Three Years Wasted I Married Mr. Right novel Chapter 3

Sophia didn't need to look back to know the condescending smirk that was surely on Lucas's face.

She knew he had always despised her. His proposal three years ago had been motivated only by a desire to fulfill the marriage agreement between their families and to exact revenge on Emily.

She had been naive enough to believe his empty promises, offering him her genuine love when he saw her as nothing more than a pawn.

To him, she would always be a leech, clinging to his wealth and name for survival.

But now, she had reached her limit, and she no longer wanted him in her life.

Sophia walked out without a backward glance. As she stepped through the gateway, the sound of shattering porcelain echoed behind her, but she no longer cared.

Lucas stood amid the shattered remains, fingers pressed to his temples. His face was a mask of simmering anger.

He dismissed the mention of divorce as just another one of her calculated moves, a transparent attempt to get his attention by pulling away.

Emily watched him hesitantly. "Maybe I shouldn't be staying here, Lucas. Sophia seemed really upset."

"It's nothing," Lucas replied evenly.

Seeing how the mention of divorce had affected him, she suggested softly, "You could go after her. Women usually respond well to a little reassurance."

"I don't have time for that," Lucas said, turning toward the staircase.

With a business trip looming, his mind was elsewhere. 'Let her make a scene if she wants to,' he thought. 'She'll cool off and come crawling back. She always does.'

*****

Sophia's home was a beautiful 3,200-square-foot apartment with an open-concept layout and sleek modern decor—all paid for with her own earnings.

In her study, she printed the divorce papers and a letter resigning from her position. With a steady hand, she signed both, and then summoned a courier to deliver them directly to the Westwood Group.

When she married Lucas three years ago, Sophia had joined his company, hoping to build a genuine connection with him. She started at the very bottom as an assistant and gradually earned her way up to department manager.

She had wanted nothing more than to be close to him—in their home and at work. But in the end, her efforts were met with cold indifference.

Gazing downward, Sophia softly cradled her stomach. "It's just us now, little one," she whispered.

The courier arrived at Westwood headquarters while Lucas was away. His chief executive assistant, Kevin Chapman, received the delivery and signed.

The moment Kevin saw the contents, he reached for the phone, dialing Lucas's number in haste. "Mr. Westwood, your wife has sent divorce documents."

"Burn it all." On the other side of the ocean, Lucas loosened his tie as an unexpected wave of irritation came over him.

"But Mrs. Westwood has even submitted her resignation letter..." Kevin replied, his tone hesitant.

"She can't survive without this family." The blue flame from Lucas's lighter highlighted the grim set of his features. "Let her be. She'll come crawling back once reality sets in."

Meanwhile, Sophia remained completely unaware of his words.

Her morning had begun with a call from her mother-in-law, Helen Westwood.

"Where are you? Return at once," Helen commanded in her typically imperious manner, leaving no room for discussion.

Complying, Sophia drove back to the estate.

No sooner had she stepped inside than a velvet box came hurling toward her head, which she narrowly avoided by stepping aside.

Helen's shrill voice pierced the air. "How dare you avoid that? You've got some nerve."

Sophia's gaze fell upon the velvet box at her feet, and suddenly, she understood why it seemed familiar.

She remembered purchasing that exact box to store her pregnancy test results.

Helen took a measured breath, forcing her anger down. "If you can't conceive naturally, I won't hold it against you. I've spoken with Emily, and she's agreed to donate her eggs so you and Lucas can pursue in vitro fertilization."

Sophia stared in disbelief at the unexpected turn. "Could you repeat that?"

She believed she had misheard because the suggestion was both preposterous and deeply offensive.

"If you can't conceive, that's your problem. Emily is being extraordinarily generous by offering her eggs. The least you could do is show some appreciation instead of this ingratitude," Helen sneered.

A bitter smile touched Sophia's lips. "Perhaps you'd like to accept this generous offer yourself?"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Helen's eyes flashed with fury.

"Sophia, you shouldn't speak to Mrs. Westwood that way. She was suggesting that for your sake," Emily said in a honeyed tone, reaching for the glass. As she moved, she made certain to display the prayer beads circling her delicate wrist.

Sophia's breath caught—she would recognize the bracelet anywhere. That was the very ones she had sacrificed so much to obtain while praying for Lucas's recovery.

It felt like a personal insult, seeing the bracelet that symbolized her love for Lucas now clasped around Emily's wrist.

"For my sake?" Sophia repeated, the words tasting bitter as she caught the sly glint of satisfaction in Emily's eyes. It sent a sharp ache through her.

She knew this game all too well. Emily had a gift for twisting people's vulnerabilities to her advantage, a lesson Sophia had learned the hard way three years ago.

"I'm infertile. What possible use could I have for your eggs?" Sophia asked, her voice cold. "Do you really think I need a constant reminder of what I can't have?"

Emily's smile vanished. For Helen's benefit, she bit her lip, her eyes instantly welling with feigned hurt. "Mrs. Westwood," she said, her voice trembling slightly, "I was only trying to help Sophia."

Helen immediately comforted Emily by patting her hand. She then shot Sophia a disapproving look. "How can you be so selfish, Sophia? Are you really determined to let the Westwood family line die out?"

Sophia gestured dismissively toward Emily. "Well, if she's so fertile, let her handle the baby-making."

The thought of Emily getting to be a mother the easy way turned Sophia's stomach.