The Switch

It was a Friday morning, and Penny had decided to stay home from school. Valerie had left the house to spend the weekend with their father, and their mother was busy getting ready for the day. Adrian was showering in Victoria's room, and Victoria was already dressed and ready to go. She had picked out her outfit with care, wanting to make a good impression at the interview.

Victoria ran a brush through her long, wavy, brown hair and tied it up in a neat ponytail. She put on a baby blue blouse and tucked it into a midnight blue knee-length skirt. She finished off her look with a pair of black heels.

Victoria double-checked her makeup in the mirror, making sure her mascara and lipstick were applied evenly. She gave herself one last look-over before heading out the door. It was a beautiful spring morning, and the sun was shining brightly. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and felt ready to take on the day.

"Good luck, Vicky," her mother said, tousling her hair affectionately. "Thanks, mom," Victoria said with a smile. Penny came over and gave her a hug. "Be a good girl for mommy, okay?" Victoria told her.

Just as Victoria was about to leave, Adrian emerged from the bathroom. He was shirtless, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. "Hey, are you leaving without saying goodbye to me?" he said with a mischievous grin. Victoria covered her eyes and turned away. "Get dressed!" she yelled.

Victoria made her way to the bus stop, still thinking about the ridiculous scene she'd just witnessed at home. As she waited for the bus, she pulled out her phone and began checking the latest news and trends.

She looked down at the screen and saw a breaking news alert. The headline read, "Sebastian Quinn to Collaborate with Leading Tech Company." Victoria's heart sank. The tech company she was going to for an interview. She waved it off and turned off her phone, she didn't care.

On the drive to the company where she'd interviewed, she saw a billboard on the side of the road. But it wasn't just any billboard. It was a billboard featuring Sebastian Quinn. Not only that, but the billboard also featured his kid hugging him sweetly.

Victoria couldn't believe that the whole world seemed to know about Sebastian Queen's child, except for her. She wondered if she'd been blinded by her feelings for him, unable to see the truth that was right in front of her. Why had she been so oblivious to the signs? She felt angry at herself, and her irritation grew. 'Everything in this City screams Sebastian Quinn,' she thought. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.

Victoria arrived at the company and was ushered into the interview room. The interview itself was quick and to the point, lasting no more than half an hour. After the interview, Victoria was shown to the CEO's office. She was surprised to see that the CEO was a young man named Rowan. He greeted her with a warm smile and they chatted about a range of topics, from the weather to the latest movies.

Victoria was impressed by Rowan's easy-going nature and his friendliness. But then he dropped a bombshell. "You're not here for the assistant secretary position," he said. "You're here to be my secretary in fact. Mr. Kodi can be second after you." He had two secretaries now? 'Weird!' Victoria thought.

Before Victoria knew it, she had been chatting with Rowan for over an hour. She was so absorbed in their conversation that she hadn't even noticed the time passing. When she realized how long they had been talking, she felt a little embarrassed. "Don't you have a meeting?" she asked. "Aren't you busy?"

Rowan laughed. "No need to apologize," he said. "And no, I'm not busy. I'm glad we had this opportunity to chat."

Victoria nodded, still feeling a bit awkward. "I guess I should get going," she said. Rowan nodded with a smile, approving of it. She left his office but not after exchanging contacts.

Just as Victoria stepped out of the building of the company she was interviewing at, her phone rang. She saw it was an old friend from college named Myra. She answered the call. "Hey, Myra," she said, a smile in her voice.

"It's been a while." Myra sounded excited on the other end of the line. "Can we meet up for lunch?" she asked.

Victoria didn't hesitate. "Definitely!" she said. She was feeling on top of the world. It seemed like everything was falling into place after her huge break up.

Victoria was completely unaware that she was being watched. A man in a dark suit was observing her from across the street. His face was unreadable, but his eyes were cold and calculating. He watched as Victoria smiled and chatted on the phone, his expression growing more and more displeased by the minute.

To Victoria's obliviousness, the man watching her was none other than Sebastian Quinn himself. His eyes were narrowed and his lips were pursed in a tight line as he watched her. He couldn't help but feel a little angry as he saw her chatting and smiling on the phone. He wondered what she could possibly be doing at Lending Tech. His curiosity and suspicion only grew as he watched her walk away from the building.

Sebastian had come to the company to speak with Rowan about their upcoming collaboration. He had been looking forward to the meeting, but now his thoughts were consumed with Victoria. He hated seeing her there, in Rowan's company. It made him feel a strange mix of anger and jealousy. He knew it was irrational, but he couldn't help it.

Sebastian's eyes were still fixed on Victoria who was tapping her phone while walking. She didn't notice as someone forcefully nudged her and walked past her.

Sebastian who was watching felt a sharp nudge on his shoulder. "Can't you see!" He yelled angrily as he turned around, expecting to see someone standing there, but there was no one.

He was standing alone on the corner. He knew it must have been his imagination, but it felt so real. He was starting to feel a little spooked. He shook his head and resumed watching Victoria again.

Victoria was still walking down the walkway, lost in her phone. Sebastian watched as people hurried past her, carrying bags and briefcases, talking on their phones. Victoria seemed oblivious to it all, staring at her screen.

"Stupid girl. So clumsy, why is she so engrossed in her phone. Is she chatting with a man or something?" Sebastian asked himself, feeling annoyed.

A man in a suit wasn't paying attention to where he was walking. He was completely focused on his phone, and as he passed Victoria, he accidentally stepped on her foot. Victoria instinctively drew her leg back, but she didn't even flinch. She didn't look up from her phone. It was as if she hadn't felt anything at all.

But how was that possible? Sebastian was puzzled by what he had just seen. He wondered if Victoria was wearing some kind of special shoes that prevented her from feeling pain.

Suddenly, Sebastian felt a sharp, stabbing sensation in his foot. It felt like someone had stepped on him, even though no one was around. "Ouch! Damnit!!" The pain was so intense that he had to bend down and take off his shoe. He gingerly removed his sock and inspected his foot, expecting to see a bruise or a cut. But there was nothing there. He put his sock and shoe back on and stood up again, feeling confused and a little dizzy.

Sebastian stood there, dumbfounded. He couldn't make sense of what had just happened. Why had he felt such intense pain when there was no one around him? And where had Victoria gone? He looked around, but there was no sign of her. She must have taken a cab and gone home. Losing interest in the meeting with the company, he retired back home.

.

Sebastian's black Rolls-Royce pulled up in front of his large, sprawling mansion. The driver got out and opened the door for him. As Sebastian stepped out of the car, four bodyguards who had been stationed around the perimeter of the property approached him. Three of them stayed outside, while the fourth followed him into the house.

The bodyguard stood at attention by the door, while Sebastian went to his study. He sat down in his leather armchair and put his head in his hands, trying to make sense of what had happened.

He took out his shoes and put his feet up on the ottoman and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The bodyguard stood quietly by the door, watching him. Sebastian's fingers drifted to the spot on his foot where he had felt the pain. He massaged it gently, hoping to ease the ache. But it didn't seem to help.

He sighed, still unable to figure out what had happened. He began to wonder if he was losing his mind. Maybe he was having a nervous breakdown. Maybe he was under too much stress. He sighed again and took another deep breath.

As he sat there, deep in thought, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the study hastily. He looked up and saw his beautiful wife standing in the doorway. She was wearing a stunning blue dress that fell to her ankles. Her hair was swept up in a glamorous updo, and her makeup was perfectly done.

"Welcome home," she said, her voice soft and laced with worry. "I'm so glad you're back." She crossed the room, walking up to him.

Sebastian, on the other hand, had no expression on his face. He simply looked at her, his eyes blank. She felt a shiver of fear run down her spine. "What's the matter?" he asked, his voice as emotionless as his face. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

She didn't know what to say. She was afraid to speak, afraid of what might happen if she did. She was confused, uncertain, and scared. Finally, she found her voice and managed to say, "Our daughter, Sage... I think..." But before she could finish, Sebastian stood up abruptly, his expression furious.

"What's happened to her?" he yelled. He didn't wait for a response. He turned and ran out of the study, his footsteps echoing in the hall.

Sebastian got to his daughter's bedroom and flung open the door. His heart broke at the sight before him. His little girl was curled up in a ball in the corner of the room, her head buried in her knees. He ran to her and scooped her up into his arms. She was trembling and silent, and his heart ached with fear. "Sage, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice shaking with emotion.

He lifted her chin gently, trying to get her to look at him. But she turned her head away, trying to hide her face. He called her name again, this time more gently. "Sage," he said, his voice breaking with emotion. She flinched at the sound, and then started sobbing. She didn't want to look at him.

Sebastian had never seen his daughter like this before. She was usually so brave and fierce, a lioness in every way. But now, she looked so timid, so afraid. He was at a loss for what to do.

He carried her to his bedroom and gently set her down on the bed. She immediately curled up into a ball in the corner of the bed, pulling her knees to her chest. He ran out of the room, his heart racing.

Sebastian went back to the study, where his wife was still kneeling on the floor, crying. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet, his grip so tight it was painful. "What have you done to her?!" he yelled, his voice full of rage. "What have you done to my daughter?!"

The woman began to sob, her body trembling with fear. "I didn't do anything to her," she said, her voice shaking. "I woke up this morning and told her to get ready for school. When I went to her room, she was curled up like this, and she wouldn't speak to me." She tried to explain, but Sebastian cut her off, his voice trembling with anger.

"If anything happens to my daughter, I will send you to hell," he threatened in a hushed voice.

The woman tried to speak again, but she could barely get the words out. "She's... she's both our daughter," she said, her voice trailing off. But it was too late. Sebastian had already stormed out of the study, his face flushed with rage. He went back to the bedroom, where his daughter was still curled up on the bed, her eyes wide with fear. He placed a call to the doctor, "Hello, Jonathan. Come over, Immediately!"

.

After Victoria had gotten back from the interview, she joined her mother and Penny in playing Scrabble at the living room. Victoria couldn't help but be amazed at how well Penny and her mom got along, considering how tehye just met. It was as if they had known each other for years, rather than days.

And Penny's intelligence was on full display as she formed clever words on the Scrabble board, putting her mother to shame. Victoria couldn't help but wonder how someone so smart could have been so afraid to speak up before.

They were in the middle of a particularly competitive game when Adrian burst through the door, a grin on his face. "Mom! Sis!" he said, his voice filled with excitement. "I just finished getting my registration stuff done at the college!" The two women looked up from their Scrabble board, smiles on their faces.

"That's great news!" Victoria's mother said.

Adrian walked over to the table and placed a bag of cotton candy in front of Victoria. "I know how much you love this stuff," he said, and Victoria's face lit up.

He then pulled out a bag of chips from his pocket. He had promised Penny that he would replace the bag of chips he had eaten the night before, and here they were. "And, here are the chips I owe you, Penny," he said, setting the bag down in front of her.

Penny's eyes lit up, and she reached for the bag with a grin. "Thank you, Adrian!" she said. "Call me Senior, I'm way older than you." He said to her then, he reached into his pocket again, this time pulling out a small box of biscuits. "And here are some biscuits for you, Mom," he said, smiling at his mother.

His mother smiled and took the biscuits from him. She loved them, and she was grateful for the gesture. But the happiness in the room was suddenly replaced by an icy silence. Victoria's face had turned stony, and she was staring daggers at her brother.

"What's wrong, Victoria?" Adrian asked, his voice trembling. "I thought you'd be happy that we were all spending time together."

Victoria's eyes narrowed. "Don't act like you don't know what you did," she snapped.

Victoria's face was contorted with anger, her eyes flashing with indignation. "You got our mom biscuits and Penny chips, but all I get is a lousy bag of cotton candy?" she exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch. "What's wrong with you? Do you think I'm less important than them?" She was shaking with rage, her whole body tense.

Adrian looked at her, his face ashen. "No, that's not it," he said, his voice small. "I didn't mean it like that."

But Victoria wasn't having any of it. "How dare you?!" She yelled, throwing the pack of cotton candy at him and scattering the scrabble they had played.

"I... I didn't mean to leave you out, Victoria," he stammered. "I just thought..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say. Not just him, everyone was stunned. She wasn't just joking around and feigning it, she was damn angry.. for no reason.

"You thought?" she snarled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You thought I'd be happy with some cheap cotton candy while everyone else got real gifts? You didn't even bother to get me something thoughtful. Well, thanks for nothing." His words only seemed to enrage Victoria further.

She turned on her heel and stormed out, into her bedroom and bolted the door.