Chapter 78
Henry stood between Thoma and me like an impenetrable wall his eyes filled with contempt as he stared Thomas down. The tense atmosphere drew curious glances from hotel guests passing through the lobby.
“This man was preventing you from leaving, Henry stated, his voice dangerously quiet.
I pulled Billy closer to me, feeling his small body tense against mine. The last thing I wanted was a scene in front of my
son.
“Henry, this doesn’t concern you,” I said firmly. “I can handle this myself.”
Henry shot me a cold glance, then took a deliberate step to my left, his arm sliding possessively around my shoulders. The weight of it felt like a claim of ownership as he fixed Thomas with an icy stare.
“I don’t want to see anything like this again,” he warned Thomas, his voice seeming beyond question. A man blocking a woman from leaving? You’re only embarrassing yourself. People might start talking.”
I stiffened under his touch. After five years of neglect, he suddenly wanted to play the role of a protective husband? The hypocrisy was suffocating.
The more I tried to distance myself, the more determined Henry seemed to insert himself into my life. Like a rebellious Child, he insisted on doing exactly what I asked him not to do.
Thomas’s eyes narrowed, his usually gentle demeanor hardening. “That’s rich coming from you, Henry. Now you suddenly remember Sophia is your wife? Where was this concern when you were spending every night with Isabella?”
Henry’s arm tightened around my shoulder, his body radiating tension. “We’re still legally married,” he shot back. “What right do you have to lecture me? Coveting another man’s wife hardly puts you on moral high ground.”
“Stop it, both of you,” I hissed, acutely aware of Billy watching this exchange with confused eyes. “This is ridiculous.”
The two men barely acknowledged me, caught in their power struggle. Thomas stepped forward, his words becoming increasingly heated.
“You don’t deserve her,” Thomas continued, his voice rising. “You’ve been cheating on her for years with Isabella! You think no one notices? The entire hospital knows!”
I could feel Henry’s body coiling like a spring beside me, ready to lunge at any moment. Panicking, I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door.
“Enough! We’re leaving,” I insisted, pulling harder when he resisted.
As I dragged Henry toward the exit, Thomas called after us: “Sophia, you deserve better than this! Leave this two–timing bastard! He’ll never be faithful to you!”
I shot Thomas a pleading look, silently begging him to stop. “Thomas, please, don’t say anything more.”
Henry was nearly breaking free from my grip, his face contorted with fury. I desperately held on tighter.
“I’ll be waiting for you when the divorce is final!” Thomas shouted as the distance between us grew. “I won’t let you face
this alone!”
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Chapter 78
Outside in the cold night ai Henry wrenched his arm free from my grasp, turning on me with barely controlled anger.
“So this is your game?” he accused. “Defending your old lover in front of your husband?”
Not in
front of Billy,” I warned, nodding toward our son who was watching us with worried eyes.
“Fine,” Henry spat, already turning away. “This conversation is over.”
“Mom, I’m hungry,” Billy tugged at my coat, his small face troubled by the adult drama he’d witnessed.
I sighed, forcing a smile for my son’s benefit. “Of course, sweetheart. Let’s find somewhere to eat.”
As we started walking toward the nearest restaurant, the distinctive purr of an Aston Martin engine approached from behind. The sleek vehicle pulled alongside us, the passenger window lowering to reveal Henry’s handsome face, now
carefully composed into a neutral expression.
“Get in,” he said simply.
Looking at him through the window, I was suddenly transported back six years, to the night we first met.
It was also winter then. As a medical student, I quickly discovered the fact that I was pregnant.
I remember calling my mother in desperation one evening, carefully inquiring.
“Mom,” I’d asked hesitantly, “what would happen if a girl got pregnant before marriage?”
Her response was immediate and cruel. “She would bring shame to her entire family,” my mother declared. “No decent man would ever marry her. Is this about someone at school?”
“Just a girl I know,” I lied, my hand protectively covering my still–flat stomach.
“Well, tell your friend she’s ruined her life,” my mother said dismissively before changing the subject.
I couldn’t summon the courage to go to a clinic. The thought of being recognized by classmates was unbearable. Instead, I drove to Long Island, finding solace on the deserted winter beach.
Standing at the edge of the churning gray water, I felt a strange calm settle over me. The waves seemed to offer a solution to all my problems–one step forward, and everything would disappear. No more shame, no mor dilemma, no more
disappointed parents.
I remember stepping into the frigid water, completely numb to everything. I barely felt the impact of the waves. The water pulled at my clothes, dragging me deeper.
Then suddenly, there was another splash behind me. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me backward against a solid chest. I struggled to resist, desperately wanting to end my life, but he was too strong.
When I finally opened my eyes on the shore, I found myself staring into a face of extraordinary beauty–perfect features set in an expression of cold detachment. His eyes were clear and icy.
Those same eyes were now watching me through the car window, carrying within them five years of marriage.
Get in,” Henry repeated, his voice softer this time. “It’s your birthday, I can grudgingly listen to your opinion, but only for
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Chapter 78
today.”
Henry still held his proud head high, and I felt the ice in my h
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