After I Stopped Loving Him novel Chapter 584

The whole Adams family knew Isabella was opening her new shop today. So far, the only one who had shown up was Ethan. Honestly, Isabella never expected the rest of them to come support her anyway. Jennifer had always tried to stop her from working, and now that she and Ethan were getting divorced, she cared even less about what the Adams family thought.

Sophia had come without telling anyone. The moment she stepped out of her car and saw how busy both of Isabella’s shops were, her face fell. She lifted her chin, wore her best “don’t mess with me” expression, and marched right over.

“Well, look at this crowd. You must’ve spent a fortune hiring all these people to pretend to be customers,” Sophia sneered, her voice ringing out for everyone to hear.

“Sophia? What are you doing here?” Ethan was nearby, helping Isabella greet guests. The second he heard Sophia’s voice, his own face darkened.

“Ethan?” Sophia hadn’t expected to see him. She frowned and said, “Don’t you have anything better to do? Why are you even here? You two are getting divorced, and you’re still here, playing the helpful husband?”

To her, it looked like Ethan was just begging to be rejected, and the thought made her angry. Why should Isabella get any attention? Did she even deserve it?

In the Adams family, women were supposed to stick to the rules—be good wives, stay out of the spotlight, and definitely not run their own businesses. Her mother and aunts all followed those traditions, but Isabella just wouldn’t play along.

Now, every time her mom went out, people would gossip about Isabella’s new shop. Jennifer would come home furious, complaining about Isabella being ungrateful, and about everyone else being nosy and rude. Sophia thought her mom should’ve just sent Isabella to their aunt’s place to learn some proper manners.

“Sophia!” Ethan’s voice was sharp and serious, and Sophia immediately clammed up.

Isabella’s two shops—a bookstore and a coffee shop—were connected. Sophia went into the bookstore first. It was even busier than the café, full of parents bringing their kids to browse.

The place had a cozy, studious vibe. Shelves were packed with books, and there were long, soft couches in front where people could sit and read. Even though it was crowded, the bookstore was peaceful. Everyone was lost in their books, talking quietly, handling the pages gently.

Sophia wandered over to a shelf and grabbed a book, pretending to read. She couldn’t care less about any of it. After aimlessly flipping through a couple pages, she snapped the book shut, then—almost like she wanted everyone to see—she tore a page right out.

The ripping sound made everyone look up. Sophia acted like nothing happened, then moved on to a stack of shrink-wrapped books. She tore off the wrapping, flipped through a few more pages, and “accidentally” ripped another.