It was almost one in the afternoon when Sophia woke up. She reached out and touched her forehead. Her fever had subsided, and her body wasn’t aching anymore. Even the swelling of her throat had reduced.
Looks like sleeping did the trick. Sophia was in a jovial mood as she felt much better now. The room was quiet, and the rain had stopped. It was bright outside. Arching a brow, Sophia stared at the scenery outside for some time before getting out of bed.
She was parched. Her smile slipped straight off her face when she spotted Alexander.
As she was busy reveling in her recovery, she nearly forgot that Alexander was still in her house.
The man not only refused to leave, he even brought his laptop and documents along. Obviously, he wasn’t about to leave anytime soon.
Sophia stalked over to him. Before she could speak, he lifted his head suddenly and said, “Wait a minute. I’m in the middle of a meeting.”
At once, her imposing presence turned into awkwardness.
Sophia blushed, but she quickly regained her composure.
She bent down to pick up her cup and walked over to the water dispenser calmly as though she had gone there to take her cup.
Alexander watched her leave, and his lips curled up. When he returned to his meeting, his expression was back to its usual sternness. “Go on.”
The video conference ended a while later. Sophia was refilling her cup when he shut his laptop and came over to her. “Do you feel better now?” he asked.
Sophia avoided his outstretched hand. “When are you leaving my house?”
Alexander fell silent momentarily. When he parted his lips again, he proceeded to change the topic. “There is some chicken soup in the kitchen. Want some?”
Sophia let out an exasperated laugh. “Alexander, do you know what you’re doing?”
“What?”
“Being thick-skinned,” she spat.
“Mm,” came Alexander’s calm reply.
He was now immune to all her harsh words.
Samuel’s right. I wouldn’t get her back if I insisted on keeping my dignity intact. My dignity isn’t important at all as long as I can get Sophia back. I can also sacrifice everything I own just to get her back.
Sophia was stunned by how thick-skinned Alexander was. She stared straight at him and demanded, “Are you going back on your word?”
He just gave me his word yesterday. How dare he go back on his word today? Is this Alexander’s true color?
“I’m not going back on my word.”
He might’ve lost yesterday, but Sophia hadn’t explicitly asked him to stop courting her.
She said they would steer clear of each other and be strangers from now on. However, he neither wanted to steer clear of her nor be strangers with her.
He didn’t mind being called despicable or shameless. He could give everything up as long as she could return to his side.
After a few seconds of silence, Alexander broke the silence. “Let me bring you some chicken soup.”
“Alexander, I want you to leave my house immediately! Now!”
Alexander’s lips thinned. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
Ha! Should I reply “Never mind, then”?
Alexander went into the kitchen and filled a bowl with the chicken soup that had been staying warm on the stove. When Sophia saw him coming out with the chicken soup, she had the urge to overturn the bowl in fury.
Nevertheless, she managed to tamp her irritation down. It wasn’t worth it, for Alexander was being utterly shameless.
“It’s a bit hot. Let it cool down before you drink it,” he reminded her gently after placing the bowl down.
Sophia stood there, unmoving. “Alexander, what exactly do you want?”
She was truly afraid now.
“I’m courting you,” Alexander replied in a serious but stubborn manner as he met her gaze.
“Have you ever heard of the saying, ‘it’s useless to cry over spilled milk’?”
“But there is also this saying, ‘a broken mirror can be joined together.’ We can rekindle our relationship.”
“Even if a broken mirror can be joined together, there will still be a visible crack on it. Rekindling a relationship means that we were once in love with each other.”
In the past, her love for him had remained unrequited.
Alexander hung his head low. Sophia was right, but he wasn’t in his right mind now.
“If you hadn’t mentioned Clara’s name last name, I wouldn’t still be here today,” he said as he made his way toward her.
Sophia froze as embarrassment crept up her face.
I knew it. Last night, I allowed him to humiliate me again.
Her eyes grew frosty. She watched silently as he came over to her and caressed her cheek gently. She didn’t move an inch as she stared at him without a word.
“I don’t mean anything else by mentioning that. I want to let you know that I didn’t treasure you in the past. I know I’m not the only man who can bring you happiness. Sophia, it is rare to be a couple in love with each other. My biggest mistake was ignoring you after our marriage. However, me not liking you wasn’t that big a mistake.”
Sophia knew very well that he was right. There were no right or wrong answers in love. One couldn’t be blamed for not reciprocating someone else’s love.
Alexander wasn’t in love with her, and she couldn’t blame him for that.
His only mistake was ignoring her for the past three years instead of treating her as his wife.
If someone had to bear the responsibility, she would have to bear half of it. Back then, she had insisted on marrying him when he didn’t want to marry her in the first place.
That was why she had been restraining herself and keeping a distance from him after their divorce.
Deep down, she wasn’t as strong or magnanimous as her image portrayed.
On the contrary, she was a petty person.
She had been keeping a grudge against him for how he had treated her icily for the past three years. Thus, she still couldn’t forget him completely until this day.
It is human nature to desire what one cannot have.
Both Alexander and Sophia were the same.
He was her hero and first crush when she was fifteen.
She used to be very close to him, and he was practically at her fingertips. That was why she became greedy in the end.
Hearing that, Sophia jolted out of her reverie. She shoved him away forcefully. “Impossible! Alexander, I won’t fall into the same trap twice!”
She had already made a mistake once. She refused to let herself make the same mistake twice.
“This is not a trap, Sophia,” the man uttered gently.
He lowered his head to look at her.
Sophia stared at him and chuckled. “When I first stepped into the trap, I didn’t realize it was a trap for real.”
She had assumed it was at most a pit of mud that would stain her clothes. Yet, it was a trap that had nearly cost her life.
Alexander felt his heart clench painfully at the sight of her sarcastic grin. After their divorce, Sophia would become skittish easily.
He was the one who had destroyed her excitement and anticipation of their marriage. Because of him, she had stopped yearning for love.
Shutting his eyes, he swallowed the bitterness rising in his throat. “I won’t force you.”
Sophia was exhausted from their exchange. “You have no right to force me, anyway.”
That was hurtful. Thus, Alexander changed the topic. “The soup has cooled down. You can drink it now.”
“You can leave now.”
“If you’re no longer running a temperature, I’ll leave at once,” Alexander promised.
Once his words fell, Sophia tugged his hand and placed it on her forehead.
Alexander froze. He was reluctant to remove his hand as the warm sensation spread across his palm. However, Sophia didn’t allow him to do so.
Two seconds later, she pulled his hand away. “You can leave now.”
Alexander gazed at her for some time. His fists balled up by his side.
He wanted nothing more than to stay in the mansion full of her scent and aura.
I don’t want to leave.
“I haven’t had lunch yet. Can I leave after lunch?” he asked carefully.
Ugh, he’s doing this again. Does he think I’m a fool? ”Alexander, you’ve used this trick thrice. Do you think I’m stupid enough to fall for your trick?”
“No.”
Alexander pursed his lips. He was about to explain further when Sophia suddenly broke down. “When will you stop bullying me?”
Her eyes turned red, and she burst into noisy tears without warning.
