Chapter 41 Take a Look at the Ex-Husband
The Next Morning
Sophia woke up to a barrage of messages from Lyra.
She opened the chat and saw that Alice and William had hit the trending news again. Wasn't this the third time?
Leaning against the headboard, she scrolled through the trending topics.
#AliceLivingWithTheBigBoss, WeddingBellsSoon?
Sophia felt surprisingly calm. She even clicked on each topic with interest and read through the popular comments below.
[Alice, you look like you've been freshly loved! Did something happen between you and the big boss?]
[I told you they were together, but you didn't believe me!]
The trending news was filled with screenshots from Alice's livestream last night, including her blushing face as she answered viewers' comments.
"Yes, we were at his place last night."
"Someone was bothering me, so he let me stay at his place for protection."
"He treats me very well."
Her answers were suggestive and filled with romantic undertones, sparking imaginations.
Just as Sophia was engrossed in reading, all the trending topics about Alice's late-night livestream suddenly disappeared.
Topics related to "Peace Group" and "William" were also taken down.
Alice's fans, however, went wild, celebrating immediately.
[The trending topics are gone! I bet the big boss couldn't bear to see Alice's beautiful, shy face being public and bought out the trending news.]
[A real-life domineering CEO protecting his beloved wife!]
Within minutes of the trending topics being pulled down, Alice posted on her personal account: [The sunshine is nice, but he's even nicer.]
The picture was a selfie of her in the garden of the Smith Mansion, holding a freshly picked purple rose, shyly smiling at the camera. In the background, William's cold figure was visible on the second floor.
Sophia's grip on her phone tightened.
The flower in Alice's hand was the Louis XIV rose she had planted the year she got married, carefully nurtured, and it only bloomed a few sparse flowers the next year.
It was the year she and William got divorced.
The entire garden was filled with a sea of purple roses.
Lyra, worried about her emotions, called during a break in filming. Seeing Sophia's calm demeanor and her ability to joke around, Lyra's anxiety eased, and she continued with her shoot after chatting briefly.
Sophia put down her phone and looked at her children sleeping soundly on the bed. Though there was a void in her heart, it was wrapped in layers of warmth.
She was doing well now.
She had her son and daughter by her side.
Even without a husband, she was happier than in those five years.
Emily woke up without crying or fussing. Seeing James and Michael still asleep, she began searching for her mom.
Spotting Sophia just out of the bathroom, she reached out for a hug.
When Sophia picked Emily up, she habitually kicked her legs, her soft little hands hooking around Sophia's neck, pressing her cheek close.
Emily: "Mommy, you smell nice."
When they came out of the bathroom, James and Michael were awake too.
After breakfast, Sophia took her daughter to drop them off at preschool. During this time, William didn't call.
"Mr. Smith, all the trending topics have been taken down."
Tony noticed William's gloomy expression and felt uneasy. What was going on?
William, who hadn't slept well the night before, had just finished an international meeting.
He rubbed his aching forehead. "Did the kids get to preschool?"
Tony nodded, "Mrs. Smith took them herself."
William waved his hand, signaling Tony to leave.
Tony, concerned, asked, "Mr. Smith, you sure you don't need a doctor? You don't look so hot."
William replied faintly, "I'm fine."
The office returned to silence.
He reached into the drawer for painkillers, only to find the bottle empty. He grabbed a new one.
The headaches had been getting worse over the past two years, and he often relied on painkillers just to get by.
Ten minutes passed, and the headache persisted. Even the painkillers weren't working anymore.
The sleep-inducing incense Sophia had given him was long gone. He had never lowered his pride to ask her for more.
With his long legs slightly bent, he lazily reclined in his office chair.
William picked up the family photo on his desk, gazed at it for a while, then returned to his cold, distant Mr. Smith persona, continuing with the next meeting.
But after the meeting ended, his condition hadn't improved. His head was pounding as if multiple hammers were constantly striking his brain, causing immense pain.
Tony immediately took him to the Smith family-owned hospital.
While William rested during his IV drip, Tony stepped into the hallway to take a call and handle work. Turning around, he saw Sophia entering the neighboring room.
If he remembered correctly, the neighboring room was where the Roberts family's recently found son was staying, right?
Sophia and the Roberts family's son.
Tony's heart raced, filled with anxiety, as he returned to the room.
William, in his suit, sat on the sofa with a laptop in front of him, his left hand receiving the IV, his right hand casually tapping his leg.
The meeting ended.
Seeing his secretary's hesitant expression, William frowned, his cold and distant eyes slightly narrowing, "Got something to say?"
Tony immediately shook his head, "No, nothing."
William was already weak and didn't need to be further agitated.
He quickly said, "Mr. Smith, I'll go get you something to eat."
William instantly sensed something was off with Tony, his sharp eyes narrowing, and he quickly understood the reason for Tony's change.
He asked, "Sophia, is she next door?"
Tony remained silent.
Silence was the best answer at the moment.
Sure enough, William's already poor complexion worsened.
Tony hurried out, using the excuse of getting food to leave the room.
When he returned, he happened to see Sophia leaving the neighboring room, her face heavy with concern.
"Mrs. Smith, Ms. Johnson."
Under Sophia's warning gaze, Tony quickly corrected himself, using his eyes to signal that William was just next door.
"Since you're here, Ms. Johnson, why not come over for a bit?"
Noticing the high-end food box in his hand, she understood and avoided Tony's pleading eyes, shaking her head and turning to leave.
"Ms. Johnson."
Sophia stopped, "Anything else?"
"You've seen your first love, why not check on your ex-husband too? Since you're here, might as well see both…"
Tony lowered his eyes, "Mr. Smith's condition isn't good…"
Sophia's heart tightened at his words, but the moment of softness was overshadowed by Alice's voice on the phone last night. And her suggestive livestream.
She hardened her heart and refused, "Tony, you've got the wrong person."
Sophia looked him in the eye, her gaze cold.
"If he's unwell, you should call Alice to take care of him, not his ex-wife who divorced him long ago."
William's hand had just touched the door handle when he heard Sophia's emotionless voice, causing his heart to constrict suddenly.