Chapter 7
Katherine was only brave to call Alexander a jerk in private, but upon seeing him before her, she lost all her courage. "Oh, Jonice is calling for me! You two can continue chatting!" she declared before walking
away and leaving Sophia with Alexander, who was trying to suppress his anger.
After escaping the battlefield, Katherine glanced behind her, unable to resist her curiosity. When she saw Alexander's darkened face, she felt a sense of guilt for abandoning Sophia.
I don't think Alexander hits women, right?
Meanwhile, Sophia smiled at Alexander. "Sure."
Maintaining her smile, she followed him out of the banquet. The two stood under the streetlights.
As Sophia had just come down from the stage, her hair was slightly messy, and her cheeks were rosy. She crinkled her beautiful eyes and stared at him.
Under the warm streetlights, Alexander realized Sophia seemed unusually flamboyant.
He rarely paid attention to her in the three years they were married as he felt it was a waste of time to be concerned with a fantasist gold digger who had poor self-awareness.
However, there were times when he happened to see her soft and gentle gaze on him when he came home.
Yet now, she looked at him daringly and languidly. Her big eyes sparkled, but there was a hint of iciness in them. "Mr. Xenos, what do you want to chat about?"
As annoyance grew in Alexander, his tone was sharp and biting. "Since we're already divorced, there's nothing between us anymore. I don't care who you date, but we just got divorced this morning. Although you don't care about your reputation, I don't want to be cuckolded for no reason."
Sophia felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. Sneering internally, she raised her hand to flip her long hair. "But I can't stop him from flirting with me, Mr. Xenos."
With a soft chuckle, she continued, "You don't need to talk to me if it's regarding this matter. Throughout our marriage, I did the chores every day and behaved respectfully toward your parents. You shouldn't worry that others will think I cheated on you. Instead, you should worry about how you're going to marry a socialite of the same social standing as you if word gets out that the Xenos family wasted their daughter-in-law's youth!"
With three years of her youth gone, Sophia did not want to waste another second on Alexander.
"I think Mr. Lane has relayed to you my words. Since we're divorced, we're strangers now."
Giving Alexander one last glance, Sophia curled her lips lightly. However, no one could tell if she was laughing at herself or mocking him.
She then turned around to walk back into the banquet, leaving him standing under the streetlight with a dark look.
As Alexander stared at her leaving figure, he furrowed his brows and barely managed to suppress his fury.
She's the one who recklessly forced herself into my life, yet she's pretending to be the victim now. What a joke! I must be crazy too. Why did I come here at such a late hour to embarrass myself instead of going home and sleeping? Do I have nothing to do?
Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He tore his eyes from Sophia and took out his phone.
Upon seeing the caller, he narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Alex, I accidentally tailgated someone. He's so aggressive! Can you come? I'm scared!"
He could hear the tremor in Bethany's voice from the other end. She sounded as if she was on the verge of crying.
"I'll ask Felix to go," he answered with an impassive expression on his face.
"It's fine if Mr. Lane comes, but my brother gave me that person's documents today. If you can come, I can hand you the documents too. Is that okay with you, Alex?"
Glancing at the colorful neon lights inside the banquet, Alexander paused for a while before asking, "Where are you?"
"At the fork of Spring Avenue."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Alexander did not immediately get into his car.
Instead, he reentered the banquet. Samuel and Charles were surprised to see him return. "Alex, why are you back?" they deliberately asked.
Alexander slid them a cold glare. "Where's Sophia?"
Charles rubbed his nose awkwardly and replied, "She left already. A hunk fetched her."
His words made Alexander's face darken considerably. Without giving a reply, the latter turned and left the banquet.
Staring at Alexander's back, Samuel sighed. "Aren't they divorced already? Why does he still care so much?"
Charles shrugged. "A man's strange possessiveness, I guess?"
"Who knows?"
Technically, the two were divorced, so Alexander had no right to control Sophia.
Meanwhile, in a black MPV, Sophia was massaging her temples.
Katherine had handed her two cocktails earlier, and without realizing it, she had gulped them down. Now, the alcohol was kicking in and making her dizzy.
Katherine was being held down by Joshua in the back seat, looking like a meek baby bird.
Silence hung in the car while the lights outside flashed by. Upon recalling the words Alexander spat at her more than ten minutes ago, Sophia felt as if someone had stabbed a thorn in her heart.
So he's afraid that I'm cheating on him. I thought he didn't care at all.
The MPV first stopped before Sophia's mansion. Joshua offered to walk her in, but she waved her hands. "It's fine. You should take care of Katherine instead. She's trying to make me join her into becoming a party girl."
Laughing, Joshua countered, "If you didn't let her be, she wouldn't dare."
Sophia glared at him. "Fine. Can the two of you disappear from my sight now? I just got divorced today, so seeing couples annoys me."
"Then we'll go now."
Having known each other for more than twenty years, the three's relationship ran deeper than friendship.
From their years of knowing each other, Katherine and Joshua knew Sophia hated others pitying her.
It was just a divorce anyway. Sophia would be back on her feet in a few days.
After entering her mansion, Sophia made herself a glass of honey water. However, she only looked at the glass on the table while she sat on the couch.
As she stared and stared at it, tears started rolling down her face.
It was impossible for her not to feel miserable. She had been a talented child since young, and her looks and studies were always outstanding. Despite coming from an average family, she was the center of attention as she grew up.
If not for Alexander, she could be unleashing her potential and contributing to a field she loved, just like Katherine and the others.
However, one could not turn back time. Alexander had saved her when she was fifteen. She thought it was salvation, yet it turned out to be another abyss.
Now that she had finally climbed out of it, she would never allow herself to fall back in again.