I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 1

It was six o'clock. Sophie Sullivan lifted her gaze and checked her wristwatch. The office was entirely empty. Luke Lawrence had been gone all afternoon, and he hadn't bothered to call. It seemed he wasn't coming back.

She packed her belongings and walked out of the desolate office suite.

A light drizzle fell outside. Without an umbrella, Sophie wandered the slick streets alone. Luke had undoubtedly forgotten her birthday, and a chilling numbness slowly crept into her heart.

Counting to the twenty-ninth streetlight, Sophie came to a halt. A bakery window displaying an array of exquisite, colorful cakes caught her attention. She picked out a small, heart-shaped one for herself. Holding it in the palm of her hand, a thin mist gathered in her eyes, spilling over as two crystalline tears.

She was twenty-nine today. Ever since she graduated at twenty-two and joined Lawrence & Co., she had learned to completely erase her own needs. Luke despised feeling emotionally restrained, so she had never made their relationship public. Not even her mother knew.

They had lived together for seven years, yet their relationship remained a fiercely guarded secret.

Whenever she caught Luke flirting with other women, she would simply turn her head away, convincing herself that once he had his fill of playing the field, he would always come back to her.

But today, she was twenty-nine. She didn't have much youth left to squander. Sophie found herself desperately craving the warmth of a real home. It terrified her—Luke could be right next to her, yet her heart was still drowning in isolation.

Could Luke ever actually offer her marriage?

"Oh, sorry! My bad, I'm so sorry."

The cake slipped from her hands and splattered into a puddle. Sophie stared at the young man apologizing profusely in front of her. His clear, innocent eyes stung hers.

Sophie didn't say a word. She had no energy to entertain a stranger's apology. Her heart was already shattered; she didn't have a shred of grief left to spare for the fate of a small cake.

The neon lights reflecting off the wet pavement looked mesmerizing. Sophie weaved through the shadowy reflections, dreading the thought of going home. She was terrified of that deafening silence where she could hear her own blood pumping in her veins.

"Your clothes are soaked." The young man had returned. He held an umbrella over her head and handed her a new box. "To replace yours. Please, I insist."

Sophie's tears suddenly broke free, spilling down her cheeks.

Luke hated seeing women cry. Around him, she had trained herself to smile constantly, pretending she had never experienced a single moment of sorrow.

But she was so incredibly tired. She was carrying so much grievance, so many unshed tears, and she simply couldn't keep the floodgates closed anymore. She let them fall.

"Let me walk you home. It's not safe for a girl to be out alone like this."

The boy standing before her looked fresh out of college, his head clearly filled with chivalrous ideals.

Sophie smiled bitterly to herself, realizing she had almost forgotten she was a woman. During her time with Luke, she had never enjoyed the privilege of being treated delicately. She was so used to taking care of him that she ignored how desperately she longed to be taken care of.

Remaining silent, she quietly let the boy take her hand and lead the way. For a fleeting second, it felt like she was back on campus, a young girl being spoiled by a sweet boyfriend.

She was twenty-nine. Wasn't it time she started thinking about herself?

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