Chapter 2
We didn't see any messages from James or Alexander again until a day later.
By then, Sofia and I had already slipped away overnight to another island. We were sitting back with face masks on, sipping drinks, and watching the news.
On the screen, Alexander looked grim, and James' eyes were red as they sat together in a car.
A reporter spoke into the camera.
"Breaking news. Renowned designer Charlotte and her younger sister Sofia are missing and presumed dead after an accident while vacationing on an island.
"Their husbands, Rowan Group president James and Novus Group chairman Alexander, are currently rushing to the island to personally take part in the search and rescue."
Sofia curled her lip.
"Hmph. Being in a hurry won't help. If they had the nerve to cheat, they should have expected we'd leave sooner or later."
I nodded in agreement and swiped to the next story.
"Shocking. Novus Group chairman Alexander is suspected of having an affair. The other woman has been seen in public with their illegitimate child."
It was a video posted by a gossip account. In it, Alexander stood beside a young woman, holding the hand of a little girl.
The video had been uploaded a week earlier, but its views were suddenly surging.
I opened the comments, and the top one was about Sofia and me.
[Am I the only one who thinks this is too much of a coincidence? The illegitimate child gets exposed, and then the wife suddenly dies?]
Replies piled up underneath.
[That actually makes sense. Marrying into a rich family isn't as glamorous as it looks.]
[Here we go with the conspiracy theories. You really believe gossip accounts?]
The comment section was in chaos. Most people were just watching the drama unfold, with the occasional post about beach safety mixed in.
Seeing Sofia's expression darken, I turned off my phone.
She stared at the screen, then downed her entire drink in one go, her face tinged with sadness.
After a while, she looked at me, her eyes damp, and said in a low voice, "Charlotte, how did things end up like this for us?"
I sighed and gently stroked her hair.
"Maybe it's just the worst side of men."
She was quiet for a few seconds, then leaned into me.
"Charlotte, Alexander is so good at pretending. Even now, part of me still feels hurt. I even thought he really loved me."
Her voice was muffled, and I felt a pang of sympathy.
Thinking back to that call I made to James, the one Vivienne had answered, I felt even more disgusted with both of those men.
"Sofia, they're just men. They're not worth our tears.
"From now on, we'll just enjoy ourselves. The money I've made from design over the years is enough for us to live well for thirty years. Are you really going to let a man ruin your mood?"
I knew Sofia's personality well. She loved money more than anything.
But back then, she chose to be with Alexander when he had been kicked out of his family and had nothing to his name.
During their hardest days, they only ate twice a day, and even then, it was just plain bread. Sofia never complained.
Later, Alexander founded Novus Group and gradually took over the Bennett family's business, rising to prominence.
They had finally enjoyed a few stable years, and then suddenly a woman and child appeared. It felt like Sofia's heart had been ripped out and thrown to the ground.
Fortunately, both of us had the means to walk away.
In the days that followed, we traveled from place to place, as if we had forgotten all our troubles.
Every now and then, we would still see news reports saying that James and Alexander were continuing to search for us.
At first, it was a rescue effort, and later it turned into a worldwide search. They showed no intention of giving up, even declaring that as long as we were not found, they would keep looking.
That was not what I had expected.
With other women by their sides, they should have moved on long ago. What exactly were they trying to prove now?