Chapter 3
1389 Words
Eric still remembered his previous life. It was in this very Starbucks that he had cried and begged Sofia not to divorce him.
He had been struggling, and if his wife left him, he would have nothing.
But Sofia, showing no regard for their past, had slapped him several times in front of everyone, forcing him to sign the divorce papers while he was emotionally shattered.
That night, he had become the laughingstock of the neighborhood.
At this thought, Eric shook his head.
This time, he would repay every humiliation he had suffered.
The only question was how to inflict the most pain on Sofia.
Calmly, he opened the car door, stepped out of his Porsche, adjusted his clothes, and walked into the Starbucks.
***
Sofia hung up the phone, ignoring the curious stares from customers and staff. She breathed a sigh of relief and spread the divorce papers on the small table in front of her.
Finally, she could end things with Eric.
A pragmatic woman like her couldn't afford sentimentality.
A few years ago, she had appeared successful but was secretly drowning in debt. Back then, Eric, with his thriving business, had seemed like the perfect catch, and he had helped her a lot.
Her biggest mistake had been marrying him. Now that he was down on his luck, she had gone to great lengths to get rid of him.
He was standing in the way of her landing her next wealthy target.
Thankfully, it was finally over.
She was going to humiliate him here, make him understand he was no longer in her league.
Soon, a man dressed head-to-toe in designer labels pushed open the Starbucks door, his entrance marked by the unmistakable scent of expensive cologne.
Compared to him, her carefully chosen outfit suddenly looked cheap. Sofia's eyes lit up. This was an unexpected bonus. Meeting Eric today had been irritating, but running into this high-quality man more than made up for it.
'Perhaps I can put myself out there, and if he's interested, that's fantastic!'
Just as she was figuring out how to approach him, the man turned and looked directly at her.
Sofia's mind went blank.
'Eric?'
'Isn't he practically bankrupt? But I remember I have cleaned him out!'
When she was still stunned, Eric sat down across from her, wearing a melancholic yet regretful expression.
The clothes, the demeanor—he looked exactly like one of those effortlessly rich heirs from a TV drama.
'Wait, he isn't broke. He's richer than before!'
Sofia snapped back to reality and instinctively reached out, but Eric grabbed the divorce papers first.
"Eric..." she swallowed nervously, forgetting the lines she had rehearsed so carefully.
"Well, Eric..." she finally managed, her voice weak and uncertain.
"Hey, Sofia. You thought I was too poor, that I couldn't give you the life you wanted, so you insisted on divorcing me. So here I am."
"Pfft!" A barista who had been watching the scene couldn't help but snort.
In their eyes, these two weren't even on the same level. What Sofia said was ridiculous.
"No, Eric, listen to me..."
"What else is there to hear, Sofia? Didn't you say you'd already said everything you needed to say?"
Hearing Eric's soft tone, Sofia thought he must still have feelings for her.
She planned to use this.
"But that was before. Now it seems like you have money, Eric. You can give me the life I want now, right?"
"Right," Eric nodded. "A while after you moved out, a group of people found me, tested my DNA, and took me to a huge mansion. There, a woman dripping in jewels told me she was my long-lost aunt. She said I'd suffered too much being out on my own and that she was going to give me a share of the family fortune."
"Now, look," Eric said, touching his Rolex, "I've gone from a broke screenwriter to a rich young heir."
He then clicked his car keys, and the Porsche parked at the curb beeped.
Seeing all this, Sofia felt a mix of joy and disbelief. 'What the h*ll?'
But the things Eric had were undeniably real.
She started to feel a thrill. 'Guess I'm about to become rich!'
"Then why are we still getting a divorce, Eric? Now that the obstacles to our marriage are gone, let's get back together!"
"But..." Eric's face twisted in pain, his voice rising involuntarily, "My aunt heard about you, and she's furious. She said you're a gold digger, a cheap woman who'd lost your head for a handful of cash, and that I should cut ties with you immediately and never contact you again."
"Hahaha!" A burst of laughter erupted from a nearby table.
Sofia panicked. "That's not true, Eric! There must be some misunderstanding. We lived together for so long. Don't you know what kind of person I am?"
"Yes, Sofia, I know you're gentle, kind, and considerate. But my aunt said you cheated on me! With that small business owner, John, from the Eastside!"
Sofia's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. 'I've been so discreet. How did that b*tch know about my affair with John?'
"That's all just rumors, complete nonsense! Eric, the only person I've ever truly loved is you!"
"I feel the same way, Sofia. That's why I've been begging my aunt, and she finally relented. She said she'll let you back into the family if you meet one condition."
Sofia quickly asked, "What condition?"
"You have to slap yourself hard in public, admit your mistakes, and apologize to me."
With that, Eric leaned in to comfort her, "Sofia, I don't want this either! But my aunt's prejudice against you is just too deep! Just do it for me, humble yourself a little, okay, Sofia?"
By this point, many onlookers had realized what Eric was up to. Only Sofia, caught in the middle of it all, flushed red. Then, after a moment's hesitation, with a determined look, she stood up.
'A little humiliation is nothing! If I get through this, I'll be rich!'
Slap! Five bright red fingerprints appeared on her face.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Eric. I betrayed your feelings. I shouldn't have asked for a divorce..."
Slap! The other cheek suffered the same fate.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Sofia earnestly threw herself into the act of slapping herself.
Eric held up his phone, occasionally offering helpful reminders. "Hit harder, Sofia! The harsher you are on yourself, the more you'll win my aunt's approval."
A few minutes later, Sofia's hair was a mess, her face red and swollen, but she persisted in slapping herself.
This woman was ruthless for money, Eric thought to himself, almost impressed. Figuring it had gone far enough, he stopped recording. "Okay, Sofia, that's enough. I can't bear to watch you hurt yourself anymore."
Sofia weakly lowered her hand, ignoring the jeers of those around her, and looked helplessly at Eric.
She thought that since she'd gone through all this, it should be enough.
However, in the next second, she saw Eric sign the divorce papers without hesitation.
"Eric, what are you doing?" she shrieked, jumping up and lunging at him, only to be pushed away by Eric's hand.
"I'm sorry, Sofia," Eric said with an apologetic look. "My aunt just said she still thinks our marriage is too damaged and that it really should end. But she said we can forget the past and start a new relationship."
"Really?" Hearing this, Sofia grasped at hope.
"That's wonderful, Eric!" She rushed forward to hug him as if she'd just grabbed hold of a lifetime's fortune but was once again pushed away by Eric.
"Sofia, it's not the right time yet." She saw, with confusion, Eric's expression suddenly turn serious. "My aunt has assigned you a task."
"What? What task?" She was even more bewildered.
"Yes, our family considers you one of our own, that's why we're letting you participate in our operations."
With that, Eric pulled out a shopping list almost as tall as he was and handed it to her. "Sofia, these are the food supplies my aunt has entrusted you to purchase to stock her emergency pantry."
"You need to buy everything within three days and stack it in my garage, ready for my aunt to pick it up. Sofia, can you complete this challenge?"
- Writer
