Chapter 1

Sophia's POV

I bite softly on my lips as I paced the length of the living room. Glancing at the window, I saw snow outside. Sighing, I looked at the wall clock. It was past nine in the evening and Donald is yet to come home. The loud ringing of my phone interrupted into my train of thoughts.

I picked up the phone, Mr. Jack's voice greeted me. "Hey Sophia, we can't make it today due to the weather."

"Alright," I reply, trying to hide my disappointment.

"You take care, okay? We'll surely be there tomorrow," he says, then added, "Evelyn sends her regards. Bye."

Mr. Jack is Donald's dad, and Evelyn his younger sister. It's tradition to spend every Christmas with us. And I always looked forward to such moments. Donald's family were caring, especially his father.

I felt a pang of loneliness knowing they won't be coming again today. I thought of calling my parents, but quickly remembered they don't count. They still hadn't forgiven me for marrying Donald. Their reason—he was from a higher social class, still seemed absurd to me.

I took a sip of my hot coffee, gazing out the window. The snowflakes was falling gently onto the ground. Memories flooded my mind. My parents had never acknowledged my marriage to Donald. They'd cut off all ties with me, leaving me with no friends in Marquette.

As I sat there, I wished I had someone to talk to. But Donald and I had no friends. Only his family.

I sent another text to Donald. Then, I decided to watch the news to pass time. A car accident had occurred not far from Donald's company. I watched intently, worried.

Just then, I heard a noise from downstairs. I got up to investigate, hoping it was Donald returning home early.

I reached the bottom of the stairs, it was indeed Donald walking in. His face was stern as usual. "Welcome home, honey," I said, trying to sound cheerful.

He grunted in response, heading straight for the dining table. I followed him. I watched him settle on a chair in the dining. And immediately he took the first bite of the turkey, I noticed the irritation in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked with a concerned look.

"This rubbish you served as my food," he said, his voice was calm but his eyes were.

I felt a knot in my stomach. "What do you mean?" I stuttered.

He gestured to the plate. "This turkey is spoiled. Can't you taste it?"

I took a tentative bite. Then, my face scrunched up at the foul taste. "I'm sorry, I didn't taste it before serving you. The maid cooked it before vacation, I just re-roast the turkey."

Donald's expression darkened. "You never do, do you? You're always so careless."

I felt a surge of defensiveness. "It's just because of the baby, I—"

"Don't use the baby as an excuse.” The words escaped his lip in a growl. He stood up, gave me one last look, then left.

I was now in the kitchen. I rushed to make another food for Donald. I didn't let his earlier attitude bother me. If anything — I was used to it. Still in a rush, I mistakenly flipped the pan on fire.

“Ouch!” 

I cried out. The hotness of the oil burned my skin.

Donald rushed into the kitchen. A look of concern etched on his handsome face. His upper body was bare. And his hair, tousled. He seemed to just have his bath. My eyes trailed his broad chest, then his packs. I swallowed hard.

"Sophia, what happened?"

I winced, trying to move away from the cooker. "I...I forgot to turn off the cooker."

He quickly grabbed a towel and gently wrapped it around my leg. "Why are you so careless, Sophia?"

I felt a surge of anger at his words. The pain from the burn made me bite back my words. "I'm sorry, okay? It was an accident."

He helped me to the living room. His touch gentle despite his harsh words earlier. He tended gently to my burn. I couldn't help but wonder why he was being so kind now.

Once he finished. He stood up. His expression cold once more. "I have work to do. Don't bother me."

I watched as he walked away, feeling a mix of emotions.

I sat there, trying to process what had just happened. I saw Donald smile, as he looked at his phone. My heart sank in my heart. He never smile when talking to me.

He seemed lost in thought. His eyes intently fixed on the screen. I felt a pang of curiosity, wondering who could captivate his attention like that.

I observed him briefly. I was trying to make sense of his mood swings. He suddenly looked up and caught me staring. His expression turned cold, and he turned back to his phone.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as he stood up. He walked towards me. 

"Your meal is getting cold," I said, trying to break the tension.

He didn't respond. Instead, he handed me a blank envelope. 

"What's this?" I asked.

He didn't answer, his eyes was avoiding mine. I opened the envelope, and my heart sank. Inside, I saw divorce papers.

"What's going on, Donald?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He finally looked at me, his eyes devoid of emotion. "It's over, Sophia. I only married you to make my mother happy. Now that she's gone, I have no use for you."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. "You can't do that Donald. What about us? What about our life together?"

He scoffed. "There is no us, Sophia. There never was."

I felt like I'd been living in a dream, and suddenly, I was awake. The reality was harsh and unforgiving.

"Why did you stay with me for so long?" I asked, my voice cracking.

Donald shrugged. "My mother's dying wish was for me to marry you. I honored that wish. But now that she's gone, I'm free to live my life as I want."

“What's this supposed to mean?” I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Laura is back. So I can't be with you anymore.”