I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 7

Sarah Sullivan usually ran her life like clockwork.

A brisk morning jog in the park, breakfast, tidying up their small apartment, taking a short rest, and then heading out to cook and clean for her elderly client. A quick break in the afternoon, followed by picking up her second employer's child, cleaning their house, and making dinner.

Previously, she had eaten lunch and dinner at her respective employers' homes.

Now, with Sophie recovering, she had to prepare lunch before rushing out the door in the morning, and do the same for dinner in the afternoon. Her schedule was infinitely more exhausting.

When she finally dragged herself home at night, she would collapse onto the sofa, unable to move for hours.

Sophie felt consumed by guilt. She was twenty-nine, and aside from wiring a monthly check, she hadn't done a single thing to ease her mother's burden. And now, she had become an anchor dragging her down again.

"Don't apologize. You're my daughter. I insisted on bringing you into this world, so it's my job to take care of you. You're the only real family I have left."

"Mom, did you ever reach out to Grandma and Grandpa?" Sophie asked cautiously.

"Your grandfather passed away from a heart attack during your junior year of college. Your grandmother died the same way last year."

Sarah's head dropped, her posture radiating defeat.

Her parents had both died of heart failure. Her brother had blamed her for everything, saying her stubbornness and rebellion had put them in an early grave.

Even in death, Sarah's daughter—the child they branded a disgrace—was banned from standing at the edge of the cemetery, unacknowledged, unable to even pay her respects.

Sophie didn't press for details, but she could easily picture the scene.

She knew exactly how intensely her mother must have blamed herself.

To spare Sophie the pain, Sarah had swallowed the entire ordeal, never uttering a single word of her grief.

She didn't even have a friend to vent to.

Neither of them was good at socializing. Or perhaps they had just intentionally walled themselves off from the world. They had no circle, living isolated, quiet lives.

During college, Sophie had genuinely wanted to break out of her shell, to have a solid group of friends and enjoy the classic college experience.

But she was always drowning in work. Between tuition and living expenses, every second not spent in lectures or sleeping was spent hustling—tutoring, running promo gigs, working part-time.

She didn't have the luxury of grabbing coffee and gossiping, let alone maintaining actual friendships.

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