Chapter 50

Alex

Of all the days in the world for bad news to land on his doorstep, it had to be Erica's birthday. ?

He'd already been in a shitty mood in the run-up to this day - work was crap, he was about to be a father and his relationship with Sophie was at an all-time low, and rumours were flying around about his infidelity.

So far, he'd convinced Sophie they weren't true, but he could see in her eyes that she was no longer believing his lies. He didn't even know the woman's name. She was just a faceless person in the sea that was the London Group employees. She'd laughed at a joke he made, he propositioned her and she took the bait.

They both agreed they had too much to lose by admitting their mistake and so he believed they had buried it as a secret never to be uncovered.

So how the fuck were there rumours?

Thankfully, there was no proof. But he was on thin ice in all aspects of his life.

Erica's birthday was just the cherry on top of a cake of awfulness. It was killing him that he wasn't there to celebrate with her. Holidays had come and gone during their separation, but none had hit quite as hard as her birthday.

He fucking missed her.

Now more than ever, he missed her calming presence, her way of keeping him level-headed. Had she been his partner instead of Sophie, none of this would have happened.

He wouldn't be having a child he didn't want. He wouldn't be on the verge of losing his biggest client. There would be no fucking rumours flying around tarnishing his once-stellar reputation .

Alex wasn't a man who had many regrets.

He didn't feel there was much point in dwelling on things he couldn't change. But sleeping with Sophie was the biggest regret of his life.

Every time he woke up next to her, he had the same thought.

It should have been Erica.

When she served him meals in the evening. It should have been Erica. When he saw her belly, swollen with his growing child. Goddamn, it should have been Erica.

He'd thrown his entire life away for someone who he would never love.

And now he was stuck with her until the sweet release of death.

All that to say, he really didn't need the bullshit that landed on his doorstep today of all days.

He'd woken up already in a bad mood, ignoring Sophie's attempts at affection as he rolled out of bed. His breakfast wasn't ready by the time he'd finished his shower, and the normally immaculate house was looking messy and disorganised.

"Standards are slipping around here," he said, making his own coffee for the first time he could remember in a long while.

"Learn how to take care of yourself then," Sophie muttered, helping herself to some grapefruit. "I'm your girlfriend, not your live-in maid."

"Clearly."

Their argument barely had time to brew before a knock at the door distracted him. He left the kitchen, relieved to get away from the tension that was building between them. Taking his time, he pulled out his phone, checking the message he had composed the night before. He couldn't not say something to Erica. Not today. And she should have received his gifts by now.

He wondered if she liked the necklace.

The flowers.

There was no chance in hell that Marcus had bought her anything close to what he had. Smiling at the thought, he opened the door, feeling lighter than he had in weeks .

"Mr Alex Carr?"

Blinking in surprise at the rather formal-looking man at his door, Alex nodded, signing for the envelope as the man thrust a tablet in his face. Handing back the device, he took the envelope automatically.

"Congratulations."

Without another word, the strange gentlemen turned away, walking back onto the street. How odd. Looking down at the envelope, he frowned. What did he mean, congratulations?

Shutting the door, he made his way back to the kitchen, putting two and two together.

"Soph? Did you order something for the baby?" He asked, indicating the envelope. It was the only thing that made sense. Most people would expect to be congratulated on their child. It wasn't a death sentence for most people.

"Oh, now you care?" She asked, barely looking up. "I don't think so. Why?"

"I don't know why anyone would congratulate me when handing me mail," he said with a shrug, leaving the envelope on the counter as he returned to brewing his coffee.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Finally paying attention, Sophie paled as her eyes landed on the envelope. Snatching it up, she held it to her breast, laughing nervously. "God, silly me. Yes. Yes, it's a surprise about the baby."

"Yeah?" Lying bitch. "So why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"Do I?" Another nervous giggle. "Probably because… Well." She cleared her throat and composed herself. "Because I ordered this before I realised you didn't want to be a father. It's a wasted gift."

"Let me be the judge of that," he said, holding his hand out. "Give it here."

"No. I'm just going to retu—"

"Sophie," he said, his tone stern. "Give me the fucking envelope before I lose my patience."

For a moment, he thought she was going to disobey him as she hesitated, shrinking away from him like a deer caught in headlights. She held out his mail with a shaky hand, chewing her lip.

"Oh, will you behave?" he said, snatching it from her. "I'm sure whatever it is you've bought can't be that bad." Rolling his eyes, he tore open the envelope. Seriously, the way she was acting, one would think he was a violent piece of shit who hit women. Alex was many, many things, but a woman beater was not one of them.

Pulling the documents out, he let the envelope fall to the floor, his eyes scanning the page briefly.

Wait.

No.

That couldn't be right.

Reading again from the top, his heart sank with each word. "Alex Carr and Erica Carr, hereby known as Erica Starling…" He trailed off, muttering to himself. "Granted a divorce… irreconcilable differences… what?

"This can't be right. There must be some mistake."

His papers were still in his desk drawer, locked away and safe. There was no way anyone had found them. But then how was he holding confirmation of his divorce in his hands? He looked up at Sophie as though she could possibly have the answers, frowning at the nervous look on her face.

"You can relax," he said, irritated that she was still thinking of herself. "This isn't about the baby."

"That's good," she whispered, chewing on her nails. "So, wh-what is it?"

"My divorce has been finalised," he replied, tossing the papers onto the counter with a growl. "Everything's coming up Sophie, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, we're both divorced and you've got the baby." He turned to face her, his lip curling. "Access to all my money, a beautiful home. Things have really worked out for you, huh?"

"That's enough!" She said, taking a firm step towards him. "I am tired of your attitude, Alex. I'm tired of you acting like everything that has gone wrong in your life is my fault. Newsflash, it takes two people to have an affair and not once did you turn me down or tell me to fuck off."

"I didn't say it was your fault," he growled, waving her off.

"But you do blame me, and it's fucking bullshit !"

She wasn't wrong, but there was no way he'd admit that. Instead, he stared her down until she screeched in frustration, turning on her heel and storming out of the room.

Whatever.

He had more important things on his mind and an ache in his heart that wouldn't go away. His marriage was well and truly over, at least in the eyes of the law. There was no arguing with the words on the page.

They were divorced.

Somehow.

What the fuck had happened? He certainly hadn't sent off the papers and no one else had access to his office. Well, except Sophie. But she wouldn't have known where to look. There was no way it was her. No chance in hell she was smart enough to…

He stopped himself, looking in the direction she had just left.

She was incredibly nervous about handing him the documents. And if she had ordered something for the baby, why was the envelope addressed to him? She must have known what was inside that envelope, which could only mean one thing.

It was her.

It was fucking her!

Anger like he had never felt raged inside him as he stalked through the house, heading up to their bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time. His entire body shook with the force of his anger as he slammed open their bedroom door to find her cowering on the bed.

"I'm sorry!" She squealed, protecting herself with a pillow.

"You fucking bitch!" His voice thundered through the room as he grabbed her wrist, pulling her up to his level. "What the fuck were you thinking poking around in my business?"

"Alex, you're hurting me! "

He forced himself to look into her eyes and recognise the fear there. Loosening his grip, he narrowed his eyes on her. "What gives you the right—"

"I am the mother of your child and you have been lying to me for months!" She screeched at him, tears filling those beautiful blue eyes that had captured his attention so many months ago. "Oh, Soph, I'm sorry," she said, mimicking him. "Erica just won't sign the papers."

"Be that as it may—"

"No!" She pulled her arm from his grasp, slapping him across the face with such force, that the sound echoed through the room. "What you have done is fucking horrible. You've used me and strung me along, and now things are too real and you hate it."

"I haven't strung you along," he scoffed, refusing to lift his hand to his cheek despite how much it stung.

"You have. You told me you loved me. That everything you did was for me." Despite her anger, a tear fell down her cheek, falling to her heaving chest. "But what you really meant was everything you did was just pretend until you got what you really wanted."

"And what is that?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "What do I really want?

"Erica!" Sophie spat her name with such venom, Alex took a step back. "It is always and will always be about Erica. I have no chance. Your daughter has no chance. You are a selfish man who is so obsessed with a woman who wants nothing to do with you, you can't see what is right here in front of you offering you a future!"

Silence followed her rant, only broken by the sound of her heavy breathing.

Alex sunk to the bed with a sigh, pulling her down with him, more carefully this time. She wasn't wrong. He had no interest in this relationship. He wanted nothing to do with this child.

Without Erica, nothing made sense, and he was tired of pretending it did.

"This isn't working, is it?" Sophie asked quietly .

"I don't think so," he replied, reaching for her hand. Funny, it looked like this was the end for them, and yet he'd never felt closer to her. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," she sniffed, "Me too."

And he was sorry.

Sorry, he'd let things get too far. Sorry, he'd lied to her and tried to use her as a substitute for what he really wanted. This farce had been going on for far too long and now…

Now, there was nothing left to do but go their separate ways.