Chapter 425 I Want a Divorce!
Maria said, "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to watch some TV."
Sophie asked, "Alright, what do you want to talk about?"
Maria sighed, pulled out a bank card, and handed it to her. "Sophie, you know our situation. The Lee Group could go under any day now. This is the money Leonard and I saved for you. We were going to give it to you when you got married, but we decided to give it to you now."
Sophie's smile faded as she looked at the bank card Maria was holding out. She didn't take it. "Mom, I don't want it."
Maria insisted, "Take it. Think of it as an early wedding gift from Leonard and me. If you don't take it now, you might not get it later."
Sophie shook her head. "Mom, I really don't want it. Use this money to help Dad with the Lee Group. I don't need it right now..."
Before Sophie could finish, Maria cut her off, "This money can't save the Lee Group. We have been saving this for you since you were born. It's in your name, so even if the Lee Group goes bankrupt, this money won't be touched."
"Since you got together with Randy, we have seen how much happier you are. We believe Randy is someone you can rely on, but we want you to always have a backup plan. This money is your safety net."
Sophie said, "Mom."
Maria firmly placed the bank card in her hand and stood up. "It's late. I'm going to bed. You should get some sleep too."
Sophie pressed her lips together, struggling with her thoughts but eventually nodded. "Okay, good night."
Feeling conflicted, Sophie went back to her bedroom, placed the card on her dressing table, and sighed.
Sophie decided to keep the card for now. If the Lee Group survived this crisis, she would use the money to repay Sharon. She put the card in the safe and grabbed some clothes to take a shower. After her shower, she got a call from Randy.
"Sophie, I'm home." Randy's voice was deep and smooth, like a cello.
Sophie said, "Okay, get some rest. See you tomorrow."
"Is that it?" Randy sounded disappointed. "Don't you have anything else to say to me?"
Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
Randy replied, "Like you miss me or something. I've been thinking about you non-stop since we parted."
Sophie said, "Okay."
She put her phone on speaker and started her skincare routine.
Randy asked, "Do you really not miss me at all?"
Hearing the hurt in his voice, Sophie couldn't help but laugh, almost causing her face mask to fall off.
Sophie replied, "Maybe just a little."
Randy persisted, "How much is a little?"
Sophie said, "A little is just a little, maybe the size of a fingernail."
Randy said, "Alright, I'll take that little bit and look forward to more each day."
Sophie smoothed her face mask and said, "That depends on your performance."
They chatted for a while longer before saying goodnight and hanging up.
The next morning, Sophie was woken up by noise downstairs. Just as she opened her eyes and was about to call a servant to ask what was happening, there was a knock on her door. "Ms. Sophie Lee, Mr. and Mrs. Lee want you to come downstairs. There are guests."
Sophie was puzzled. Why would guests want to see her?
Sophie replied, "Okay, I'll be down in a bit."
After sending the servant away, Sophie quickly got up and got ready. In less than twenty minutes, she was dressed and downstairs.
As soon as Sophie entered the living room and saw the Carr family sitting on the sofa, her expression turned sour.
With a grim face, Sophie sat next to Maria and coldly looked at Dwayne's mother, Edith Carr. "What are you doing here?"
If it weren't for the Carr family's indulgence, Dwayne wouldn't have dared to do what he did to her. Just thinking about it made her feel disgusted.
Before that incident, Sophie had been to The Carr Villa several times, and each time Edith had acted like she liked her, even telling Dwayne to treat her well or face consequences.
Sophie had once believed Edith genuinely liked her, but later she found out Dwayne had a mistress who had already given him a child. Edith knew about them and often met with them. After that, Sophie had no good feelings left for Edith.
Edith forced a smile. "Sophie, I'm really sorry about Dwayne. It's my fault for not raising him well and causing you distress."
Sophie said nothing, waiting for her to continue.
"Dwayne really likes you. He was just confused and hurt you. You two are engaged, after all. Can you forgive him this once? I promise to educate him well. If he ever mistreats you again, I'll be the first to deal with him. I'll also take care of his mistress and child. Once you have a child, they will be the Carr family's heir."
As soon as she finished speaking, Maria couldn't sit still. "Mrs. Carr, what do you mean by this? Do you think we are selling our daughter? Dwayne did something so foolish, and you think I'll still let Sophie marry him? And this isn't just foolishness; it's a crime! We will not let this go!"
Maria's firm stance made Edith's expression turn awkward. "Mrs. Lee, are you sure you want to go against the Carr family?"
She had humbled herself to come and ask Sophie for forgiveness, hoping they would let Dwayne off the hook. She didn't expect them to be so fearless.
Sophie held back Maria, who was about to speak, and whispered, "Mom, you go rest. I'll handle this."
With Edith being so arrogant, Sophie was afraid Maria might faint from anger if she stayed.
Maria frowned. "How can I leave? What if she bullies you..."
Sophie said, "This is The Lee Villa. How can she bully me? Besides, I want to handle this myself. Please don't interfere."
Seeing Sophie's determination, Maria nodded. "Alright, but if you can't handle it, have the servants throw them out."
"Okay," Sophie replied.
After Maria left, Sophie finally looked at Edith. "Mrs. Carr, you said you would deal with Dwayne's mistress and child. How do you plan to do that?"
Edith was taken aback. She had only said that to placate Sophie and had never intended to actually send Dwayne's mistress and child away. To Edith, Sophie could never compare to her grandson.
Edith forced a smile. "I plan to send them abroad so they can never return. Does that work for you?"
Sophie couldn't help but laugh. Send them abroad? Did she think Sophie was an idiot?
Sophie was sure Edith would just hide them somewhere temporarily. If Sophie really dropped the charges and let Dwayne off, the Carr family would quickly bring them back.
Sophie said, "Mrs. Carr, do you think I look like an idiot? Or is there something wrong with your brain?"
Sophie's mocking expression left Edith's face frozen in place. "What do you want then?"
Sophie raised an eyebrow and looked at Edith, enunciating each word clearly, "Even if you send them abroad, they can still come back. I want them dead."
Edith's face turned completely cold. "Sophie, you shouldn't be so vicious. Even if Dwayne's mistress is at fault, the child is innocent. How can you say such a thing?"
As Edith spoke, she looked at Sophie with disappointment.
In the past, Sophie might have cared about Edith's opinion, but now Edith was just the mother of the accused, a stranger to her. "No matter how vicious I am, I can't compare to you, who raised a rapist son."
"What did you say?" Edith stood up abruptly, pointing at Sophie in anger. "Say that again?"
Edith's face turned pale, and her eyes were filled with rage, as if she might attack Sophie at any moment.
Sophie said, "No matter how many times I say it, it's the same, Mrs. Carr. I will not drop the charges, nor will I accept mediation. I want Dwayne to pay the price he deserves!"
As Sophie finished her last word, Edith sneered and nodded. "Fine, I was planning to help the Lee Group out of consideration for Dwayne's wrongdoing, but with your attitude, you can wait for bankruptcy!"
Sophie rolled her eyes. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
If the Carr Group really had the power to bankrupt the Lee Group, Dwayne wouldn't have bothered to get engaged to her in the first place. Moreover, with Seb's help, the Lee Group wasn't afraid of the Carr Group at all.
Edith left reluctantly, full of anger, vowing to make Sophie pay. Once in the car, she coldly told the driver, "To the company!"
The driver replied, "Yes, Mrs. Carr."
As soon as the car started, Edith's phone rang.
Seeing it was Dwayne's father, Derek Carr, calling, she answered angrily, "That little bitch Sophie is so stubborn. She won't let Dwayne go. You must make the Lee Group go bankrupt!"
She ranted for a while, only to realize Derek hadn't said a word. Frowning, she asked, "Honey, say something!"
Derek said, "The Carr Group is going bankrupt."
"What?" Edith's voice rose sharply, filled with shock. "Are you kidding me? Have you lost your mind?"
Yesterday, the Carr Group was doing fine, signing several big deals. How could it be going bankrupt today?
She wondered if Derek had lost his mind out of anger over Dwayne being arrested.
Derek said, "It's true. Your assets will soon be frozen as well."
Hearing the despair and exhaustion in Derek's voice, Edith finally panicked. "What's going on? Don't scare me!"
Derek replied, "I have a lot to deal with. As for Dwayne, think of another way. If there's no other option, he'll have to face the consequences of his actions."
With that, Derek hung up. Edith quickly called back, but Derek didn't answer.
Holding her phone, Edith felt a wave of despair wash over her. Just yesterday, the Carr Group was fine. How could it be going bankrupt today?
In the Carr Group's president's office.
Derek put down his phone and called in his secretary. "Come with me to The Thomas Villa."
The Carr Group had one day left. If he could seize the last chance to ask Daniel for mercy, the Carr Group might avoid bankruptcy.
An hour later, Derek stood at the entrance of The Thomas Villa, his face extremely grim.
The Thomas Villa's butler, Larry Barnes, said to him, "Mr. Carr, Mr. Thomas doesn't want to see you. Please leave."
Derek said, "Then I'll wait here until he agrees to see me."
Larry said, "Mr. Carr, waiting won't help. Once Mr. Thomas makes a decision, no one can change it."
Derek said, "Mr. Barnes, I just want to know how the Carr Group offended Mr. Thomas to make him do this."
Larry was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Mr. Carr, instead of asking Mr. Thomas, you should ask the Lee family."
With that, Larry closed the door. The message was clear. If Derek understood, he wouldn't continue waiting.
Sure enough, within a minute, Derek turned and left.
Edith received Derek's call and rushed to the entrance of The Lee Villa.
As soon as she got out of the car and saw Derek waiting at the door, she hurried over. "Didn't you say the Carr Group is going bankrupt? Why are you here at The Lee Villa? What are you doing?"
Derek replied, "Begging Sophie to spare the Carr Group."
Edith stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide. "Derek, are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?"
Even if the Carr Group was really going bankrupt, begging Sophie was the last thing she would do. The Lee Group was also on the brink of bankruptcy, and Sophie was about to become a nobody.
Moreover, just thinking about Sophie calling Dwayne a rapist made Edith furious.
Derek said, "I'm not wrong, and you didn't mishear. I called you here to beg Sophie with me."
Edith said, "I'm not going! If you want to go, go by yourself!"
Seeing Edith's angry and resistant expression, Derek didn't insist. He turned and rang the doorbell.
Edith grabbed Derek, shouting, "What are you doing? Instead of wasting time here, you should be helping me find a way to save Dwayne!"
Derek ignored her, shaking her off and continuing to ring the doorbell. Soon, a servant from The Lee Villa came to open the door.
When the servant saw Derek and Edith, his face turned sour. "Mr. Carr, Mrs. Carr, you're not welcome here. Please leave."
After hearing the shameless things Edith had said in the living room earlier, all the servants at The Lee Villa disliked her.
Edith had never been so humiliated. A servant dared to tell her she wasn't welcome? She pulled Derek. "Did you hear that? They said we're not welcome! Let's go. The Lee family will regret this!"
As soon as Edith finished speaking, Derek slapped her.
Edith nearly fell from the slap, holding her face in disbelief as she looked at Derek. "Derek, did you just hit me?"
The servant at the door was also shocked, looking between the two of them.
Derek said, "It's a critical time, and you're still not thinking straight. If you don't want to come in, I'm not forcing you. But if you try to stop me again, it won't just be a slap!"
Derek's face was grim, and his eyes were full of disgust as he looked at Edith.
If Edith hadn't spoiled Dwayne so much, he wouldn't have dared to cause such a big mess, leading to the Carr Group's bankruptcy.
Edith was stunned for a while, tears welling up in her eyes. "Derek, I want a divorce!"
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