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The Ex–Wife’s Redemption: A Love Reborn
Chapter 17
In the Michelin–starred restaurant, I sat across from Thomas, my fingers nervously tracing the rim of my water glass. The familiar setting brought back memories of my medical school days, when everything seemed possible.
“Sophia, Thomas’s voice was gentle but firm, have you considered divorcing Henry?”
The question hung in the air between us, heavy with implications. I stared at my untouched salad, memories of the past few weeks flooding my mind. Billy’s fever, Henry’s indifference, the way he’d rushed to Isabella’s side without a second thought for our sick
son.
“You deserve better than this,” Thomas pressed on. “You can’t keep living like this.”
A bitter smile touched my lips as I remembered how it all began. Five years ago, Henry had given my child legitimacy, offered me the Harding name. I’d spent every day since then trying to repay that debt, caring for him with unwavering devotion despite his coldness.
“I’ve already signed the divorce papers,” I admitted quietly, watching understanding dawn in Thomas’s warm brown eyes. “But Henry needs to sign them too. Without his signature…” I trailed off, the reality of my situation weighing heavily on my shoulders.
Thomas’s hand twitched on the table, as if fighting the urge to reach for mine. Instead, he took a deep breath, his eyes distant with
was going to tell you something important.” memories. “Five years ago,” he began, his voice thick with emotion,
I felt my heart constrict, knowing what was coming. The night before my marriage to Henry, Thomas had tried desperately to reach me. Countless calls, endless messages, all left unanswered as I sat in my room, paralyzed by circumstances I couldn’t control.
“I waited outside the Harding Estate that night,” he continued softly. In the rain. I thought if I could just see you, talk to you…” He shook his head, the pain still evident in his expression. “But you never came out.”
“Thomas, please,” I whispered, unable to bear the weight of his confession. “That was a long time ago.”
“What about now?” He leaned forward, his voice urgent. “You’ve been a housewife for five years. Let me help you restart your career. You were brilliant in medical school, Sophia. That hasn’t changed.”
I laughed without humor. “I’ve been rejected from every job I’ve applied for. Five years as Mrs. Henry Harding for an impressive resume.”
sn’t exactly make
“Work with me.” The words burst from him with surprising intensity, Manhattan General needs an assistant in the internal medicine department. With your medical background…”
His hand reached across the table, covering mine. The warmth of his touch sent a jolt through me, and I quickly withdrew my hand. “Thomas, we shouldn’t…”
“I know,” he said softly, pulling his hand back. “But seeing you trapped in that mansion, watching you fade away day by day… it kills
Sophia.
me,
I stared into my water glass, watching ice cubes slowly melt. “I made my choices, Thomas. Maybe they weren’t the best ones, but they were mine.”
“Were they really your choices?” His voice carried a note of frustration. “Or were you backed into a corner? The Sophia I knew would never have given up medical school, would never have accepted being treated like…..”
“The Sophia you knew didn’t have a child to protect,” I cut him off sharply. Then, seeing the hurt in his eyes, I softened my tone. “I’m sorry. You’re being kind, and I’m being defensive. It’s just… complicated.”
Thomas leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his silver–streaked hair. “Then uncomplicate it. Take the job at Manhattan
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Chapter 17
General. Start rebuilding your life. You don’t have to decide anything else right now?
“But what happens when Henry finds out I’m working with you?” I asked, bitter laughter escaping me. “You don’t know what bes capable of.”
“I don’t care what Henry Harding thinks,” Thomas declared, a hint of steel entering his voice. He lost the right to control your life the moment he chose to treat you like property instead of a wife.”
His words hit too close to home, and I felt tears threatening. “Thomas, please. You can’t…”
“Can’t what? Care about you? Want better for you?” He shook his head. “That’s not something I can switch off, Sophia. Not after watching you sacrifice yourself for five years.”
“It’s just a job offer,” he said quietly. “Think about it. You were top of our class before…”
Before I could respond, movement near the entrance caught my eye. My breath caught in my throat as I watched Isabella glide into the restaurant, the picture of elegance in her designer suit. Henry followed close behind, his usual stern expression softened into something I’d never seen directed at me.
With practiced care, Henry helped Isabella remove her coat, his movements gentle and attentive. They were seated at a table across from us, Henry pulling but her chair with a tenderness that made my heart ache.
“You order for me,” Isabella’s voice carried clearly across the space between us, musical and sweet. “You know what I like.”
I watched, transfixed, as Henry Harding – the Wall Street titan, the man who defied his family’s expectations, the husband who’d never shown me an ounce of warmth – smiled at Isabella with pure adoration. Gone was the cold, commanding presence I’d known for five years. In its place was a man transformed by love, hanging on Isabella’s every word.
The scene before me crystallized everything I’d been trying to deny. Five years of marriage, and I’d never seen Henry smile like that. Never experienced his gentle consideration. Never known the warmth of his genuine affection.
“Sophia?” Thomas’s concerned voice seemed to come from far away. Are you alright?”
Before I could respond, Henry’s head turned slightly, his gray eyes meeting mine across the restaurant. In that moment, I saw something flicker across his face – recognition, surprise, and something else I couldn’t quite identify.
My water glass trembled in my hand as our gazes locked, the weight of five years of marriage hanging between us like an invisible thread about to snap.
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