Chapter 1
“Alex, you’re getting married in two weeks. What’s your plan for your mistress?”
Hearing those words, Sophia Bennett froze outside the door.
What followed was a man’s lazy, indifferent voice. “Just shut up. As long as you don’t mention her, Sophia will never know.”
Separated by just a door, tears had already blurred Sophia’s vision.
She never imagined that the man she’d loved for years was planning to turn her into a mistress.
From that moment, Sophia saw everything clearly and immediately made arrangements to enter witness protection.
Only later would Sophia realize that she wasn’t the one who couldn’t let go.
“Are you sure? Once you enter the witness protection program, Sophia Bennett will cease to exist, and anyone who knows you will never be able to find you again.”
Never find her again? Perfect.
Sophia gave a bitter smile, then composed herself and said firmly, “I’m sure.“.
The finality in her voice surprised the person on the other end, who quickly responded, “Very well, Ms. Bennett. The process will be completed in two weeks. We’ll provide you with a new identity then. I hope you’ll have a fresh start in two weeks.”
A fresh start? She could only hope.
After hanging up, Sophia stood and walked to the curb on unsteady legs, hailing a cab home.
She had just finished showering and was about to lie down when Alexander Sterling pushed through the door, reeking of alcohol.
The moment he entered, he found her unerringly and wrapped his arms around her, slurring affectionately.
“Honey, why didn’t you come pick me up?” His words came out in a soft, affectionate murmur against her skin. “God, you smell so good… I missed this, missed you so much”
As he spoke, he buried his head in her neck, his hands beginning to wander.
Watching him in this state of intoxicated desire, Sophia’s mind drifted to the memories of how Alexander had once pursued her relentlessly for three years, desperate to prove his unwavering devotion
Later, when Catherine Sterling opposed their relationship, he held her tightly. “If my mother won’t let us marry, then I’ll never marry anyone. We’ll date forever. Don’t worry–I’ll never marry anyone but you.”
When Catherine later kidnapped Alexander and forced him into an arranged marriage with the Whitmore family, he escaped looking pale and haggard. She later learned he had gone on a hunger strike to resist his mother’s control.
From then on, no matter how Catherine threatened her, she never backed down, knowing someone was fighting alongside her.
She was grateful she’d overheard those words today. Otherwise, how long would he have continued deceiving her? Until their wedding day? Or until she discovered she was the other woman?
Suppressing her heartache, she gently pulled away from his embrace and refused him. “I’m a bit tired tonight.”
Alexander didn’t force her, Instead helping her into bed with concern and holding her from behind. “Then rest well. I feel like you’ve been losing weight lately.”
Sophia pretended to fall asleep without responding
The next morning, Sophia woke to see Alexander getting dressed by the closet.
Hearing movement behind him, he walked over and kissed her forehead. “Good morning, darling, It’s New Year’s Eve today. I’m taking you out. Get up and get dressed.”
Chapter 1
Without waiting for her to refuse, Alexander headed downstairs.
After dressing, she came down to find the housekeeper greeting her. “Mrs. Sterling is up? Let me get you some oatmeal.”
Sophia and Alexander weren’t married, but he insisted all the staff call her Mrs. Sterling, saying she would be his only wife.
But in two weeks, he’d have a legitimate wife, and she–the unofficial Mrs. Sterling–would be finished.
She smiled bitterly to herself and went down for breakfast, after which Alexander dismissed the driver for some alone time and drove
her out himself.
During the day, they wandered the city. Alexander took her to a garden restaurant and the aquarium.
Throughout, he was extremely attentive to her condition, stopping to rest the moment she showed any fatigue.
That evening, just as Sophia thought they were heading home, Alexander drove up into the mountains.
Seeing her confusion, Alexander explained, “You once said watching fireworks from the mountains would be beautiful. Let’s see if you were right, okay?”
She’d mentioned this so casually while scrolling through videos that she’d almost forgotten it herself, never expecting him to remember.
Sophia didn’t respond, but he didn’t mind. Noticing her low spirits, he chattered away, trying to cheer her up.
Alexander was naturally a man of few words, but around Sophia, he became talkative as if he had endless things to say.
They reached the mountaintop In half an hour. Tonight’s view was undeniably beautiful.
During the last hour of 2024, Alexander’s phone buzzed, and seeing the sender, he glanced warily at Sophia before breathing a barely perceptible sigh of relief and eagerly unlocking his screen to reply.
With a slight turn of her head, Sophia could see his screen clearly.
[Alex, I’m so lonely spending New Year’s alone. Can you come keep me company?]
She watched Alexander reply: (Don’t be silly.}
[Please, I am scared of the dark and need you here.)
Alexander hesitated for two seconds before typing: (Be good and wait for me.]
Before he looked up, Sophia had turned away.
Alexander’s voice reached her ears: [Sophia, something urgent came up at the company I need to go back. Sorry I can’t spend New Year’s with you.]
She calmly responded with a simple “mm,” appearing as if she’d seen nothing, though only her hands gripping the car hood betrayed her emotions.
Alexander drove off within a minute of his announcement, too eager to remember he was taking the only car and leaving her stranded. Uber never came up this mountain.
Realizing this, her heart felt seized by a giant hand, sending waves of suffocating pain through her chest.
The second hand reached twelve, and fireworks exploded below–magnificent and brilliant, truly beautiful.
Sophia knew Alexander had arranged this for her, but the man who’d prepared all this was now with another woman.
As it to confirm this thought, her phone vibrated against her palm.
