Chapter 35: Cold War Escalates, Rejects Intimacy
A crisp slap echoed through the room, and Tyler's movements stopped. He looked at me, his eyes filled with disbelief and icy coldness.
Taking advantage of the moment, I scrambled out from under him and quickly put on my pajamas.
He sat up from the bed, his right cheek already visibly red and swollen.
For some reason, at this moment I actually thought he might hit me back. This was the first time since our marriage that I had raised my hand against him.
I looked away, forcing myself to stay calm. "My period is coming soon, my stomach hurts. Don't force me to do this."
"Sophia, you're getting bolder and bolder. You actually dare to hit me now." Tyler's eyes were indifferent, a hint of coldness flashing in them.
My pupils suddenly contracted, disgust written all over my face. I could completely imagine what Tyler and Ava looked like in bed together - probably just like this.
The more I thought about it, the stronger the disgust and nausea in my heart became.
"I said I don't want to. Don't force me to do this. It's not like you don't have other people to do it with."
Tyler looked at me, his eyes deep, seeming to hide a barely visible fire within.
"You'd better not say that to me. I'm not the type to touch just any woman."
This statement made me laugh bitterly. Did I need to be grateful that he touched me?
I really didn't want to keep arguing with Tyler about this, so I tried to stay calm. "You should get some sleep. I'll sleep with Jasper these next few days."
After saying that, I quickly left the room, afraid Tyler would chase after me again.
Because of this incident, my rejection of Tyler grew even stronger, and my desire for divorce became more intense.
But finding evidence of his affair was difficult.
I didn't know if I wasn't paying attention or if Tyler was hiding it too well, but recently he'd been coming straight home after work, not even going to business dinners. There was no trace of him being with Ava at all.
I guessed it might be because Isla and Gray were staying with us temporarily, and he wanted to spend more time with them.
This made it even harder for me to find evidence.
I saw online that Ava was holding a cello recital in Emerald City, so it seemed they really hadn't been together lately.
-
The contract approval from headquarters went through smoothly. I immediately contacted Chris to sign the lease, and the next day I contacted the renovation team I'd found earlier to start work.
After all, the space was really large, and with renovation plus airing it out, it would probably take over a year, so I couldn't afford to delay even a single day.
With the renovation and property matters settled, Zachary had also quickly completed all the approvals for the law firm.
When I called him and heard the news, I was in complete disbelief. "I thought the process would be extremely complicated. I can't believe you got it done so fast. That's amazing."
Zachary chuckled on the other end. "Once I agree to do something with you, I'll definitely give it my all."
"You're really incredible." I couldn't stop praising him.
"Do you admire me that much?" Zachary joked.
I answered seriously, "Of course. You've always been my role model. When I was in college, my dream was to become an excellent lawyer like you are now. It's just too bad..."
As I spoke, my mood started to sink again, and my eyes dimmed unconsciously.
Too bad I chose all of this myself. Playing a good hand terribly - that's me.
Zachary's tone seemed both serious and casual, as if deliberately trying not to pressure me.
He said, "You're still young. Whose life doesn't have mistakes? I've taken wrong turns too. What you see now is just me after I've succeeded. Later I'll tell you about some past stories - you probably can't even imagine the embarrassing things I've been through."
Hearing Zachary say this, I couldn't help but smile. I knew he was comforting me, but my heart still felt warm.
"You're right. Life has a high margin for error. How can I give up so easily?"
"You need to think this way every day from now on. Everything is getting on track now, and you don't need to feel any pressure, okay? I'm here for everything."
That last sentence - "I'm here for everything" - made my eyes well up. A bittersweet warmth surged through my chest. I felt so fortunate to know Zachary and to be able to work with him.
"Thank you, Zachary. Oh, and the progress on that case is going as I expected. I'll draft a new defense opinion in the next few days and see if we can use it at trial."
Hearing this, Zachary praised me endlessly. "That's great! I'll be back in seven days. After handling this case and wrapping up my work abroad, I'll be fighting alongside you."
I felt joy in my heart. "Great, looking forward to it."
"Oh, I almost forgot - there's more good news. The client from the case you participated in remotely is very satisfied with the defense opinion you wrote. He also knows about us opening a branch office domestically. This client is a big shot in the finance industry, and he said once our branch gets going, he'll bring us a lot of business."
Suddenly, my heart leaped with joy. "Really? That's wonderful! Are we already attracting business before we've even opened?"
Seeming to hear how happy I was, Zachary laughed happily too. "Of course, and it's all thanks to your hard work."
"Stop praising me."
Actually, I'd been hesitating about whether to ask about Clio. I didn't want to interfere with Clio's love life, but I thought Zachary wouldn't fall for a girl with Clio's personality. I was considering whether to kindly remind Zachary to maintain boundaries, so as not to give Clio false hope.
After struggling for over half a minute, I chose to give up.
Better not to meddle in other people's affairs. What if they actually hit it off?
Seeing me silent for so long, Zachary asked curiously, "What's wrong? Do you have something you want to say?"
I quickly replied, "No, no."
"That's good then. Let me treat you to dinner these next few days. I haven't taken you out since coming back this time."
I smiled. "Okay, just let me know whenever you arrange it."
At that moment, I was sitting alone in a coffee shop. Gray and Isla were now living with us, and I felt the already oppressive home had become even more suffocating.
So I didn't really want to go home.
After thinking for a bit, I called Clio to ask if she wanted to go out for dinner tonight.
After receiving the call, Clio agreed without a second thought.
Just as I hung up with her, Tyler's call came through. I hesitated for a moment but still answered, thinking I'd tell him I wouldn't be home for dinner tonight.
"Hello."
"I'm taking Mom, Dad, and Jasper out to dinner tonight." Tyler said briefly.
My nerves immediately tensed up. "And then?"