Chapter 73
Harold Rogers clicked his tongue: "Don't you know what I'm capable of? Just wait for my good news."
On the third day of hospitalization, Harold brought over the repaired hard drive.
"Sophia, your stuff."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
Andrew extracted the data from the hard drive, filtered through to find that day's video footage, and recovered it.
"Andrew, please take this and report it to the police to catch the person."
The moment the police showed up at the door of the girl who hurt me, before they even asked anything, she was scared out of her wits and immediately gave up the person behind her.
Andrew paused: "Sophia, she said it was James's cousin Juniper who told her to do it."
"I see."
"You can't let the person who hurt you off the hook just because you're soft-hearted." Andrew looked worried.
I smiled: "I'm not stupid. No one can hurt me again."
I chose to report it to the police.
Juniper was arrested.
Juniper's mother came to see me.
The hospital room door was suddenly pushed open, and Juniper's mom, Freya Stewart, dressed in designer clothes with perfect makeup, barged in aggressively.
As soon as she entered, she pointed at my nose and cursed: "Sophia, you vicious woman! How dare you call the police on my daughter!"
"We're relatives, why would you harm her like this?"
I sneered: "Freya, before you question me, why don't you first find out what your daughter did?"
"My daughter is so sweet and obedient, what could she have done wrong?"
"She could do plenty of things, like teaming up with outsiders to lock me in an abandoned classroom and freeze me to death."
"Impossible. My daughter is so innocent and kind. How could she do such a thing? You must be slandering her."
Andrew looked at her coldly: "Whether it's slander or not, just go ask the police and you'll know."
Freya gritted her teeth: "You two bitches, harming my daughter, I'm not done with you."
Furious and embarrassed, she grabbed something nearby and threw it at me.
Andrew blocked in front of me and got hit in the head by what she threw.
"Andrew, are you okay?" I asked with concern.
Before Andrew could answer, Freya grabbed a stool nearby and threw it over.
Andrew held me tightly.
"Freya, have you made enough of a scene?"
At the critical moment, James arrived.
He grabbed the stool in Freya's hands.
Freya thought James came to back her up and complained, "James, you came at just the right time. Look at your wife, she sent your cousin to the police station."
"Juniper almost killed someone. Shouldn't the police arrest her?"
"Juniper is your cousin, you're blood relatives. Sophia is just an orphan who became your wife through underhanded means. No matter what, she's an outsider."
"Who you should be close to and who you should distance yourself from, don't you know in your heart? How can you side with an outsider and harm your cousin?"
James's face darkened slightly: "Juniper did something wrong; she has to face the consequences."
"James, how can you say that?" Freya, seeing that the hard approach wasn't working, played the emotional card. "You know that when you got lost back then, if it weren't for me taking care of your mother, she would have died long ago."
"I've been so good to your mother, yet you treat me and your cousin like this, so ungrateful..."
"Freya, these are two different things."
"What two different things!" Freya wouldn't listen to reason at all. She pulled out a document from her bag and threw it at me: "Sophia, Juniper is still young; she just played a little joke on you."
"As long as you sign this settlement agreement, I can let you off. Otherwise, I'll make James divorce you right now."
My eyes lit up - there's such a good thing?
However, I couldn't sign the document.
If I signed it, Juniper would become even more unrestrained.
"I won't sign." I threw the document back on the table and looked at her expressionlessly. "She locked me in an abandoned classroom in freezing temperatures. I almost froze to death. You call that a joke? Why should I forgive someone like that?"
"You dare not sign?" Freya didn't expect me to refuse. Instantly furious and embarrassed, she raised her hand to hit me.
"Try touching her!" James grabbed her wrist, his eyes cold.
"James! You dare defy me for this woman?" Freya screamed, trying to break free from James's grip.
"Freya, that's enough." James's voice carried a hint of warning.
However, Freya wouldn't let it go. "I don't care! If you don't make her sign the settlement agreement today, I'll die right here! If my daughter goes to prison, I won't live either!"
She moved to bang her head against the wall.
James quickly pulled her back: "Freya, can you stop making a scene?"
"I'll stop if you want me to - make that bitch sign this settlement agreement."
James rubbed his temples with a headache, turned to look at me, and said guiltily: "Sophia, I'll compensate you for this."
I looked at him in disbelief: "James, are you okay? I almost died in that classroom! You want me to just let it go?"
Who cares about his compensation?
Is his compensation important?
My life is priceless!
Even Andrew couldn't stand it and scolded him: "What's wrong with your brain? Sophia almost died there, and you're asking her to sign a settlement agreement for a would-be murderer?"
Freya put her hands on her hips and glared at Andrew: "This is our family matter; you, an outsider, get lost."
"If you dare interrupt again, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Andrew's face darkened. He wanted to say more, but I stopped him and shook my head at him.
Freya was very difficult, and her insults were nasty. Andrew was a normal person - he wouldn't gain anything from confronting Freya.
"I know you've been wronged." James walked over, held my hand, and said in a low voice, "But you can see the situation now. If you don't sign the settlement agreement, when Freya makes a scene, it won't do you any good either."
My heart felt like it had a big hole in it, with cold wind blowing through.
I knew that in his heart, everything was more important than me.
My thoughts, my grievances - none of it mattered to him.
Seeing me silent for a long time, James gripped my hand harder: "If you don't sign, Grandma will worry when she finds out."
He was threatening me.
"Fine, I'll sign."
I picked up the pen and signed the settlement agreement.
At that moment, I felt my heart completely die.
Freya took the settlement agreement without even looking at it, gave me a smug look, and walked away with her nose in the air.
James looked at my pale face, wanting to say something, but I turned my head away, not wanting to look at him anymore.
"Get out."
"Sophia..."
"I said get out!" I raised my voice.
James opened his mouth, probably not knowing what to say. He remained silent, sighed, and left.
Andrew asked worriedly, "Sophia, how could you sign that settlement agreement?"
I blinked at him slyly: "I didn't sign my real name, so that settlement agreement is invalid."
Andrew suddenly understood and gave me a thumbs up: "Brilliant!"
In all these years of being married to James, I've suffered more grievances than I can count.
But now, I don't love him anymore, and I'm going to divorce him - why should I still swallow my pride for him?