Chapter 7. Let's Start The Game

Sophie stood up from the water with a gloomy expression. She didn’t even dry herself. She walked to the mirror and looked at herself. It was so miserable to be so stupid. She couldn’t even process everything.

After a few seconds, she wiped her wet hair with her right hand, then cried again. She took a robe and put it on. She kept staring blankly at her reflection in the dressing room mirror hours later. The anger inside her burned so fiercely that she felt an overwhelming urge to strangle her con-artist husband, who had deceived her, and even the pregnancy had been nothing but a lie. The truth was, Sophie wasn’t pregnant at all.

Her phone suddenly vibrated, snapping her out of her daze. Her eyes shifted to the device resting on the counter, and she quickly picked it up.

“Sophie, are you okay? Are you home?” Maddy quickly asked once she answered the phone.

Sophie took a deep breath before answering. “Yeah,” she hummed.

“I don’t know what to do now, Maddy. I want to kill him.” Sophie’s voice trembled as she started to sob again.

“Honey, please. Don’t do anything stupid, okay? I don’t want you getting into trouble with the law. I think you should file for divorce,” Maddy blurted out, immediately launching into advice.

She was panicked that Sophie might do something outrageous, and that Cassidy would hurt her more. Meanwhile, Cassidy might have no idea about his wife. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t do anything once he realized his mask had been revealed.

Sophie swallowed hard before turning away. She walked out of the bathroom to the dressing room, then sat down on one of the sofas in the middle.

“So what you’re saying is… I should just let him go back to his mistress?” Sophie half-shrieked in disgust.

“No, but you have to understand, he’s a man with power. Leaving him is still better than you ending up in prison because you tried to kill him.”

Sophie fell silent. Her hand massaged her forehead a few times, trying to release the tension. She couldn’t do anything. Maddison already knew everything—her anger, her plan. Sophie had wanted to end Cassidy’s life rather than face the unforgivable lies he had fed her.

“Maddy… I can’t take any of this. He has lied to my entire family and to me,” Sophie said, her voice trembling as if she were on the verge of tears.

“I know. I know you’re hurt and devastated. But killing him will only drag you into a legal nightmare, and it’s not worth it. Just let him go.”

Sophie pressed a hand against her forehead, closing her eyes tightly. She felt worse than ever. How could a man—wealthy, respected, from such a prominent family—commit such a cruel deception against her? What had she done to deserve this?

“I can’t accept this, Maddy… What am I supposed to do?” Sophie finally broke down, her voice shaking as she sobbed. She was exhausted, unable to think clearly. She straightened her back and tried to take a deep breath, but even that felt painfully heavy.

“But please… don’t do anything criminal. Please… I don’t want to see you in prison,” Maddy pleaded again.

Sophie’s sobs gradually subsided. She closed her eyes, and tears fell from her beautiful eyes. The hurt and shame were overwhelming. Now she was trapped in a marriage she was never supposed to be in.

“Sophie, think about yourself. If Cassidy dies, his family will make sure you go to prison. They won’t forgive you. They won’t believe that he deceived you with that fake pregnancy. They might even accuse you of cheating with your ex!” Maddison continued, trying to pull Sophie back from the edge of a mistake driven by her anger.

“Just let him go.”

Sophie’s eyes widened. She could already imagine what her life would become if she went through with it. Angelica might even celebrate, untouched by the consequences. With her husband gone and Sophie behind bars, that woman would be the one who won.

“I don’t want her to win. That woman… she already took Collin away from me. Now she wants to take my husband, too. I won’t let that happen,” Sophie said suddenly. Her sobs had stopped.

On the other end of the line, Maddison fell silent, listening.

“Then what are you going to do?” she asked.

“I don’t know yet, Maddy. I need to come up with a better plan. You’re right—it shouldn’t be me going to prison and paying the price.”

“Yeah. I’m glad you’re thinking clearly now,” Maddison replied, her tone filled with relief.

Sophie looked at her reflection in the mirror once more and gave a bitter smile. She still didn’t have a plan—but this time, she felt more in control.

After ending the call, she left her room and headed downstairs for dinner. When she reached the dining table, her husband wasn’t there.

“Where is he?” Sophie asked flatly, addressing one of the maids who was setting the table.

“I believe he’s still in the study, ma’am.”

Sophie didn’t respond. She turned and walked straight to her husband’s study. She was about to knock on the door, but stopped herself. Instead, she slowly turned the handle and opened it just enough to peek inside. There was no sign of Cassidy.

Sophie knew that Cassidy prohibited anyone from entering his study. Now, she understood that he had been hiding something—like his affair. It could be the place where he felt safe to call her.

She stepped in quietly without opening the door any wider. As she moved further inside, she faintly heard Cassidy’s voice from behind the wall near his desk. He was on the phone, standing by a window that overlooked the back garden. The window was partially hidden beside a large cabinet filled with his collection of expensive books. It turned out that Sophie’s suspicion was true.

The moment she realized he was there, Sophie immediately positioned herself to eavesdrop. She leaned against the wall, pressing her back to it as she listened carefully.

“I don’t want to hurt her, Angelica. I don’t want her to be hurt at all—she’s done nothing wrong. Why should we hurt her?” Cassidy said, his voice laced with irritation.

Sophie widened her eyes once she could hear him clearly, and she strained to catch every word.

“Fine, I already agreed! But I want her to learn a lesson for cheating with my husband. You told me that you love me!” Angelica snapped in response.

Even though Sophie couldn’t hear her voice directly, she could easily guess what was being said—and what it meant.