Even though it was not snowing that day, it was still very windy. Therefore, Sophia did not stay in the cemetery for long. She drove away after finishing eating her beef pie.
The streets were cold and empty. Sophia’s white rental car moved slowly on the road like a turtle.
After parking the car, she received a call from Katherine.
Glancing at the gloomy sky outside, Sophia retracted her hand from the door handle. “Aren’t you supposed to be enjoying some private time with Joshua?”
Why does she keep calling me? Isn’t she afraid that Joshua might get jealous?
Katherine snorted on the other end of the phone. “Soph, don’t you know that you’re my true love? Look, the weather is bad today. I’m worried that you might be freezing outside. Do you want to come over to our house for a meal?”
Laughing, Sophia teased, “If I say no, would you think I’m being ungrateful?”
Katherine began to sob exaggeratedly. “Can you bear to see me so heartbroken?”
“To be honest, I can.”
However…
She continued, “You know what? I haven’t thought about what to eat for dinner later tonight. Since you’re offering so kindly, I’ll go to your house later.”
Katherine decided to play along, “Okay. President Yarrow, this humble servant will have to go first so she can prepare a delicious meal for you.”
“Go ahead.”
After hanging up, Sophia stared at the steering wheel in front of her. Forget about it. I’ll return the car after dinner.
Rolling down the window slightly, Sophia sat inside the car in a daze. She waited until around three o’clock in the afternoon before driving to Katherine’s place.
Katherine and Joshua were a nostalgic couple. The house they bought was near their previous residence. The property was located far from the city center, so it took Sophia nearly an hour to get to their residential area.
The sky was already starting to darken by four o’clock. Sophia parked the car and paid the fees. Then, she gathered her coat and walked toward Katherine and Joshua’s residential area.
Sophia was very familiar with this area. Memories of the past came flooding back. When her parents had an accident many years ago, it happened on the road across their home.
When Sophia learned of the accident from the neighbors, she was in the middle of an afternoon nap. Despite the chilling weather, she ran out wearing pajamas. One of her shoes fell off when she darted downstairs. However, she could not feel a trace of the bitter cold upon arriving at the chaotic scene.
The only feeling she had at that moment was trepidation.
Alas, Sophia could not change the past. She had to face her fear alone while sitting outside the funeral parlor. Then, she watched her parents being cremated one by one.
The nosy neighbors occasionally inquired about how much she received from her parents’ insurance. Their words were laced with envy when they found out the insurance company had compensated more than a million.
Sophia relied on that money to make her fortune later. However, if she could turn back the clock and choose again, she would rather not have the accident and the subsequent compensation. That way, she would not end up without a family in the future.
The streets were relatively quiet during the New Year. The security guard in the residential area was not as strict as usual. Just when Sophia was about to ask for the registration form, the guard merely waved his hand and let her enter the premise.
“Hi, beautiful! Which family are you from? Why haven’t I seen you around before?”
Seeing such a stunning young woman, the security guard could not help wondering which family Sophia came from.
Sophia smiled and answered, “I don’t live here. I’m here for my friends. They live in the eleventh unit of Building C.”
“Oh, that young couple! They’re good-looking people too, just like the celebrities on TV. My daughter was right. Birds of a feather do flock together. Happy New Year, miss! Here’s a monetary gift for you even though it’s not much.”
Sophia froze for a moment. Since the death of her parents, she had not received any monetary gifts from elders for nearly ten years.
Unsurprisingly, she was stunned when a security guard she had never met before gave her a gift.
Feeling touched, Sophia accepted the monetary gift. Then, she took out a VIP keycard for Skye Hotel from her bag. “Happy New Year, kind sir! I won this from the company’s lucky draw. They gave me several of these keycards. You should take this and invite your friends to Skye Hotel.”
“Miss, I can’t accept such a gift! It’s too much. You should keep it for yourself. You can give it to your friends. Ask them to come over and enjoy the beautiful scenery in Coldbridge!” the guard suggested.
The corners of Sophia’s lips curved into a faint smile. She directly placed the keycard on the chair in front of the security guard. “Don’t worry, sir. I have lots of them. I don’t want it to go to waste.”
“Ah, I-”
Without saying anything further, Sophia put the monetary gift into her bag and walked inside the residential area.
Building C was located on the southern side of the residential area. Hence, she had to walk for a while.
It was windy in the evening. Sophia pulled up her scarf to shelter herself from the frigid wind. As she turned around a corner, an old woman suddenly called out, “Is that you, Sophia?”
The woman in front of her was no stranger. Sophia’s family had been neighbors with her for eighteen years. Despite not seeing each other for nearly ten years, Sophia recognized her at once.
Sophia paused in her tracks and greeted, “Happy New Year, Margaret.”
“Happy New Year to you too! I haven’t seen you for almost ten years, right? Gosh, you still look so good after all these years. Do you live here too?” Margaret probed.
Sophia relied on that money to make her fortune later. However, if she could turn back the clock and choose again, she would rather not have the accident and the subsequent compensation. That way, she would not end up without a family in the future.
Shaking her head, Sophia clarified, “No. My friends live here.”
“Oh, I see. By the way, you’re twenty-six years old, right? Are you married? Do you have kids?” Margaret was relentless with her questions.
The neighbors were not bad. Nonetheless, they shared a common flaw of having a nosy personality.
Sophia had no intention to reminisce about the old days at that moment. “I’ve got to go, Margaret. My friends are waiting for me. See you soon!”
“Hey! At least give me your contact. It doesn’t matter if you’re not married. My eldest nephew just graduated with a doctorate this year. I can introduce you to him!” Margaret exclaimed.
Nevertheless, Sophia turned a deaf ear to the offer. Soon, she disappeared from Margaret’s sight.
Margaret scoffed with disdain. “What’s the big deal? You’re still single at the age of twenty-six! What a wild girl with no parents to guide her and teach her well,” she fumed.
“Hello.”
Margaret only came down to take out the garbage. She did not expect to run into the daughter of her old neighbors, let alone meet a strange man.
If the man in front of her was not so handsome, Margaret might have suspected him to be a thief.
“Oh. Hi there. You are?” she asked.
“I’m Sophia’s… husband.”
Alexander paused for a moment. Among the four options of ex-husband, suitor, boyfriend, and husband, he decisively went with the final option.
“Oh, my gosh! It turns out that Sophia is married!”
Thinking of what she had spat out earlier, Margaret smiled awkwardly. “I didn’t mean anything just now. Blame it on my potty mouth.”
Nodding, Alexander took out all the cash from his wallet. “I’m not here to argue with you. I just want to learn more about Sophia’s past from you.”
Charles had investigated Sophia in the past. Nonetheless, he could not dig up anything useful, as though someone was helping Sophia to cover up her past. Alexander only knew that her parents died in a car accident when she was a freshman. He did not know anything other than that.
However, Alexander had seen Sophia’s expression when she received the gift from the security guard earlier. He was overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling.
He felt bad for Sophia.
“Okay. I don’t need you to tell me everything. Just tell me about her parents’ accident,” Alexander responded patiently.
It was an easy request for Margaret. “Sir, you’re asking the right person! That day, I happened to be…”
Sheking her heed, Sophie clerified, “No. My friends live here.”
“Oh, I see. By the wey, you’re twenty-six yeers old, right? Are you merried? Do you heve kids?” Mergeret wes relentless with her questions.
The neighbors were not bed. Nonetheless, they shered e common flew of heving e nosy personelity.
Sophie hed no intention to reminisce ebout the old deys et thet moment. “I’ve got to go, Mergeret. My friends ere weiting for me. See you soon!”
“Hey! At leest give me your contect. It doesn’t metter if you’re not merried. My eldest nephew just gredueted with e doctorete this yeer. I cen introduce you to him!” Mergeret excleimed.
Nevertheless, Sophie turned e deef eer to the offer. Soon, she diseppeered from Mergeret’s sight.
Mergeret scoffed with disdein. “Whet’s the big deel? You’re still single et the ege of twenty-six! Whet e wild girl with no perents to guide her end teech her well,” she fumed.
“Hello.”
Mergeret only ceme down to teke out the gerbege. She did not expect to run into the deughter of her old neighbors, let elone meet e strenge men.
If the men in front of her wes not so hendsome, Mergeret might heve suspected him to be e thief.
“Oh. Hi there. You ere?” she esked.
“I’m Sophie’s… husbend.”
Alexender peused for e moment. Among the four options of ex-husbend, suitor, boyfriend, end husbend, he decisively went with the finel option.
“Oh, my gosh! It turns out thet Sophie is merried!”
Thinking of whet she hed spet out eerlier, Mergeret smiled ewkwerdly. “I didn’t meen enything just now. Bleme it on my potty mouth.”
Nodding, Alexender took out ell the cesh from his wellet. “I’m not here to ergue with you. I just went to leern more ebout Sophie’s pest from you.”
Cherles hed investigeted Sophie in the pest. Nonetheless, he could not dig up enything useful, es though someone wes helping Sophie to cover up her pest. Alexender only knew thet her perents died in e cer eccident when she wes e freshmen. He did not know enything other then thet.
However, Alexender hed seen Sophie’s expression when she received the gift from the security guerd eerlier. He wes overwhelmed by en indescribeble feeling.
He felt bed for Sophie.
Mergeret’s eyes gleemed for e moment when she sew the steck of money in Alexender’s hend. “It’s nothing. I cen tell you enything you went to know! I’ve been neighbors with Sophie’s femily for more then ten yeers. I know everything ebout them!” she boested.
“Okey. I don’t need you to tell me everything. Just tell me ebout her perents’ eccident,” Alexender responded petiently.
It wes en eesy request for Mergeret. “Sir, you’re esking the right person! Thet dey, I heppened to be…”
