Chapter 2
The next second, that familiar, cool and distant voice came through. "I never would have guessed Sophia was Emily's sister. No wonder I always thought they looked so much alike."
The person on the other end asked, "So what are you gonna do? One is the school beauty you had a crush on back in high school, and the other is your first love, Sophia."
Adam paused and then let out a mocking laugh. "If Emily had not gone overseas for school, do you really think I would have ended up with Sophia?
"Some people just happen to look alike. As long as I keep denying it, she will eventually think she is just losing it and got the wrong guy."
His friend was shocked at how cold-hearted he could be. "But what if she figures out the truth and blows your cover?"
Adam took a slow drag from his cigarette and exhaled. "Her parents have always favored Emily. Besides, who is gonna believe anything a girl who has lost her mind says?"
Those words were ruthless. Especially coming from Adam.
Sophia bit her lip so hard it nearly drew blood, determined not to let a single sob escape. She kept listening, unable to tear herself away from the cruel truth pouring into her ears.
She had not been losing her mind after all. He had just moved on.
It turned out that he really did get caught in the mudslide. After villagers pulled him out, he ran into Emily, who happened to be out in the countryside for a photo shoot.
Right then and there, he dropped everything, including Sophia, and went all in, chasing after the girl he had always dreamed of but could never have.
Staring at the screen, Sophia felt like she could not breathe.
She lost all sense of time, just sitting there alone in her room. All she could remember was Margaret knocking impatiently on her door. "Dinner is ready. Come out already, and do not make everyone wait for you."
Sophia mumbled a reply, wiping her tears away in a messy rush.
She stared at her reflection, her eyes red and swollen at the corners, desperately piling on makeup to hide it. "Adam, I am done crying over you. From now on, I will just pretend you really are dead."
She would never again walk barefoot over gravel, her feet covered in blood, all because of him. She would never again almost get attacked by some sleazy old guy in the village while searching for him.
She promised herself never again.
At the dinner table, Emily was grinning from ear to ear.
"Sophia, you know, Mom always said you were born to suffer. I used to think she was exaggerating, but now I see she was right.
"Not everyone gets to be as lucky as me. I landed Adam, the perfect guy, and the wedding budget alone is three million dollars."
She flaunted her good fortune, making sure Sophia felt every bit of her superiority and scorn.
Sophia stayed silent, her eyes darting to Adam out of the corner of her eye.
She remembered Adam's parents had left him a fortune. Exactly three million dollars.
He once told her that was his promise to marry her. But now, it was clear those were just empty words to string her along.
Adam looked totally relaxed, cracking crab for Emily even though he was allergic to it.
He had never once cracked any for Sophia when they were together. His allergy apparently did not matter when it was for someone he actually wanted.
David suddenly put down his fork, frowning as he scolded her.
"If you can't get married, we will be the laughingstock of the whole family! Your mom and I talked it over. As long as you give Emily a generous wedding gift, the relatives will not have anything to gossip about."
What he really meant was that she had to cough up real cash to help make Emily's marriage look good.
If this had been before, she would have refused without a second thought. She had never wanted to be the one everyone bled dry in her family. But now, she agreed.
She remembered the hospital papers from her miscarriage, which she had hidden away in her relationship diary. At Emily's wedding next month, she would use the memory of the child they lost to bless her happiness.
She lowered her head, her heart twisted with irony. So that was what it was like to choke down tears with every bite. It was bitter.