Chapter 4 – The Envelope of Lies
1161 Words
Sophia slowly walks out of the Sterling Mansion after saying goodbye to Chairman Edward.
Edward watches her leave from the second-floor balcony with a worried expression.
He silently prays in his heart that his grandson realizes the value of his wife before it is too late.
Sophia stood at the front of the street waiting for a taxi.
The evening breeze brushes against her face as she recalls everything Edward told her.
She cannot stop thinking about Victoria's return.
The chairman's warning echoed repeatedly in her mind.
His serious expression and the sadness in his eyes made it clear that he was carrying a burden too heavy to reveal completely.
Sophia had always respected Edward because he never treated her like an outsider.
If he believed that someone was trying to destroy her marriage, then she could no longer dismiss everything as mere coincidence.
Still, she wanted to believe that Adrian would never intentionally hurt her.
She wonders whether Adrian has been hiding something from her all these years.
A taxi arrives, and Sophia gets inside the car.
She quietly gives the driver the address of her street.
During the journey, she stares out of the window without saying a word.
Her phone remains completely silent.
She had secretly hoped Adrian would call her.
"Minutes passed, but no call came from Adrian."
Sophia unlocked her phone several times, hoping she had simply missed a notification.
Each time, the screen remained empty except for old messages and missed promotional alerts.
She let out a quiet sigh before locking the phone again.
The silence was more painful than any harsh words Adrian could have spoken.
Even a simple text asking if she had arrived home safely would have meant the world to her.
Sophia lowers her head in disappointment.
The taxi finally arrives home.
She pays the driver before walking toward the mansion entrance.
A maid welcomes her back with a polite smile.
Sophia notices that Adrian has not returned home yet.
She quietly nods before walking upstairs.
As she enters her bedroom, she places her handbag on the bed.
While removing her coat, something slips out of her handbag.
A large brown envelope falls onto the floor.
Sophia frowns because she has never seen it before.
As she slowly picks it up.
There is no name written on the envelope.
She carefully opens it.
Several photographs slide onto the bed.
Sophia froze the moment she saw the first picture.
What is this she said as she looked at the picture.
The photographs show Adrian and Victoria having dinner together.
Another picture shows Victoria holding
Adrian's arm.
Another shows them smiling at each other.
Sophia's breathing becomes uneven.
She quickly checked if the picture was edited.
But it wasn't.
They appear completely genuine.
Tears began forming in her eyes.
She cannot believe what she is seeing.
For several long moments, she simply stared at the photographs without blinking.
She searched each picture for a sign that would prove they were fake, but every detail looked real.
The lighting, the restaurant, and Adrian's clothes all appeared natural.
Her heart desperately wanted to reject the evidence, yet her eyes refused to deny what they saw.
She felt as though the ground beneath her feet had suddenly disappeared.
Suddenly, another folded paper fell out of the envelope again.
This time what she saw was worse than the first one.
Sophia unfolds it with trembling hands.
The letter contains only one sentence.
"Your husband never stopped loving her.”
Sophia sits on the edge of the bed in complete silence.
She remembers every lonely anniversary.
Every missed birthday.
Every dinner Adrian cancelled.
Every promise he failed to keep.
She begins questioning whether her marriage has ever been real.
At that same moment, Adrian is attending a business dinner.
Victoria sits beside him.
She continues acting like an old friend.
Adrian discusses business with several investors.
Victoria secretly enjoys being seen beside him.
Some guests mistakenly assume them to be couples.
Victoria does nothing to correct them.
.Adrian remains focused on business.
Across the room, someone secretly takes photographs of Drian and Victoria together again.
The mysterious photographer immediately sends the pictures to an unknown number.
Meanwhile, Sophia remains alone in her bedroom.
She places the photographs back inside the envelope.
She tells herself she must hear Adrian's explanation first.
She refuses to judge him without knowing the truth.
She wipes away her tears.
She walks into the bathroom.
She washes her face with cold water.
Looking into the mirror, she barely recognizes herself.
She whispers that she must stay strong and focus on this issue.
She took several deep breaths before drying her face with a soft towel.
No matter how much she wanted to break down, she refused to let anyone see her as weak.
If someone were deliberately trying to destroy her marriage, crying alone would not solve anything.
She needed to remain calm, observe, and discover who was behind the anonymous messages before it was too late.
Hours later, the front door downstairs opens.
Adrian her husband had finally returned home.
Sophia hears his footsteps.
She quickly hides the envelope inside her drawer.
Adrian enters the bedroom.
He notices Sophia is still awake.
He asks why she has not gone to bed.
Sophia forces a smile and says she was waiting for him.
Adrian apologizes for coming home late.
Sophia carefully studied his face as he spoke.
He looked exhausted, but there was nothing in his expression that revealed what he had done throughout the day.
She wanted to ask whether he had spent the evening with Victoria, but fear held her back.
She worried that if she accused him without proof, the fragile distance between them would become impossible to repair.
Sophia asks if he will have dinner.
Adrian simply replies that he already ate.
Sophia wants to ask if Victoria was with him.
The words stop at her lips.
She cannot gather the courage to ask.
Adrian walks into the bathroom without noticing her tears.
Sophia quietly looks toward the hidden drawer.
The envelope suddenly feels heavier than ever.
She realizes one question could destroy everything she has fought to protect.
She silently wonders if love alone is enough to save a broken marriage.
The bedroom became completely silent except for the soft ticking of the wall clock.
Sophia remained seated on the edge of the bed, unable to sleep.
Her eyes wandered toward Adrian, who appeared peaceful as though nothing had happened.
She wondered if he had any idea how much she was suffering.
Despite everything that had happened that day, she still found herself praying that the next morning would somehow bring hope instead of more heartbreak.
As Adrian falls asleep, Sophia quietly opens the drawer again. Behind the photographs is another sealed envelope she had not noticed before. Written across it are the chilling words:
"Open this only if you want to know who your husband really is.”
- Writer
