The Ex-Wife's Redemption: A Love Reborn Chapter 131

Thomas stared at me, stunned by my direct words. I could see the shock in his eyes, followed quickly by sympathy and something else—a rekindled hope that made me immediately regret my honesty.

"Sophia, why didn't you tell me something like this happened?" His voice was soft, concerned, laced with an intimacy I couldn't reciprocate.

I looked at him, my eyes revealing an emptiness I couldn't hide. What was there to say? That night had been buried so deep within me that sometimes I could almost convince myself it never happened.

"And what would telling you have accomplished?" I asked quietly as dark memories washed over me.

After it happened, my mother Scarlett had been brutally honest: "If you have this baby, it will be a bastard. You'll never be able to hold your head up again. You might as well be dead."

Her words had cut deep.

Coincidentally, Sam had died just weeks before. My beloved Sam, with his kind eyes and gentle smile—gone before I could tell him about this, before he left this world.

I had lost my anchor.

Following my mother's hints, I decided to end my life, walking to the edge of the ocean one night, determined to let the waves take me.

That was when I met Henry...

When I regained consciousness on the shore, water dripping from my hair and lungs burning, I'd looked up to see a face so similar to Sam's that for one delirious moment, I thought my love had returned to me.

When Henry later offered to marry me, I accepted without hesitation.

The past—all of it—became just a distant memory I chose not to revisit.

And now, even Henry was someone I no longer wanted in my life.

Thomas stepped closer, his eyes filled with sympathy. "You should have told me sooner. At the very least, I could have been someone to listen, to cry with you, to laugh with you, to offer some comfort."

He reached out, attempting to draw me into an embrace, but I stepped back, maintaining distance between us.

"Thomas," I said firmly, "in my heart, we can only ever be friends."

Ever since I'd recognized his feelings for me, I'd been careful to keep our relationship strictly controlled.

I couldn't offer him what he wanted, and I wouldn't give him false hope.

Not giving him a chance to respond, I quickly left his office and returned to the nurses' station. During a lull in my duties, I logged into my social media account and uploaded a photo of the divorce papers with my signature clearly visible.

I tagged Henry in the post and wrote: "I've signed. Do you dare?"

There. Now the entire internet would be watching to see when Henry would sign those papers. All I needed was for him to deliver the divorce certificate, and I would finally be free.

After locking my phone in my locker, I headed to Mrs. Davis's room to check on her. Just as I entered, I came face-to-face with Ava, her granddaughter.

"Sophia," she hissed, her eyes narrowing, "I'm warning you: stay away from my grandmother! She only has one granddaughter—me! You don't count!"

I nearly laughed at the absurdity of it all.

This was the same woman who had tried to extort five hundred thousand dollars from me just days ago, claiming she needed it for her grandmother's medical bills. Two days had passed, and seeing that I hadn't given her any money—and likely suspecting I'd told her grandmother about her scheme.

Ava was now on high alert, practically trying to chase me out of the room.

Ignoring her completely, I walked straight to Mrs. Davis's bedside and smiled warmly at the elderly woman who had been more of a mother to me than my own.

"Mrs. Davis, I've asked around about your treatment. The costs aren't too high, and as long as you follow the doctor's instructions, you'll make a full recovery."

The elderly woman looked concerned. "But the surgery—it must cost quite a bit, doesn't it?"

I smiled reassuringly while glancing at Ava, who was glaring daggers at me. "It's not much. Our family can afford it," I said smoothly. "Please don't worry about it, Mrs. Davis. All that matters is getting you better. Ava has already gathered the money and paid for everything."

I deliberately credited Ava with covering the hospital costs that I had actually paid, not wanting to worry the old woman. Ava's face was filled with confusion.

After chatting with Mrs. Davis for a few more minutes, I excused myself to return to work.

Mrs. Davis thanked me profusely and insisted that Ava see me out. We both wore fake smiles as we left the room, maintaining the charade of harmony until the door closed behind us.

Ava immediately dropped the pretense. "What the hell are you playing at, Sophia?" she demanded, her voice low. "Where would I get money for grandmother's surgery?"

I turned to face her, my patience gone. "Don't pretend with me. I know exactly why you asked for five hundred thousand dollars! I've already paid for all of Mrs. Davis's medical expenses. Your extortion attempt failed."

Seeing that her scheme had been exposed, Ava switched tactics.

"You think you're so clever," she sneered. "What if I tell that rich husband of yours about your past? How would he feel knowing everything?"

In the past, when I still cared about Henry and our marriage, such a threat might have terrified me. But now, having already decided to divorce him and publicly signed the papers, I had nothing left to fear.

Far from being intimidated, I gave her a mocking smile. "Go ahead! Please do!"

Her eyes widened in surprise at my reaction.

"If you tell him," I continued, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "he'll probably rush to divorce me even faster and make sure I leave with nothing. I'd be delighted—that means you wouldn't be able to extort money from me anymore, would you?"

Ava had never liked me, even as children. Out of respect for Sam, I'd always tolerated her behavior, but now that I was watching the adult Ava become increasingly unreasonable, I saw no reason to indulge her anymore.

"Sophia, don't forget," she spat, "if it weren't for my brother, you wouldn't be where you are today!"

She took a step closer, her voice dropping to a threatening whisper. "I hear your husband is quite wealthy. Such a good money tree—are you really willing to give that up?"

She gave a cruel smile. "Let me say this one more time: give me five hundred thousand dollars, make me happy, and I'll leave you alone. If you don't..." She paused dramatically. "I'll tell the whole world how you betrayed my brother. I'll ruin you!"

I laughed humorlessly. "Years ago I gave you two million dollars—enough for Mrs. Davis to live comfortably for the rest of her life and enough to support you until you became independent! It's barely been a few years, and you've already blown through it all. Do you really think I'll give you more?"

Ava and Mrs. Davis lived in a small town where two million dollars could support them for nearly 30 years.

Yet somehow, in just a few years, Ava had managed to waste it all.

Seeing that I wasn't going to budge, Ava grew desperate. "Sophia! I'm your sister! You promised my brother you'd take care of me for life!"

I stared at her. My voice turned to ice, devoid of any warmth or emotion.

"Ava Davis, listen carefully: I promised your brother I would look after you. That doesn't make me your parent. Why should I indulge your every whim?"

I stepped closer, making her back away. "Let me make this perfectly clear: you can tell whoever you want about Sam and me. I don't care anymore!"

I released my grip on her arm, watching as she staggered back, her face pale with shock. As I walked away, I could feel her stunned gaze on my back.

"Damn you, Sophia," I heard her whisper behind me. "Have you lost your mind? When did you become so fearless?"

I didn't bother to look back. For the first time in years, I felt truly free.