Chapter 51
This was just ridiculous.
It was because I was too kind that I lost my child and let Amelia keep provoking me right in front of my face.
"James, haven't you been taking your brother's place all these years, helping to take care of Amelia and her daughter?"
"If they really got hurt, doesn't that mean you didn't do a good enough job?"
"You can blame anyone, but you have no right to blame me."
In all these years of marriage, I never got any care from my husband. I even suffered a lot because of them.
Anyone in this world could call me heartless.
But James couldn't, and he had no right to say that about me.
James's eyebrows drooped slightly. "I ignored you before. That was my fault. If you want to blame someone, blame me."
"I used to blame you, but I don't anymore." I curved my lips, my eyes indifferent. "I just hope you all can stay away from my life."
"Do we really have to make things this bad between us?" James asked.
I crossed my arms over my chest, a cold smile on my lips. "James, isn't it you who made us like this?"
James, maybe unable to handle my cold stare, turned his face away. "I'll go down and buy you some medicine."
"I don't need you to go. I'll buy it myself." With that, I tried to turn the door handle to leave.
James grabbed my hand, stopping me. "Your injury was caused by me. I should take responsibility."
"You stay in bed. I'll have someone else buy the medicine, and I'll apply it for you when it gets here."
I struggled. "I don't need your fake kindness."
James ignored my resistance, pulled me over, and pressed me down onto the soft bed.
Even though the bed was soft, the spot on my back that got hit still hurt.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I gritted my teeth. "James, you jerk, get off me!"
James seemed startled by the tears in my eyes. He quickly pulled his hand back, his tone softening unconsciously. "What's wrong?"
Free from his control, I immediately turned over and reached back to rub the injured spot, trying to ease the pain.
While rubbing it, I snapped at him irritably, "You know I'm injured and you still push me around like this—are you trying to kill me?"
James looked somewhat embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I..."
"What good is sorry?"
James stopped talking and turned around to make a phone call.
After he hung up, he faced me again. "I've already had someone go buy the medicine."
I snorted and didn't respond.
A hotel staff member knocked on the door, and James brought the medicine in.
He held up the bag. "I'll help you apply it."
"I wouldn't dare trouble you." I stood up to take the medicine from his hand, but he dodged me.
I got angry, my delicate eyebrows furrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"The injury is on your back. How are you going to apply it yourself?"
I felt like James couldn't understand what I was saying. Annoyed, I said, "I already told you, I don't need you."
James's eyes turned cold. "If not me, are you planning to find that Andrew guy and have him apply the medicine for you?"
"Don't forget, I'm your husband. He's just an outsider. You'd go to him instead of me—I should be asking you what that means."
"He treats me way better than you do. Compared to you, I'd rather trust him. Is that reason enough?" I tried again to take the medicine from his hand, but James dodged again and grabbed my hand instead.
"Don't even think about it. You're my wife. Only I get to see." James said domineeringly.
He pulled me to sit on the bed. "Are you doing it yourself, or am I helping you?"
I glared at him angrily.
"Fine, I get it." James reached out to pull at my clothes.
I was afraid he'd be too rough and tear my clothes, leaving me with nothing to wear.
I slapped his hand away hard. "I'll do it myself."
I lay on the bed and rolled up my shirt, cursing him in my head, 'A big CEO acting like a thug—how shameless!'
James looked at the medicine instructions and followed them to apply the medicine for me.
The medicine needed to be massaged in with circular motions. James's fingers applied just the right amount of pressure.
After applying the medicine, James sat to the side and asked out of nowhere, "Sophia, what do you like about Andrew?"
I lied through my teeth. "He's gentle and caring."
"If I were gentle with you too, would you like me?"
I sat up from the bed with a start, like I'd heard something horrifying. "James, have you lost your mind?"
Otherwise, why would he start talking nonsense?
James laughed in frustration. "Sophia, I'm being serious with you."
"And I'm seriously asking you if you've lost your mind."
If he hadn't, why would he say something like that?
James never used to give me a kind look. Why would he suddenly change now?
James kept pushing for an answer. "Would you?"
A mocking smile curved my lips as I looked him up and down, my tone firm. "Impossible."
I was not a masochist, and my brain wasn't broken. There was no way I'd be fooled by the James in front of me now and let myself fall back into that kind of situation.
I would never give James another chance to hurt me.
From James's perspective:
Hearing Sophia's unhesitating rejection, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand. I couldn't describe how uncomfortable it was.
My beginning with Sophia was awkward, and I really disliked her.
But lately, I didn't know what had been happening—I had realized that my feelings toward Sophia were different.
Even knowing that Sophia was a woman who would do whatever it took, I still couldn't help but soften toward her.
I figured it was probably because of that child. I felt guilty toward her, so I kept giving in to her.
But I also felt like that was not the only reason.
Because I had developed a sense of possessiveness over Sophia. When I saw other men getting close to her, I got really angry.
I didn't know if this meant I had fallen in love with Sophia.
She and I were still husband and wife, and as long as we were married, we should be faithful to each other.
But she was getting so close to other men. As her husband, I should be angry.
This emotion made me very uncomfortable. I hated this feeling of things being out of control, so I needed to eliminate it.
I needed to keep Sophia by my side, stabilize our marriage, and return our lives to peace.
I lowered my head, showing weakness. "Even criminals who make mistakes get a chance to reform. Why can't you give me one more chance?"
"James, it's not that I haven't given you chances." Sophia said this calmly.
There was no hatred in her eyes, no anger, no emotion at all—as if she didn't care about me anymore.
This thought made me start to panic a little.
"James, there's no point in saying more. We just need to maintain a peaceful surface." Sophia stood up. "I'm a bit tired. I'm going back to rest."
I reached out and grabbed her hand.