Chapter 2: Time to Wake Up From Her Dream

Sophia stared into Benjamin's eyes with a calm smile, showing no sign of guilt or cowardice. "I don't know what you're talking about." He didn't catch her red-handed anyway. She refused to be easily tricked into confessing. Benjamin's eyebrows arched, and his eyes slightly narrowed, conveying an exceptionally chilling gaze. He took a sip of his red wine and commented, "This tastes terrible." Sophia frowned, her heart pounding. "The wine from the Marine Paradise Club is better, isn't it?" Benjamin sneered. Sophia's face paled, the false smile vanishing entirely. He had found out! "Yes, I went to the Marine Paradise Club and slept with a man last night." Sophia admitted bluntly, then quickly added, "But that's something you allowed, isn't it?" One week ago, late at night. Sophia and Benjamin lay on the same bed. Benjamin slept on his side with a significant gap between him and Sophia, signifying the estrangement within their marriage. Sophia stared at the ceiling, engulfed in a sea of whiteness as seemingly endless and desolate as her life. She turned towards him, her gaze lingering on his strong back. He had finally come home, and this was her chance... Sophia mustered her courage and wrapped her arms around Benjamin from behind. "Honey..." Her hand boldly reached toward his lower abdomen. "Let's have a child." Having a child might make him love her. Benjamin opened his eyes, coldly removed Sophia's hand, and sat up on the bed, his eyes narrowed. "You're still a child yourself. Why would you want another child?" He chuckled, his tone dismissive as if placating a child. "I still have work to do. Goodnight." Benjamin headed towards the door, and Sophia threw a pillow at him as she sat up, "Stop right there!" Their marriage had lasted for three years. When she married him, she was full of fantasies and expectations of love, home, and happiness. She thought getting married would free her from her hellish family and give her a warm home of her own. However, Benjamin turned out to be just as selfish and cold-hearted as her father, Carter Roberts! Benjamin stopped in his tracks upon being hit by the pillow and turned his head coldly, his face filled with impatience. "What is this about?" Sophia bit her lip, tears swirling in her eyes, "We're husband and wife... Don't you even love me?" To men, sex didn't necessarily equate to love, but no sex definitely signified no love. His reluctance to touch her proved he didn't love her. If he didn't love her, why did he marry her in the first place? Sophia wasn't the only daughter of the Roberts family. When her father proposed the marriage, Benjamin explicitly chose her. Back then, she naively thought he loved her, but after marrying her, he placed her prominently in the house like a vase just to show off that he married Carter's daughter, and that was it. They were husband and wife, but he wouldn't sleep with her. Not even basic communication was deemed worthy of his effort. Benjamin looked at Sophia, his gaze as cold and distant as a solitary ice sculpture. After a long while, he spoke harshly, "Sophia, we'll soon get a divorce, and a child would just be a burden." Sophia bit her lip incredulously. Divorce? Had he been planning to divorce her all along? When did he start planning this? "You have someone else outside?" Sophia asked with wide eyes. "Don't be ridiculous," Benjamin retorted. "So, when do you plan to divorce me?" "By the end of the year at the latest. We need to choose an appropriate moment. Our marriage brought significant benefits to both parties. A divorce would impact my company." Benjamin spoke as if their marriage was a mere business deal, devoid of any emotion. Sophia sat on the bed, staring blankly ahead. The end of the year at the latest... It was September now... Sophia thought that it was time to wake up from her dream. Benjamin would never love her. Unwilling to argue with Sophia, Benjamin turned and left. "I want to have sex." As Benjamin was about to leave the bedroom, Sophia's soft voice reached his ears. He turned to look at her ivory silk nightgown and red eyes. "Control your desires." Sophia made a bold declaration, "I want men. If you refuse to have sex with me, then I will find another man who will. Is that okay?" She looked at him, still holding a sliver of hope. If he disagreed, did that mean he still cared about her? Click. Benjamin turned his head and opened the bedroom door. "Suit yourself." Bang. The door was slammed shut. So, didn't that mean he tacitly consented to her seeking physical satisfaction outside? Sophia faced the man sitting across the dining table with an untroubled expression. "Benjamin, I did ask for your permission, and you agreed."