The love dilemma

Chapter three

Sofia announced her intention to grab a drink and made her way to the table. As she arrived, a courteous server greeted her, asking, "Good evening, ma'am. What can I get you?" Sofia replied, "Give me your strongest shot." The server nodded and said, "Okay, one tropical margarita coming right up."

Sofia continued to enjoy her drinks and reached her fourth shot. Just as she was considering a fifth, a stranger approached her and struck up a conversation. "Hey, what's up?" the unfamiliar woman inquired. Sofia replied, "I'm good, and you?"

The stranger observed, "You seem like you have a lot going on." In her thoughts, Sofia contemplated her troubled marriage and loneliness, but outwardly, she merely said, "Nothing, I'm just waiting for my date so we can go home."

Curious, the stranger asked, "Are you nervous? Who is your date if I may ask?" Sofia decided to keep her date's identity a secret but teased, "I can't tell you, It's a secret, but if you agree to be my friend, I might tell you" drunk Sofia said.

The lady agreed, saying, "Okay, dear. I'm Charlotte Benson." Sofia introduced herself as "Sofia Blanco." Despite an inclination to use her Husband's name, something stopped her from doing so.

Charlotte offered a friendly piece of advice, "Sofia, I think you should slow down on the drink. You don't want your date to think you're a drunkard, do you?" Charlotte explained, "No, I just want to rest my head and feel good, you know, have a good time, Sofia lamented. I'll be spending a few days in the country before traveling to Greece for sightseeing." She said and handed her business card. Call me if you need company. I don't think your date is doing a good Job.

Charlotte embarked on an evening of high-stakes meetings with potential investors, leaving behind a casual parting with her new friend, Sofia. Unknown to them, Henry was so engrossed in his quest to locate Charlotte amidst the bustling crowd that he failed to notice Sofia's quiet departure. It wasn't until the group decided to call it a night that Henry realized Sofia's absence.

Panic surged through him as he scoured the venue, desperately trying to spot Sofia. Finally, he found her at the bar, her demeanor troubled. Frustration and concern welled up in Henry, nearly erupting into a yell. 'I've been searching everywhere for you!'

Sofia's response was weary, reflecting the emotional turmoil she had been concealing. 'I'm sorry, but you seemed so preoccupied and uncomfortable that I didn't want to burden you with my problems. I had genuinely looked forward to this evening with you, only to discover that I'm merely a temporary companion for the night.'

Henry hesitated, realizing Sofia's vulnerability. 'You've had too much to drink,' he reasoned. 'You're not yourself right now.'

Sofia, unable to stand on her own, had no choice but to lean on Henry as they made their way back to the car.

Good morning," Sofia greeted, concerned about the previous night. "Please, let's not repeat the mistakes from the party. You know, someone could have taken advantage of you. I can't be worrying about someone else in addition to myself Henry said.

"Okay," Sofia managed to reply, feeling puzzled about Henry's perpetual anger towards her. "What's wrong with him?" she wondered silently.

In the following days, an awkward tension filled their home. Henry would leave for work early in the morning and return briefly to change before leaving again, hardly spending any time there.

During a moment of sorting through her things, Sofia stumbled upon Charlotte's card and decided to contact her. She dialed the phone, but Charlotte didn't answer, and the call went to voicemail. "Hi, it's Sofia. I was wondering if you'd like to grab a coffee. I'm not familiar with the area, and maybe you could show me around," she suggested before hanging up.

On another uneventful weekend, Sofia found herself home alone, as the staff had taken their leave. She was in the middle of preparing for a bath when she heard the doorbell ring. Wrapping herself in towels, she made her way to the door, curious about the unexpected visitor.

To her surprise, she was greeted by a well-dressed young man in jeans and a polo shirt, who happened to have striking blue eyes and dark hair. Sofia, her curiosity piqued, couldn't help but notice his appearance.

The guy introduced himself as Adam and made a request, "I'm looking for Henry. Is he around?" Sofia, still trying to process the situation, replied, "No, he's not here. Okay Who are you, if you don't mind me asking? The guy inquired.

With a chuckle, Sofia responded, "I'm his wife." The guy raised an eyebrow, clearly unamused, and retorted, "Yeah, right. And I'm his husband." The exchange left her baffled. "Seriously, what are you doing in my house?" Sofia asked.

The guy explained, "I'm Henry's friend, Adam." Adam, growing increasingly frustrated, shot back, "He never mentioned a woman in his life, let alone a wife." His annoyance was evident.

Sofia persisted, "We recently got married in Spain, and he never mentioned you. Can I come in?" Sofia, resolute, refused his entry, "No, he's not around at the moment. Call him if you're friends," and she promptly shut the door.

As He contemplated the bizarre encounter, Adam wondered, "Could Henry be married and not tell me? That's weird. He always tells me everything." The mystery lingered in his mind.

Meanwhile, Adam decided to call Henry's younger brother to confirm the truth. It turned out that

Henry had indeed been married for months, keeping it a secret from his friend. Frustrated and

concerned, Adam texted Henry, "Henry, we need to talk. It's urgent."

Hey, what's up? I got your text. What's so urgent that you couldn't wait until Monday?" Henry asked as they spoke over the phone.

"Nothing serious, except that you're married! How could you not tell me? I went to your house and met a lady claiming to be your wife. I called your brother, and he confirmed it," Adam replied, his tone filled with anger.

"Well, just so you know, we won't be together for long. I only did it to please my parents and get back at Charlotte," Henry explained, his voice reflecting his brokenness. He questioned who would marry someone just to seek revenge on an ex who was likely living her best life and didn't care about him.

"Henry, don't you think this is going a bit too far? What did your therapist say?" Adam inquired.

"Nothing, I didn't tell him, I stopped six months ago" Henry admitted.

Henry," Adam protested, "I don't believe this is fair. Why don't you consider letting it go?" Henry concluded the call with, "Let's discuss this later."

Adam anxiously navigated the winding roads to Henry's house, his heart heavy with concern for Sofia. He couldn't help but wish for her to discover a happier path with someone more deserving. When he finally arrived and mustered the courage to knock on the door, his anticipation surged. To his surprise, it wasn't Sofia who greeted him, but the housekeeper.

"Good day, sir. How may I be of help?" she asked politely. Adam inquired, "Is Sofia around?" The housekeeper shook her head, replying, "No, she went out." Disappointed but not defeated, Adam pressed on, "Do you know when she will be back?" The housekeeper's answer was a simple, "No, sir." Adam left a message for Sofia, saying, "Tell her Adam came around."