The Ex-Wife's Redemption: A Love Reborn Chapter 77

The peaceful night at the apartment was shattered as Henry's voice thundered through the darkness. From various windows, sleepy residents began poking their heads out, their irritation quickly turning to anger.

"Shut up, you drunk bastard!" someone shouted from a third-floor window.

"It's one in the morning!" yelled another. "Some of us have work tomorrow!"

Benjamin looked mortified as he desperately tried to control Henry, tugging at his arm with increasing panic. "Henry, please! This is insane—you're making a complete fool of yourself!"

I'd never seen Benjamin—usually so calm and confident—look this helpless. However, Henry seemed completely oblivious to both the growing crowd of angry residents and his friend's desperate pleas.

"SOPHIA!" Henry bellowed again, his voice carrying an almost primal desperation I'd never heard before.

Just as Benjamin made another attempt to drag him back to the car, Henry suddenly broke free and staggered toward the trunk. He deftly opened it, then emerged clutching something that made Benjamin's eyes widen in shock.

"You can't be serious," Benjamin muttered, watching in disbelief as Henry pulled out a thick stack of cash.

Henry turned to face the growing crowd of irritated residents who had begun to gather in the courtyard. A strange, drunken smile spread across his face.

"Everyone!" he announced, swaying slightly. "Help me call for Sophia Wilson! I'll make it worth your while!"

To emphasize his point, he grabbed a handful of bills and tossed them into the air. The money fluttered in the night breeze, dancing under the streetlights before settling on the ground.

For a moment, no one moved. The onlookers stared at the scattered cash in stunned silence, their complaints momentarily forgotten.

Then, a middle-aged man in a bathrobe darted forward, snatching up several bills. He examined them briefly before shouting, "Hey, these are hundred-dollar bills!"

That was all it took. Within seconds, the courtyard erupted into frenzied activity as residents rushed from their apartments, scrambling to collect this unexpected windfall.

"This is madness, complete madness," Benjamin groaned, watching the scene unfold with a mixture of horror and fascination.

Henry ignored him, unsteadily climbing onto the hood of Benjamin's car. "There's more where that came from!" he announced, waving the remaining stack. "Just help me get Sophia down here!"

The crowd's attitude shifted instantly. The same people who had been hurling insults moments ago now looked at Henry with nothing but admiration, their eyes fixed on the money in his hand.

"Who's Sophia?" asked a woman in pajamas, several bills already clutched in her fist.

"My wife," Henry replied with a dopey smile so unlike his usual calculated expressions. "She's the most beautiful woman in the world, and she's hiding from me."

"Apartment number?" someone called out.

Benjamin stepped forward quickly. "I really don't think—"

But Henry was already tossing more money into the air. "Sophia Wilson! Come down!"

The crowd joined in eagerly, their voices forming a bizarre midnight chorus: "Sophia! Sophia Wilson! Your husband wants you!"

"He says he misses you!" added a teenager, laughing as he scooped up more bills.

"Sophia Wilson, your husband's waiting downstairs!" shouted another.

Benjamin stood helplessly beside the car, watching Henry empty his wallet into the eager hands of strangers. "You know," he muttered to himself, "for Sophia, you're being remarkably generous tonight."

I'd been deeply asleep when the first shouts penetrated my consciousness. At first, I assumed it was just some late-night revelers, so I tried to ignore them, burying my head deeper into the pillow. But the noise only grew louder, more persistent—and most disturbingly, I began to make out my own name among the chants.

"Mom?" Billy appeared in my doorway, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "Why are people yelling your name?"

I climbed out of bed, pulling on my robe as I moved to the window. "I don't know, sweetheart. Let's see."

What I saw below left me frozen in shock. At least thirty people were gathered in the courtyard, all shouting my name while scrambling to collect... was that money? And at the center of it all, standing on top of Benjamin's car like some deranged king, was Henry.

"Sophia Wilson!" the crowd chanted. "Your husband's downstairs! He says he misses you!"

Betty burst into my room, her hair sticking up at odd angles and her face creased from sleep. "What the hell is happening? Why is everyone shouting your name?"

She joined me at the window, her jaw dropping as she took in the scene. "Holy shit. Is that—"

"Henry," I confirmed, unable to tear my eyes away from the spectacle below.

"And he's throwing money around?" Betty squinted in disbelief. "I knew he was rich, but this is just..."

"Insane," I finished for her.

Billy squeezed between us, his small face lighting up when he spotted his father. "Dad's here! Can we go see him?"

I hesitated, thinking this frenzied scene might not be appropriate for Billy to be involved in.

"Billy, go back to bed. Mom needs to go down and talk to Dad about some things," I said softly, quickly pulling on jeans beneath my nightshirt.

Billy's eyes showed obvious disappointment. "Okay, I'll wait for you to come back."

I motioned to Betty, "Let's go down before he gets himself arrested."

As I headed for the door, Betty grabbed my arm. "Are you sure? If you meet him, all our previous efforts will be wasted."

"I don't have a choice," I replied, gesturing to the window. "If I don't go down there, who knows what he'll do next?"

She reluctantly nodded.

When we stepped outside, the cold winter air hit me. I hadn't put on a proper coat, and my thin nightshirt offered little protection against the cold.

Henry spotted me immediately, his eyes lighting up with joy, making me momentarily forget my anger.

For a brief moment, I seemed to glimpse a shadow of the Henry I had fallen in love with years ago in the Henry standing before me now.

Betty stepped forward, pointing an accusatory finger at Henry. "You unbelievable asshole! Do you have any idea what time it is? You think you can just show up drunk in the middle of the night, disturbing an entire building full of people?"

Before she could continue her tirade, Benjamin smoothly intercepted her, guiding her several steps away with surprising efficiency. "Let me explain what happened," I heard him murmur, leading her away from the confrontation.

Left alone, I cautiously approached Henry. The smell of alcohol surrounded him—not just the usual whiskey scent, but a mixture of various strong spirits.

"How much have you had to drink?" I asked, feeling more concerned than angry despite myself.

Henry didn't answer, instead wrapping his arms around my waist from behind, pulling me against his chest with such sudden force that I gasped. I tried to pull away, but his embrace was impossible to escape.

"Let me go, Henry," I said, keeping my voice low and gentle, aware we had an audience of neighbors still watching us with undisguised curiosity.

"Can't," he mumbled against my hair. "If I let go, you'll run away again."

People were beginning to recognize him now, whispers spreading through the crowd, and some even took out their phones to record this absurd scene.

"That's Henry Harding!" I heard someone exclaim. "The richest man in the city!"

I shivered in the cold night air, my body trembling against Henry's.

"Bad woman," he slurred into my ear, though despite the accusation, his voice was surprisingly tender. "Making me chase you like this."

Before I could respond, he spun me around to face him, pulling me into a tight embrace. With fumbling fingers, he unbuttoned his coat and wrapped it around both of us, cocooning me in his warmth.

"There," he said with drunken satisfaction. "Now you won't be cold."

My heart raced at the sudden intimacy, my face pressed against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, steady and strong.

"Come home with me," he whispered.

"I can't," I replied softly. "My home is here now. Let Benjamin take you home, Henry."

He pulled back slightly, cradling my face in his hands, tilting his head as he examined me from side to side. "Fine," he said after a moment. "Then I'll stay with you."

Before I could protest, he'd scooped me against him and was heading toward the building entrance.

"Henry, wait—" I began, but my words were cut short as he suddenly dipped his head down, capturing my lips in a gentle kiss.

Since I'd known him, this was the first time Henry had displayed affection in public—and in front of dozens of witnesses with camera phones.