Chapter 6: They Insult You, I Won't Stand for It

“Ella Mitchell, you've gone too far!” Sophie Mitchell could no longer suppress her emotions. Even though she and Ella Mitchell had never gotten along, she never expected Ella to stab her in the back this way. Henry, leaning against the wall the entire time, kept his eyes half-closed, radiating an aura of calm as if he had foreseen everything. “It's not that I'm being excessive,” Ella Mitchell retorted. “It's you who’s so blinded by ambition that you're putting The Mitchell at risk.” The room buzzed with murmured agreements, making it clear they sided with Ella. Sophie Mitchell, feeling isolated and desperate for support, finally looked at Joseph Mitchell. She couldn’t believe that her once-beloved grandfather would let Ella's words sway him. Unfortunately, she was wrong. With a stern look, Joseph Mitchell decreed, “Given Sophie Mitchell's inability to protect the company, leading it into a crisis, her position as General Manager is terminated. She will be reassigned to one of our retail stores to serve as an ordinary sales clerk.” “Meeting adjourned!” With that, Joseph Mitchell left, followed by the rest. Outside the conference area, Ella, seeing an opportunity to rub salt in the wound, mockingly said to Sophie, “Cousin, ever since you got with this loser, your taste has surely plummeted. Look at what you’re wearing. It probably didn’t even cost more than $300.” Ella's loud voice drew curious glances from nearby employees. Sophie, deeply humiliated, wanted to leave immediately. But before she could, Henry, feigning innocence, chimed in, “If my wife wants it, I'd buy her a unique dress from anywhere in the world. By the way, I guess I overpaid for my clothes at the street market; cost me ten bucks.” The employees nearby burst into laughter. “Henry, enough!” Sophie shouted, her face flushed with embarrassment. “Haven’t you embarrassed us enough already?” Feigning ignorance, Henry retorted to Ella, “Even if my wife wore the cheapest clothes, she’d still be a majestic phoenix. Unlike some, who could wear all the designer brands in the world and still be nothing more than a common hen.” With that, he walked toward the elevator. Ella was left fuming. Theo, equally enraged by the retort, shouted, “Henry, how dare you insult my wife? Stop!” But Henry didn't listen. He rushed down the stairs and finally caught up with Sophie in the lobby. “I don’t expect you to fight my battles, but at least let me keep some dignity,” Sophie said, her voice choked with emotion. “They can insult me all they want, but I won’t stand for them insulting you,” Henry responded, following her like a chastised puppy. Hearing this, Sophie felt a slight warmth in her heart. "Sophie, what's happened?" Just as Sophie was about to leave the lobby, a man and a woman approached her, looking concerned. Henry recognized the woman approaching them—it was Sophie Mitchell's close friend, Lily Turner. The man beside her was unfamiliar. Upon seeing Lily Turner, Sophie managed to muster a weak smile, asking, “What brings you here?” Lily was about to reply when her eyes landed on Henry emerging from the building. A playful smirk flashed across her face as she said, “Didn't I mention? It’s about the tickets for Ava Evans’ concert.” “I told Gavin here about getting those tickets,” she continued with a nod toward the man beside her, “and just one call from him did the trick.” “Sophie, getting tickets to a concert is a mere trifle for me,” Gavin Smith interjected, handing her an envelope. “Here, these are VIP front-row tickets. Not something just anyone can get. I procured them through my good friend, the young master of the Emerald Melody Jewelry Group.” The man, Gavin Smith, or 'Smith Junior' as Lily referred to him, belonged to the Smith family, a notable name in King City. By affiliating themselves with the more influential Wei family, they'd risen to prominence over recent years. As Gavin tried to impress Sophie, a cold voice from behind interrupted, “My wife doesn’t need any man’s charity to watch a concert.” Gavin sized up Henry, an amused smirk forming on his lips. “And who might you be?” Before Sophie could intervene, Lily, unable to resist a tease, quipped, “Oh, he’s Sophie’s charity-case of a husband.” Seeing Henry's modest attire, Gavin felt assured Henry was no match for him, letting a smug grin spread across his face. “Sophie, you know how I feel about you. The moment you’re free, I’m right here, ready.” Feeling ever bolder in Henry's presence, he added, “Here, take the ticket. I'll accompany you to Ava Evans’ concert.” But as he attempted to hand the ticket to Sophie, Henry swiftly stepped forward, gripping Gavin's arm tightly. “Remember this—I am Sophie Mitchell’s husband.” Henry’s declaration was firm and resolute. All eyes in the vicinity darted to him. Gavin, taken aback, felt the vice-like grip on his arm, unable to move. For a brief moment, Sophie saw Henry in a different light. He seemed taller, more assertive, more...manly. “If she wishes to attend the concert, I'll arrange the tickets myself,” Henry continued, releasing his grip. “Forget a mere concert—if she desires, I can even have Ava Evans perform exclusively for her.”