Chapter 3
A new intern named Sophie Lane joined James's department.
She had a baby-faced innocence, big eyes, cherry lips, and a petite, delicate figure. The kind of girl any man would instinctively want to shield from harm.
Her outfit always struck that perfect balance, radiating youthful vibrancies without ever crossing into showiness.
The instant I laid eyes on her, a chill of loathing swept through my heart.
In my previous life, this same woman had meticulously torn my family apart, and at the end, she just watched, utterly indifferent, as James drove me into darkness.
This time around, Sophie was even more cunning and proactive than before.
She knew exactly how to play to James's weakness for flattery, showering him with praise in endless variations every single day.
"Manager Brown, your decisions are just brilliant. I've learned so much from you!"
"Manager Brown, you're even better at looking out for people than my own dad. You're the perfect boss!"
Her voice was sweet and syrupy, her eyes brimming with admiration, and she had James eating out of her hand.
She'd even make offhand remarks in the break room, pretending like it was no big deal, right in front of everyone.
"I saw Manager Brown at the hospital by himself, picking up some stomach meds. His wife really doesn't seem to care about him at all. Makes you feel bad for the guy."
With a little gossip and exaggeration, these words spread through the office like wildfire, and soon everyone just took it for granted that I didn't care about my own family.
Instead of being angry, James actually found Sophie even more considerate, as if she were the only one who really got him.
He started taking Sophie out alone during lunch breaks to grab the priciest coffee from the fancy spot downstairs. The two of them strolled side by side, laughing and chatting away, looking every bit like they were made for each other.
One day, the weather suddenly turned cold.
The gray cashmere scarf I'd knitted for James was snug and warm around his neck.
I heard from a coworker that he actually took it off at the office entrance, right in front of everyone, and gently put it around Sophie.
"The wind's really strong out there. Don't catch a cold, little lady. You've got to take care of yourself," James said softly.
It had taken me half a month to knit that scarf, every single stitch woven with love for him.
Now, it had just become a token of his affection for another woman.
When I heard all this, I just smiled faintly.
Everything was unfolding exactly as it had in my previous life, without a hitch.
But this time, I wasn't that clueless woman, sulking alone in the shadows.
I just watched calmly, waiting.