Stella Sutton had already walked up to Julian Sterling. Looking poised and natural, as if she had more of a right to stand beside him than Sophie Winslow, she said, "I’m hungry. Let’s find a restaurant first."
Julian retracted his gaze. He didn’t pay much attention to what the mother had just said. After all, he knew perfectly well that Sophie had never had a child. The most interaction she ever had with kids would be her emergency room patients.
"Okay." Julian’s cold, deep peripheral vision swept over Sophie without a single ripple of emotion. He then politely opened the car door for Stella.
Every move the two made drew attention, with onlookers deeply envious that Stella could be so meticulously cared for by Mr. Sterling. The group left in a grand procession.
Sophie, however, let out a massive sigh of relief. She couldn’t even bring herself to care about Julian and Stella’s conspicuous display. All that remained within her was a bone-chilling tension. Of course she was tense. Lydia’s existence had nearly been exposed, but thankfully, Julian hadn’t grown suspicious.
In these final three months, she didn’t dare lower her guard for a single second. As long as the three months passed and she safely obtained the divorce certificate, it wouldn’t matter even if Julian found out about Lydia. She had to ensure this divorce went smoothly. The divorce agreement had been signed long ago, and while there weren’t any major issues, there was still a risk. Lowering her eyes in deep thought, Sophie felt it was necessary to make a few more contingency plans regarding Lydia.
After safely seeing the mother and child off in the ambulance, Peter Preston also came out.
"What happened just now?" Peter asked. To avoid reporters, he specifically pulled Sophie along to sneak away through the car doors.
Sophie didn’t mention Julian and Stella. She simply gave a brief summary about saving a child.
Peter found it quite amusing. "If they knew the person who saved their child’s life was the developer behind the living encyclopedia of ancient medical prescriptions for Digital Chinese Medicine, they’d think they hit the jackpot."
Sophie shrugged with a smile. "That’s ancient history."
Peter reached out and lightly flicked the top of Sophie’s head. "You single-handedly took Helios public. So many people are dying to meet you, and you’re the sole successor to the national medical grandmaster, Teacher Caldwell. You’re the truly humble one here, okay?"
Although he was born into a prominent medical family, he knew his own talents couldn’t compare to Sophie’s. Even Teacher Caldwell had said it: a prodigy like Sophie was a once-in-a-century rarity. Ordinary people could never catch up.
Sophie blinked and simply dropped the subject, not wanting to strike a nerve with her overwhelming excellence.
"Report to the company on Monday. We’re going through some restructuring, but your position has always been kept open for you. After the new year, you’ll lead the team on the new smart pharmaceutical project," Peter said, in an excellent mood now that Sophie was returning to take the helm.
Sophie looked at him strangely. "Are you really that happy?"
"Of course." Peter raised an eyebrow. "Do you know what I’ve been praying for every single day over the past few years? Praying for you to get a divorce, obviously. After five years of my tireless efforts, it’s finally happening."
"..." She knew it. Ivy Hawthorne had a big mouth and had spilled the beans about the divorce to Peter ages ago.
"When is Lydia coming to Kingsford?" Peter asked.
Back when Sophie gave birth to Lydia, she had done so at the Preston Family’s affiliated hospital in Linden. The confidentiality was airtight, leaving the Sterling Family entirely in the dark.
"Next month. She’s coming over with my teacher."
Although little Lydia had grown up without her biological father’s love, she was surrounded by people who adored her. Back then, it was all thanks to that man who helped give Lydia a legitimate and unquestionable surname and identity. Later, Teacher Caldwell often took care of Lydia, treating her exactly like his own granddaughter. Sophie always felt that Lydia was a child who never lacked love. She didn’t think Julian, as a father, was all that important.
"Have you sorted out a kindergarten?"
"I’m looking into it now. It should be settled before the new year." Thinking of her beautiful vision for the future, Sophie’s lips curled up.
Her new life was getting on track. She loved everything about her current situation. She was no longer someone who had to wait for others to dole out a bit of warmth and salvation just to survive. Relying on someone else meant that any sudden change would completely tear her apart. In this world, the only savior she had was herself.
Peter was still a little worried. "There shouldn’t be any issues with the Sterling Family, right?" Especially with a man like Julian. No matter how poor his relationship with Sophie was, if he knew he had a daughter, there was no telling what kind of conflict would ensue. Prominent families always placed great importance on heirs.
Sophie understood Peter’s concerns. "Don’t worry. Julian and I signed the divorce agreement almost seven years ago. He just didn’t realize he signed it back then. The divorce is set in stone. Besides, Lydia’s surname is Hawthorne. The Hawthorne Family is completely free from the Sterling Family’s control."
This was also one of the reasons she had agreed to that man’s proposal to place Lydia under his name.
Thinking of that particular man in the Hawthorne Family, Peter finally let out a soft chuckle. "True. Once you get the divorce certificate, there will be no turning back for Julian."
***
After having a meal with Peter, Sophie went out alone to look into several good kindergartens in Kingsford.
As the sun set in the west, Sophie drove away from one of the schools. She stopped at a red light at an intersection in a commercial district. Glancing outside casually, her gaze instantly froze.
A Bentley had pulled up. A man and a woman stepped out, both turning back simultaneously to reach into the car. A little boy, about five or six years old, grabbed their hands and happily hopped down. Julian’s usually unfeeling brow was tinged with a hint of gentleness. Stella smiled at him, and the three of them walked into the mall together. It looked exactly like a portrait of a happy, harmonious family of three.
Sophie unconsciously gripped the steering wheel tight. The ridiculous part was that she used to constantly fantasize about such a happy scene with Julian and Lydia. It was these beliefs that they were "about to" or "soon going to" be happy that sustained her through year after year of a barren marriage and relationship. Yet, just as her feelings had been worn down to their very end, she was witnessing firsthand how easily Julian gave what she had longed for all those years to Stella and a child completely unrelated to him.
Sophie shook her head and chuckled softly, finding it rarely ironic. She had always known that Stella had two younger brothers—one who had just started college, and another who was quite young. The boy before her looked to be about five or six. She just hadn’t expected Julian to extend his affection to this extent. Not only was he accompanying Stella on a shopping date, but he was also meticulously helping look after her little brother.
Julian had always been swamped with work. In the past, let alone accompanying her shopping or watching movies, he rarely even had a meal with her. Not to mention giving her gifts on holidays or coaxing her to make her happy. Now, she finally understood. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to manage a marital relationship. He simply didn’t want to waste time on her. His patience and attentiveness were just never meant for her.
What surprised her even more was that Julian actually seemed to like children—
DING DONG, DING DONG.
Her phone rang incessantly. Blinking her dry eyes, she finally glanced at the screen. It was a massive group chat containing all the prominent second-generation heirs in Kingsford. With so many members, she had never spoken a word since joining.
Someone had sent a few photos. Shockingly, they were of Julian and Stella taking her brother shopping.
[So Mr. Sterling’s unforgettable first love is really Stella Sutton? That unacknowledged Mrs. Sterling in the Sterling Family will probably have to step aside now, right?]
[That kid looks quite a bit like Miss Sutton. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was hers.]
[Don’t talk nonsense, that child is Stella’s biological little brother. I’ve even seen Mr. Sterling personally buying children’s products for him. He was picking things out so carefully, he’s probably already learning how to be a dad.]
[I’m so jealous of Stella. If Mr. Sterling has kids in the future, he’ll definitely be a great dad.]
Everyone shared a tacit understanding, as if no one remembered that Julian was already married. They silently ignored her, the Mrs. Sterling who had never been valued, and enthusiastically broadcasted their blessings for her husband’s new romance. She seemed destined to remain an outsider, helplessly watching these absurd scenes unfold.
The light turned green. A car behind her honked.
Sophie’s eyes shifted slightly. She only felt thankful. Thankful that she had kept Lydia Hawthorne completely hidden all this time. A father like him—her daughter didn’t need him!
Exhaling softly, she turned off her phone screen and drove forward without looking back. She wished Julian got everything he wanted. And she rejoiced that she, too, was gaining a new lease on life.
Before she even returned to her neighborhood, Sophie received a distress call. It was a harsh, furious interrogation from the Sterling Family’s ancestral estate.
"Sophie Winslow! How dare you!"