Ditch My Fake-Poor Boyfriend, Marry My CEO Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 6

But soon, his eyes turned red, and he dragged me out of the hospital like a madman.

"Sophia, I know you hate me now, but you'll forgive me," he said, his voice trembling with desperation.

"I've got money. A lot of it. I'll take you to a big house. You can't leave me."

His words were almost a threat, as if he intended to lock me away.

Was Jessica's situation really messing with his mind this much?

He tried to shove me into a car, but I clung to the door, refusing to move.

"James, are you out of your mind? You don't love me. Let me go!" I yelled, struggling to break free.

His eyes were bloodshot, and even with all the madness, there was still a hint of sorrow in his features.

"Sophia, how could I not love you? I've never wanted to be apart from you."

"You can't leave me. Even if you don't love me, you'll always be mine."

His twisted words didn't make me feel any relief. If anything, they only made me feel sick and terrified.

"You pretended to be poor and mute just to trick me. You even used Grandma's life-saving money to buy Jessica a bag!"

"After everything, you haven't even apologized. Instead, you want to trap me and feed your delusions."

"James, how can you be so vile? Loving someone like you is the worst mistake of my life."

I don't know what triggered him, but the next thing I knew, he slammed me against the car and kissed me violently.

I bit his lip hard, tasting blood, and he jerked back, eyes wild.

"Sophia, you can't stop loving me," he snarled, voice low with frustration.

"My parents only married for business. They never cared about me. You and Grandma were the only ones who ever showed me kindness. Let's fix this. Let me make it up to you."

My anger flared. How could he even think of making up for Grandma's life? His life wasn't worth even a fraction of what she was to me.

Just as I was about to lose control, someone rushed in and knocked James to the ground.

The guy pulled me close, shielding me. "Isn't this guy a little too bold for a society that follows the law?"

I looked at him, stunned. "Kevin? Is that really you?"

Kevin Johnson, my neighbor's older brother, and my childhood friend, stood there with a look of recognition lighting up his face.

"Sophia, it's really you!" he said, his grin wide as he looked me over.

Seeing James still trying to recover, I grabbed Kevin's hand without thinking and ran.

"Let's go," I urged, breathless but feeling lighter than I had in days.

We kept running, laughing as the wind whipped around us, and when we stopped to catch our breath, everything just... felt easier.

Kevin chuckled, shaking his head. "This is just like when I used to ride you to school on my bike, remember? Grandma would always make us a boiled egg before we left."

"Then I tried to find you after, but you and Grandma had moved."

I felt a wave of nostalgia and sadness wash over me, and before I knew it, my eyes welled up.

"What's wrong?" Kevin asked, his voice soft, almost panicked.

I buried my face in his chest, choking back tears. "Kevin... Grandma's gone."

And that was it. I poured out everything—the pain, the grief, the years of being mistreated, everything.

Kevin stood there for a moment, stiff as a board, before wrapping his arms around me in a tight, comforting hug.

"Don't worry, Sophia. You still have me."

From that day forward, with Kevin by my side, I quit all my part-time jobs and focused on studying for the adult college entrance exam.

I was only twenty-three. There was still so much potential for me ahead.

And Grandma? I knew she was watching over me. She'd want me to become better, stronger.

Eventually, I moved. Maybe that's why James stopped showing up, or maybe he'd just forgotten about me entirely.

Either way, he was gone.

As for Kevin, he'd gone on to become a top-tier lawyer, undefeated in his field. His excellence was like a guiding light, leading me forward.

After three months of spending time together, we found ourselves in a weird, unspoken place—neither of us wanting to cross that invisible line.

Then, one day, the doorbell rang. A man claimed he was there to fix the pipes.

The second I opened the door, a burly man grabbed me.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I demanded, trying to break free. "You're breaking the law! My boyfriend is Kevin Johnson, the famous lawyer!"

I immediately regretted not being more cautious. What was I thinking opening the door?

A man with refined features stepped inside, smirking. "Oh, aren't you James Anderson's ex? Now you've got a new boyfriend?"

I froze. I knew that face. It was James.