The Disappearance
950 Words
Nathan Scott paused for a moment, quickly stepping forward to pick up the crumpled piece of paper. As he looked at it closely, his usually cold and distant expression shattered like ice. It was a divorce agreement! The very same one that Elizabeth Scott had forced him to give to Sophia, his signature prominently at the bottom. And there, in the other signature line, was Sophia’s name.
Nathan could hardly believe it. Sophia had actually signed the divorce papers, something he had never anticipated. He had always taken her love for granted, believing she would never dare to leave. Sophia had been passionately and openly in love with him since college, even boldly confessing her feelings in front of the entire school. Despite being rejected, she never lost hope.
Initially, Nathan found her persistence annoying. He had never encountered someone so intensely passionate, leading him to maintain a distant facade. Sophia was the first to stir emotions in him, causing the mask of indifference he always wore to crumble unexpectedly. This unfamiliar sensation left him feeling out of control, resulting in harsh treatment and cruel words towards her. Despite this, Sophia remained devoted, secretly following him, preparing gifts to win his favor, and giving him surprises on holidays and birthdays.
After a series of misunderstandings, they married, but their relationship continued as it had in college. Sophia remained fervently affectionate, constantly seeking to please Nathan, who accepted her love as a matter of course, never expressing his own feelings.
Nathan never expected that the same woman, who loved him so deeply, would one day disappear from his life, leaving only a cold, crumpled divorce agreement. Anger and fury overwhelmed him, but more than that, he felt helpless and scared. It was as if his heart was being pierced by countless needles, the pain nearly making him lose his balance.
Driven by this turmoil, he rushed to the Turner residence, only to find the doors sealed with heavy chains. The house was in disarray, with items thrown and shattered on the ground, and clearly, no one lived there anymore.
Only then did Nathan learn about the crises that had befallen the Turner family and their business. He discovered that Sophia's father had attempted suicide and was in a critical condition, and that Susan, her close friend, had been hospitalized after being attacked.
Realizing the extent of what Sophia must have faced during those few days, Nathan's cold heart tightened with each thought, feeling as though it was being stabbed. Desperate to find her, he employed connections he had never used before, but no trace of Sophia could be found.
When Alex Turner returned to take over the Turner Corporation, Nathan went to him, seeking information about Sophia. What he got instead was Alex's scornful laughter.
"Congratulations, Mr. Scott, you've finally gotten what you wanted, a divorce from my sister. Why bother asking about her now? She's no longer your concern," Ethan mocked.
"Tell me where she is," Nathan demanded coldly.
If it had been anyone other than Sophia's brother, Nathan would have had them locked up and interrogated by now. But he couldn't; this was Sophia's family.
"Mr. Scott, it's really baffling," Ethan continued, "You got rid of my sister, which is what you and your mother always wanted, right? Why are you not happy about it? Your eagerness to find her now almost makes me believe you truly loved her."
Ethan's blunt and piercing words left Nathan speechless, like daggers to his heart.
"Let me see her. I have so much to say to her!" Nathan's fists clenched, his eyes red with desperation and disbelief.
"You have nothing to say. Sophia followed you wholeheartedly for years, and you never spoke a word of love to her. Now that you're divorced, she has nothing to do with you anymore," Ethan refused, not even sparing Nathan a glance.
"No, I must see her. She loved me so much; she can't just divorce me!" Nathan grabbed Ethan's collar, his eyes filled with endless despair and unwillingness.
"Mr. Scott, don't bother. My sister doesn't want to see you again. And she asked me to give you a message," Ethan said coldly, prying Nathan's fingers off his collar, looking at him with icy detachment.
"What message?" Nathan asked, a bad premonition creeping up on him.
"She said the biggest regret of her life was loving you. If she could do it all over again, she wished she had never met you," Ethan sneered, dropping the words like a bombshell before walking away, leaving Nathan standing alone, stunned and unable to recover for a long time.
Ethan's words were ambiguous, and anyone unaware of the context might think he was implying Sophia's death. But Nathan refused to believe that Sophia was dead. Despite his attempts, Ethan never divulged any information. Nathan knew they were alike; if Ethan didn't want to reveal something, no amount of pressure would make him speak.
Nathan stood there, his face ashen, realizing the depth of his loss. Meanwhile, Isabella Reed's face wasn't looking much better.
Just moments ago, she had been fantasizing about wearing the "Heart of the Ocean" necklace, stunning the entire room, and capturing Nathan's heart. However, Vincent Shaw unexpectedly chose another woman, and not just any woman, but the world-famous designer Amanda, the one always compared to her.
Isabella was dumbfounded when she saw that Amanda was actually Sophia, the woman she had always looked down upon. And when she glanced at Nathan, she saw a rare expression of anger on his usually calm face. She couldn't help but wonder: Why was Nathan angry at seeing Sophia? Was it surprise at her being alive, or was it because...
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