Sophia fixed her gaze on Scott Henry, then suddenly smiled. She finally understood what kind of person this man truly was at his core.
She let out a cold laugh, sneering, “Scott Henry, what makes you think you have the charm to have it both ways?”
Exposed, Scott Henry’s expression turned awkward. “Sophia, you know I didn’t mean it like that. But if we divorce now, you’ll leave with nothing. Think about it, you’re just a student with no source of income. Where could you go besides here? And Olivia—she’s been with me for years. I can’t just abandon her. I’m sure there’s a way to work things out, right?”
Sophia couldn’t help but applaud mockingly, even laughing aloud. “Thank you for being so considerate and for already planning to leave me with nothing in the divorce.”
Scott Henry forced a smile. “I didn’t mean it that way, Sophia. Do you really want a divorce? You didn’t seem to want that before.”
Sophia didn’t respond. True, the original Sophia hadn’t wanted a divorce. Changing her mind and choosing to divorce Henryb now—would the original Sophia resent her for this decision if she ever came back? But to be honest, Sophia felt that living a life without dignity held no value at all.
“Let it go, Scott Henry.” Her smile was faint. “I may be a woman, but I have my pride. And my pride in this family is supposed to come from my husband. But you—you’ve trampled on my pride and crushed it beneath your feet. What makes you think I’d want to share a husband with another woman? To be frank, I find it disgusting.”
Scott Henry’s expression was priceless. Infuriated, he shouted, “Sophia, stop being so ungrateful! A nobody like you has no right to talk to me about dignity!”
Sophia glanced at him, feeling utterly uninterested. This man wore his thoughts on his face and acted like his mind was stuffed with cotton—everything about him struck her as pointless.
The Scott men couldn’t be more different. Scott Henry was nothing like his Uncle Scott Livinus.
If he had an ounce of Scott Livinus’s shrewdness, things would never have gotten to this point.
Without another word, she waved him off and turned to walk away.
Scott Henry called after her, “Sophia, you’ll regret this! You’ll have nothing once we’re divorced!”
Sophia stopped, her laugh bitter. “I already have nothing, don’t I?”
Her words were so faint that Scott Henry paused, wondering if he’d heard her correctly.
Olivia approached, tugging on his arm. “Henry, what’s wrong?”
Scott Henry blinked, realizing he’d been standing there in a daze for quite some time.
“It’s nothing.”
“Did you tell her everything? Henry, I really want to have children with you. Your uncle and aunt are eager to have grandchildren too, but I don’t want my kids to be looked down upon from the day they’re born.”
Scott Henry felt unsettled, nodding absently. “I understand.”
—
Sophia had no idea when Olivia finally left. She kept herself busy in her room, working on a cream for acne. Around midnight, she went downstairs for a glass of water, and just as she reached the stairs, she heard a loud crash from the study on the second floor. Frowning, Sophia opened the door to find that an incense burner had been knocked over. Scott Livinus was slumped over his desk, his shoulders trembling.
“Are you okay?”
Scott Livinus didn’t respond, so Sophia stepped closer. Despite the air conditioning, his clothes were soaked, and his shoulders shook, muscles tense with strain. Standing nearby, Felix held a phone, looking tense.
“Mr. Scott, I’ll call a doctor immediately.”
Sophia gave Scott Livinus a once-over, noticing the faint smell of incense. Sandalwood, with a hint of albizzia bark and polygala root. Both herbs had calming and sedative properties. She frowned. “Is it nerve pain?”
Felix nodded urgently. He’d heard about how Sophia had treated Mr James ’s wife, so he was quick to respond. “Yes! Mr. Scott has had this condition for years, but it usually flares up in the afternoon. This is the first time it’s happened at night.”
“In the afternoon?” Sophia quickly lifted his wrist to check his pulse. After a moment, she returned to her room to grab a packet of medicine.
“Lie down!”
Scott Livinus lay back in his chair, and Sophia pulled out her acupuncture needles, expertly targeting specific points.. Soon, Scott Livinus’s face was dotted with fine needles, yet he kept his eyes closed, not opening them once.
Sophia gently twisted the needle at the point, and as she did, the tension on Scott Livinus’s face eased noticeably. She knew her acupuncture was working.
After treating other points for about thirty minutes, Scott Livinus suddenly opened his eyes.
Felix rushed over, asking anxiously, “Mr. Scott, how do you feel? Any better? Should I still call the doctor?”
Scott Livinus had endured plenty of suffering because of this condition, and he had a dedicated doctor who treated him regularly. But this was the first time the pain had hit at night, and his doctor was far away, so Felix hadn’t managed to get him there in time.
“There’s no need. I feel much better.” Scott Livinus’s deep eyes shifted toward Sophia. “Thank you.”
Hearing a “thank you” from him was no small thing.
Sophia said nothing, taking out a notebook to jot down a prescription as she asked, “This condition has been going on for years, hasn’t it?”
Scott Livinus nodded, replying in a low voice, “Seven or eight years.”
Sophia paused, then asked incredulously, “And after all this time, none of the doctors you’ve seen have been able to cure it?”
Scott Livinus glanced at her, slightly furrowing his brow without responding.
To him, her question seemed to imply that the renowned doctors he’d consulted were incompetent as if his condition should have been easy to treat. In reality, most cases of nerve pain were challenging to cure. Scott Livinus, after years of struggling with it, knew that severe nerve pain could drive people to extreme measures. It was a pain few could truly understand. Sophia’s words seemed to make light of something far more serious.
He remained silent.
