After the Divorce: Crushed on My Lawyer Ex-wife

#219 “You will be Married to Alexander.”

Becky looked troubled by Sophia’s question. She opened the fridge and started rummaging in there, not looking for anything in particular, just giving herself time to think about how to answer.

The kitchen was dimly lit, the soft glow of the refrigerator casting shadows across the room. The faint hum of the appliance filled the air, a steady background noise punctuating the tense silence between the two women.

“Come on, tell me,” Sophia invited her, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet kitchen. “I have a right to know why you don’t like me.”

Becky’s fingers paused in their aimless search as she considered Sophia’s request. Her brow furrowed with uncertainty, betraying the turmoil of emotions swirling within her.

“Not that I don’t like you,” Becky sighed, her voice carrying a hint of resignation. “Just… what are you doing with Benjamin?”

Sophia’s laughter rang out, a bright contrast to the somber atmosphere. The sound seemed to bounce off the walls, momentarily breaking the tension in the room.

“Sorry, I think you got things wrong,” Sophia said, her laughter subsiding into a warm smile. “Me and Benjamin are brother and sister.”

Becky’s eyes widened in disbelief, her surprise evident in the way her gaze darted back and forth between Sophia’s face and the contents of the refrigerator.

“What?” Becky exclaimed, her voice tinged with incredulity. “Why, it doesn’t say anywhere that he has a sister, nor did he mention it.”

“Well… it’s complicated,” Sophia said, her tone tinged with amusement. ”

Come sit down, and I’ll tell you everything.”

Becky hesitated for a moment before crossing the kitchen to join Sophia on the sofa. The cushions sank beneath her weight as she settled in, her expression a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

Sophia began recounting their convoluted story, her words filling the quiet space as she detailed their journey of discovery. She painted a vivid picture of the tangled web of relationships and scandals that had led them to this moment.

As Sophia spoke, Becky’s expression morphed from disbelief to shock, her features contorting with each new revelation. The kitchen seemed to shrink around them, the air thick with the weight of their shared secrets.

“In general, my life is a mess,” Sophia finished her story, her voice tinged with wry humor. “I also have a friend Alexander. You must have heard about him on the news.”

“To put it mildly. Now I understand why you are looking for information about your past,” Becky replied thoughtfully, her gaze fixed on Sophia’s face. “Benjamin and I will help you; we know the city well.” This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“And I’ll help you get together with him,” Sophia said more quietly, a mischievous glint in her eye as she winked at Becky.

“Do you think he’ll like me?”

“Of course, Becky. You’re adorable, except when you’re scowling at me,” laughed Sophia.

A sleepy Benjamin entered the kitchen, his tousled hair and bleary eyes betraying his confusion at finding Sophia and Becky engaged in conversation at such a late hour.

“What are you doing in the middle of the night?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

“We’re talking,” Sophia replied, a hint of playfulness in her tone. “But I have to go to bed, so I’ll leave you two.”

Sophia rose from her seat, a sense of purpose guiding her movements as she motioned for Becky to seize the opportunity and talk to Benjamin. Becky nodded her thanks, her expression a mix of nerves and determination.

As Sophia made her way back to her room, the weight of exhaustion settling over her, she felt a familiar pull toward her grandfather’s diary. With a sigh, she retrieved the worn leather-bound book from her bedside table, its pages holding the secrets of generations past.

“In the next part, dear Sophia, I will tell you about my first love,” she read aloud, her voice barely a whisper in the quiet room. “And if all goes according to plan, you will be married to Alexander. Let this story serve as advice to you that not everything is as simple in love as it seems.”

Sophia’s heart constricted at the words, a bittersweet mixture of longing and nostalgia flooding her senses. She traced the faded ink of her grandfather’s handwriting, each stroke a testament to the complexities of love and life.

“Grandpa, if you only knew,” she murmured, a wistful smile playing at her lips as tears prickled at the corners of her eyes.

In the morning, Sophia sat at the breakfast table, her fatigue evident from the late-night reading session, yet her determination to uncover the secrets within her grandfather’s diary remained steadfast. With the worn book in hand, she pored over its pages.

She didn’t understand the notes her grandfather left her between the stories. They always warned about something. Be careful in love, be careful who you trust, be careful who you share your secrets with, etc.

“Sophia, eat breakfast normally. Put that book down,” Benjamin told her.

Sophia was so captivated that she only waved her hand dismissively at him instead of answering.

As Benjamin urged her to eat breakfast and set aside the book, Sophia absentmindedly waved him off, her attention consumed by the tantalizing mystery before her.

“This song has something more to it,” Benjamin remarked, attempting to draw Sophia’s focus away from the diary.

Sophia’s interest was piqued by his words, momentarily diverting her attention from the diary. Music and art had been the topic of discussion throughout the morning, a welcome distraction from the weighty secrets hidden within the pages of her grandfather’s journal.

“You know, Benjamin, this song gives off an air of mystery,” Becky chimed in, her words resonating with Sophia’s thoughts. “It’s as if hidden messages are waiting to be discovered.”

Sophia’s curiosity reignited at Becky’s observation. Hidden messages… Perhaps her grandfather had embedded secrets within the diary itself, waiting to be unveiled.

With newfound determination, Sophia carefully examined the pages of the diary, holding them up to the light and gently rubbing the pages in search of any concealed clues. Her actions elicited puzzled looks from Benjamin and Becky, who watched her with a mixture of confusion and intrigue.

Then, a revelation struck Sophia like a bolt of lightning. She noticed that each chapter in the diary began with an underlined capital letter. Excitement surged through her veins as she hastily retrieved a

sheet of paper and a pen, meticulously transcribing the letters from each chapter heading.

As she pieced together the jumble of letters, Sophia’s heart raced with anticipation. Could it be? Had her grandfather left her a hidden message within the pages of his diary?

With trembling hands, Sophia deciphered the letters, her eyes widening in disbelief as the message emerged before her. An address…