Chapter 3

Tamara didn't avoid the cup. It struck her straight on the forehead and shattered, the pieces falling to the floor. Blood began running down her face.

As she sucked in a sharp breath in pain, Wilma said, "Sophia, take Danny out to the garden."

Sophia looked at the blood on Tamara's face and hesitated. "Mom, shouldn't we get someone to treat Tamara's injury first…?"

No matter what, she was genuinely bleeding.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Wilma's voice became just as cold as her expression.

Sophia was conflicted, but she could only do as Wilma had instructed and take Daniel out to the garden.

The housekeepers also tactfully withdrew from the living room.

"On your knees!" Wilma ordered.

Tamara's eyes turned red. "Mom…"

"What? Do I need to beg you to get on your knees?" Wilma stared at her with resentful eyes.

No matter how reluctant she was, Tamara could only bite her lip and kneel.

…

As soon as Sophia brought Daniel out to the garden, he flung her hand off and shoved her hard. Caught off guard, she stumbled and fell to the ground.

"You nasty witch!" Daniel shouted at her.

Frowning, she got up and glanced at her palm, which had scraped against the rocks on the ground. Her tone was hard as she questioned, "Who taught you to say that, Danny? I'm your aunt. I'm not a witch."

"Mommy told me you're a nasty witch!"

Children his age never lied. If he said that, it meant Tamara had genuinely said those words in front of him.

Sophia's gaze turned cold. She hadn't expected Tamara to teach a three-year-old child something like that.

Just as she was about to speak, her phone started ringing. She took it out and saw a call from her friend, Lavinia Sheridan.

After glancing at Daniel, she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Soph, the divorce agreement is ready. When are you coming to pick it up?" Lavinia's voice came through the phone.

After a brief pause, Sophia said, "Send it to me by courier. I need it urgently."

Hearing that, Lavinia remained silent for a moment before asking, "Soph, can you tell me why you're in such a hurry to get a divorce? I thought things between you and Benjamin had been going well this whole time. Has there been some kind of misunderstanding?"

"Did your mom tell you everything?" Sophia stared dazedly at the grass beneath her feet.

Maeve Sheridan, Lavinia's mother, was the one who'd drawn up the divorce agreement for Sophia. Lavinia had gone out of town to meet with someone for a case and couldn't help her. Since she was in a hurry, she had to ask Maeve for help instead.

She didn't expect Lavinia to hear about it so quickly.

"But you made up your mind so fast, Soph. Don't you think you're being a bit too impulsive?" Lavinia checked.

She'd witnessed Sophia and Benjamin's relationship and thought that Benjamin had treated Sophia quite well all along. Sophia loved him too, so she figured Sophia's decision to get a divorce had only been made in the heat of the moment.

"Nope. I'm not being impulsive." Sophia lowered her gaze, her eyes filled with heavy sorrow. "Do you still remember that Benjamin had a first love?"

"I thought she got married long ago. Did she come back? Did she get a divorce? Has Benjamin's heart wavered because of that?"

"No, her husband died."

Lavinia was startled to hear that, and a possibility swiftly came to mind. "Don't tell me Benjamin brought her back to your house."

"They had sex."

Lavinia had no words. She started cursing inwardly. Wasn't Benjamin supposed to be a refined gentleman? It turned out to be an act. He was just a cheating bastard after all!

"That's not all," Sophia added quietly. "His first love is Tamara."

"Tamara? Your sister-in-law?" Laviaia gasped. "You're telling me that your husband slept with his brother's widow?"

"Yeah."

Lavinia was shocked to hear Sophia confirming that. Were the private lives of these wealthy scions always this sordid and messy?

"Wait for me. I'll bring the agreement to you myself!" Lavinia angrily declared. "Let's get him to sign it within an hour and march right out of there. Let those two scummy lovebirds get their happy ending."

Sophia wasn't the only one who thought a divorce was necessary now. In fact, Lavinia was determined to make sure the divorce went through as soon as possible.

"Thanks, Lav—"

Before she could finish speaking, Sophia spotted Daniel. At some point, he'd run over to the fountain. And when he saw her looking at him, he stuck his tongue out at her.

She watched as he jumped straight into the water after that, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

In a flash, she threw down her phone and dashed over as fast as she could. Daniel only managed to cry for help twice before she pulled him out of the water.

Daniel's fall alarmed everyone in Hartman Manor. By the time the family physician came over, he was already running a high fever.

Even an adult would catch a chill from falling into the water in the dead of winter, let alone a three-year-old kid.

Sophia stood frozen on the side, feeling numb as she watched while the doctor and the housekeepers rushed around. Tamara was sitting nearby, crying her eyes out.

One question echoed in her mind.

Why?

Why did Daniel do that?

Tamara finally exhaled in relief when the doctor said that Daniel's fever had gone down.

At that moment, Daniel opened his eyes and said weakly, "Mom… Grandma… Aunt Sophia said she didn't push me. Don't blame her."

Tamara jumped up at that. She glared at Sophia with reddened eyes, her voice hurt and stubborn as she cried out, "Sophia! How could you do that to Danny? He's just a child! How could you push him into the water in the middle of winter? Do you even have a conscience?"

Even Wilma turned to look at her, her gaze sharp and suspicious.

"And what did I do to him, exactly?" Sophia found the situation absurd. "He jumped into the water himself. It's not like I made him do it."

Tamara looked shocked as she retorted accusingly, "What do you mean by that, Sophia? Why would a three-year-old kid frame you?"

Wilma couldn't help but frown as well. "Did you really do it, Sophia?"

Sophia snorted and was about to answer when an anxious Benjamin came rushing in.

He threw off his coat and kneeled beside Daniel, his voice frantic as he asked, "What happened to Danny?"

Sophia watched as he used the hand with his wedding ring to hold Daniel, looking just as concerned as a father. The sight of this seemed to mock her.

He might not even be as worried about his own son.

"I don't feel good, Uncle Ben," Daniel said.

Benjamin gently held the small hand in his palm. "You'll feel better soon, Danny."

Then, he looked at Tamara, silently asking what had happened.

Tamara wiped her tears and forced a smile. "Sophia probably didn't do it on purpose. She just doesn't know how to look after a child. Don't get upset with her, Benny."

The moment she said that, Benjamin turned to Sophia with a frown, his gaze sharp and questioning. "What happened, Sophia? Why did Danny come down with a fever?"