Chapter 12 My Biggest Mistake Was Marrying You
James, trembling in Sophia's arms, tried to hold back his tears.
Sophia's voice was cold, simmering with anger, "William, leave the kids out of this."
William's sharp gaze met hers, his usually calm eyes now reflecting similar frustration.
"Sophia, isn't it enough that I let you video call the kids regularly?"
"Who gave you the right to turn the kids against me?"
"Don't forget, you were the one who wanted the divorce, you were the one who left the kids. Now you have the nerve to come back and demand them from me?"
The scorching sunlight bore down.
William stood tall in his black attire, his imposing figure accentuating his already distant and cold demeanor, his deep eyes filled with the authority of a father.
He had meticulously cared for James and Michael these past years, not to see them grow dependent on their mother.
Alice, seizing the moment, chimed in, "Sophia, your words are so heartless! Do you even know what William has gone through these past two years, playing both dad and mom? He juggles work by day and takes care of James and Michael by night, ending up in the hospital multiple times from exhaustion."
Tears welled up in Alice's eyes as she spoke.
"If you don't feel for him, I do! So please, stay away from William and the kids from now on!"
She moved to take James from Sophia's arms, but Sophia didn't let her get close.
James clung tightly to Sophia's neck, his distress growing.
Alice then turned her manipulative tactics on James.
She set a trap, "James, you were so happy to play with me before we got out of the car, but now you’re ignoring me because you're afraid your mom will think you betrayed her, right?"
"That's not true! My mom isn't like that!"
James defended Sophia, his voice louder than usual.
Alice, feigning hurt, began to cry, "James, are you yelling at me? You weren't this rude before. Have you forgotten how good I've been to you these past two years?"
James wanted to explain, but didn't know how.
The more anxious he got, the more flustered he became.
Finally, he buried his tear-streaked face in Sophia's neck, crying, "Mommy..."
Feeling the wetness on her neck, Sophia's anger erupted like a volcano, "Alice, enough is enough!"
"If you like William, you can have him."
"If you want kids, why don't you have your own? Is it because William won't give you any, or you can't have them yourself?"
Sophia continued with a cold laugh, "Or do you just enjoy taking other women's husbands and children?"
Alice's face turned pale, tears streaming down, "Sophia, how can you say that? I've treated James and Michael as my own these past two years..."
William heard Sophia's words, a dull pain spreading in his chest, a self-mocking smile forming on his lips.
Sophia didn't notice William's expression, but Alice did, and the sense of crisis made her grip her dress tightly.
She pretended to fall to the side in distress.
Catching sight of Emily, Alice tried her old trick of scratching the child's arm with her nails, hoping to provoke Sophia into acting irrationally.
But James saw it first and pushed her away forcefully, "Don't hurt Emily!"
Sophia also noticed Alice's little move and quickly scooped Emily into her arms, checking for injuries.
Emily started crying out of fear, "Mommy, I'm scared."
Emily's little face turned bright red from crying.
Seeing Emily being comforted by Sophia, James's tears flowed even more.
Sophia held Emily with one arm and wiped James's tears with the other, "Emily, it's okay. Mommy's here. James, don't cry. Emily's fine."
The commotion in the parking lot drew attention from inside.
Lyra, unable to reach Sophia by phone, rushed over with some people.
Sophia had just managed to calm James down when William spoke sternly, "James, who taught you to push people?"
Sophia looked up at William in disbelief. How could he say such a thing?
William met her gaze with an expressionless face, and she laughed in anger.
Fine! Just fine!
Whether it was two years ago or now, whether it was his wife or his son, everyone had to make way for Alice!
If this isn't resolved today, the thorn in James's heart will never be removed.
She kissed Emily's cheek and handed her to Lyra, then crouched down to pick up James.
Stung by William's words, James clung to her neck, burying his face in her shoulder.
Sophia glanced at Lyra, who nodded in understanding.
They both covered the children's ears.
"William, did Alice save your ancestors in a past life?"
"First, you wanted me to apologize; now you want our son to apologize. Do you and Alice need our apologies to keep your relationship going?"
William hadn't seen Alice's little trick, only James pushing her for no reason.
His eyes darkened, his tone icy, "The Smith family children must not be rude."
William looked Sophia in the eye, speaking seriously, "You are setting a bad example for the kids. Isn't that wrong?"
Sophia's ears buzzed, her chest numb with shock.
Looking at his cold, handsome face, she felt their five years together had been a joke.
"Yes, I made a mistake."
Sophia's eyes locked onto William's face. If it weren't for the kids, she would have slapped him!
"My biggest mistake was marrying you!"
Seeing the sadness in her eyes, William felt a lump in his throat.
His pale fingers clenched into a fist, struggling to control his emotions.
"Accusing the kids without asking for the reason, is that how you parent? How will the kids trust their parents in the future?"
William softened as he looked at James's tear-filled eyes.
He reached out slowly, "James, I'm not angry with you, but you shouldn't push people for no reason. Apologize to Alice, and I'll take you to play."
Sophia held James, avoiding William's hand, her voice dripping with disdain.
"William, I seriously wonder how you became the CEO of Peace Group. You're so stupid, I don't even want to talk to you."
She glanced at Alice, a look of sudden realization on her face.
"Of course, spending every day with such a two-faced, deceitful person, it's no wonder you're deaf and blind."
William, usually calm and composed, even with the most difficult business partners, felt his anger ignite easily.
"Sophia Johnson!" he shouted.
Sophia glared at him, her eyes full of mockery, "What are you yelling for?"
She had thought he was at least fully devoted to his son, but seeing him blindly favor Alice in front of her, what about in private?
She closed her eyes, firming her resolve.
"William, you're right. The kids have the right to choose between mom and dad. So let's give them the choice."