Chapter 4- Intense Eyes

Sophie

You…

I thought I would never see him again.

"What are you doing here, James?" I said through gritted teeth, the anger building inside me like lava. 

This cheater man had the audacity to come here even after everything he did to me. The worst part was there was no guilt in his eyes. Not even a tiny bit.

James folded his arms and stared at me like I was nothing, beneath him. "Really, Sophie? That's how you're talking to your husband?" he said coldly.

Did he just say that? What a shameless man.

"Cut the crap, James. Why are you here?" I asked, wanting him to disappear from here, well.. my life. 

Just seeing him dragged all that pain and heartbreak back with full force, ready to take me down completely.

"How long is this drama of yours going to continue?" His voice was frustrated. "We both know this is just your petty little revenge. Now come home."

I laughed bitterly and clapped slowly. "Seriously, James? You think this is revenge?" My voice dropped. "I told you I was done with you the moment you cheated on me. We were over the second I found out. I am done with you. I'll be sending you divorce papers soon, and you better sign them because you are nobody to me now. Nobody."

He scoffed. "I won't divorce you, Sophie," he said coldly.

My eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He straightened up, completely unbothered. "I am not divorcing you right now. You're angry, that's all. You're overreacting. Once your head calms down you'll realise yourself, that divorce is the last thing you actually want."

He said it with so much confidence, like he was the only person in the room who was ever right about anything. 

I never knew his real face looked like that. All this time and I never knew.

"So your cheating means nothing to you, James?"

He sighed like I was boring him. "Sophie, as I said, it was your fault. You were always buried in your project. I had needs that weren't being met, so what I did was justified."

Every word he spoke ripped something further open inside me. My eyes watered. I had loved this man. 

I could not believe I had been madly in love with him, that I genuinely believed he was the one I would build a life with. A family. My happily ever after. But this man standing in front of me was one of the worst people I had ever encountered in my life.

I think he was always like this. A narcissist. I just had been too blind to see it. Stupid me.That was on me. 

My dad had even warned me that I was rushing into marrying him, and I hadn't listened. My love for James had made a fool out of me and I had let it.

I hardened my eyes and straightened my spine. "Wait for my lawyer, James. If you refuse to sign the papers, fine, but let me make one thing very clear. I am a free woman now. I can do whatever I want, go wherever I want, and be with whoever I want. Now get the hell out of my face and don't show up in front of me again."

His jaw clenched the second those words left my mouth.

"Sophie, you—"

I turned around, walked straight to the elevator, and let him bark whatever he wanted behind my back.

I got inside my apartment and leaned against the closed door. Then I cried again. I hated myself for it but the tears came anyway. 

I wished I had been more careful, smarter, less naive. Maybe then I could have saved myself from this kind of heartache.

Two years. That was all it was. One year dating, one year of marriage. And in all that time I never truly saw his face. 

He never even introduced me to his parents, always had some excuse ready, and I never once pushed hard enough to find out why. 

I cursed myself more than I could count for that. Look what I had become.

Somehow I pulled myself together.

I freshened up, splashed cold water on my face, and looked at my swollen eyes in the mirror. 

I was not going to cry anymore. I had decided that. I was starting a new chapter. But at the mere sight of James, I was pulled right back into the heartache.

I made dinner and tried to sleep but sleep was long gone despite how exhausted I was. My peace was completely ruined because of that loser. I couldn't even close my eyes properly.

I glanced at the clock. Still ten.

I got up quickly and opened my closet. I didn't have many clothes in this house but I found what I was looking for. My red bodycon dress. 

I pulled it out and started getting ready. Last time I went to the club with Lily I had worn something plain, not wanting any attention from anyone. 

But tonight felt different. Tonight I wanted to feel something other than miserable. And I had made my decision. I was getting that divorce no matter what James said or did.

Then my stupid brain went somewhere else. What if I ran into Alexander again?

Oh God. What was wrong with me? The man was probably twice my age. Probably had a wife, children, a whole life completely separate from a messy woman like me. And yet somewhere in the back of my mind I wanted just one glimpse of him. 

Last night's dream still felt real in a way that unsettled me. The way he had been dominating my body like he owned me, that was so hot, so intense.

Stop it, Sophie.

I had just had my heart broken by a man I had known for two years. 

How was I sitting here wanting to catch a glimpse of a complete stranger? That was how stupid I was being. I just needed to clear my head. That was all this was.

The club was quieter than last time. 

People danced with their partners, soft music pulling them close together. My eyes swept the whole room even though I told myself they weren't looking for anyone specific. 

He wasn't there. I already knew he wouldn't be. I sat at the bar and had my wine, slow and controlled this time. Not every night came with a stranger who appeared out of nowhere to pull you back from the edge.

I didn't know how long I sat there. By the time I stood up it was already quite late. I grabbed my bag and headed toward the entrance, a quiet disappointment sitting heavy in my chest even though I refused to name it. 

There was something about Alexander. Those dark intense eyes. The kind that looked like they were carrying whole worlds of secrets behind them, especially the way he was staring at me. I shivered just remembering his eyes.

I sighed. Let’s go, Sophie.

I was almost on my way towards the exit door but suddenly stopped. I felt the atmosphere shift. 

That unmistakable feeling of someone's gaze burning into the side of my face. I gulped, my eyes snapped in the direction instinctively.

And then they collided with dark, intense ones. Damn..