Graham cut her off brusquely. “I’ve got things to do. Hanging up now.”
Without waiting for Sophie’s response, he ended the call.
As the dial tone droned in his ear, Graham leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, fingers pressing against his throbbing temples. Those so–called “beautiful memories” of the past felt hollow now, stripped of meaning without Evelyn. They even seemed… flavorless.
But Sophie wasn’t ready to let go.
She convinced herself Graham was just in a bad mood–that with enough gentle coaxing, with enough reminders of their “old spark,” she could bring him back to her side.
She slipped into a designer dress that had once graced the cover of a fashion magazine, perfected
her makeup, dabbed on perfume, and carried a food container to his office.
“Graham,” she said, pushing the door open, her voice a carefully measured blend of concern and warmth, “you haven’t been eating properly these past few days, have you? I made you some chicken soup. Won’t you try it?”
Graham stood by the window, smoking, his silhouette rigid and unyielding. He didn’t turn
around.
Undeterred, Sophie walked over and set the container on his desk, softening her voice even more.
“Graham, you shouldn’t smoke so much. It’s bad for you. I know you’re upset, with Evelyn missing and everyone worried. But…”
She paused, then tried to steer the moment toward nostalgia.
“Life has to go on, doesn’t it? Remember that summer at Ashland Reservoir Park? The water lilies
were in bloom, and you picked one for me. The ranger caught you and chewed you out…”
Her words struck like a match to dry tinder, igniting the frustration, regret, and pent–up pain
Graham had carried for days.
He spun around, eyes bloodshot and blazing with a chilling intensity, his voice a snarl. “Enough, Sophie! Stop dragging up the past! It’s over! Don’t you get that?!”
Sophie froze, stunned by the ferocity in his tone. The smile on her lips crumbled, her eyes filling
with tears, a mix of hurt and disbelief washing over her.
“Over? Graham Sterling, you’re saying it’s over? Then why were you so good to me before? Why
did you ditch her for me again and again?”
Chapter 13
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“You lost the use of one hand because of her, but when we fell into that river, you saved me first! Are you telling me that wasn’t because you still loved me?”
“And now, just because you can’t find her, you’re taking all your anger out on me? You’re such a bastard, Graham!”
Her voice climbed higher, raw with desperation, tears streaming down her face as if she were the victim of some unforgivable injustice.
Graham stared at her tear–streaked face, listening to her indignant accusations. But in his mind, he saw Evelyn’s pale face, her despairing eyes, the divorce papers that still cut like a knife…
A wave of disgust and irritation surged through him.
He locked eyes with Sophie, his gaze sharp as a blade, and for the first time, he spoke with icy
clarity, almost cruel in how he dissected the truth.
“I was good to you because I felt guilty. You were divorced, alone, with nowhere to turn. I left her behind…”
He faltered, his heart twisting as though pierced by something sharp. His voice turned hoarse but
steady.
“Because I thought you were weaker. That you needed protecting more. But that doesn’t mean I love you, Sophie. Do you hear me?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Graham froze.
It was as if a bolt of lightning had torn through the fog of self–deception that had clouded his heart for so long.
Chapter 13
