Chapter 4 - What Money Cannot RepairRichard’s visit left a lingering chill in the house. That evening, after the girls were tucked into bed, I found Sophia sitting alone at the large mahogany desk in her study, staring out at the rain-streaked windows.
A half-empty glass of wine sat beside a thick stack of legal depositions.
I walked in, holding two ceramic mugs of hot tea, setting one down on her desk.
“He knows how to push your buttons,” I said softly, taking a seat across from her.
Sophia let out a bitter, weary laugh, rubbing her temples. “Richard spent five years finding every flaw, every insecurity, every weakness I have. He knows exactly which words make me feel like a failure.”
“You’re not a failure, Sophia.”
She looked up at me, her dark eyes filled with a raw, unspoken pain that broke my heart. “Look at this house, Liam. It’s huge, expensive, and empty. Before you and Emma moved in, Eva spent her evenings sitting alone in the playroom while I worked fourteen-hour days trying to keep the company from collapsing after the divorce.”
“You were surviving,” I told her firmly. “You built an empire to protect your daughter.”
“And in doing so, I almost lost her,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “When Richard filed for custody, I realized I didn't know her favorite color. I didn't know she hated the crust on her bread. You knew those things within three days.”
I reached across the desk, covering her cold, trembling hand with my warm one. She didn't pull away.
“Parenting isn't about being perfect, Sophia,” I said gently, looking deep into her eyes. “It’s about showing up. It’s about being there when the snow globe breaks, or when the thunderstorm hits. You love Eva more than life itself. She knows that. I know that.”
Sophia looked at our joined hands, then up at my face. A tear slipped down her cheek, and for the first time, she didn't wipe it away.
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“Thank you, Liam,” she whispered softly. “For everything.”
That night, as I lay in my bedroom across the hall, I realized the terrifying truth: I was falling in love with my fake wife.
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