Ex-Lover as My Divorce Lawyer? This Train Wreck Just Got Scorching! - Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Mr. Reed didn't even look up: "Go ahead."
Mrs. Reed nudged his arm and asked Sophia: "What's the reason this time?"
Sophia felt her parents were typical—uninvolved when they didn't want to be, but when they decided to care, they had opinions on everything.
When she decided to marry Nathan, her parents hadn't said a word.
But when she decided to divorce and leave Manhattan, they suddenly appeared, questioning why she had to leave Manhattan, couldn't she stay?
She had only dared tell them about her pregnancy after Mia was born.
"Do I need a reason to change environments? I want to, so I will."
Mrs. Reed frowned: "What about Mia? Did you ask for her opinion?"
"Of course I did."
Sophia was defiant—she wasn't like her parents.
Mrs. Reed nodded half-believingly, then suddenly grabbed Mr. Reed's hand, her eyes full of excitement.
"Since you're changing anyway, why don't you and Mia come back to Paris with us?"
Sophia was displeased: "You just mentioned considering Mia's opinion, but now you're asking me instead of her?"
"I'm just suggesting. I know you don't like Paris, but our careers are there."
Mrs. Reed made herself sound pitiful, while Sophia coldly retorted: "I don't dislike Paris. I dislike how you brushed me aside."
As soon as she spoke, she felt her words were too harsh and quickly served her parents more food.
"It's the holidays—let's not talk about unhappy things."
Sophia's sudden seriousness made the dinner atmosphere awkward.
The three adults ate with less noise than little Mia in her booster seat.
Sophia hastily finished dinner and sat beside Mia to feed her.
Mia's hands were still oily from grabbing food. She reached out with her little hand to poke Sophia's face.
In her baby voice, she said: "Mommy angry."
Sophia immediately replied: "Mommy's not angry at all."
Mia then pointed at Mrs. Reed: "Grandma angry."
Sophia wiped the food residue from Mia's face with a wet wipe, gently reassuring her: "Grandma's not angry either."
"Grandma was just asking Mommy why I want to change your school. That's called discussing."
Mia's cheeks were stuffed full, and she remained silent.
Sophia fed her a few more bites, thinking the matter had passed.
But suddenly Mia said: "Mommy lying. Not good."
Sophia felt her face burning. Children could sense things, yet she was still telling such clumsy lies.
She quickly apologized to Mia: "Mommy was wrong. I won't lie to you again."
Mia giggled and then pointed at Mrs. Reed: "Grandma not angry."
Sophia's eyes instantly reddened. The issues between her and her parents were being resolved by her daughter.
She never regretted having Mia, but couldn't avoid feeling, in many moments, that she wasn't a qualified mother.
Mrs. Reed also felt awkward. After exchanging a glance with Mr. Reed, she feigned cheerfulness: "Mia, be a good girl and eat up. After dinner, Grandma will take you out to play."
After lunch, Sophia put Mia down for a nap, promising to take her out when she woke up.
After tucking Mia in, Sophia left the room to find her father waiting outside.
She was startled: "Dad? What's wrong?"
Mr. Reed looked serious: "About going to Paris—what do you really think?"
Sophia had never considered this possibility.
She couldn't possibly take Mia to Paris.
All her business and everything else was in the States. She couldn't start from zero in another country with a child.
"Your mother and I went to Paris somewhat blindly and took years to establish ourselves."
"No, it's different, Dad," Sophia refuted. "Before I was born, you already had careers in Paris. But I grew up alone here. You couldn't give up your careers for me and never considered how much I needed you."
"If I went to Paris with you now, I'd truly have nothing."
She couldn't just live off her parents with a clear conscience.
Besides, she had a daughter to raise.
Mr. Reed sighed, not knowing what else to say.
Sophia softened her tone: "How you want to live is your business. If you miss Mia, you can always come back, or I can bring her to visit you in Paris."
"You're grown up with your own ideas. We'll respect that."
Sophia followed her father to the living room, seeing Mrs. Reed watching TV on the sofa.
She cleared her throat: "Mia's nap lasts an hour and a half. If you're tired, you can also rest before going out. Otherwise, you might get drowsy later."
Only after both young and old were asleep did she begin planning the afternoon route.
There was no snow outside, but the temperature was still very low, making prolonged outdoor stays risky for catching colds.
But her parents loved being outdoors. Sophia hesitated for a few seconds before finding warmer clothes for herself and Mia.
At the riverside park, Mia ran around on the lawn, making Mr. and Mrs. Reed laugh continuously.
Sophia still felt awkward with her parents and quietly captured the warm scenes between grandparents and granddaughter with her camera.
Suddenly, Mia ran from her grandparents to Sophia, hugging her and pointing in a direction: "Mommy, Jamie."
Sophia looked over and saw Jamie being led by a woman not far away.
Ethan wasn't beside them, and the woman wasn't Victoria.
But Jamie and the woman did look somewhat similar.
Sophia's mind went blank. Hadn't Ethan married Victoria?
Or was Jamie Ethan's child with this woman?
Had Ethan cheated?