Chapter 101: She’s the One Who’s Lost It
Sophia blinked, momentarily disbelieving what she’d just heard.
“You said you’re going to be Henry’s mistress?
“Yes Candace met Sophia’s gaze directly.
“And you kindly informed me so I wouldn’t worry, that you wouldn’t steal my place?”
“A man like Mr. Sterling wouldn’t have just one woman. He’ll eventually have mistresses. Those mistresses might not be as understanding as I am; they’ll be greedy for his money and want more. So, Mrs. Sterling, you should be grateful it’s me.”
Sophia stared at Candace, surprised by her bluntness.
You only want his money?”
“Yes, I… I need money, a lot of it. I became an actress because I heard they made a lot, but I have no connections, no backing. It’s so hard to make it in this business. I need to pay off my dad’s gambling debts, pay for my mom’s medical bills, and support my family. I have to compromise.” Sophia chuckled, “So you hatched this plan? But how did you think Henry would go for it?” Candace pursed her lips.“Brenda told me I look like a woman named Zoey Smith, the only woman Henry ever loved. She’s dead, and I can be her replacement. Mr. Sterling will accept me.” Sophia let out a breath. What in the world was going on? Henry was crazy, Brenda was crazy, and now Candace was crazy.
A sudden fear washed over her. Would she go crazy one day, too?
If you told me all this to get my approval, I don’t approve, and I suggest you get a grip. If this is a warning, you’re severely underestimating me. I suggest you go straight to Henry and tell him to divorce me. If you just wanted me to know, fine, I know.”
With that, Sophia turned and walked out.
That night, Henry dragged her to a movie, and, of course, they got busy afterward. Before the movie ended, Sophia fell asleep in Henry’s arms.
In the middle of the night, she was suddenly thrown off, nearly tumbling from the couch Shaken, she looked at Henry. He was sitting up, gasping for air.
“What’s wrong?”
Sophia reached for his arm, but he flinched away, turning to face her. His face was ashen, his eyes cold and sharp, fixed on her.
“Who are you?”
Three people had sent shivers down Sophia’s spine. She stared at him, dumbfounded.
Henry abruptly stood, rushed to the light switch, and flipped it on. He looked at her again, his eyes clearly unfamiliar, guarded.
Before he could speak, Sophia frowned. “I’m your wife.”
Henry seemed shocked, staring at her for a long moment before becoming agitated, pacing the room. His eyes grew increasingly frantic, finally collapsing onto the couch, clutching his head. Sophia got up, poured him. a glass of water, and pressed it into his hand.
She sat back down, gazing at the ceiling, waiting
After a long while, Henry sat beside her, pulling her into a hug
“I had a dream… I was driving on the coast, the car spun out of control, crashing over the railing into the ocean. The suffocation, the pressure… it was so real, it felt like I’d died.” Henry was genuinely terrified, clinging to her.
Sophia held him close, gently patting his back. At that moment, she felt sorry for him. It wasn’t a dream; it was a memory.
“And you,” he whispered.
“Me?”
You were sitting next to me, we crashed together, and I was searching for you, couldn’t find
you…
Sophia sighed. That wasn’t her; it was Zoey Smith.
In that moment, Henry was so vulnerable, she couldn’t bring herself to reveal the truth.
The next morning, when Sophia woke up, Henry was gone.
As if she had a premonition, she went to the beach and saw Henry there, in a leather jacket, smoking a cigarette, building sandcastles with Candace.
Sophia laughed, a sound even she didn’t understand, then turned and saw Brenda. It was as if she was tormenting herself, staring at the two of them.
Sophia shook her head and walked away.
“He’ll suddenly remember, then push you away,” Brenda murmured, as much to herself as to Sophia.
Sophia shrugged.“It’s better than being clueless.”
“Aren’t you afraid he’ll leave you?”
“I’m not dependent on him. What’s there to fear?”
Brenda’s anger flared.“You don’t love him that much. Why did you get to marry him, and I, after everything I did, am just a friend!”
“You regret letting him go, thinking that if you hadn’t, you’d be in my place. But you’ve never thought that you were the one who held onto him, and the one who let him go. And all along, he only considered you a friend. It was all wishful thinking.”
your
“You don’t know anything! How dare you say
that!”
“Because he’s Henry Sterling. He doesn’t stoop to deceiving anyone. Lovers are lovers, friends are friends; he always knows the difference.”
The one who didn’t know the difference was Brenda; she was the one who’d lost her mind. For the next few days, Henry acted normally, but he liked going to the beach. Once, Lucy saw them, warning Sophia to keep a close eye on Henry, lest Candace, that little vixen, steal him
away.
One afternoon, Brenda asked Sophia to help her find a suitable location for an outdoor shoot along the coastal highway.
I might need to climb, and if something happens, you’ll need to provide first aid.” That was Brenda’s reason for wanting her along, and as the on–set medic, Sophia couldn’t refuse, even though she disliked Brenda.
Only after getting into the Car did she realize Candace
Seeing Sophia, Candace straightened up and greeted her.
Sophia gave her a curt nod and turned away.
also there.
The island wasn’t large, and the coastal highway had only been built last year to facilitate development.
Brenda was driving recklessly fast. Sophia urged her to slow down, but she wouldn’t listen. Then, Sophia noticed a car following them–it looked like Henry’s.
“Stop! That’s Henry…”
Before she finished, Brenda violently swerved the car towards the guardrail.
Before Sophia could react, the car smashed through the barrier, plummeting down a cliff, tumbling end over end before coming to a jarring stop..
Sophia briefly blacked out. When she opened her eyes, she was hanging upside down in her seat, blood dripping.
She gasped, looking to the side.
Brenda was also upside down, her face covered in blood, badly injured. But she was elated, waiting for some thrilling moment.
Just then, the car lurched again, sliding further down.
Sophia held her breath, peering through the shattered window. The car was at the edge of a sheer drop, still sliding, moments away from certain death!
