I married Sophia Scott less than a year ago, and now her first love has returned to town. She despises me and has even blatantly betrayed me. “You can’t give me what I want. Why can’t you just let me go?” I agreed to the divorce, changed my name, and started over. Five years later, I finally took my company public. When I returned to City A to expand my business, I didn’t expect to be clung to by a little girl the moment I stepped out of the office building. “Daddy!” she shouted, her voice echoing throughout the underground parking lot. The girl looked about four or five years old, old enough to have some understanding, and I didn’t recognize her. I couldn’t bring myself to be harsh with a child, especially not in front of my company’s new office, surrounded by my employees and business partners. “What’s your name, little girl? I don’t have a daughter your age.” I had a headache and decided to put her in the car to figure things out. “My name is Sophie Scott, and you are my dad. I’ve seen you on my mom’s phone,” she said with a pout, clearly displeased. “And who is your mom?” I asked with a wry smile. “Sophia Scott,” she replied, giving me a sideways glance as if my question was stupid. I was taken aback, memories flooding back like a wave crashing over me. Back in college, I had a crush on Sophia for three years. She was the darling of Harvard, and I was just a poor student living on scholarships. During military training, I fainted due to low blood sugar, and Sophia, who was a year ahead of me, was a volunteer at the infirmary. She handed me a gardenia-scented handkerchief, looking like an angel against the light. “You’re awake?” she asked, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. “You’re in the infirmary now.” “Th-thank you,” I stammered, adding, “senior.” It was ridiculous. She was kind to everyone, yet I couldn’t help falling for her. Having a crush is a one-sided, chaotic feeling. I joined her club just to catch a glimpse of her, attended her college’s events, but kept my distance because she had a boyfriend who was a perfect match for her family’s status. After graduation, with the help of my mentor, I secured investment for a small tech startup. Sophia’s family fell on hard times, and her boyfriend left her to go abroad. She ended up working as a receptionist at my startup. My long-held affection couldn’t be contained, and I pursued her. One night, I was drugged and drunk, and she ended up with me, agreeing to marry me. Sophia didn’t love me, but I thought we’d make it work eventually. A year later, she betrayed me for her ex, leaking my company’s confidential project files. Not only did my company face a crisis, but I was also accused of stealing code. “You took advantage of me when I was drunk and ruined me. I’ll make sure you’re ruined too,” Sophia sneered at me through the bars of the detention center. I looked at the little girl resembling Sophia, feeling a chill down my spine. “I’m not your dad. Get out of the car. I’ll have my assistant take you home, or I’ll call the police,” I threatened coldly. Sophie seemed frightened, her eyes welling with tears. But my mind was made up. I messaged my assistant to take her away. Seeing her tears were useless, Sophie slowly got out of the car, looking back at me every few steps as my assistant led her away. I sighed, silently reassuring myself: Ethan Bennett, you’re not the same person you once were. You’ve been through hell; you can’t go back.
My name used to be Ethan Bennett. Like a character in a clichéd story, my family had an alcoholic dad, a gambling mom, and a broken me. I managed to escape to Harvard, living frugally. Other than my crush on Sophia, I didn’t do anything wrong. I was drugged that night. I didn’t know why Sophia was in my room or who drugged me. Sophia remained indifferent to my pursuit and didn’t believe my innocence, but she accepted my proposal. I thought time would reveal my true intentions. Outwardly, Sophia seemed like a breath of fresh air. Everyone adored her beauty and gentleness, saying I was lucky. I could only smile bitterly. Privately, Sophia was demanding, wanting the best of everything. I was under financial pressure and felt guilty, so I endured her insults without retaliation. Eventually, her verbal abuse became physical. I silently bore the bruises, presenting a polished appearance. Perhaps my compliance satisfied her. Sometimes, she’d let me “serve” her, but even that wasn’t on my terms. Once she was done, she’d kick me off the bed and throw contraceptives at me. “Disgusting. Even as a gigolo, you’re the lowest quality.” I felt undeserving of this treatment, but what could I do? As a child, my dad also beat me after drinking. Maybe I was just fated for this. I was tough, after all, and it wouldn’t kill me. The company picked up, and Sophia’s attitude softened. One day, she brought wine to my office, and we spent a wild night there. A few days later, the police came, accusing me of stealing code from the Carter Corporation and asking me to cooperate with their investigation. The project was gone, and the company’s finances collapsed. But I had evidence to turn the tables. The company might be lost, but I wouldn’t go to jail, just be saddled with debt. My dad had a stroke upon hearing the news, and my mom finally left the mahjong parlor, looking like a skeleton when she visited me in detention. “Mom, it’s okay. He always beat you. Think of it as freedom,” I said, having not slept well for days. But she only complained about her hardships, ignoring my situation. “Ethan Bennett, he’s your dad. I don’t care, you must save him,” my mom screamed, treating me like a criminal. I stayed silent. Save him? But who would save me, dear mother? My mom somehow contacted Sophia, who visited me with David Carter.
They said if I gave up fighting back and took the blame, they’d give my parents money, and I wouldn’t have to repay my debt. “I can crush your little company with a flick of my finger,” David Carter sneered, hand lingering on Sophia’s waist. “How dare you touch my woman. This is your fate!” “You’ll serve just a year and be out. Otherwise, for what you did to me, it’s at least three years,” Sophia nestled in David’s arms, looking at me with disdain. “Haven’t I treated you well since we married? Why did you betray me?” I nearly lost control, like a pathetic, soaked dog. I refused to give up until Sophia came alone. “Give it up. No matter how you struggle, the Carter family can crush you. If I hadn’t lost my virginity to you and married into the Carter family, my family could’ve risen again, and I’d have my old life back. Now I’m pregnant. Without you, I wouldn’t be here. You ruined me. Don’t ruin this child.” Sophia caressed her belly, nurturing a new life. I didn’t flatter myself that the baby was mine; it was likely her bargaining chip to marry David Carter. “I’m pregnant now. I wouldn’t have come this far without you. You’ve already destroyed me; you can’t destroy this child too. You can’t give me the life I want, so why can’t you just let me go?” Sophia Scott gently touched her abdomen, where a new life was growing. I don’t fool myself into thinking the child is mine; it’s probably her way to secure a marriage with David Carter. Yet, unable to handle my mother’s tantrums or the shock of this unexpected child, I eventually signed the divorce papers, exchanging a year in prison for some peace. During my sentence, my father passed away, and my mother, drowning in gambling debts, was chased by creditors and fell to her death while trying to flee. With no one to claim her body, the call was made to Sophia. After I was released, I tried to find out where my mother’s ashes ended up, only to be mocked by Sophia, who said she had thrown them away and told me not to contact her again. Alone, I changed my name to Michael Turner, hoping for a fresh start. I didn’t expect a little girl to suddenly disrupt my life. Fortunately, there was plenty of work in City A, and I quickly forgot about Sophia and that little girl, immersing myself completely in work. “Mr. Turner,” my assistant knocked on the door. “Come in, what’s up?” I looked up from the mountain of contracts, hoping she wasn’t bringing more paperwork for me to sign. “Don’t look so pitiful; I don’t want to work overtime either.” My assistant, Lily Johnson, was a college classmate who had been with me since I started my business. I had changed my name and moved to City C, where I unexpectedly ran into her visiting family, and we became work partners again. “Haha, is it that obvious?” I laughed awkwardly. “Uh-huh,” Lily shrugged. “It’s not work-related. That little girl from last time sneaked into the office. She’s so small she slipped in unnoticed during the chaos. She’s in the meeting room next door right now.” “I’ll handle it.” I sighed and headed to the meeting room. Sophie was sitting there quietly, sipping on the Wahaha drink Lily had given her. I never quite understood why someone like Lily, at twenty-seven or twenty-eight, would enjoy drinking Wahaha. “Daddy,” Sophie called out when she saw me. “Let’s get one thing straight, I’m not your dad,” I quickly interrupted. “Now, little one, can you tell me why you snuck in here?” “Mommy’s not home, and I’m hungry,” Sophie said, looking upset. “Why didn’t you call her?” I asked. “Mommy doesn’t like it when I call. She’s with Uncle David,” Sophie said, looking down, her little fists tightly gripping the hem of her shirt. Uncle David, David Carter? Weren’t those two involved a long time ago? Why does Sophie call him uncle? How have they not married after all these years? The next second, I felt disgusted with myself. Whether Sophia is married or not is none of my business! “If you’re hungry, you should go to a restaurant, not disturb my work,” I said, my mood less than friendly. “I’m sorry…” Sophie immediately began to cry. “Today’s my birthday, but Mommy went to be with Uncle David. I have no money, and I’m so hungry I came to find you.” I noticed her clothes were a bit dirty, her shoes had a hole, but her braid was neatly done, tied with Lily’s favorite Stitch hairband. Sophia never watched cartoons; Lily probably fixed the braid out of pity for the little girl. “Let’s go, I’ll buy you a cake and then take you home.” I finally softened. “Okay.” Sophie stopped crying and carefully held my hand. I will ensure that the content remains true to the original meaning while making it closer to English expressions, making it easier to understand. Throughout this process, we will keep the original format unchanged. To provide a precise analysis of the translation, it is essential to have both the original text and the directly translated text. Since these are not provided in your query, I will outline the typical issues that can arise in direct translations based on general knowledge: 4. Sophie was such a delight. I took her to a dessert café, and she sat quietly enjoying her cake. It was hard not to think of Sophia; not because I still have feelings for her, but because it felt surreal. Here was the child she brought into the world, the one who changed my life before she was even born.
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