Chapter 7 Strange Man

• The thing that surprised Sophia was that Albert had actually booked an entire restaurant for them.
• She hadn’t expected him to go through with it until a waiter greeted her as “Mrs. Raymond.” Hearing the title made Sophia feel mocked. She didn’t respond or smile as she usually would.
• Sophia was ushered to a seat at a table that was exquisitely arranged, exuding an air of luxury and romance. It was situated next to a large glass window that offered a stunning view of the sparkling cityscape.
• Even so, Sophia felt a disappointment when she realized Albert wasn’t there yet.
• Typical, Sophia thought. He was probably drowning in his pile of work right now.
• Sophia waited.
• Tonight, she wore a simple red dress that fell just below her knees, with a modestly low neckline and long sleeves made of sheer lace. She had even applied bold makeup, perfect for an evening occasion, especially one as romantic as this.
• Still, Sophia was certain that nothing romantic would happen tonight. She vowed not to repeat her behavior from their time in the car yesterday. If Albert wanted to talk, they needed to stick to topics that avoided emotions entirely.
• Although Sophia was certain they wouldn’t spend the evening on anything romantic, she promised herself she wouldn’t repeat her behavior from the car yesterday. If Albert wanted to talk, they would have to choose topics that didn’t touch on feelings.
• People often said Sophia was heartless. Maybe they were right.
• But Albert was the one who cheated, so why was she the one being criticized? To Sophia, Albert was far more heartless than she could ever be.
• Time dragged on. Sophia waited and waited, but Albert didn’t show up.
• The waiter had approached her several times, offering drinks or appetizers, but Sophia declined each time with a simple wave of her hand.
• As the minutes ticked by, Sophia grew weary of waiting. She propped her head up with her elbow on the table, staring out the window at the monotonous view outside.
• Her lips formed a slight pout, and her eyes looked tired. She forced herself to harden her heart, blocking out any feelings. Albert was probably late because of an urgent work matter. Or—Sophia refused to be naive—perhaps he was busy with his mistress again.
• Whichever it was, Sophia wouldn’t forgive him. Didn’t he have a phone? Where was his brilliant mind if he couldn’t use it to call or text her about the delay?
• Suddenly, Sophia had the urge to check the gossip pages. She did, and her suspicions were confirmed!
• Sophia let out a bitter laugh before turning off her phone again.
• So, she wasn’t important enough after all. Whatever had happened in the car yesterday hadn’t changed a thing. Albert was still Albert.
• He hadn’t shown up for their dinner date because he was busy checking into a luxurious hotel with his mistress.
• Sophia pouted even more and grumbled to herself. The waiters back there were probably mocking her right now. They all knew Albert, and more or less, they likely knew about his wife and their married life.
• Sophia’s reflection stared back at her from the glass window. Am I not beautiful enough? She wondered. But she quickly realized the answer, that she was beautiful. She repeated it to herself over and over in her head; she was beautiful. She wouldn’t let Albert undermine her confidence or turn her into someone she didn’t recognize. Sophia was tired of pretending.
• Two hours passed, and that damn man still hadn’t shown up.
• Sophia was on the verge of anger, filled with deep disappointment. Why do I feel like crying? She wondered in frustration. Stop being such a crybaby! She scolded herself, quickly shutting down the thought before the tears could fall.
• Sophia was ready to leave when suddenly, a man approached her.
• “Good evening, Miss Sophia.”
• Sophia looked up to see a handsome man addressing her, notably calling her “Miss Sophia” rather than “Mrs. Raymond” as most people did.
• “Good evening,” Sophia replied, attempting politeness, though her tone carried a hint of sharpness.
• The man smiled. “Has your date not arrived?”
• Sophia frowned. What was this man trying to do?
• “It seems not. May I join you for dinner instead?” he asked.
• Sophia was about to refuse, but before she could, the man sat down across from her uninvited and called for a waiter.
• “Excuse me, Sir, what do you think you’re doing?” Sophia asked with a flat expression.
• The man smiled again. “I’ve been watching you sit here all this time. A woman as beautiful as you shouldn’t be left waiting.”
• Sophia’s expression didn’t change. She had no interest in entertaining anyone right now, so she stood up to leave.
• “Wait!” the man called after her.
• Sophia stopped and faced him. “Once again, sorry, Sir. But I really don’t need your pity.”
• The man smiled again. “Miss Sophia, don’t you want to have a little fun with another man to get back at how your husband treated you?”
• Sophia fell silent, staring at the man for a long time. His words managed to touch her, especially in her current state of uncertainty. She thought to herself, the idea wasn’t so bad after all.
• Sophia sat down again and looked at the charming man in front of her.
• A waiter came over, and they ordered their dinner.
• “My name is Daniel Mateo,” the man introduced himself.
• “You must already know who I am,” Sophia replied coldly.
• Daniel chuckled. “At first, no, Miss. But I asked my staff who the beautiful woman was who had just entered this restaurant, and he told me your name.”
• Sophia snorted. “He couldn’t have just told you my name.”
• “True,” Daniel replied with an awkward smile.
• “It’s fine. It’s a common thing,” Sophia said dismissively.
• “It won’t be common, Miss. I apologize for my staff’s rudeness,” Daniel said sincerely.
• “I forgive your staff. But it seems I haven’t yet decided whether I’ll forgive their boss.”
• Daniel chuckled softly. “I'm really being forward, aren't I? I apologize for that, but seeing you sitting here all alone, waiting, I just couldn’t resist. So, as a good boss, I came to offer a little entertainment.”
• It was a pretty good joke, Sophia thought, as she gave a slight smile.
• They talked about several things, nothing too meaningful, and mostly dominated by Daniel. Sophia mostly listened, responding casually.
• To Sophia, Daniel Mateo—a name she was hearing for the first time—was quite a handsome man. His relaxed and very friendly attitude likely made him quite valuable in the eyes of women. However, that was exactly why she could tell that Daniel Mateo... might not be any different from Albert.
• They were both casanovas, elite bastards hiding behind well-tailored suits and the image of being good men.
• But Daniel’s presence slightly eased Sophia’s irritation with Albert, so she appreciated the man’s actions by not immediately dismissing him.
• It wasn’t typical for Sophia to be seen with another man besides Albert. Even after marrying Albert, Sophia had rarely been spotted by cameras, unlike when she was still single.
• Now, would the media find out and report that she was with another man? They might exaggerate and write that this mysterious man was Sophia’s lover.
• Sophia chuckled to herself, not because of anything Daniel said, but because of what was running through her mind at that moment.
• Right at ten o’clock, they finished their dessert. After draining her glass of wine, Sophia stood up.
• They left the restaurant together, stopping abruptly outside. Both of them stared at the figure leaning against the car, looking back at them with a sharp, judgmental glare.
• Sophia was surprised to see Albert there, but she didn’t want to show it.
• Albert approached them, his sharp gaze never leaving Daniel. “Sophia, it seems this dinner didn’t go very well. I apologize.”
• Sophia shook her head with a sweet smile. “It’s fine.”
• Albert turned to look at Sophia, then spoke in a cold tone, “Let’s go home.”
• Sophia didn’t argue. But before they left, she turned to Daniel and smiled warmly at him.
• “Daniel, thank you for the perfect dinner,” Sophia said. She didn’t let Daniel respond, as just a second later, she stood on her tiptoes and quickly kissed Daniel’s cheek. Then, she waved and got into the car.
• Albert was left stunned, unable to believe what he had just witnessed.
• He gave Daniel a warning look one last time before getting into his car and sitting next to Sophia in the driver’s seat.
• Albert drove fast on the highway. Even though Sophia was scared, she didn’t dare express it or show it. She knew Albert was angry, and his pride as a husband was probably disturbed. But Sophia didn’t care. That was exactly what she wanted to happen.
• ***