I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 96

Yes, she couldn't say a word. Whenever she tried to talk about her grievances, her mother would cry even harder than she did.

She still remembered when she was five or six years old, she had asked her mother why she didn't have a dad, and if her dad had left because he didn't like her. Through gritted teeth, her mother had told her that her father was dead.

But in the middle of the night, she heard muffled, agonizing sobs. It was her mother, biting down on the blanket, her entire body trembling as she fought to keep her wails silent.

Sophie had woken up, but she didn't dare to speak or move. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the painful moment to pass.

The next morning, when her mother got up early to make breakfast, Sophie reached out and touched her mother's side of the blanket. It was soaked through—drenched in her mother's tears.

She didn't know if those tears were born out of hatred or regret.

She only knew that her very existence had completely destroyed her mother's life.

Occasionally, she would overhear the neighbors gossiping, saying that her mother couldn't remarry because she was dragging a child around.

When she was little, her mother refused to remarry out of fear that a new husband would treat Sophie poorly or resent her. When Sophie grew up, her mother refused to marry because of the inappropriate ways those men would look at her daughter.

These, she had never asked her mother.

She was terrified her mother might actually say, "It's all because of you that my life has been so miserable."

The questions she couldn't bring herself to ask as a child no longer mattered to her now. She was no longer obsessed with finding the answers.

Harold demanding the paternity test was already the ultimate humiliation to her mother.

For the rest of her life, she would take incredibly good care of her mother. Regardless of whether her mother regretted giving birth to her, she had given her life and poured her entire soul into raising her.

When Sophie stepped out of her room, Gavin was already waiting outside the door.

She flashed Gavin a bright smile, acting as if absolutely nothing had happened the night before. Instead, Gavin tilted her chin up, studying her intently, trying to look past the smile to the hidden sorrow in her eyes.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. It's barely morning and you two are already locked in an endless, deeply romantic stare."

Gwen strolled past Gavin, dramatically shaking off imaginary goosebumps. Being force-fed their romance first thing in the morning made her want to go find Mia instead.

For this trip, Gwen had worn a glaringly sparkly t-shirt with a massive cartoon character made entirely of sequins on the front. Sophie had joked that the shirt was just as blinding as Gwen's personality.

But Mia adored it. She kept reaching out to touch the sequins, endlessly praising how pretty it was.

Gwen's vanity was fully satisfied by Mia's adoration, and she promised to buy the little girl a glittery princess dress for Children's Day.

She would rather force a smile while she was hurting, saving all her sorrow and tears for when she was completely alone.

Gavin looked down to review the photos on his phone. Sophie walked over. "What are you looking at?"

"Looking at your smile, and wondering when I'll finally get to see you smile with pure, unbridled joy."

Sophie looked at the photos on the screen, then looked up at Gavin. "Does my smile look forced?"

"Sophie, when you don't want to smile, you don't have to force yourself. When you want to cry, let it out completely. When you want to laugh, laugh as loud as you want. Every single emotion you feel is valid."

Sophie stared blankly at Gavin.

Luke had always told her he loved seeing her smile. So, even when she was so overwhelmed with grievances that she wanted to break down, she would always force a bright smile whenever she faced him.

Gavin praised her smile as beautiful, but he never demanded that she present a specific version of herself to him. He respected every single one of her emotions.

"When you look at me like that, I really can't stop myself from wanting to kiss you."

Before the words had even fully left his mouth, Gavin pulled Sophie into his arms and pressed his lips against hers.