The Man Who Destroyed Me Is Now Begging to Mend Me 8

The next morning, as Sophia left her room, the guest room door across the hall opened at the exact same

time.

Lucas was stepping out, finishing with his tic.

He glanced up and went completely still, finding Sophia already watching him from their bedroom doorway.

Surprise flashed across his face, and he started with an explanation. “She was a mess last night,” he said, his voice low. “I couldn’t just leave her.”

Sophia’s eyes dropped to the bright red smudge on his collar. Her eyes were filled with silent scorn as she thought about how filthy it was.

She said with icy calm, “Relax, I know perfectly well that nothing would ever happen between you two, even when you don’t have a stitch of clothing on.”

Her words cut off whatever excuse Lucas was about to offer. Anger darkened his features. “Think what you want,” he snapped. “My feelings for her are purely brotherly.”

Sophia’s eyes fell to the lipstick stain on his collar again. “So, how does it feel to be so close to your ‘sister?” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Following her line of sight, Lucas saw the evidence, and a shadow of guilt crossed his face.

“It was an accident,” he insisted, his voice tight. “Don’t make it sound so sordid.”

“So filthy,” she murmured, shaking her head. As he drew a sharp breath to retaliate, she added with a cold smile, “I mean your shirt.”

He stared at her, his expression turning to stone.

She merely offered a careless shrug and walked away, leaving him fuming in the hallway.

Downstairs, Sophia was halfway through her breakfast when her phone vibrated on the table. A quick glance at the screen confirmed it was Helen calling.

Just then, Wendy appeared with two additional breakfast plates. Sophia swiped to answer the call, a deliberate smile directed at Wendy. “You’re calling so early, Mrs. Westwood.”

The pointed smile made Wendy’s blood run cold, and at the mention of Mrs. Westwood, she was reminded of betraying Sophia by reporting to Helen last night. Stricken with guilt, she almost fumbled the tray.

She dropped the plates onto the table and hastily retreated to the safety of the kitchen.

A faint, cold smile touched Sophia’s lips as Helen’s venomous voice filled her ear.

“Utterly devoid of manners,” Helen sneered. “What else can you expect from someone with such a common background?”

Sophia’s eyes turned to ice. “Trace any lineage back three generations, Mrs. Westwood, and you’ll find humble roots. It’s distasteful to scorn your own origins.”

Helen found herself at a loss for words.

Though Lucas’s parents both had city roots, his grandparents’ generation had all struggled in a backwater. Helen’s parents had even lived in a cowshed. So in that regard, Helen was no better than Sophia.

“That sharp tongue of yours is exactly why people can’t stand you,” Helen shot back.

Sophia rolled her eyes in contempt.

Biting back her anger, Helen forced a calmer tone. “We need to meet. There’s a document for you to sign.”

“What kind of document?”

“It’ll be clear when you get here.”

Letting the matter drop, Sophia hung up. As she did, she saw Lucas descending the staircase.

He had showered and changed, his hair perfectly styled like a model from the pages of a magazine. She had to admit, he was pleasing to look at.

With those looks, he certainly has the assets for a career as a gigolo, Sophia thought wryly.

A smug feeling warmed Lucas as her eyes stayed on him. He drew out the chair next to hers and sat down. “Paliston Fashion Week is just around the corner,” he offered. “It’ll be a good chance for us to get away.”

In three years of marriage, it was the first time he had ever proposed such a thing.

Sophia acknowledged him with a quiet hum, but she felt no spark of happiness or expectation. She saw the offer for what it was-a peace offering, born of the guilt he carried after his betrayal.

Her ride showed up shortly after breakfast. Picking up her bag, Sophia walked out the door.

When Sophia arrived at the café, Helen was already seated and waiting for her.

Sophia approached and took the seat across the table.

Without a word, Helen slid a document toward her. “The divorce papers,” she said. “Lucas has signed them.”

Sophia didn’t seem surprised, as she had known that Helen would find a way to force her out after learning the infertility diagnosis.

She unfolded the divorce papers, and there it was-Lucas’s signature already waiting at the bottom.

Her eyes lingered on his name before skimming the rest of the document, stopping cold at the clause stating she’d be “leaving with nothing.”

A bitter smile touched Sophia’s lips as she tossed the papers back on the table. “150 million dollars,” she said coolly. “That’s my price to sign.”

Helen stared at her in shock. “Have you lost your mind? Or have you forgotten you’re barren? That is more than enough reason for a man to discard his wife.”

Sophia didn’t even blink. “200 million.”

Helen had planned to send Sophia away with nothing, but she was starting to realize this wouldn’t be so easy.

Helen stared, stunned for a moment. She found it beyond belief that after failing to produce an heir in three years, Sophia now had the sheer gall to demand a fortune. “This is outright extortion,” she snapped.

A cold smile touched Sophia’s lips. “Suit yourself. If you won’t pay, I can endure life with your son a while longer. I’m sure half of everything he owns is worth significantly more than 200 million.”

The remark made Helen’s blood boil. She mentally cursed Sophia with every foul word she knew.

But thinking of how she could finally force this “barren” woman out of the Westwood family, she bit back her rage and agreed to Sophia’s terms.

Helen arranged for the first 50 million to be transferred immediately. The remaining 150 million was secured by a legal agreement, payable the moment the divorce was officially recorded.

With the financial matter settled by their signatures, Sophia picked up the pen and signed the divorce petition without hesitation.

Helen slid the signed documents into her portfolio. “Lucas is still in the dark about this,” she warned, her voice firm. “To ensure a smooth process, you will maintain appearances-living at the estate and going to work- throughout the mandatory cooling-off period.”

“I don’t work there anymore,” Sophia told her.

Her pregnancy was still early enough to conceal, but morning sickness could betray her at any moment. The last thing she needed was someone discovering her secret.

“Don’t forget the 150 million,” Helen countered, throwing Sophia’s own demand back at her.

Sophia’s eyes fluttered shut as she weighed her options. The money was too significant to refuse. “Alright,” she finally said. “I’ll go back.”

One more month was all she needed. Then she could finally cut Lucas and his entire family out of her life for good.

The moment Sophia stepped out of the café, she transferred the first installment-50 million-to Annabelle.

Her phone vibrated instantly with a call from Annabelle.

“Did you strike gold?” Annabelle’s excited voice filled her ear. “Where did this fortune appear from?”

“The divorce settlement,” Sophia answered, her voice flat.

A sharp intake of breath came through the phone. “You’re actually divorcing him?” Annabelle asked, her voice trembling with shock.

“Of course, Sophia replied curtly.

Sophia knew the smartest thing she could do was put her money to work, so she asked Annabelle to handle the investments.

Annabelle’s uncle, a venture capitalist named Richard Sterling, had made a name for himself in Wallinton while still young and now held a spot on the Fortune List.

With her uncle’s guidance, Annabelle had a knack for successful investments. It was one of those profitable ventures that had funded Sophia’s penthouse.

“Are you absolutely sure about this, Sophie?” Annabelle asked. “There’s no going back. Are you truly prepared to let everything go?”

Standing amid the busy street crowd, Sophia felt strangely detached from all the noise and movement around her.

Though she prided herself on being logical, emotion now overwhelmed her. Tears welled up in her eyes as an unexpected ache tightened around her heart.

“I need to move forward, Annabelle.” Sophia said softly, determined to face the future without dwelling on the

past.

Mark