Chapter 5
No matter what Henry said, Charlotte refused to stay there any longer.
He had no choice but to settle her and the baby in a new place.
Sophia lay there for what felt like an eternity before she could feel her body. She stared blankly up at the crystal chandelier, her eyes hollow, as if every last ounce of strength had been drained from her.
Her pride and dignity had been shattered by Henry.
Sophia spent that night in the bathroom.
Sophia woke up to find herself being cradled in someone's arms.
Henry's stubble-chinned was pressed against her cheek. His eyes gleamed with amusement. "Are you upset? Everything I said and did last night was just to calm Charlotte down. Don't take it to heart.
"Ever since Mr. Miller passed away, she hasn't been in a good place mentally. Even though I have a child with her, you're still the one I love most.
"So, Sophia, be a good girl and don't upset me again, okay?"
A smirk curled at Sophia's lips.
She snatched up the divorce papers, the ones that had been right under Henry's nose the entire time, yet he hadn't so much as glanced at them, and slapped them against his chest.
"You want me to be a good girl? Sure. Sign it," she added.
Henry thought it was just some real estate contract, but when he saw letters on the front page, his expression instantly turned grim.
"Sophia, I tried to be nice to you. What else do you want? Is our marriage a game to you? Do you really think I can't live without you?"
Sophia's eyes burned with tears, but she still managed a smile.
She should've known what kind of man Henry was.
He was a bastard before, and he hasn't changed one bit.
"Henry, you are as disgusting as ever!"
The moment she finished speaking, Henry's pupils narrowed, and veins bulged across his forehead.
"Disgusting?" He repeated that word, his eyes going bloodshot with fury. "You think I'm disgusting? There's more you don't know about me."
With that, he dragged Sophia out the door, ignoring her protests as he forced her, barefoot, into the car.
The car sped off and soon stopped at a cemetery on the outskirts.
Sophia felt her heart stop. "Why did you bring me to my mom's grave?"
Henry's gaze grew even colder. A smirk on his lips never reached his eyes.
He didn't answer Sophia. Instead, he carried her out of the car.
"Put me down, you bastard. Henry, you're such a fucking asshole!"
Henry stopped in front of her mother's grave. Sophia tried to escape, but his hand clamped around her throat and pinned her in place.
He lifted up her dress and pressed himself on top of her.
Her back slammed against the stone pillar next to the grave. The cold, rough surface bit through her thin clothes. She sucked in a sharp breath at the icy shock.
Henry vented all his rage on her, while Sophia's face was streaked with tears.
"Your mom may be looking down at us, so tell me if you still want the divorce." Henry's voice dropped, so low it sounded like it was being squeezed from the depths of his throat.
He drove into her with increasing brutality, as if he was determined to make her give in.
If Sophia took her words back, he'd claim victory in this fight. And her scolding about him lost its meaning.
His infidelity would be twisted into proof that she made another fuss.
Her blurred vision landed on Henry's neck. A red mark that burned into her eyes.
Disgusting.
Last night, he was a tender companion of his lover, but today, he was a monster who dragged his wife to her mother's grave to force himself on her.
When Henry saw her bite her lip tightly and stay silent, his fury only grew. But before he could make another move, Sophia's vision blurred, and she fainted dead away.
Then, Sophia woke up to the sound of a baby crying.
Charlotte sat with the child in her arms, shot her a cold glance, and let out a scornful laugh.
"I guess I did underestimate you. After all he did, don't tell me you feel nothing. But don't get ahead of yourself. If he won't even let you have his kid, do you really think he loves you?
"Actually, I met Henry even before I married Richard. Fate had other plans, and we missed each other. And all the women he's been with since then..." She paused, a sly, triumphant glint in her eyes. "Don't you think they all remind you of someone?"
Charlotte was eager to see Sophia lose control.
But she didn't see that.
Sophia lifted her gaze, her eyes brimming with sarcasm. "He let you have his kid, so what? Your kid can only be a love child, and will never be Henry's heir unless his mother is me, not you."
"What?" Charlotte's features contorted in fury, and she squeezed the baby too hard without realizing it. The infant wailed in pain.
Sophia pulled out a backup divorce agreement from under her pillow. Her face was unreadable, and she showed it to Charlotte.
"Wanna change your life? Here's your shot.
"If you can get Henry to sign this, you'll be Mrs. Harrington."
Seconds dragged by as Charlotte hesitated.
The sound of footsteps slowly echoed from the hallway.
As Sophia was about to take the divorce agreement back, it was yanked out of her hand.
A warped, sinister smile twisted across Charlotte's face.
"I gotta make sure you have no way out."
As soon as she finished speaking, she released her grip.
The baby dropped from her arms immediately.