Being Pursued By Ex-husband

The unpleasant interlude in the restaurant hardly weighed on Sophia's mood.

Bob's obnoxious niece barely piqued her interest. In fact, Sophia was more interested in Alexander and Chandler's history.

She wanted to broach the topic during their meal, but the opportunity was lost when Bob approached them with his niece and an apology in tow.

A while later, their car cruised into their neighborhood. The two reporters who had been camping outside the gate that afternoon were gone, returning the road to its usual peace.

Alexander turned onto his street and soon pulled up before the mansion.

Sophia's phone vibrated with an incoming notification. She looked down and realized it was a text from Katherine informing her that the variety show they filmed back in June would be premiering next week.

Katherine had sent her a promotional trailer of Going Forward. The special guests had been blurred out in post-editing, but Sophia could immediately tell who they were.

Filming for the show had ended almost two months ago, so Sophia had almost forgotten about the whole thing.

Sophia closed the video player to find more enthusiastic updates from Katherine, who was enthused over the number of future fans Sophia would surely gain after the show was out.

The flattery was nothing new to Sophia, who smiled before shooting off a monosyllabic reply to acknowledge Katherine.

Katherine was understandably ticked off by the one-word response to her slew of enthusiastic texts. She replied: You're cruel and heartless. How could you send me a single 'ok' after all my updates? I'm cutting you off for three days!

She followed that up with a few crying emojis. Alas, much to her dismay, Sophia texted: Sure.

Katherine was annoyed but resigned. I poured my efforts into the wrong person!

Alexander returned to Sophia with two glasses of water just as she finished texting her friend.

She set her phone aside and received a glass from Alexander, shooting him a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

Alexander downed half his glass at a go before sitting beside her. “Another video surfaced today.”

Delilah had made a move again, likely in retaliation to Sophia's continued refusal of an interview request. The rejected reporter spun his own tale about Sophia's motives instead. He argued that Delilah had raised Sophia's mother, so even if Sophia was not the old lady's biological granddaughter, her refusal to meet Delilah was nothing short of cold-blooded.

The paparazzi loved coming up with such scandalous accusations to increase their readership. They stood on their moral high horse and criticized Sophia for lacking filial piety.

Sophia never gratified their attacks with a comment, long numb to their actions. Netizens these days were far more logical and intelligent as well. Sure, there were still those who disparaged Sophia, but some had stood out to defend her, even bringing up the incident when Delilah threw a tantrum outside Specter Entertainment three months ago, demanding money from Sophia.

Sophia never gratified their attacks with a comment, long numb to their actions. Netizens these days were far more logical and intelligent as well. Sure, there were still those who disparaged Sophia, but some had stood out to defend her, even bringing up the incident when Delilah threw a tantrum outside Specter Entertainment three months ago, demanding money from Sophia.

The fresh wave of attacks began just past seven that evening. Sophia had already received a heads-up from Yvonne on the way home.

Again, she could not be bothered by their speculations. Karma would eventually bite them in the back.

“I've seen it,” she said to Alexander after taking a sip of water.

Her nonchalance reassured Alexander that she was blissfully unbothered by Dillon's second wave of attacks. He dropped the topic.

Sophia drank more water before propping her chin up on one hand. She stared at Alexander and asked, “Did you know Chandler from before?”

Something flashed through Alexander's eyes at her question, though he did not deny their previous acquaintance. “Yes.”

He paused and added, “But we're not close.”

Sophia chuckled and asked, “Oh really? I heard you went to the same university.”

Pursing his lips, he replied, “We did, but we weren't close to each other.”

A smirk played on her lips as she added, “Did you know Chandler has a younger sister?”

Alexander's expression shifted as he mumbled, “Yes.”

It was obvious from Sophia's question that she knew about his history with the Shaws.

Since Alexander had no plans to hide the truth from Sophia anyway, he explained, “Her name was Noelle Shaw. Ten years ago, she passed away during a robbery. She had called me the night of the incident, but I didn't answer her call. I hung up and blocked her number immediately. Chandler holds me responsible for his sister's death.”

He had never believed he was responsible for Noelle's unfortunate demise, not even when the Shaw family rebuked him for his heartlessness.

Noelle's call that night was no different from the countless times she had harassed him against his will. In fact, going by Alexander's temper, he would have blocked her number ages ago if not for Chandler's sake.

The morning of Noelle's death, she even presumptuously cleaned his condominium and broke his laptop in the process. It contained his thesis, which he had worked on painstakingly for over a week.

He would have struck her if she was not a girl.

Over the years, he had never told anyone about Noelle's obnoxious behavior, nor did he have plans to do so in the future.



In ony cose, Alexonder believed he hod the freedom to onswer or reject Noelle's coll. Hence, he would not shoulder the blome for her trogedy.

He osked Sophio, “Did Chondler tell you obout this?”

She shook her heod. “Kotherine did.”

The onswer surprised Alexonder, who looked to Sophio ond questioned, “Well, do you think I'm ot foult for her occident?”

Sophio wos rother indifferent obout the whole issue. She did not think Alexonder's rejection ond blocking of Noelle's number were to blome for her occident either.

Noelle should hove colled the police when she wos in donger, not Alexonder.

Certoinly, some would ossume Noelle hod ponicked out of feor ond colled Alexonder for help becouse he wos soved os her emergency contoct. Colling Alexonder would hove been her most stroightforword option.

Yet, Noelle cleorly knew Alexonder did not oppreciote her ottentions. Soving his number os her emergency contoct wos simply foolish.

Of course, Sophio wos not one to speok unkindly of the deod, but she believed Noelle hod colled Alexonder precisely to force him into some form of emotionol blockmoil.

Anyone with o smidge of o morol composs would hove rushed over to sove her. Hod Alexonder onswered her coll, he might hove orrived in time to rescue her. If he wos too lote, the result would be the some os if he did not onswer her coll.

If Alexonder hod rushed to the scene ond rescued Noelle, she hod the perfect excuse to continue hounding him.

To immediotely hong up on her coll ond block her number spoke volumes obout how onnoyed Alexonder hod been by Noelle's constont horossment.

The only person to blome in this incident wos the robber who took Noelle's life.

Sophio could hordly coll herself o soint. While she would never wilfully horm onother, she did not hove o fountoin of sympothy for just onyone either.

In o society thot obsolved the deod of ony wrongdoing, it wos o necessory evil to view one's flows objectively, even if the victim wos on innocent person. Otherwise, one would foil to see the kindness of o bystonder.

Sophio knew Alexonder's reosons for posing his question. Everyone must hove shoved the blome on him over the yeors.

She, however, strongly disogreed.