Chapter 98
The car door opened, and James's assistant, Dane, stepped out holding a large, eye-catching bouquet of red roses.
He walked straight toward me, stopped right in front of me, and without a word, shoved the huge bouquet into my arms.
"What are you doing?" I held the bouquet that was almost big enough to bury my face in, smelling the overpoweringly sharp floral scent, my brows furrowed.
Dane smiled brightly and said respectfully, "Mr. Smith specially ordered these for Mrs. Smith."
"What's gotten into James?" I noticed people nearby staring at us. Feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable, I lowered my voice: "Why is he pulling this stunt, and at school of all places?"
Whispers had already started around us.
"Who's that? That car is a Phantom! So cool!"
"Isn't Sophia's husband Mr. Smith? Then who's this?"
"Is she cheating? No way, she has such a great husband like Mr. Smith, and she's still cheating?"
"Women just don't appreciate what they have, always wanting what they can't have."
Hearing those comments, I couldn't help rolling my eyes.
And these people call themselves top students!
Every one of them with dirty minds, no brains, no critical thinking—they believe whatever they see.
"Dane, please tell him he's making me uncomfortable, and to stop doing these weird things."
"Mrs. Smith, why don't you get in the car and tell Mr. Smith yourself?"
I looked toward the back seat. No wonder Dane got out from the passenger side—James was sitting in the back.
I looked away: "Tell him I'm not going."
I carried the flowers to a nearby trash can and tossed them in. Just as I was about to leave, someone suddenly grabbed me from behind.
I screamed as I was suddenly lifted off the ground, my hands instinctively going around the person's neck.
"Hold on tight. If you fall and get hurt, I'm not responsible."
I looked up to see James's smooth, defined jawline. I wanted to get down, but his arms were locked around me like iron clamps.
"James, what do you want?" I forced the words through gritted teeth.
"Nothing much." He lowered his head, leaned close to my ear, and said in a voice only we could hear, "Just reminding certain clueless people that you have a husband."
His warm breath hit my ear, and my whole body stiffened, followed by deeper anger.
"I'm not your property!" I said through clenched teeth.
"Legally, you're still my wife." He emphasized the word "wife."
"Where are you taking me? I want to go back!"
"I'll take you back, but first, I'm taking you somewhere." Without giving me a choice, he carried me toward the car.
"I'm not going! James, let me go!"
My resistance was useless against his physical strength.
He stuffed me into the back seat and locked the car door.
As the car left campus, I caught my breath, my chest heaving.
"Where are you taking me?"
"You'll know when we get there."
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of a high-end custom boutique of a famous jewelry brand.
Looking at the gleaming sign, I had a vague idea of what was coming.
"Get out." James opened the car door, got out first, and reached out to help me.
"James, what exactly are you trying to do?" I sat in the car without moving, turned to look at him, trying to keep my voice calm, "What's gotten into you?"
"I'm not crazy, I'm very clear-headed." He looked at me, his eyes deep, "When we got married, I didn't personally choose the wedding ring. Now I'm going to pick one for you myself."
"Pick one for me?" I felt like I was hearing the biggest joke: "James, we're about to get divorced, and you're buying wedding rings now. If you're not crazy, what are you?"
"I told you, I won't divorce you."
"That's just your decision!" I raised my voice, "I don't need any stupid ring!"
"Now, I don't need it anymore." I stared at him, saying clearly, "Do you hear me? I don't need it anymore."
His expression darkened visibly, his jawline tightening, his eyes churning with something I couldn't understand.
Suddenly, he leaned into the car.
I jumped, shrinking back until my spine pressed against the car door.
But he just reached out and grabbed my chin.
His grip wasn't heavy, but it carried an undeniable authority.
"Sophia," his voice was low and hoarse, carrying a dangerous edge, "Some things aren't for you to decide."
"You..."
My words were swallowed by his lips, suddenly pressing down on mine.
My eyes widened, my mind going blank.
He was kissing me in a place where people could pass by at any moment. He had no shame, but I still did.
As if punishing me for being distracted, he pried open my teeth, hooking my tongue in a deep, forceful entanglement that felt like punishment.
I came to my senses and started struggling desperately, pushing him with my hands, kicking him with my feet.
But he was like an iron wall, trapping me firmly between the seat and his body.
The kiss was long and suffocating. Only when I was nearly out of breath did he pull back slightly, his forehead against mine, breathing heavily.
"James, you bastard..." I gasped, my voice shaking, whether from anger or something else, I didn't know.
He just laughed softly, and before I could react, he brought me into the jewelry store.
He grabbed my right hand and had the staff measure my ring size and select a suitable ring.
James told me to choose.
I closed my eyes, refusing to look. Out of sight, out of mind.
A cold sensation came, and I opened my eyes to look down. An intricately designed diamond ring was firmly locked on my finger.
I tried hard to pull off the ring, but it seemed to have grown from inside my finger—no matter how hard I pulled, it wouldn't come off.
James held my hand, stopping my movements, looking down at the ring on my hand, saying lightly, "Why take it off? Doesn't it look nice?"
"James!" I was shaking with anger, "I told you, I don't need it!"
He turned to look at me, his gaze as deep as night: "You need it!"
"I don't need it!" I tried again with force. The edge of the ring dug painfully into my finger, but the ring didn't budge.
"You need it." He reached out and held the hand wearing the ring, his thumb gently stroking the diamond, the gesture strangely tender, "Sophia, I didn't do well enough before. In the future, I won't be like that anymore."
"The future?" I looked at him, feeling utterly absurd and exhausted, "James, we have no future."
"From the moment you ignored my pain, hurt me again and again, from the moment our child was gone, you and I had no future."
I looked at the dazzling yet bone-chillingly cold diamond ring on my hand and said softly, "This ring can't lock me down, just like the title of Mrs. Smith can't keep me."
"One day, I will leave you completely."