---- I sighed. "Alex, yesterday was your birthday. I've been waiting here for you." With that, she pulled a small, delicately wrapped box from her bag. It was a watch that was identical to the one James had tried to pass off as high-end. I glanced at it briefly. "Sorry, but my wife might misunderstand if I accept this. I don't want to make her unhappy." "Alex..." Her expression turned sour, eyes reddening as she glared at me. Then, her tone softened again. "I've sold all my assets abroad. From now on, I'm staying here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay by your side. Alex, please don't be so cold to me. I'm really struggling. I know I've made a lot of mistakes. I'm sorry. Can't you forgive me?" ---- She started repeating her apologies, over and over, begging for my forgiveness. Her attitude was humbler than I had ever seen. However, all it did was give me a headache. This was all in the past. I felt my face darken, the frustration building up inside me. "Sophia, I've already made myself clear. We're over. Whether you accept it or not, it's the truth. We have no future together." "Alex?" I turned to see Catherine walking over, holding a small box in her hand. "Here's a little gift for today. I hope you have a wonderful day!" Ever since we got together, she had a habit of surprising me with small gifts. I took the box from her and gently kissed her forehead. Sophia stared at us in disbelief. She quickly wiped ---- the tears from her eyes. "Hello!" Caught off guard, Sophia stammered a reply. Then, without another word, she turned and ran off. "Am I that scary?" Catherine whispered, pouting alittle. I chuckled. "Of course not!" "Then, what were you two talking about just now? I swear I heard her say something about being together." Her jealous tone and adorable pout made me smile even more. I playfully tapped her nose. "Did you also hear your husband loudly declare that it was impossible?" After that encounter, Sophia disappeared from my life for a while. She still sent me messages from time to time. If she wasn't reminiscing about our