#56 “Why are You so Intrigued by My Ex-wife?”
“Megan, since you care so much, Sophia is my ex-wife,” Alexander finally replied. Megan nearly choked on the cocktail she was sipping.
“Everything is falling into place now, my dear Alex,” she laughed. “What amuses you so much?” he replied irritably.
“Oh, don’t be upset, I just solved your mystery. However, I did not expect that the great Alexander would throw away his friendship with Emily just like that. Apparently, this Sophia is a big deal.”
“Emily played her own cards by being sneaky, nothing to do with Sophia being my ex-wife.”
“And you’re telling me you don’t have feelings for her?” Megan tried again. Alexander was tired of sitting in the position of interrogation and decided to turn things around.
“What does it concern you if I have feelings for Sophia or not?”
“It just amazes me that you’ve always put business before relationships, and now it’s like the wheel has turned and everything’s the other way around.”
“I will repeat to you again that Emily’s actions are what made me end my relationship with her. Imagine that tomorrow I pissed her off with something, what’s the guarantee that she won’t play this trick on me?”
“You’d have to be terribly blind if you hadn’t noticed all these years that Emily had a schoolgirl crush on you.”
“That doesn’t mean her mom or dad won’t manipulate her into doing something stupid against me.”
“You’re right, she was easily influenced,” Megan finally judged. 11 Still, Alex, why did you divorce your wife?”
“I will ask you again, why are you so intrigued by my ex-wife?” he countered. “You don’t seem to be telling me the whole truth, but that’s up to you. She loses.”
Alexander laughed mockingly. He didn’t think Sophia was the loser in the turn of events; he was. But he would never admit that to Megan.
“Don’t laugh, you’re the perfect man,” she gently replied and placed her hand on Alexander’s. “Oh, and I don’t see her here tonight as well.”
“I already explained to you that she has another engagement,” he said and pulled his hand away from hers.
“That’s right, but I really wanted to make up. I don’t want her to be left with the impression that I did it with bad feelings towards her. But since she didn’t come to the invitation, it only shows how much she respects you.”
Megan was lying shamelessly, but she desperately hoped Alexander would give in and believe her. Her goal tonight was not to reconcile with Sophia but to draw Alexander back to her.
“You know, Alex,” Megan started again, her tone falsely sweet, “I really hope that someday Sophia will come to see that I didn’t mean any harm with what happened.”
Alexander sighed inwardly, growing weary of this conversation. “Megan, it’s not up to me to decide how she feels about the situation. People have their reasons, and she might never see it the way you do.”
Megan’s persistence was unwavering. ” I’d love to talk to her, apologize personally, and clear the air between us. I think we could even become friends.”
Alexander couldn’t help but feel that Megan was underestimating the complexity of the situation. “Well, you never know,” he replied with a hint of doubt. “She might not accept it, but if we ever have a chance to meet again, I’ll introduce you to her.”
Megan’s ego bristled at the idea that Sophia might not readily embrace her olive branch. “You really think she’d hesitate to be friends with me?”
Alexander managed a polite smile. “I’m sure she won’t mind.” he lied, but he was already tired of listening to this conversation.
As they talked, Megan became increasingly frustrated by Sophia’s absence. She had hoped that this meeting would be the perfect opportunity to make a strong impression on Alexander and perhaps even rekindle their connection. However, it seemed that Sophia was not going to make an appearance.
Finally, after a while, Megan decided it was time to make her exit. She couldn’t help but feel irritated. This was just the beginning of her plan to get closer to Alexander, and she wasn’t about to let Sophia stand in her way.
“I should get going, Alex,” Megan said, masking her disappointment with a gracious smile. “Tell Sophia that I genuinely wanted to meet her tonight. I hope she’s not holding any hard feelings.”
Alexander nodded politely. “I’ll be sure to pass on your message, Megan. Take care.”
As Megan left, someone tapped Alexander on the shoulder. Kyle, a fellow patron of the luxurious VIP bar, sidled up to Alexander, a wry grin playing on his lips.
The two had become friends over time, thanks to their frequent encounters in the bar and their occasional professional collaborations.
“Alex, you must be breaking records for getting over a heartbreak,” Kyle teased, a twinkle in his eye. Alexander chuckled, though there was a hint of bitterness in his response. “I don’t think I’m really doing well at all, Kyle.”
Curiosity piqued, Kyle leaned in, sensing there was more to the story. Come on, spill the beans. Then what was this hot babe against you?”
Alexander leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “Well, it’s actually a business meeting that Sophia didn’t attend, but was supposed to. My original plan was to have Sophia here tonight to talk to Megan in person. But she’s been avoiding me like the plague.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow, intrigued. ” Sophia’s a tough nut to crack, huh?”
Alexander nodded, his expression serious. “Extremely.”
Kyle leaned in, offering a piece of advice. “If you want to open Sophia’s heart, you don’t necessarily have to start with her directly. Sometimes it’s better to approach the people around her, and gain their trust first.”
Alexander considered the idea for a moment, his gaze drifting across the bar. He noticed a woman sitting by the window, her features vaguely familiar. It took him a moment to place her. It was Evelyn Grimms, one of Sophia’s close friends.
Kyle followed Alexander’s gaze and grinned. “See, there’s your chance. Build a good rapport with people in her circle, and she might just warm up to you.”
Alexander hesitated, his brows furrowing with uncertainty. “I’m not sure, Kyle. What if it backfires and worsens our relationship?”
With an encouraging pat on the shoulder, Kyle decided to take matters into his own hands. “Leave it to me, buddy. I’ll go chat up Evelyn and see if I can make some progress.”
He strolled over to where Evelyn was sitting, wearing a friendly smile. However, it didn’t take long for him to realize that she was not in the mood for a conversation. After a few polite words from Kyle, Evelyn simply ignored him and, with a curt nod, excused herself from the bar.
Kyle returned to Alexander’s side, a defeated expression on his face. “Well, it seems like Sophia and the people around her are not friendly at all.”
Alexander laughed bitterly. “What can I tell you, I wasn’t the most talkative husband either. Now it comes back to haunt me.”
