pating in a dirty lit pilvete roses an nhe a
shorten e dat
but a did nothing to her the dient in Bierhee THE handtag, ready in stribe him en win an apply like the pr
Perhaps that was the truth!
Perhaps the real Sophia was this cold, uncompromising women
tocked at how with earning but opt
“Earth to Henry? Benismin waved his hand is from of Henry’s face, Breaking his contemplation. Tar Beed staring straight
When Henry finally looked up. Benjamin couldn’t contain hemself. He burst into lighter, clutching his rides as if for just heard
world.
Henry shot him a withering glare that would have made most men cower. What exactly is so amusing. Bences?
Benjamin tried to stifle his laughter but failed miserably. Sorry, man. It’s just-” He paused, attempting to compose himself. The ex Wall Street tremble with a single phone call, sitting here looking like a lovesick teenager who got rejected at prom! He disentred laughter.
Henry’s patience snapped. He kicked Benjamin under the table with enough force to make the man yelp in pain.
“Jesus Christ!” Benjamin rubbed his shin, his laughter momentarily halted. Is that how you treat your reinforcements? I came here to help
“Then stop finding my situation so goddamn entertaining.” Henry growled.
Benjamin’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “She hit you, didn’t she? Sophia actually hit you!”
Henry narrowed his eyes dangerously. “One more word and you can find your own way home.”
Henry seemed unwilling to let it go, adding: “She only thought about it, but she didn’t actually do it!”
Benjamin raised his hands in surrender, trying to look serious, though, his lips still twitched with suppressed amusement. “Alright, alright. But seriously, what did you do to piss off Sophia? She’s so patient. For her to reach this point, you must have done something truly despicable.”
“I didn’t-” Henry began defensively, then stopped. He took another sip of his drink, his expression darkening. “Just drop it.”
“Come on,” Benjamin pressed, leaning forward with interest. “Tell me what happened. Let’s hear the tragic tale that brought the mighty Henry to his knees.”
Henry couldn’t stand the gleeful anticipation on his friend’s face. He delivered another swift kick to Benjamin’s other shin.
“Fuck!” Benjamin jumped up, hopping on one foot. “That’s it! I’m leaving. Deal with your woman troubles on your own!”
As Benjamin gathered his coat, Henry finally relented. Wait, he sighed heavily. ‘Sit down. I’ll tell you.”
Benjamin cautiously returned to his seat, positioning himself further away from Henry’s reach. “I’m listening.”
Henry recounted the day’s events–following Sophia and Alexander, watching them enjoy a meal together, anonymously paying their bill, and Sophia’s furious reaction when she discovered it was him./
“She threw the money in my face, Benjamin, Henry said, his voice hollow with disbelief. Right there on the street. She even called me her ex–husband, as if our divorce was already finalized.”
‘And then she was ready to hit me with her bag. If that Aspen pretty boy hadn’t stopped her, she would have,” Henry added, his jaw clenching at the memory of Alexander gently restraining Sophia’s arm.
Chapter 225
“The way she looked at me…” Henry’s voice trailed off as he stared into his empty glass. “It’s like I’m nothing to her now. All the fees is Alexander
What does he have that I don’t?” only known each other for a few days, and she’s already so comfortable with
him. Wha
Benjamin listened without interruption, his amusement gradually fading as he observed the genuine distress on his friend’s face,
When Henry finally finished, Benjamin couldn’t help but laugh again, though more softly this time..
“What’s so hard about admitting you care about her, Henry?” Benjamin asked, shaking his head in exasperation. “If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be following her around like a private investigator. You wouldn’t feel like punching that Alexander guy every time he touches her.
Henry opened his mouth to object, but Benjamin raised a hand to silence him.
‘Let me explain something to you,” Benjamin continued, his tone more serious. “When Sophia says she wants a divorce, when she announces it to all of Manhattan, it means something. It means she’s kicked you out of her life. It means in her heart, your marriage is already over.”
Benjamin leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Henry’s. “Don’t think that just because there isn’t a divorce certificate, you’re still married in any meaningful way. Sophia doesn’t love you anymore–or at least, she’s trying desperately not to. Do you have any idea how difficult that must be for her? To stop loving someone she once gave her whole heart to?”
Henry sat in silence, his friend’s words sinking in like stones dropping into a dark, still pond.
“A woman like Sophia, Benjamin continued, his voice softening, “doesn’t change overnight. From loving you to throwing money in your face–think about what must have happened in between. Think about what you’ve done to her over the years.”
Henry’s mind raced back through their years together. The coldness, the distance he’d deliberately maintained between them. The cruel words, accusations belittling.
He had treated her like an unwanted intrusion in his life while pining for Isabella.
And now Isabella…
The woman he had idealized as his perfect love had tried to kill Sophia and Billy. The realization made him feel physically ill.
‘I’ve made mistakes, Henry admitted quietly, the words feeling strange on his tongue.
Benjamin snorted. “Mistakes? You call six years of emotional torture mistakes? Henry, you didn’t make mistakes–you destroyed that woman’s love for yo And now you’re surprised she’s finally had enough?”
The truth of Benjamin’s words hit Henry like a physical blow. For the first time, he saw their marriage from Sophia’s perspective–such a life would be unbearable even for a day.
‘I’ve lost her, haven’t I?” Henry whispered, more to himself than to Benjamin.
Benjamin regarded his friend thoughtfully. “Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing’s for certain–the Henry Harding charm that works on everyone else won’t on Sophia anymore. If you want her back, you’re going to have to do something you’ve never done before.”
‘What’s that?” Henry asked.
“Humble yourself, Benjamin replied simply. “And pray to God it’s not too late.”
