The Passengers(51)
‘Thank you, Sofia,’ he began. ‘No one can argue that you have certainly led an interesting life.’
‘The fans have put me where I am and I am here to serve them,’ she replied.
‘Do you mind if I ask you another question, on their behalf?’ Sofia nodded, welcoming more time in the spotlight. ‘Was there ever a point when you considered starting a family?’
‘Of course, much in the same way as every woman does.’
Suddenly, instinct told Sofia the Hacker wasn’t playing all his cards at once. She needed to give him something – a diversion – and quickly. ‘If you really want to know the truth, I didn’t start a family of my own because I wasn’t able to have children.’
She gave a stage pause, removed a tissue from her bag and dabbed at her non-existent tears. She knew from the silence that she was still holding everyone’s attention.
‘By the time I met Patrick I was ready for a family, but alas my body wasn’t. I was diagnosed with uterine fibroids that were causing me a great deal of pain. And as a result, I needed a hysterectomy. As you can imagine, it was devastating. I celebrated my fortieth birthday in a hospital room crying my heart out for something I’d only recently realised I wanted. Back then, you couldn’t just bank eggs like girls do now and surrogacy wasn’t the thing it is today, so I lost my only chance at motherhood. And I suppose that’s why I raise so much money for children’s charities. I think of all the little ones I have helped as my own extended family.’
‘I am a little confused though.’
‘About what?’
‘Because I thought the decision not to have a family was your own? According to the medical records I have here in my possession, it wasn’t taken out of your hands at all, it was your own choice.’
Sofia held her breath. He knows, she thought. He knows everything. She pressed a hand to her throat as she waited for him to continue. After a crippling pause, Sofia was the first to break. ‘It was a complicated time.’
‘It wasn’t really though, was it? You didn’t have a hysterectomy, you opted to be sterilised. Why ever would someone who claims to have wanted to start a family go to such extremes not to have one?’
Sofia glared at the camera. Her mask had slipped and she had finished playing her part but the audience remained seated.
‘If you’re not willing to share this with the fans you claim to serve, would you like me to do it for you?’ His suggestion was met with stony silence. ‘I’ll take that as a yes. The reason why you chose to be sterilised was because—’
‘I want to remove myself from this competition,’ Sofia said suddenly. ‘Take me off the list. I want to let someone else live instead of me.’
It was the first time she heard the Hacker laugh. ‘You would really rather die than have the truth come out?’
‘I don’t want to be a part of this any longer,’ Sofia continued. ‘It’s sick, you threatening us all, raking up private things that have no business being spoken about in public.’
‘So you only want them to know the real you if it’s on your terms?’
‘My private life is my own business.’
‘That barn door is wide open and the horse has long since bolted, Sofia. The truth is that you had yourself sterilised so that your husband couldn’t get you pregnant.’
Sofia’s silence was as good as admitting her guilt.
‘And why didn’t you want to carry his child?’
She felt her throat tighten. She was unable to defend herself.
‘Because your husband was, and still is, a notorious paedophile, isn’t he? And you have been complicit in his crimes by using your wealth and influence to cover up the fact he has molested dozens of children over the last four decades.’
Sofia shook her head furiously. ‘You don’t know what—’
‘I have his victims’ names, dates and how much you paid for their families’ silence. I even have photographs he took and sent to magazines and websites.’
Sofia’s arms were rigid as she steadied herself against the seat. Her mind raced with the speed of a whirlwind, desperately trying to think of a way she could escape the accusations with her reputation intact. But before she could defend herself, Sofia realised that no one would get the chance to hear her rebuttal. Her sound feed had been cut off. The show was over, along with her career.
Chapter 37
Libby let out a long breath she wasn’t aware she was holding, then turned to face a similarly stunned Matthew.
She looked towards Jude’s screen to gauge his reaction. He appeared as bewildered as everyone else.
‘Well, I don’t think Sofia will be on the NSPCC’s Christmas card list for very much longer,’ said Cadman.
‘You’re making a joke about child abuse?’ asked Libby.
Cadman’s gaze shot to Matthew before immediately backing down. ‘My apologies.’
After witnessing the exposure of Claire and Sofia’s secrets, it was rapidly becoming apparent the Passengers had been carefully selected based on what they were hiding.
There was nothing more in the world that Libby hated than secrets. Alarm bells were beginning to sound in her head. Her brother Nicky had kept his suicidal feelings from his family the day he was released from hospital. And William had kept his fling with the office intern from her. What secrets might Jude be concealing from her?