The thing that surprised Sophia was that Albert had actually booked an entire restaurant for them.She hadn’t expected him to go through with it until a waiter greeted her as “Mrs. Raymond.” Hearing the title made Sophia feel mocked. She didn’t respond or smile as she usually would.Sophia was ushered to a seat at a table that was exquisitely arranged, exuding an air of luxury and romance. It was situated next to a large glass window that offered a stunning view of the sparkling cityscape.Even so, Sophia felt a disappointment when she realized Albert wasn’t there yet.Typical, Sophia thought. He was probably drowning in his pile of work right now.
“What the hell was that?!”Sophia turned away, walking past Albert and entering the house.Albert chased after her and forcefully grabbed her hand to turn her toward him. “Answer me!” Albert hissed firmly.Sophia looked at him coldly. “What should I answer, Albert?” she asked calmly.Albert gritted his teeth. “Who the hell is that guy?! We had agreed to have dinner together, but you were busy cheating with another man.”Sophia held herself back from exploding with anger at Albert’s words.“Who is he? His name is Daniel Mateo, Albert,” Sophia replied. Her hand reached up to cup Albert’s face, gently stroking the harsh lines marked by anger. “He’s a very kind and charming man, don’t
The next morning, Sophia woke up with a headache. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and clicked her tongue in disgust at the remnants of her tears still clinging to her face.Sophia then proceeded to freshen up. Just as she was finishing, Albert’s loyal servant, Sir Harrith, informed her that she was to get ready and head to Albert’s office at his request.Sophia didn’t want to go, especially with her emotions still in turmoil, but did she have any other choice?After getting ready, Sophia went downstairs and greeted Dana, having a small bite of her breakfast. Dana protested her unhealthy eating habits, but Sophia ignored her and said goodbye.Since Sir Harrith hadn’t mentioned anything about the purpose of Albert’s summons, Sophia
When she regained consciousness, Sophia found herself in a hospital room. With the characteristic scent of the place and its silence, she slowly woke up, wincing slightly as a sudden, painful throb pulsed through her head. Her right hand moved toward her temple to check the condition of her head, but the pain shifted there instead, and Sophia realized something.She was hooked up to an IV, and her hand was bandaged. It must be broken or sprained, Sophia thought to herself. She clearly remembered the events that had occurred before. This made her look around, as if searching for someone’s presence, but she found herself alone.Sophia felt disappointed.She then spent the next five minutes staring at the white ceiling, bored,
After everyone had left, leaving only Sophia and Albert alone in the room, Sophia spoke without looking at Albert. “You don’t need to feel guilty or indebted. What I did for you was just a reflex.”Yes, it was a reflex, driven by her feelings for Albert. But, of course, Sophia would never admit that.From the sofa, Albert smiled. He tossed the bloodstained tissue into the trash can and sat with his elbows resting on his knees.“What’s wrong with you?” Sophia asked, half-grumbling. “You didn’t have to hit Luke like that just because he came to visit me.”Albert avoided her gaze. He was asking himself the same question she had just voiced.“Albert?” Sophia called
When morning came, Sophia woke up to find Albert was no longer in the room. The sun had risen high in the sky, its light streaming through the open window. Sophia sat up, feeling a slight dizziness in her head, but it was better than yesterday. Perhaps it was due to her surroundings; Sophia had never liked hospitals, and she wasn’t used to being away from home for too long.A doctor came in to check on her condition. The man said that she might be able to go home the next day. After the doctor left, a woman in a white uniform came in, bringing her breakfast and medication, then left, leaving Sophia alone once more.Sophia stared at the porridge in the bowl. Her appetite instantly disappeared just from smelling the food, but Sophia wanted to get better. She didn’t want Albert to think of her as childish or spoiled. So, with her left hand feeling numb
The next day arrived without warning. Sophia was allowed to go home, but Albert didn’t come to pick her up. Sophia didn’t expect much after the argument they had the night before, and she wasn’t ready to face him, who was probably buried under a pile of work. He was such a workaholic, and Sophia forced herself to understand that, even though she didn’t actually know if Albert was busy working or doing something else.Sophia walked down the corridor with confident steps, her glasses perched on her nose, and a hospital mask covering part of her face. She reached the hospital entrance and inhaled deeply, smiling in contentment. Finally, after days, she was allowed to breathe air without the antiseptic smell.Sophia had ordered a taxi to take her home, but instead of a taxi, a sleek black luxury car stopped in front of her. The door opened,
Sophia woke up later than usual. She only had two choices; wake up too early or sleep in too late. She did this to avoid Albert. Additionally, Sophia found it a bit challenging to go through her morning routine with her injured dominant hand. It even took her a little longer to put on her clothes. As always, Sophia ensured that her outfit covered her body well. She wore a cream turtleneck paired with a brown knit blazer.Sophia went downstairs and didn’t find Dana in the kitchen. But at least Dana had left a note saying she was visiting the garden and had prepared breakfast for Sophia.Lifting the food cover, Sophia discovered a variety of breakfast dishes laid out. She chose her favorites, an omelet and tomato juice. Dana had even prepared a plate of cherry tomatoes cut into the shape of little rabbits, which successfully brightened Sophia’s slight
In the yellow bikini, her pale skin appeared even more radiant. With a low-cut top and thin-strapped bottoms, Sophia transformed into the picture of a summer beauty, her body alluring. However, despite all of that, Sophia felt far from confident. She nearly cried when she saw how awkward and ridiculous her reflection looked in the mirror.Once again, Sophia asked herself, should she really do this? What would Albert think?She was supposed to go home with Albert today, there was no reason to delay any further. But Billie and Paula had decided to throw a pool party in the backyard of their house.They should have done this in the summer, why now when the weather was starting to cool down? But a party was a party, no matter the time, they were just looking for an excuse to have fun.
Was it only care that Albert felt when he kissed her like that? Should Sophia add affection into the equation? But if that were the case, it wouldn’t fully explain how they slept together and made love so passionately and intensely. People who only care for each other wouldn’t do that.Then Sophia thought, perhaps Albert did love her. But love itself has many categories. Maybe Albert’s love was only directed toward the feelings that Sophia evoked in him, or the desire they both shared.Sophia was so confused. And she was terrified to guess for herself, afraid of being disappointed if she hoped too much.But Daniel's words kept ringing in her head, “What do you think Albert feels for you all this time?”Sophia wanted to know. Was it really li
Albert watched as Paula Abraham hurriedly approached him and Alexander, who were both silent in a tense atmosphere in front of their cars, which happened to be parked side by side. Albert couldn’t easily forget what that man had done, taking advantage of his wife when she was half-drunk. Although they were both intoxicated that night, seeing how Alex remembered everything, Albert was sure that he was pretending to be too drunk in front of Sophia so that she would be moved to follow his wishes.That’s what Albert called taking advantage. And Albert knew that Alex did it just to annoy him."Let's go!" Paula said in a cold, commanding tone.Alex, like a man who had been searching for an excuse to do so, immediately obeyed his girlfriend’s words. Soon after, the car drove off.
They both fell silent in the threatening quiet. Then Paula lifted her face again and glared at Sophia angrily.Sophia tidied up her makeup tools and immediately turned to leave. She might seem cowardly for trying to escape after that slap, but the truth was, she wasn’t afraid. She was simply fed up with dealing with her older sister."What was that?!" Paula screamed, not accepting it, following Sophia out and grabbing her sister’s arm.Sophia clenched her jaw, then turned around. "That’s a reply for your foul mouth!" she snapped, her tone indifferent, which only made Paula angrier."You—" Paula raised her hand with long, sharp nails, ready to slap Sophia. Sophia could already imagine the pain and how her sharp nails might leave another wound, but
Sophia had informed Albert about the Thanksgiving parade that afternoon. Initially, Sophia had planned to go alone, but it turned out that she wasn't the only one thinking of doing so. So, they all went together, Sophia and Albert, Louis and Mariane, Paula and Alexander, as well as Billie and Daniel. Only Luke didn't attend, and Louis informed them that Luke had gone to the office to handle an urgent matter.The image of a first date with her husband vanished as Sophia had to jostle through the crowd. However, even so, not for a second did Albert let go of Sophia’s hand, so no matter where the crowd took them, she was always with Albert.This annual parade was always lively and attended by many people. Various monuments and decorations were made from the bountiful harvest. Pets were also brought out, participating in the Thanksgiving celebration alongside
"Don’t you want to talk to me about it now?" Albert said, leaning back on the sofa as he gently stroked the top of his wife's head, which was resting on his lap, while his eyes were focused on the screen of his laptop on the table."You’re working," Sophia replied flatly.Albert looked down, gazing at the closed eyelids of his wife. "But I will listen."After a long silence, Sophia finally spoke. "Do you think there’s anyone who truly apologizes for mistakes they made a long time ago?"The question struck Albert harder than Sophia had anticipated. He stared intently at her eyelids, hiding her beautiful round eyes behind them. If only Sophia would open her eyes now, so Albert could guess what she was feeling inside because eyes always speak more honestly
Her older brother returned her gaze with a complicated expression, fixing Sophia in place like a fool.Luke took a step closer to her, then stood beside Sophia, looking at the calm, rippling water of the swimming pool.Luke finally spoke, “Where’s your husband?”“He’s still asleep,” Sophia answered briefly.Luke snorted in amusement. “Does he have a habit of sleeping in? A successful businessman, I presume?”Sophia replied calmly, “He’s exhausted from last night.” Remembering how Albert had to work on his unexpected day off made Sophia feel a little sad. Last night, Albert seemed to have stayed up late and only managed to sleep early this morning.
When they entered their quiet room, Albert closed the door and pressed Sophia's back against it, with his strong arms resting on either side of her face.“Tell me honestly,” Albert said, gazing at Sophia with a sharp look.“Hm?” Sophia, confused, asked, wondering what he meant. “What is it?”“Why did you give a gift to Daniel Mateo, but never once gave me, your husband, any gift?”Sophia still looked puzzled, trying to recall what gift Albert was talking about.Then, Sophia remembered the day she went to the mall and met Daniel.“Ah, that!” Sophia suddenly exclaimed, causing Albert to narrow his eyes at her.
An hour was not a short amount of time. Sophia had yawned several times but had no intention of leaving her spot. The movie had started, and everyone's focus was on the screen. Meanwhile, Sophia’s focus was drifting elsewhere.What exactly was Sophia waiting for? She didn’t know. But she felt that if she left now, she would miss something important. Yet, she couldn’t figure out what that important thing was.With sleepiness hanging heavy under her eyelids, Sophia leaned against Albert's chest. He welcomed her and lovingly embraced her.Unbeknownst to Sophia, curious and questioning glances had been directed at the two of them, who were openly showing affection in a way that felt intimate. The relationship between Sophia and Albert had become common knowledge. They had married out of obligation. For