Chapter 56
You locked me in the dressing room, this matter isn’t over!‘ Itis voice was dangerously quiet, that familiar tone that usually preended his worst outben Get back home immediately.”
“Or what?” I challenged, feeling a strange calm settle over me. “Will you lock me in the dressing room too? Maybe starve me like you did our sont
Henry’s breath caught audibly, followed by a vicious response. “You have no idea who you’re messing with, Sophia.”
Oh, I think I do. A love–starved man, a man with obsessive control issues who needs to control everyone around him because deep down, he knows Isabella Scott will never truly love him.”
The silence that followed was so profound I could hear the gentle rustle of leaves in the park. When Henry finally spoke again, his voice sent chills down my spine,
“You’d do well to remember your place.”
“My place?” I laughed. “I think I’ve finally found it, Henry–as far away from you as possible.”
“You’ll come crawling back,” he predicted coldly. Without the Harding name, you’re nothing.”
“I’d rather be a nobody with dignity than Mrs. Harding without it.”
“Your choice,” he said, his voice sharpening. “But starting tomorrow, I’ll have a surprise for you every day. I’m sure you’ll be delighted to see them!”
His voice was full of threats, and despite my best efforts, I felt a flicker of fear. “Is this supposed to scare me?”
About what happens to people who cross me,” Henry replied smoothly.
Go to hell,” I snapped, surprising even myself with my reaction, then hung up the phone.
“Well?” Betty demanded, snatching her phone back. “What did that devil want?”
“Revenge,” I said simply, watching Billy leave the seesaw to chase butterflies. “He’s promising ‘surprises‘ starting tomorrow.”
Betty’s eyes widened. “What kind of surprises?”
“Knowing Henry? Nothing good.”
“We should call the police,” Betty suggested, already scrolling through her contacts.
I shook my head. “And tell them what? That my powerful, well–connected husband made vague threats over the phone? This is New York, Betty. The Harding family might even have the police commissioner under their control.”
Betty fell silent, watching me with worried eyes. “So what’s the plan? You can’t just wait for him to strike.”
“The plan is simple,” I said, rising from the bench. “I keep moving forward. I keep fighting for Billy. What other choice do I have?”
Looking at my son playing on the seesaw, his small face alight with the simple joy of freedom, I knew I could never return to that life of quiet submission.
‘I can’t go back to being that obedient woman,” I said softly. “I won’t.”
Manhattan General Hospital’s VIP wing remained imposing, but this time I approached with a different identity. I wasn’t there as an employee or as Henry’s wife, but simply as William’s granddaughter–in–law. When I arrived, William was sitting up in bed, looking much better than during my last visit. His weathered face lit up immediately upon seeing me, like a loving father.
“Sophia!” he exclaimed, holding out his arms for an embrace. “Thank God you’ve come. These incompetent nurses have been driving me insane. How’s my great–grandson?*
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Chapter 56
bsmiled, genuine warmth filling me as I moved to hug him. Despite everything, William had always been kind to me. Billy, dont al: Land taking a seat beside the bed. Hex back at school today, He’s been asking about you.
That boy, William’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Sharp as a tack, just like his father. Did he like the toy I sent him?
The remote controlled helicopter? He loves it, I confirmed. “Though I’m not sure our neighbors appreciate the early morning test flights
William laughed, the sound breaking into a slight cough that he quickly controlled. ‘Good, good. A boy needs his toys. His expression grew more serious,
How are you, my dear?”
I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. William had always been on my side, but he was still Henry’s grandfather.
“Not bad, getting by,” I said carefully.
William’s sharp eyes studied my face. “Henry’s been even more impossible than usual lately. I suppose that has something to do with you?”
Despite myself, I smiled. Perhaps.”
“Good,” William said with surprising approval. “That boy’s needed someone to challenge him for years. Too many people just bow to his every whim.
His directness caught me off guard. William had always been kind to me, but I’d never heard him openly criticize Henry before.
William leaned forward, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “Sophia, my dear, I need to ask you something, and I want an honest answer.”
My heart raced in my chest. “Of course, Grandpa.”
“Are you and that fool grandson of mine fighting about divorce?”
The question hit me like a physical blow. How could he possibly know? Henry would never have told him, and I’d been careful not to mention it during my hospital visits.
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