Revelations and Resentment

**Richard's POV**

The weight of the call still hung over me as I sat back down at my desk. The news of the divorce had triggered a storm of emotions I hadn't felt in a long time. It wasn't just the anger bubbling inside me, but something deeper—a sense of betrayal that I couldn't ignore. Along with that came a growing curiosity, an urgent need to understand how she had managed to escape me for so long.

I picked up the divorce papers that had been sent electronically and began to examine them, each word laden with significance. It wasn’t just a request for separation; it was a declaration of independence. And the signature at the end, the name "Sophia Carson," ignited a new flame of rage within me.

Sophia Carson. That name echoed in my mind as I tried to piece together the puzzle. She was no longer Charlotte Anderson, the woman I had known, the woman I had loved and hated in equal measure. She had reinvented herself, adopted a new identity, erased any trace of who she once was. And that’s why I had never been able to find her. She had disappeared without a trace because, in reality, Charlotte Anderson no longer existed.

“Of course,” I murmured to myself, a bitter smile forming on my lips. “She reinvented herself. That’s how she managed to disappear for so long.”

Everything started to make sense. The fruitless efforts of my investigators, the leads that always ended up in dead ends, the feeling that she was always one step ahead. Charlotte had ceased to exist, and in her place, Sophia Carson had emerged—a completely different woman with a new life, a new face, and new power.

This explained everything. The reason no one had been able to trace her, the way she had hidden so perfectly, the absence of any trace of her previous life. I had been looking for the wrong person all along. And now, she was back, not as the woman who fled from me, but as someone who had seemingly achieved what she wanted: freedom, success, and control over her life.

But what she didn’t understand was that I wasn’t ready to let her go. Regardless of the name she chose, she was still Charlotte to me—and Charlotte had debts to pay.

My phone was within reach, and for a moment, I considered calling my lawyer, questioning this change of identity. How had she managed to do this? And why hadn’t anyone alerted me to this possibility before? But I quickly realized it no longer mattered. The fact was that Sophia Carson, or Charlotte, had gotten what she wanted—but not for long. She had underestimated what I was capable of when cornered.

I knew this revelation would change everything. The game had changed, and so had the rules. Sophia Carson believed she could simply move on, start her life over without consequences, but she was gravely mistaken. I was a man who didn’t leave unfinished business, and she had become my biggest piece of unfinished business.

The question now was what to do with this information. As much as I wanted to act immediately, I knew I needed to be smart about it. Sophia had built a new life, and that life, apparently, provided her with some form of protection. I couldn’t just show up and demand what was mine without causing an uproar that could spiral out of control. No, I needed to be strategic, calculating.

I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes for a moment, letting my mind work. How had she done it? How had she managed to fool us all? The answer was there, in the new name, the new identity she had created. She had been smarter than I imagined, but that didn’t mean she had won.

When I opened my eyes again, I picked up the phone and dialed my lawyer’s number. He answered almost immediately.

“Mr. Anderson,” his voice was calm, yet professional. “I imagine you’ve had time to review the documents.”

“Yes,” I replied, keeping my voice controlled. “But I have a few questions. This identity change… How was it possible? How did no one discover this earlier?”

The lawyer paused before responding. “Identity changes are complicated, but not impossible, especially if the person has the right resources and is determined to disappear. It seems that Charlotte, or rather, Sophia, had help to ensure she could start from scratch. This includes changing her name, appearance, and even her history.”

“So she completely erased who she was before,” I muttered, more to myself than to him. “That explains a lot.”

“Yes, sir. But what’s important now is how you want to proceed. She has filed for divorce and apparently is willing to reach a settlement. If I may be frank, Mr. Anderson, it might be best to consider this option.”

“Consider?” My voice hardened. “Do you really think I’m just going to accept this?”

“I understand your frustration, sir, but it’s a delicate situation. Legally speaking, Sophia Carson is no longer the woman you knew. That complicates things, especially if you’re thinking of contesting the divorce or making other claims.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Part of me knew he was right, but another part—a much larger part—didn’t want to give in so easily. Not after everything I had been through, after everything I had lost. I couldn’t let her escape without consequences.

“I’m not going to sign those papers without a fight,” I finally said, my voice firm. “She may have turned into someone else, but that doesn’t change the fact that she belongs to me, that my children belong to me. If she wants a battle, then that’s exactly what she’ll get.”

“Understood, Mr. Anderson. I’ll prepare the next steps and keep you informed as soon as I have something more concrete.”

“I want to see her.” The words left my mouth before I could control them, but they were true. I needed to see her, to understand with my own eyes the woman she had become. “Arrange a meeting. Tell her it’s to discuss the terms of the divorce.”

“I’ll try to make that happen, Mr. Anderson.”

When I hung up, my mind was racing. I knew this would be a long and difficult battle, but I was prepared for it. Sophia Carson thought she was in control, but she had no idea that I wasn’t someone who could be easily defeated.

As I looked out over the city from my office window, I promised myself that no matter what it took, I would reclaim what was mine. Charlotte might have disappeared, but Sophia… Sophia was still within my reach. And this time, I wouldn’t let her slip away.