I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 76

Both Luke and Sophie snapped their heads toward the sound.

"Mom," Sophie called out softly. She shoved Luke hard in the chest and ran to Sarah Sullivan.

Sarah was clutching a rolling pin in one hand and pointing the other straight at Luke. "Who are you, and what are you trying to do to my daughter?!"

"Ma'am," Luke mumbled respectfully, utterly at a loss for how to explain the situation.

"Mom, let's go inside."

Seeing her mother's outstretched finger shaking with absolute rage, Sophie suddenly remembered a day from years ago. A strange man had stared at Sarah a little too long, and her mother had chased him out of the house with a broom.

Her mother had always been the one to stand fiercely in front of her when danger called.

Sarah pulled Sophie behind her, glaring daggers at Luke.

"If you ever harass my daughter again, I'll fight you to my last dying breath!"

"Ma'am, I never wanted to hurt her."

Luke looked past Sarah to Sophie. He had an endless amount of things to say, but the situation had completely spiraled out of control.

"Get the hell out! Leave right now or I'm calling the cops!"

Sarah swung the rolling pin in the air as a final warning.

By now, the courtyard was filling up with people—elderly folks taking their morning walks, students rushing to school. All of them cast judgmental glances their way.

Sophie felt utterly humiliated, but more than that, she was terrified the stress would make her mother sick. Stomping her foot in frustration, she yelled at Luke, "Just go!"

Watching Luke retreat with blazing eyes, Sarah grabbed her daughter's arm and hauled her inside.

"Is that the guy?"

"Yeah." Sophie slumped onto the couch in total exhaustion.

"Who exactly were you with last night? Sophie, you can't be doing stupid things. Gavin is so good to you," Sarah scolded anxiously.

After her daughter had called last night and immediately turned off her phone, Sarah hadn't slept a wink.

She had been so strict about Sophie's boundaries, hoping to keep everything entirely proper until she and Gavin were married. This kind of reckless behavior was unacceptable to her.

When she had looked out the window and seen Sophie wrestling with some man, and then saw him force a kiss on her, she couldn't take it. No one was allowed to lay a finger on her precious daughter.

"Mom, I was with Gavin last night. I just ran into that guy this morning. I promise I'll explain everything tonight, okay? I'm just so tired right now."

"Eileen has been spoiled since childhood. She can be willful, and what she did was terribly impulsive. But she isn't malicious at heart. She can't handle extreme stress, and she definitely can't take this kind of pressure. I'm here as a father, begging you not to make things harder for her."

"I already told your people yesterday. When you make a mistake, you pay the price. The law demands she serve her time, and that's exactly what should happen."

Faced with Sophie's unwavering stubbornness, Harold sighed and shook his head.

"Is this because of Luke? Young men naturally have wandering eyes. He is exceptional, and it's no surprise girls are drawn to him. You certainly aren't the first to throw herself at him over the years. But he and Eileen grew up together. Twenty years of history isn't something you can easily sever."

"It has nothing to do with him. He and I are completely over," Sophie retorted, her temper flaring.

"The young man beside you last night seems to treat you very well. Don't throw that away." Harold sighed again. "My daughter is incredibly stubborn; she only has eyes for Luke. But you're different. You have options. There's no need to hang yourself on a single tree."

"My personal life is none of your concern. No matter what you say, I'm not signing that document," Sophie reiterated firmly. "Right and wrong must be judged fairly."

Harold chuckled softly. "In the real world, the standards of justice aren't measured by simple right and wrong."

Sophie met his gaze. "So, what measures it? Power? Because you're powerful, even if your family commits a crime, I'm just supposed to swallow it and count myself unlucky?"

"Smart people know when to yield," Harold replied, looking completely unfazed. "If you sign the waiver, I guarantee you'll be your company's top sales rep next year. Or, I can just write you a check right now. Name your price."

Sophie stared at him for a long, quiet moment. Finally, she let out a cold scoff, stood up, and walked out without another word.