Chapter 8 I’ll End This Marriage #3
“I’m sure you don’t want to stay with a man who is in love with me. Do you?”
Sophia stared at Celia for a long second.
Then she suddenly burst out laughing.
Her shoulders shook. She leaned back in her chair, one hand pressing against the table as if she needed support. Her gaze moved from Celia… to the check lying neatly on the table… and then back to Celia again.
“You’re giving me ten million dollars to leave Magnus?”
Celia’s lips tightened. “It’s more than enough for someone who has only lived with him for a few months. If you want more, then—”
“Are you stupid?”
Sophia laughed harder, tilting her head, her eyes bright with mockery.
“You’re offering me ten million to leave a man who’s worth billions? A man who earns more than that in minutes? Celia, do you not understand basic math?”
The calm mask on Celia’s face cracked. Anger flashed in her eyes.
“You should feel ashamed for even taking this money,” Celia snapped. “You’re not worthy of him. You and he don’t even have a real relationship. Magnus and I were together for years. He only married you because of your family connections. He doesn’t even like you.”
Sophia slowly lifted a brow.
“I’m not worthy of him?” she repeated softly.
She leaned forward slightly, folding her arms over the table.
“Since you came to see me, I’m sure you know I’m Magnus’s wife. Why do you think you can buy me?”
Celia straightened in her chair, her chin lifting with pride.
“Magnus had a crush on me when we were in college,” she said smugly. If I hadn’t gone to Greece, he wouldn’t have married you.”
She leaned back, crossing her legs.
“Did you look at the photos closely? He and I already slept together. Don’t you care? Even a little bit?”
Sophia’s smile didn’t falter.
“No,” she said calmly. “I don’t give a fuck.”
She stood up, gripping the back of her chair before pushing it back. She picked up her bag and began to walk away.
Just as she took a step—
“I’m sure you saw the marks I left on his neck,” Celia called out coldly. “I left them for you. Didn’t you like them?”
Sophia froze. Her fingers tightened around her bag strap. Her knuckles turned white. Her chest felt tight, as if something heavy was pressing against her ribs.
But her face remained perfectly composed.
Behind her stillness, anger and humiliation she had buried began rising again, burning through her veins. Her back stiffened.
Celia smiled smugly.
“You know,” Celia continued lightly, “I was the one who instructed Violet to throw you into that private room with your driver.”
Sophia froze.
Slowly, she turned around.
The color drained from her face.
Celia clasped her hands, watching Sophia as if enjoying a show.
“Magnus knew about it,” she added. “He helped me hide it from you. He told me not to reveal that I was the one who arranged everything. If he really cared about you, why would he help me cover it up?”
She tilted her head.
“Aren’t you surprised?”
Sophia’s face went completely cold.
Disbelief and rage roared through her veins so violently she felt lightheaded. Her breathing turned shallow. Her body felt rigid, like stone.
Her body felt stiff. Heavy.
For a second, she thought she might lose control.
Instead, she turned away without a word.
Her steps were steady as she walked out of the restaurant, refusing to give Celia the satisfaction of seeing her break.
She didn’t even remember leaving the restaurant.
She didn’t remember getting into the car.
By the time she realized where she was, she was already back at Centurion Hall, pushing open the door to her office.
Emma was sitting on the couch across from the desk, working on her laptop. She looked up immediately, sensing something was wrong. She set the laptop down slowly.
“What happened?” Emma asked. “How did it go?”
Sophia stood there for a second, her body tense, her face pale.
Then she muttered in a quiet voice. “Celia said they slept together.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “What?”
“She said they slept together,” Sophia repeated, her voice still eerily calm. “That fucking bastard.”
Her hands curled into fists on her lap. Her entire body trembled — not from sadness, but from fury.
“She also said she was the one who instructed Violet to send that man to my room. It was her plan. Hers and Violet’s.”
Her breathing grew uneven.
“And Magnus knew,” she finished, her voice cracking slightly despite her effort to stay composed. “He helped her hide it from me.”
The room fell silent.
Only the sound of Sophia’s uneven breathing filled the space.
“Are you fucking serious?”
Emma’s voice shot up, disbelief flashing across her face.
Sophia stood in front of her, frozen.
Her fingers tightened around her bag before she placed it slowly on the table. Her shoulders were stiff. Her face pale.
“She said they’ve been in love since college,” Sophia continued, her voice controlled but tight.
Her jaw trembled slightly, but she kept going.
“He was afraid I would hurt her?” Sophia let out a hollow laugh. “Is that why he hid everything from me? He didn’t want to send Celia to jail… like he sent Violet?” Her breathing grew uneven. “Is that why? He didn’t want Celia to go to jail?”
Her voice only shook a little, but her entire body had gone rigid.
For a second, she looked completely lost.
Then suddenly, without warning, tears filled her eyes without warning and spilled down her cheeks.
Her composure shattered.
Emma froze.
Sophia’s shoulders started trembling. Her breathing hitched uncontrollably.
Emma quickly stepped forward and grabbed her hands.
“Sophia—”
“I didn’t even realize when I started having feelings for him,” Sophia whispered hoarsely. “I didn’t even know when it happened… but I guess… this is the end.”
Her voice cracked completely.
Emma wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug.
Sophia’s body was stiff at first, as if she didn’t know how to respond. Then she collapsed into it, her fingers clutching Emma’s coat. Her breathing came out uneven, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“I’m going to talk to Mrs. Graves,” she continued between tears. “She already knows about the contract marriage. I’ll ask her to help me end it… I’ll end this marriage.”