13. Miss Bennet
Sophia's Pov:
I was crying so hard that I could barely breathe.
Years of pain had finally burst out of me all at once.
My chest hurt.
My body trembled.
I felt Adrian step closer.
He bent slightly, as if to help me stand.
But before he could touch me, I raised my hand to stop him.
I didn’t want his help.
Not now.
Not after everything.
Using the wall for support, I slowly stood on my own.
My legs felt weak, but I forced myself to move.
Without looking at him, I walked out of the room.
I went straight to Lily’s room.
When June and I had arrived earlier, Lily had been crying uncontrollably.
It was the first time neither Adrian nor I had been there for her at night.
But now she was asleep peacefully.
I walked to the bed and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead.
She looked so calm.
So innocent.
Seeing her like that made my chest ache.
Then I quietly left the room and went to the guest room where June was sleeping.
I stood there for a moment looking at her.
I was so grateful for her.
Grateful that when everything in my life was falling apart, I still had one person who stood beside me.
I slipped into bed next to her.
I still had no spare clothes, so I had to sleep in the black dress I had worn earlier.
My makeup was still on too, but I was too exhausted to care.
I had gotten Lily’s call just as June and I were leaving the salon to go to the bar.
We were both dressed up and ready.
But the moment Lily cried for me, none of that mattered.
Still—
despite everything—
after saying all those words to Adrian, I felt lighter.
For the first time in years, I had spoken my truth.
And that night—
for the first time in years—
I slept peacefully.
---
I woke up early the next morning.
I wanted to leave before the day began.
But before leaving, I wanted to prepare breakfast for Lily and explain things to her gently.
After freshening up, I went downstairs to the kitchen.
James and Mary looked surprised to see me.
Then they both smiled warmly.
“Good morning, Mrs. Whitmore.”
I gave them a small smile.
“Good morning.”
Then after a short pause, I added softly,
“And please... call me Miss Bennet now.”
They exchanged a glance before nodding.
“Okay, Miss Bennet.”
Hearing my old name again did something to me.
It felt unfamiliar—
yet comforting.
Like meeting an old version of myself.
I prepared cereal and cut some fruits for Lily.
Then I made chocolate milk for her and coffee for myself.
June had already left early for work, so it was just me.
When Lily woke up, I helped her get ready for school.
I also asked Mary to stay with us so she could learn Lily’s routine in my absence.
Then I took Lily downstairs for breakfast.
Adrian still hadn’t come down.
As Lily ate, I took a deep breath.
“Lily, sweetheart,” I said gently, “Mommy wants to tell you something.”
She looked up at me with her wide innocent eyes.
“What happened, Mommy?”
I forced a smile.
“Mommy won’t be living here anymore.”
She frowned immediately.
“Why?”
Then she added softly,
“You were gone yesterday too.”
There was sadness in her voice.
I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly.
A strange warmth spread through me.
Despite everything—
my daughter still loved me.
I kissed her hair and said softly,
“Mommy has started working now, baby. So I have to stay somewhere else for some time.”
I didn’t want to tell her about the divorce.
She was too young.
She wouldn’t understand.
Her face fell.
“But I’ll miss you.”
The words made guilt stab through me.
She wrapped her little arms around me.
I kissed her forehead.
“You can call me whenever you want, okay?”
She looked up at me.
“Anytime?”
I nodded.
“Anytime. I’ll always be there for you—just like last night.”
She nodded slowly.
“Okay, Mommy.”
I smiled at her, but inside I felt torn apart.
Because even though I knew leaving was the right thing—
walking away from Lily felt like tearing away a piece of myself.
---
Adrian’s POV:
I didn’t sleep at all that night.
No matter how hard I tried, sleep wouldn’t come.
The room felt too quiet.
Too empty.
The emptiness felt almost frightening.
It felt as if the silence itself was swallowing me.
By morning, my head was aching.
After taking a shower, I stood in front of the mirror.
And for the first time—
I carefully checked my reflection.
I made sure there were no marks visible.
No signs of the previous night with Vanesaa.
Then I sprayed cologne—far more than usual.
As I stared at myself, I noticed the dark circles under my eyes.
The eye bags.
I frowned.
Then suddenly I remembered seeing those same tired eyes on Sophia countless times.
Only now did I notice.
Guilt twisted painfully inside me.
Every corner of the room reminded me of her.
The empty closet.
The missing skincare products in the bathroom.
The books she used to read.
The little things I had never paid attention to before.
Everything felt incomplete.
I finally headed downstairs.
And the moment I saw her—
I stopped.
Sophia was sitting beside Lily.
She was still wearing the black dress from last night, but now her hair was tied in a messy bun.
Her makeup was gone.
And somehow—
she still looked beautiful.
But what hit me hardest was what she was saying to Lily.
“Mommy won’t be living here anymore.”
The words made something sink inside me.
She was serious.
She was truly leaving.
I walked downstairs slowly.
Sophia looked at me for one brief second—
then looked away.
That small gesture hit harder than I expected.
She didn’t greet me like before.
She didn’t ask about breakfast like before.
She didn’t even acknowledge me.
She simply ignored me.
And suddenly I realized how much I had taken those little things for granted.
Then Lily looked at me and pouted.
“Daddy, why didn’t you answer my calls yesterday? I missed you so much.”
I immediately picked her up.
“I’m sorry, princess,” I said softly. “I promise it won’t happen again.”
Then she frowned again.
“I’m angry at Vanessa too. She didn’t answer either.”
My body tensed.
I glanced at Sophia.
But she remained calm.
No reaction.
No anger.
Nothing.
That somehow felt worse.
Then Sophia stood up hurriedly looking at her phone.
“Lily, baby, Mommy has to leave now.”
Lily reached out for her from my arms.
Sophia stepped forward and hugged her.
As she leaned in, her hand brushed lightly against my chest.
The touch lasted only a second.
But I felt it.
She kissed Lily’s cheeks softly.
“Bye, baby.”
Then she picked up her coat and bag and walked toward the door.
She had already booked a cab.
She was leaving.
Mary came rushing behind her.
“Mrs. Whitmore, you didn’t eat breakfast. You only had coffee.”
Sophia turned back with a polite smile.
“I’ll eat later Mary.”
Then she added calmly,
“And please remember—it’s Miss Bennet now, not Mrs. Whitmore.”
The words struck me harder than anything else that morning.
Miss Bennet.
For a second, I just stood there.
I had almost forgotten.
Before she became Sophia Whitmore—
she was Sophia Bennet.
The girl I met in college.
The girl who was fiery.
Bright.
Confident.
And suddenly I realized—
the quiet, broken Sophia I had grown used to seeing was not the real her.
That version of her had been created here.
Inside this house.
Inside this marriage.
Because of me.
And just like that—
Sophia Bennet walked out of the Whitmore mansion.
Hey lovelies,????
I need your opinion for the upcoming chapters!
Do you want a second male lead to enter Sophia’s life and make Adrian jealous?
Like... someone kind, caring, and everything Adrian failed to be—so Adrian has to watch Sophia being valued by another man???
OR
Do you want the story to focus only on Adrian’s character development, his guilt, and his redemption—with no other man entering Sophia’s life?
Basically:
Option 1: Second lead + jealous Adrian
Option 2: No second lead, only Adrian redemption arc
Tell me what you want in the comments because I’m really excited to know what direction you all prefer!
And honestly...
Would you like to see Adrian suffer from jealousy a little???
Let me know!