Chapter 3

The ringing phone temporarily rescued Sophia from her embarrassment.

Dozens of missed calls—from Echo, her parents, the office, and Robert. Of course, Robert had only called once. He was too proud to call repeatedly.

The office was probably wondering why she hadn't shown up, and her parents were likely calling about Margaret. So Sophia chose to contact Echo first.

"Sophia, if I couldn't reach you I was going to call the cops! Where the hell did you go?"

Echo sounded frantic. Sophia replied, confused, "What do you mean? I'm at your place..."

She looked around and realized the decor was completely unfamiliar. This wasn't Echo's place at all. It looked more like an upscale hotel suite. What the hell?

After comparing notes with Echo about last night, Sophia discovered she'd walked into the wrong private room and mistaken the male models! Remembering her drunken behavior, Sophia wanted to disappear on the spot.

Echo, however, developed a keen interest in the supposedly hottest male model. "Any guy who gets that kind of review from you must be pretty damn good. If you ask me, you should dump that trash Robert and throw yourself into this model's arms!"

Sophia didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Stop joking around. I don't even know who he is. I'm so embarrassed thinking about it now."

Echo said cheerfully, "I'll help you contact him." With that, she hung up directly.

Sophia felt like something wasn't quite right, but her hangover made her brain work slowly. She decided to take a shower first, then head to the office.

Three years ago, after being forced to drop out of school, Sophia had entered Robert's company and become his personal assistant. It was one of Robert's methods of controlling and humiliating her.

In the car, Sophia spoke politely to the driver, "Could you please slow down a bit? I'm feeling nauseous."

She didn't know if it was from drinking too much last night, but Sophia, who never got carsick, felt like throwing up. The driver slowed down and opened the window for her. A cool breeze blew in, slightly easing her discomfort.

Sophia began thinking about what to do next. Just as Margaret had said, with her parents and Robert protecting her, it would be difficult to strike back at the sister who'd ruined her life. Ask her parents for an explanation? That would probably be a waste of effort too. Perhaps the only thing that counted as good news was that she could finally end this twisted, shameful relationship with Robert.

After getting out of the car, Sophia hurried into the building. She planned to write a resignation letter and submit it directly to HR.

However, the moment she entered the office, her colleague Samantha Shaw stopped her. Without any courtesy, she dumped a huge pile of complicated work on Sophia. "Where were you all morning? Get these files organized and send them to me. You've got two hours."

Everyone else in the office was used to this kind of scene. Sophia was capable, but everyone knew she was Mr. Howard's plaything. In every sense, she had no room for advancement. And she'd always chosen to swallow her anger. Any impossible tasks could be thrown at her, and she'd naturally complete them.

But this time, Sophia pushed the files back.

Samantha froze, her tone turning hostile. "Ms. Windsor, what's that supposed to mean?"

Sophia said expressionlessly, "It means do your own work."

Now everyone looked up, staring at Sophia in disbelief. Did the sun rise in the west today?

Samantha was shocked. "What did you say? Say that again!" Her tone carried heavy threat.

But Sophia remained unfazed. "Do your own work. If you can't finish it, then quit."

Gasps filled the room.

Samantha, never one with a good temper, exploded on the spot. "Sophia, have you forgotten your place here? Quit? Do you think you're Mr. Howard's wife or something? Don't forget, you're just a plaything!" With that, she slammed the files back onto Sophia's desk.

Sophia swept them all onto the floor.

Samantha took a deep breath and said slowly, deliberately, "Sophia. Pick. Them. Up. Apologize to me. Or I'm telling Mr. Howard!"

Even when Sophia was in the right, Robert never took her side. It was an unspoken rule everyone in the company knew.

Sophia gestured toward the door. "Be my guest."

Samantha froze. Actually going to tattle? She didn't have the guts. What the hell was Sophia trying to pull?

Just then, the secretary office door was pushed open. Robert's figure appeared in the doorway. Everyone immediately snapped out of spectator mode and stood respectfully. "Good afternoon, Mr. Howard."

Robert glanced at the files on the floor and spoke casually, "Sophia. Apologize."

That simple sentence made Sophia's heart clench painfully. He didn't even know what had happened, yet demanded she bow her head and admit fault. But of course—in Robert's mind, she was worthless, someone who could be bullied at will. But that was before.

With this thought, Sophia met Samantha's smug face head-on. "Ms. Shaw, you're the one in the wrong. I won't apologize to you. Not even if Mr. Howard tells me to."

Samantha's smile immediately froze on her face. Everyone else's eyes went wide with shock.

Robert's brow furrowed deeply. "Sophia!" His tone carried heavy warning and threat.

But Sophia looked at him calmly.

Robert finally lost his patience. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her into his office. He threw her to the floor without mercy, saying coldly, "You dare defy my orders?"

Fortunately, the CEO's office was carpeted with imported rugs. Sophia didn't feel any pain. She slowly stood up and looked directly into Robert's cold eyes. "Yes. From now on, I won't listen to you anymore."

As she said this, Sophia felt relief, satisfaction, and a barely perceptible thread of pain.

But Robert's eyes held only the anger of challenged authority. He slowly closed in on Sophia, gripping her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "Won't listen to me? Sophia, someone who killed her own sister—where do you get the nerve?"

Sophia laughed. "You're right. Someone who killed her own sister has no right." But Margaret wasn't dead!

Robert's grip tightened. He didn't quite understand what Sophia was trying to say, but he sensed danger in those words. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Sophia clenched her fists and looked up. "Robert, I want to break up with you."