, her voice rising in frustration. "Can we please have a peaceful dinner tonight?"
"I want to go home!" Sophia shouted, pulling her mother’s hand away from the table.
"Let them go, Mom."
"Mike!"
Sophia and her mother stormed out of the house, leaving Mike and his mother sitting at the dinner table, the tension thick in the air.
"Can you explain yourself now?" his mother asked, her voice calm but filled with concern.
Mike took a deep breath and looked at her gently. He genuinely felt guilty about ruining their dinner.
"I’m sorry, Mom."
"Tell me what happened. What did you do?"
Mike then explained everything from the beginning—why Sophia was angry with him and the confusion surrounding Felicia, the woman he had mistaken for Sophia.
"Oh God. You really have me confused," his mother sighed.
"I’m sorry."
The dinner was a mess, but Mike couldn’t stand seeing his mother being insulted because of his own mistakes. She didn’t deserve that kind of treatment.
"It’s okay. I’ll talk to Madeleine," his mother reassured him.
Mike smiled, grateful that his mother understood. The evening ended with the food growing cold on the table, but at least the tension had begun to dissipate.
The next morning, the doorbell rang. Mike had just finished his morning workout and hadn’t had a chance to put on clothes yet. He stepped out wearing only boxer shorts and a towel slung over his shoulder.
Ding! Dong!
The bell kept ringing. Mike decided to step outside to check. His eyes widened as he saw a handsome man in a suit and sunglasses standing at the door, holding several shopping bags. Beside him stood a woman dressed in professional attire, her expensive glasses perched on her nose.
Mike immediately recognized them.
"Felicia?" he asked, surprised.
"Good morning," she greeted casually, ignoring the stunned expression on Mike’s face.
She removed her sunglasses and smiled at him, her gaze lingering on his exposed body, tracing the lines of his sweat-slicked six-pack abs.
"Sorry to disturb you so early," Felicia said, swallowing nervously. She remained professional, though it was clear her focus had wavered due to Mike’s appearance.
"What brings you here?" Mike asked, not immediately inviting her in. And have no idea how this woman even can find his house?
Felicia cleared her throat and composed herself before responding with a serious expression.
"I came to find you."
- Writer
