After leaving the Italian restaurant, Sophie saw that it was getting late, so instead of returning to C&C, she went straight to the hospital. Her mother had been transferred from the ICU to a regular ward yesterday. She had overheard Uncle Jonathan discussing with Dr. William the possibility of moving her mother to the United States for treatment, but it had been refused—her mother's body was still far too weak to withstand a long-distance journey. They would only reconsider once her condition stabilized and all her vital signs were balanced.
For now, the idea of transferring to America was put on hold.
Uncle Jonathan had then arranged a VIP single room for her mother. At the moment, she was still sleeping peacefully.
Sophie stared fixedly at her mother's sleeping face, a thousand emotions surging in her heart. There were so many things she desperately wanted to ask:
Mom, were you really the third party who destroyed someone else's family?
Mom, am I… your daughter with Uncle Jonathan?
Mom, does that mean I can never date Ned again?
Mom, is this the reason you never wanted to return to New York?
Mom…?
Countless questions swirled in her mind, yet she couldn't—and didn't dare—voice a single one. She was terrified of upsetting her mother again. What if something happened to her because of it? What would she do then?
Silent tears spilled from her eyes, falling drop by drop onto the back of her mother's hand. Flustered, Sophie grabbed a soft towel to gently wipe them away, but her mother suddenly grasped her hand tightly.
"My darling daughter, don't cry. Mommy will get better," her mother said, assuming Sophie was worried about her illness. Her voice was soft and trembling as she tried to comfort her.
"Mom… we shouldn't have come to New York," Sophie choked out, biting back the words she truly wanted to say.
Sarah quickly realized her daughter wasn't crying because of her health. She spoke faintly, "A long time ago, I warned you—stay away from rich people, and never get involved with them romantically. Why wouldn't you listen to me?"
Even though her mother's voice was weak, Sophie could still feel the anger behind it.
"I… I didn't!" Sophie protested in a small voice.
"That boy who came to confess his feelings downstairs the other day—he's from an aristocratic family, isn't he?"
Sophie nodded, unable to deny it.
"So now you're dating Jonathan's son." Her mother said it as a flat statement, not a question.
Sophie had never seen her mother look at her with such stern, piercing eyes. She couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal and could only nod.
"Oh, my daughter…" Sarah sighed heavily. "I told you long ago: our worlds are poles apart from theirs. Give it up. There will be better boys in the future…"
Before her mother could finish, Sophie blurted out, "Is it because Ned and I are half-siblings?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Sophie slapped both hands over her lips, staring at her mother in horror.
A string of tears slid from the corners of Sarah's eyes. "So… you already know." She suddenly coughed several times.
Sophie panicked. "Mom, if you don't want to talk about it, don't. Please don't say anything. I know what I have to do. I'll break up with him myself."
"No… cough, cough… let me finish," her mother said, stopping her with effort. "Sophie… the truth is, you are not my biological daughter. You're adopted."
After saying that, Sarah panted heavily, utterly exhausted.
Upon hearing those words, Sophie felt as though a mountain had been lifted from her chest. She was overwhelmed with relief, yet at the same time crushed by sorrow.
She didn't know whether to cry or to laugh.
Cry—because1234567890 because for twenty years, her mother had never told her this secret; she was only an adopted child.
Strictly speaking, she was an orphan.
Laugh—because she didn't have to break up with Ned after all. That absurd fear of "incest" had never existed.
And yet… the truth also meant her mother really had been the third party who destroyed someone else's family. Which meant Sophie could probably never walk through the doors of Ned's home as his bride…
The two of them fell into silence, neither knowing how to face the other from this moment onward.
In the end, it was her mother who spoke first.
"Even though you're not my biological daughter, I raised you for twenty years. I truly hope you'll take my advice to heart: stay far away from aristocratic families and the rich. Their love is never sincere. In the end, you'll only be hurt beyond recognition."
Tears welled in Sarah's eyes as she struggled to finish her last sentence: "Don't walk the same path I did. I don't want you to suffer that kind of pain, my child!"
With that, she dissolved into quiet sobs, unable to calm herself for a long time.
Seeing her mother's emotions spiraling, Sophie instinctively reached out to gently rub her chest. "Mom, I understand everything you're saying. But I really want to try. I love Ned—not because of his family background, not because he's handsome and charming, but simply because he has a soul that completely captivates me."
"In my heart, I hope you can support me. After all, the thing you couldn't accomplish… I want to try. Ned and I truly love each other. I believe we can be together forever." A glow of hopeful happiness rose to Sophie's face.
"You've really grown up," her mother sighed deeply. "I've said all I can, yet you still won't turn back. Alas…"
Sarah stared intently at Sophie, her lips parting as if she wanted to say more, then closing again.
"You said yourself that I'm adopted, which means there's absolutely no blood relation between Ned and me. So why can't we date? Why can't we be together? Free love has been accepted for decades. Isn't it right to pursue your own happiness?"
"Status, position, money—those are just accessories to life. Isn't a rich spiritual life far nobler than material comfort?"
Sophie kept trying to persuade her mother to stand on her side, hoping for her blessing.
But Sarah only looked more and more helpless, shaking her head slowly as she listened…
After a while, she turned her face away, slowly pulled the blanket up, lay back down, and closed her eyes, no longer responding.
Thinking her mother was exhausted and had fallen asleep, Sophie tidied up the scattered items and trash in the room, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and quietly left.
Unbeknownst to her, Sarah had been staring at her retreating back the entire time. She murmured under her breath, voice trembling:
"I hope you two never do something irreversible… Half-siblings by the same father—this is retribution."