I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 101

The next morning at breakfast, Sophie Sullivan carefully observed her mother. Sarah looked perfectly normal, though her eyelids were slightly swollen.

A wave of guilt washed over Sophie. She knew she had crossed a line last night; that man had been a forbidden topic between them for decades, yet she hadn't been able to suppress her curiosity.

How had her mother spent the night? Had she cried silently into her pillow, just like she used to?

The thought made Sophie genuinely wish that man was dead. Knowing he was living a wonderful life only made the injustice of her mother's suffering sting harder.

A high school diploma was a big deal back then. If it hadn't been for his betrayal, and if she hadn't gotten pregnant and been forced to leave her hometown, Sarah could have landed a great job and lived a much better life.

"What are you spacing out for? Finish eating and get to work."

Sarah's voice broke her train of thought.

Her tone carried the same strict edge she used to have years ago, back when she hurried Sophie out the door for school every morning.

Sophie blinked, quickly finished her cereal, and reached out to give her mother a hug. Sarah visibly stiffened, awkwardly turning her face away.

"I'm heading to work, Mom. Try to have a good day."

"Hurry up, Gavin is waiting," Sarah said, pushing her away with a forced casualness.

By the time Sophie reached the parking lot, Gavin Gilmore was already waiting in his car.

As usual, he stepped out to pull her into a warm embrace before opening the passenger door for her.

"I tried to hug my mom this morning, but she wasn't used to it. She pushed me away."

Sophie pouted as she settled into her seat. She loved physical affection. Back in elementary school, she used to watch enviously as other mothers wrapped their kids in big, loving hugs at the pickup line.

But for as long as she could remember, Sarah rarely showed her that kind of warmth. Was it because she carried that man's blood in her veins?

"Everyone expresses love differently. She adores you, she just doesn't know how to show it."

But she hadn't expected his mother to be such a fun character.

"How exactly did she win your dad over?" Sophie asked, genuinely curious.

"He was her high school chemistry teacher. He had just graduated from college and was assigned to her grade. On her first exam, she scored abysmally low, so he called her into his office and lectured her for the entire recess."

"At first, she was furious. She retaliated by drawing ugly caricatures of him in her notebooks, sneaking snacks during his lectures... basically fighting him at every turn. She quickly became the freshman with the highest number of office visits."

"She was fully expecting him to blow a gasket, but instead, he just patiently tutored her. He even held her and a few other struggling students back after school for extra help."

"They bickered like that for a whole year. But instead of driving him crazy, she ended up falling for him. By her sophomore year, she made him promise not to date anyone else and to wait until she got into college so they could be together. And surprisingly, he agreed."

"The moment she got her acceptance letter, she marched into his classroom and demanded he keep his word. He flat-out refused, claiming he only agreed to motivate her to study, and told her to focus on her college life. She was so mad she burst into tears right then and there."

"Once college started, a lot of his former students wrote him letters to update him. My mom was the only one from that study group who gave him the silent treatment. During her first winter break, she visited every single one of her old high school teachers—except him."