I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 140

He said it so casually, as if their future together was an undeniable certainty, but he hadn't officially proposed yet.

The ring she had been waiting for hadn't made an appearance.

Gavin's pancakes turned out quite well; they were a beautiful golden brown and slightly crispier because he used a bit more oil than she usually did. The shape was the only thing lacking.

"These are delicious," Sophie praised.

"My parents are coming over for the Midsummer Holiday, and my grandmother is joining them."

Gavin mentioned it so casually, but Sophie still froze. She held a bite of pancake in her mouth, too stunned to chew.

"Nervous?" Gavin chuckled.

"The Midsummer Holiday lines up perfectly with the end of the college entrance exams. My dad always matches the students' schedules a month prior. He's almost sixty, and staying up that late takes a toll on him. He's been incredibly tense, so my mom is bringing him out for a vacation, and they figured they'd visit us while they're at it."

"Then... we definitely need to take them out to dinner. And my mom is supposed to meet your parents too, right?"

"Yeah, my parents want to formally meet Sarah."

Gavin's tone remained as warm and gentle as ever.

"Gavin..." Sophie suddenly looked up, calling his name before hesitating.

"What's wrong? You've already met my parents. They aren't overbearing people, and they respect Sarah. You have nothing to worry about."

"It's... it's about a lie I told you before."

Sophie looked at Gavin, her hands twisting nervously in her lap.

Gavin quietly held her gaze, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"I really don't want to bring him up. When I was little, I desperately wanted a dad, but now I wish he really was dead. Because of him, my mom ended up resenting me too. I'm the reason she's had to suffer so much all these years."

Sophie's tears flowed like a broken dam. She pressed her face against his stomach, finding immense security in his body heat and solid muscles.

"I started doing chores for my mom when I was really young. Whenever matchmakers came over, I would eagerly serve them and offer up all the candies I saved from the holidays. I just wanted them to like me, to prove I wasn't a burden."

"As I grew older, I studied relentlessly, trying to be the perfect child. I would show off every certificate I earned to prove I was obedient, that I wouldn't cause trouble, and that I wouldn't drag my mom down."

"When I was young, my mom worried that people would treat me badly. As I got older, she worried men would take advantage of me. She dragged this heavy weight for years, all the way to the present. It was me—me and that man—who ruined her life."

Sophie choked out the words between heartbreaking sobs. She had buried these feelings deep inside for so long. She had never found the chance to confide in anyone, not even her own mother.

"Sophie, none of this is your fault. Your mom might have made a poor choice back then, but you are completely blameless. She made the decision to stay single for her own reasons. Don't pin the blame on yourself."

Sophie's tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks. Her agonizing sobs tore at the heart... as if this was the only way to release thirty years of suffocating grief and injustice.