Chapter 14: I'm Just a Girl in the World

                                    

                                          

🎶 Defying Gravity (Glee Cast Version) - Cover of Idina Menzel's Wicked — Glee Cast 🎶
Soph 👸🏼
Yo send me a link to your press conference thingy
Ruben
No babies coming in Manchester today?
Soph 👸🏼
Apparently there were few men being romantic nine months ago 🙄
Ruben
Ouch, poor women
But here you go: 🔗 attached link
Soph 👸🏼
Let's hear about the nonsense you blabber
Ruben
I'll be wearing a shirt 😎
Soph 👸🏼
Thank God
Ruben
🤨🤨🤨
We'll be talking about that comment later, young lady because I have to go now




I sighed and put away my phone. Truth was, that I had an appointment with HR scheduled in half an hour to talk about the Ed situation and I needed to calm my nerves a bit before that. I had wanted to tell Ruben about this and also ask for his advice as right now, he was really the only friend I had, but that day after training he was so busy and I didn't want to bother him after that any more.
Watching Ruben on my screen, sitting there, looking ridiculously handsome as he blabbered to the press, helped somehow, because I was quite composed when I met Alice in front of the administrative offices.
"You ready?" she asked, shaking off her arms a bit.
"Let's just get this over with" I sighed, already feeling a headache coming.
"Dr Corbyn, Dr Matthews, what can I do for you?" a middle-aged woman asked us as she showed us inside her office. I was so glad that it was a woman hearing us out, and not a man.
"Um... We're both here to file complaints against Dr Davis" I spoke up, sensing that Alice was still way too nervous. The woman raised her eyebrows in a motion to keep on talking, and I took a deep breath.
"As you know, Mr Davis and I have been in a relationship, as we protocolled with HR when we started dating. But... that came to an end when he decided to get violent in an argument. To be exact, it was here at the hospital, at our workplace." I said and glanced over at Alice whose breath was shaking, but she gathered up all her courage.
"During Dr Corbyn's and Dr Davis' relationship, him and me, we... we had an affair. He was also violent to me during that time" she said and a tear rolled down her cheek.
I should have hated her for sleeping with a taken man, she knew what she was doing. But I blamed only him, and I didn't know if that was healthy. The HR woman sighed and shook her head.
"I've... I've heard rumours about his behaviour, but no one ever came forward" she sighed and took off her glasses to rub her eyes.
"What? And you still let him work here?" Alice exclaimed, seemingly more emotional than me.
"Dr Matthews, may I remind you that he is one of the UK's leading neurosurgeons and bringing this hospital a whole load of patients and money" the woman snarled at her and I bit my tongue, this wasn't going well. "Ladies, I will forward your complaints to my superiors, but... I can't guarantee anything." she sighed and stood up, signalling that this meeting was over.
Alice and I walked out with both our heads hanging low. If Ed caught wind of this and there were no disciplinary consequences for him...
"Fuck, Sophia... I'm afraid" Alice told me with a shaky voice and I glared at her, with no one else around to let out my anger to.
"Don't pretend we're friends. You were the one getting involved with a man that was taken" I snarled at her before bumping her shoulder and walking back to my ward.
Ruben had sent me a few messages, seemingly bored as they were travelling but I was in absolutely no mood to reply to them or act like everything was fine. I counted down the hours to the end of my shift, still somewhat moving fearlessly through the hospital, because I knew that Ed was far away, but I dreaded the day he was coming back from his conference and I'd have to avoid areas where he usually hung out around here.
I watched City's game against Leipzig the next evening at home with Mum and Alfie, and we were happy that our team won. Seeing Ruben on the screen made me go all fuzzy, but I tried to keep that from my mother and brother as much as possible. I still felt bad about not having replied to him because I was just a mess in my mind. But to be honest, I also thought that he would be the only one able to help sort me out.

Soph 👸🏼
Sorry for the late reply, I just had some crap days at work
I'd actually like to tell you about it
Ruben 
Sure, we'll be in the hotel in like 30, I can call you?
Soph 👸🏼
Actually this is more of a I'd-like-to-tell-you-in-person-situation...
Ruben
Oh ok
I can pick you up from work tomorrow and we can go to my place?
Soph 👸🏼
I'm by car, so I can get to yours on my own
I get off at 7
Ruben
Ok I'll see you then
And cook you some delicious proteins and veggies
Soph 👸🏼
I can still get McDonald's on my way home





And there I stood, the next evening, in front of Ruben's door, waiting for him to open up.
"Oh wow" Ruben said when he saw me standing there with a small bouquet of tulips.
"You're a nightmare host, you know that? I can't bring you a bottle of wine, nor chocolates, nor a nice bottle of olive oil because you'll have your fancy Portuguese one. So I hope you like these because this bachelor pod could need some fresh colours" I blabbered, trying to hide my nervousness.
Ruben laughed as took the flowers and started his search for a vase, but I couldn't keep my thoughts for myself any longer.
"Do we have time before dinner is ready? I really need to get this off my chest" I blurted out and he stopped, looking at me concernedly.
"Yeah, sure... I'll just keep the pots warm" he muttered and walked over to the stove to push some buttons.
"Couch? Just here?" he asked, but I got straight to the point.
"What Ed did to me, he also did to others. Before and while we were together" I told him and his face changed to dead serious. "I thought about going to HR for a few days and eventually went yesterday, with one of the girls he cheated on me with. The lady told us she had already heard rumours about his behaviour, but she'd have to talk to her superiors first. We all know what that means. They'll just put our statements on file and let him continue working because he is oh-so-great and brings oh-so-much money" I huffed.
"Soph- I'm so sorry, I wish you had told me sooner" he said as he stepped closer to pull me into a hug, which was exactly what I needed. His strong arms holding me close, making me feel safe, the contrary of how I felt at work, knowing that Ed could be lurking anywhere behind a corner.
"I'm just afraid of what he's going to do if he finds out that I snitched" I whispered with a shaky voice and he pulled away to put his hands on my cheeks and look at me.
"If he ever lays only one finger on you, he'll get to know my fists and I'm sure I go to the gym more than he does" he said, making a small smile appear on my face. "You... want me to ask around and pull some strings to get him...?" he asked, making a hand motion that probably meant fired.
"Ruben, I don't need you to come save the day, I'll have to deal with him on my own. And I'm sure my dad could pull more effective strings than you but I already feel weak enough by running to one man and crying it out" I huffed annoyedly. I was such a crybaby and from what I knew, men hated crybabies.
"Don't say that. He's your father and I'm your friend. Just because we're men-" he started, but I cut him off.
"He hit me, just because I was a woman. And me and that girl weren't heard just because we were women. That's how the world is, so don't come at me with any gender theories" I said sternly. He didn't seem to agree with me, but knew better than to get into a fight with me now.
"We should eat now. And you can tell me about Germany and the game to get my mind off things" I sighed and walked to the kitchen. He lingered where we had stood for a few seconds before turning around and following me, his mind still racing around the things I had just told him. But he saw that I needed a distraction, he somehow always knew what I needed.
"Yeah, and I still have to tell you about my FIFA rating, can you believe they dropped me a point in terms of pace?! Unbelievable..." he started yapping, putting a smile on my face and my thoughts at ease.



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