Chapter 7. Shadows of the Past

Henry reminds Sonya of the truth of the relationship that brought them together. Their arranged marriage is not just limited to business.

Sonya realizes that Henry's love for her is sincere. Sonya felt it was easy to approach Henry after Amanda's absence, but in reality, Henry still had no desire to remarry after six years of divorce. 

"Annoying!" Sonya was angry at Henry's treatment of her. The woman got up and looked sharply at her lover.

Instead of being scared after Henry's anger, Sonya challenged Henry. She was sure that her fiancé would do everything his mother said. And that's why she will continue to approach her future in-laws.

"Why are you angry? I should be angry because you've gone too far." Henry threw up his hands. "Give me back my cell phone!"

Henry was dumbfounded at the woman in front of him. Instead of apologizing, she was angry.

'She is very different from Amanda. Very different,' Henry thought.

Sonya returned Henry's cell phone, which she had taken from him. "You're so annoying, Henry!"

Henry no longer wanted to respond to Sonya's words. He put the flat object in his coat pocket and refocused on his work.

"I've been talking at length, but you don't care! You're looking at your phone screen and smiling to yourself! Who were you texting with?!"

"I don't need to answer the same question repeatedly," Henry said, "I've already made it clear that I was texting with William."

"Lies! You must be texting with another woman. It's obvious from the expression on your face! I'm your fiancé, but why do you care more about other women than me?!" Sonya began to rant, and Henry was at a loss.

"What are you talking about, Sonya? I'm not texting with any woman."

"I don't believe you!" Sonya scolded.

Henry paused. He couldn't keep making Sonya angry because she would immediately complain to his mother and insist on marrying her. And he didn't want that to happen.

Moreover, he has reunited with the woman he loves. Although sometimes the wound is still felt when remembering his wife's infidelity. But none of that can erase his love for Amanda.

Henry stood up from his seat and took the car keys to his desk.

"I'm sorry, I'm in a lot of trouble. Let's go out; I also need some entertainment." Henry had to give in so that Sonya could calm down. "Spend as much as you want so you'll be happy and won't keep thinking badly of me."

Henry started to be a little romantic so Sonya wouldn't keep suspecting him, but she became even more suspicious.

"Seriously? You want to take me shopping?" Sonya couldn't believe the sudden change in her fiancé's demeanor, but she liked it and hoped he would continue to be excellent.

Henry nodded with a smile. "Let's go now before I change my mind."

Henry walked out of the CEO's office, followed closely by Sonya. Although she was happy that Henry was suddenly taking her shopping, Sonya was sure that her fiancé was hiding something.

'Now you're just pretending to be nice, but one day you'll be on your knees before me, Henry,' Sonya thought.

'It's tough to pretend to be nice to her, but I have to do it so that Sonya doesn't get suspicious,' Henry said in his heart.

Henry and Sonya arrived at the biggest shopping center in the city. They entered a fashion store with a well-known brand.

"Choose what you like." Henry sat on a black sofa. "I'll wait for you here."

"Aren't you going to help me choose the right clothes for me?" asked Sonya.

"I dislike doing women's work the most," Henry replied.

It wasn't that he didn't like it. He just remembered doing it all together with Amanda.

"Do you remember your ex-wife?" Sonya asked, pulling one corner of her lips up, sneering at her lover. " Not all women are like her. She looks pious and sweet, but she turns out to be a two-headed snake." Sonya's words made Henry unhappy.

Even though he was sure Amanda was cheating on him, Henry couldn't bury his love for his ex-wife. 

"Don't talk so much!" said Henry, "I'll help you choose." The man in the navy suit got up from his seat.

Henry followed behind Sonya. 'I regret taking her shopping. I should have just given her the money,' Henry thought.

"What do you think?" Sonya asked Henry as she pressed a tiny floral print dress onto her body. "Does this suit me?"

Henry looked at the dress Sonya was holding, then gave him a thumbs up without saying a word.

Sonya picked up another dress and asked Henry for his opinion again, but he waited to answer her question because he was busy with his cell phone.

'There's no mistaking it. There must be something Henry is hiding. I'm sure he's covering something up by being this sweet to me,' Sonya said to herself.

"I asked him, but he was busy with his cell phone. Who is he texting with?" muttered Sonya in annoyance.

Henry hadn't realized that Sonya had been watching him. He continued to stare at his cell phone screen.

"Can you be serious with me? You were the one who took me shopping, and now you're busy with your cell phone." Sonya threw the dress in her hand at Henry.

"I'm sorry, Sonya. I called William to come to the office immediately because of an hour-long meeting. He has to come to replace me." Henry put his cell phone in his pants pocket.

Henry went back to accompanying Sonya in choosing the clothes in the store, but his mind wandered far into the shadows of Amanda in the past.

He recalled the incident six years ago when his mother showed him pictures of his wife with a man. A big fight was inevitable. Henry couldn't contain his emotions because the evidence was so clear.

"How can a woman like her still be kept as a wife? It's obvious she's having an affair!" scolded Mrs. Vena, Henry's biological mother.

Henry looked at the photos in his mother's hand one by one. He could not control his anger when he saw Amanda's intimacy with another man. He was hurt to be betrayed by the woman he loved so much.

"You divorce your wife immediately because she has trampled on the dignity of the family. She is already poor and doesn't know herself. I don't want to have a cheating daughter-in-law."

"Please listen to me; I will prove those pictures are not of me." Amanda held Henry's hand while crying. "Believe me." 

Henry dismissed Amanda's hand. His love for his wife was great, but the indecent photos completely broke his heart of his wife with her mistress.

"You can't dodge it anymore." Mrs. Vena took the photos from Henry's hand, then threw them at her daughter-in-law's face.

"I swear I never did that, Mom. It wasn't me. I'm sure there's someone who wants to destroy our marriage."