Chapter 4

William looked up. "Who is it?"

I stood up. "Sophia."

His eyebrow twitched. "What's she doing here?" he asked.

I walked to the door and grabbed the handle. "I told her to come."

As soon as I opened the door, Sophia was standing there with her briefcase, rain still clinging to the ends of her hair.

When Sophia saw William, her lips curled into a sarcastic smirk. "Mr. Shore, you got back fast, huh?"

William set down his spoon. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sophia changed her shoes and walked in, dropping her briefcase on the dining table.

I stood next to her, and for the first time, I didn't cover for William.

Sophia pulled out a document and slid it across the table to him. "It means, from now on, I'm representing Emily in everything to do with her marriage," she said.

William's face grew darker by the second. "Emily, what do you think you're doing?"

I looked at him, my fingers pressing against the edge of the table. "I want a divorce."

The room went silent.

The soup kept bubbling on the stove, the smell of cream mixing with the camellia candle, making the air so heavy it was hard to breathe.

William stared at me and let out a bitter laugh. "Are you out of your mind?"

I shook my head. "I'm finally awake."

William didn't sign a thing that night.

He started by denying everything. "Grace? Who's that? Never heard of her."

Sophia slid the printed photo across the table. In the picture, his hand was laid on Grace's shoulder.

He glanced at it, not even flinching. "You're gonna pin this on me just because of a hand?"

Sophia gave a mocking laugh. "Mr. Shore, don't get worked up. This isn't a courtroom, and trust me, I'm not here to take you down with just a photo."

I pulled out the bank statement and set it in front of him. "What about these?" I asked.

When his eyes landed on Grace's name, his cool finally slipped.

He pushed the papers right back, barely missing a beat. "It's just work stuff. We hire all kinds of consultants," he said.

I nodded. "Is the kids' education center also a business?"

William's Adam's apple bobbed. He turned to me, lowering his voice. "Emily, let's talk, just the two of us."

Sophia leaned back, arms crossed. "Not happening."

He didn't even glance at her, just stared straight at me. "Emily, I can explain."

I said, "Go ahead."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking worn out.

"She used to work at my company. She was having a tough time, so I helped her out a few times. The kid isn't mine. She's raising him on her own. I was just trying to help her out of kindness, that's all," William said.

I stared at him, and suddenly found him strangely alien, almost absurd.

Over seven years, he had criticized countless people across dinner‑table conversations: business partners who broke contracts, subordinates who faked expense reports, and friends whose infidelity he dismissed as tawdry. He claimed one might fall out of love, but one must not lie.

And now, here he was, sitting across from me, lying through his teeth like it was nothing.

I pulled out my phone, opened up the birthday photo on Grace's profile, and held it up for him to see.

The cake had [Happy 4th Birthday, Andrew Shore] written on it.

I asked, "The kid's last name is Shore. Is that also because life's tough for her?"

William's eyes narrowed.

Sophia snapped, "Wow, William. You really managed to hide a son for four years."

He turned to glare at her. "This is between me and Emily."

I cut him off. "No."

I pulled out copies of our marriage certificate, property documents, and bank statements from my bag. "From the moment you transferred our marital joint assets to her, this stopped being merely a matter of feelings."

William looked at me, his voice softening. "Emily, I admit I didn't handle this well."

Didn't handle it well? I almost snorted.

He talked like it was nothing more than mixing up a meeting schedule or forgetting to grab my favorite yogurt from the store. It was anything but; he had kept another woman and their child in secret, deceiving me year upon year.

I asked, "When did you two start?"

He stayed silent. I repeated, "I want an answer."

He looked up. "Five years ago."

Sophia's pen snapped with a sharp click in her hand.

I pressed on. "Is the kid yours?"

William closed his eyes. "Yes."

My fingers curled around the cup, feeling its warmth slowly seep into my skin. I held steady. "Why didn't you divorce me?" I asked.

It was like all the air got sucked out of the living room.

William looked at me, his eyes finally rimmed with red. "I never wanted to leave you."

I let out a soft laugh. "You're so greedy."

He shot up as if I'd hit a nerve, the chair legs screeching across the floor.

"Emily, I know I screwed up, but you can't just say 'divorce' and erase seven years like they meant nothing. Wasn't I good to you?

"Who was there for you when your mom was in the hospital? Who put up the money when your studio was struggling? Who spent nights negotiating for the house you live in now?"

I stood up too. "So you think all that gives you a free pass?"

He froze.

I took a step forward and looked him dead in the eye. "One hospital visit buys you a year of lies? One investment buys you nights with someone else? A house negotiation buys you a child with someone else?"

William's face went pale.