Chapter 250
The smile I had shown Emily vanished instantly when I saw Henry blocking my path. My expression turned cold as I stared at the man who seemed determined to insert himself into my life at every opportunity.
“Mr. Harding,” I said through clenched teeth, ‘how many times do I need to tell you to stop disrupting my life?”
This man had an infuriating habit of deliberately blocking my way. If not for the obvious physical strength difference between us–I stood no chance in a physical confrontation–I would have shoved him aside long ago.
In the past, the high–and–mighty Henry would have immediately flown into a rage at such treatment. But today, surprisingly, the great CEO not only restrained his notorious temper but spoke to me with unexpected gentleness.
I’m heading to the hospital to visit my grandfather,” he his voice unusually soft. “It’s on my way. Let me give you a ride. He glanced at the busy street.
He was right about that. It was peak rush hour in Manhattan, and every taxi passing by was already occupied. I felt frustration building inside me as I watched yet another full cab drive past.
“At this hour, you won’t find an available taxi anyway ate for my shift. With extreme reluctance, I finally climbed into his car, but not
I anxiously checked my watch. If I delayed any longer, I’d definitely
before issuing one final warning:
“Just to be clear, this is only because you’re heading the same way. Don’t expect me to owe you any favors for this.”
With divorce on the horizon, the last thing I wanted was to be indebted to Henry.
Henry looked absurdly pleased with himself, smiling indulgently. “Of course. Whatever you say.”
The tenderness radiating from him was disconcerting. That soft, loving gaze was something I’d rarely seen during our years together.
In fact, I could say I’d never seen it at all.
I deliberately avoided looking at him, retreating to the back seat where I busied myself reviewing patient files, pretending he didn’t exist. Henry didn’t seem bothered by my cold shoulder. He sat quietly, occasionally stealing glances at me through the rearview mirror, as unobtrusive as air.
Thirty minutes later, as we approached Manhattan General Hospital, I insisted on being dropped off at the main entrance.
The last thing I needed was my colleagues seeing me step out of Henry’s car, fueling even more gossip.
Henry looked somewhat disappointed but nodded in agreement.
He watched as I walked away, waiting until I disappeared from view before instructing his driver to continue.
Though our current interactions were strained and uncomfortable for him, he seemed to find some satisfaction in them.
We hadn’t argued or confronted each other–just sat quietly, breathing the same air. For Henry, this apparently counted as progress. At the very least, I hadn’t completely rejected his presence as I had done before.
I had barely finished signing in at the hospital when several figures suddenly blocked my path. Leading them was Scarlett, with David and their son Daniel right behind her.
The three quickly surrounded me, forming a tight circle.
“Sophia,” Scarlett sneered, “where do you think you’re running off to now?”
Her expression radiated an unsettling greediness.
After experiencing how easily Isabella had paid her off last time, and with Nancy’s additional encouragement last night, Scarlett was eager for another quick payday.
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Chapter 250
The money seemed easy to eat all she had to do was publicly humiliate me.
I inhaled sharply, staring at the three people who were treating me like their mortal enemy.
“Mrs. Hernandez,” I said with a cold smile, ‘did you find one mouth insufficient to argue with me, so you brought two more along?
The truth was, I had almost no emotional attachment to Scarlett.
What kind of mother abandons her ten–year–old daughter in the wilderness, leaving her to fend for herself in the mountains? If Sam hadn’t found me when was too weak from hunger to move, I would have died in those remote woods long ago.
There would be no Sophia Wilson standing here today.
Does a woman like that even deserve to be called a mother?
Years ago, when Scarlett first heard I had married into the Harding family, she’d come looking for money.
Foolishly longing for maternal love, I had convinced myself that her past actions were somehow beyond her control.
I gave her what I could–a month’s salary. It wasn’t much, but it was all I had to spare at the time.
Even then, Scarlett had been visibly disappointed, complaining about how little I’d given her. After that, I stopped giving her anything and refused further meetings. Looking back, I had no regrets about my decision.
If a mother fails to fulfill her basic obligation to raise her child, why should that child owe her anything in return?
Now, facing Scarlett again, I felt nothing but cold detachment–not even a flicker of emotion. Seeing my firm stance and the knife–like sharpness in my eyes, Scarlett faltered momentarily.
The woman before her wasn’t the meek, easily manipulated daughter she remembered. I stood like a warrior, and it clearly unnerved her.
Still, she tried not to show her fear, raising her voice accusingly: “Sophia, am I your mother or not? Don’t you have a duty to support me?”
Scarlett deliberately pitched her voice loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. As passersby stopped to watch the unfolding drama, she grew even louder.
“Everyone, look at this!” she wailed theatrically. “This is the daughter I raised with my blood and sweat! Now that she has a job and a wealthy husband, she won’t give her own mother a single penny! What sin have I committed to deserve such treatment?”
With that, she burst into exaggerated sobs, covering her face with her hands while peeking through her fingers to gauge the audience’s reaction.
David seized the opportunity to circle behind me, his face contorted with rage as he jabbed a finger inches from my nose.
“Take a good look at her face, everyone!” he bellowed. “Look at her! Married to Manhattan’s wealthiest man, living in a luxury mansion, yet she won’t spare a single dollar for her mother or me!”
He thrust a yellowed document in front of me. “I’m her father! I have the court decree right here!”
The paper was so old and worn that no one could possibly read its contents, but David waved it around as if it were irrefutable proof.
*Her mother and I raised her with our sweat and tears for all those years,” he continued his performance. “And what does she do? The moment she marries into money, she turns her back on us, refusing to give us even a penny, trying to sever all ties with her own family!”
Their intention was clear–to completely destroy my reputation, to make my life in Manhattan so unbearable that I would have no choice but to leave.
