Chapter 4

Kevin pressed his lips together, finding his thoughts absurd.

Meanwhile, when Sophia looked up and saw him, she was startled. Her brows lifted ever so slightly as she asked, "Do you need something?"

For some reason, her question made Kevin feel rather vexed and displeased. She was his wife! Why was she reacting this way over him entering the bedroom that was meant to be theirs?

The mix of irritation and an indescribable feeling made him determined to prove something. Striding forward, Kevin pushed her back against the headboard. He brought his lips down, but she turned her head, and they only ended up brushing against the corner of her mouth.

Sophia looked at him calmly. "What exactly are you doing?"

Her composure infuriated Kevin further. His lips twisted into a mocking smile. "Isn't this what you wanted—the reason why you've been acting up?"

Even after they got married, Sophia and Kevin rarely engaged in intimate activities. Apart from the times when he was drunk or when Hiram got involved, the two kept to themselves, even if they shared the same bed.

As Mason grew older, those rare moments of intimacy dwindled even further.

Meeting Kevin's eyes now, Sophia didn't show any anger or hurt. She'd long since grown used to this.

"I'm on my period," she said curtly as she continued to avoid his touch. "If you've got any needs, you can go to Ms. Sloan with them."

Since she was leaving anyway, she didn't see any reason to have any further entanglements with him. Besides, a man was like a toothbrush. Neither one should be shared.

Her detached attitude made Kevin sneer.

"The situation between Christina and me is nothing like what you think it is, Sophia. Do you think she's as scheming as you?"

Just before slamming the door shut behind him, he said mockingly, "In that case, don't you dare go running to my parents and complain about anything to them. I would never have touched you if you hadn't set me up back then."

As Sophia stared at the door, she abruptly recalled that ill-fated night of passion she and Kevin shared all those years ago. She could barely think straight at the time and didn't even know what was happening.

When she woke up and realized she had slept with Kevin, she did feel a sense of relief. However, out of panic, she'd left in a hurry.

Later, after Kevin found out she was pregnant, he approached her. His eyes were filled with ridicule and derision as he declared, "You're getting your wish, Sophia. I'll marry you."

At the time, Sophia had been besieged with fear and dread. She'd been so preoccupied with the crisis that befell the Jensens and her family, plus the unexpected pregnancy, that she hadn't noticed the cold indifference in Kevin's attitude toward her.

She loved him deeply, and like a moth to flame, she happily married him.

If she could choose again…

Closing her eyes, Sophia wished to herself that, if possible, she had never met Kevin.

…

Kevin didn't come home that night. The next morning, Sophia took Mason to kindergarten.

While she didn't call Kevin to ask where he was, she received a message from Christina. It was a simple picture of a blue necktie, one that Kevin often wore.

"It's so obvious whether a person loves someone, Sophia. I got this tie for him. He used it to tie my hands last night…"

Sophia had no interest in Christina and Kevin's lovemaking habits.

The words might have caused her pain in the past, but now, she felt completely calm about it. She had already chosen to leave, so why would she continue commenting on his choices?

She stopped by Owen's house. Apart from visiting him, she was also eager to learn more about her mysterious client, Russell.

Owen was happy to see her.

At one point, he remembered her situation with Kevin and teased, "Have you told Kevin about your move to Rovendale? You were always following him around back then. The whole department knew that the student I was proudest of was hopelessly in love with a guy.

"Just the other day, Professor Upton asked me if you wanted to continue sneaking into his classes."

Sophia and Kevin had attended the same college. As it was, even though she had harbored a crush on him, she expressed it in a somewhat self-deprecating way. Other than the confession she'd planned to make during their graduation that never came to be, she never did anything to disturb him.

Nevertheless, a youthful display of love was always painfully obvious. She attended an entire semester's worth of finance classes just so she could see Kevin, and the professor was close to Owen, so he'd teased her a few times because of it.

"No," Sophia responded softly. "Professor Carter, Mr. Sullivan has requested complete secrecy, so please help me keep my departure to Rovendale a secret as well."

Owen was briefly startled, but he soon figured out the situation and sighed.

Initially, he had thought that Sophia had finally returned to her senses after giving up her career for the sake of love.

Looking at things now, however, he realized that her journey to clarity hadn't been an easy one. It had left her battered, bruised, and with nowhere left to go. Only then had she reached a sudden awakening.

Sophia didn't stick around at Owen's house for too long. After gathering information about her client, she began making her way home.

She was about to cross an intersection when a car sped past. She had stepped back just in time, but a motorcycle appeared out of nowhere and crashed into her.

There was truly no way of predicting when an accident might occur.

The pain tore through Sophia, making her break out in a cold sweat.

She chuckled bitterly. Perhaps she and this city were just incompatible in some way.

Fortunately, her injuries weren't too severe. She didn't break any bones or tear any of her muscles. However, she'd sustained a few cuts and was bleeding out quite a bit, enough to terrify anyone who saw her.

Still, it had been a brush with death, and Sophia was also a bit queasy around blood. By the time she returned to her senses, her face was as pale as a sheet.

"You should really call up a family member, miss," the traffic officer kindly reminded her.

Sophia wanted to say that she was fine by herself, but at the insistence of the traffic officer, she called Kevin.

She didn't expect him to come, as he had a secretary who could arrange for someone to take her to the hospital.

Soon, Kevin's voice came through the phone. "What is it?"

Resisting the pain, Sophia began, "Kevin, I—"

She was cut off by the sound of Christina's voice on the other end of the line.

"The medical report is out, Kev, but I don't understand what it's saying. Can you take a look at it for me?"

At that moment, Kevin was with Christina.

Before Sophia could say anything else, Kevin said, "Whatever it is, you can tell me when I get home."

"Fine," Sophia muttered. With that, Kevin immediately ended the call.

Declining the traffic officer's offer to help, she handled the matter herself and took a cab to the hospital.

By sheer coincidence, she'd just finished registering at the hospital when Mason's voice rang out nearby.

"Does it still hurt, Ms. Sloan? I'll blow on it for you."

Sophia looked over instinctively and spotted them nearby. Christina had just completed her checkup, with Kevin and Mason both accompanying her.

Kevin's usually indifferent gaze was tinged with a look of concern.

"I'm fine," Christina said in a soft voice, her smile pleasant. She stroked Mason's head. "With you keeping me company, I'll get better very soon."

Hearing that, Mason lifted his head and said eagerly, "I wish it were Mommy who was suffering from this instead of you, Ms. Sloan. That way, you wouldn't be in any pain."

His words made Sophia stiffen.

"Don't be silly," Kevin chided, frowning, though his tone wasn't at all harsh. "She's your mother."

"I wish Mommy were dead. I don't want to see her. That way, Ms. Sloan can be my mommy," Mason retorted before pouting.

He became even unhappier when he thought about how Sophia hadn't cooked in the last two days.

However, just as soon as Mason said that, Kevin looked up and noticed Sophia, who was standing nearby.

She was in a rather pitiful state, her hair a mess and her clothes stained with blood. Her wounds were also rather alarming. Yet somehow, she looked strangely breathtaking.