Chapter 31

Sterling said, “Didn’t you survive two years in prison? Just hold on for a little bit more, okay?”

Sophia licked her dried lips. She did not say anything.

“Don’t you believe me?” Sterling lifted his hand. “I swear, if I can’t keep my promise, I’ll get run over by a car when I go out and struck by lightning when it’s raining. I will die a horrible death!”

Sophia grabbed his hand. “Sterling, don’t be like this...”

“Then promise me that you won’t go seeking for death anymore, okay?” Sterling said frantically. “Prison is such a horrible place, and yet you survived.

This is better than prison, isn’t it? Just...”

“No. Not at all.” Sophia interrupted him with her hoarse voice. “Sterling, do you know the feeling of getting called a murderer everywhere you go?”

She took a deep breath. After a while, she said in a trembling voice, “Do you know how terrible it feels kneeling on the floor to apologize to someone?

Do you know... how horrible I feel when Dad ran away when he saw me?”

In prison, she had kept lying to herself. She told herself that things would get better when she got out.

However, when she finally got out, she realized something. She remembered telling herself, “Ah, this is how horrible reality can truly be.’

“Sterling, just pretend that you don’t have me as a sister. Just let me leave quietly, okay?” Sophia tugged the corners of her lips. “I’ll make it look like an accident. I won’t let Charles have any excuse to relate it back to the...” She wanted to say the Whites.

“Heh, you’re so schemeful.”

At this moment, the door of the room was opened. Charles walked in with a fake smile on his face.

His usually meticulous suit was slightly disheveled. There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead. It was unknown whether it was because of the temperature of the room or some other reasons.

Sophia’s face turned white. She was terrified and alarmed.

Why was he here?

“Create a natural accident to fool me?” Charles walked to the bed slowly. His dark eyes were glued on her. “Do you think you’re smart? Or do you think I have the face of an idiot?”

Sterling stood up with his back tense. He stood in front of Sophia, shielding her. “Charles, don’t f*cking go overboard. Leah’s legs are legs, but Soph’s legs are not? You broke her leg, and she had already been incarcerated. What else do you want?”

“You have a hot temper, Mr. White,” Charles looked at him with his head tilted as he said flatly.

Sterling wanted to say something else. The muscles on his neck were tense. Sophia tugged on his sleeve and shook her head.

He frowned and shifted to one side in frustration.

“Mr. Harris.” Sophia sat up and looked at Charles with her head up. “Since you and Miss Jones hate me so much, I’ll use my cheap life to pay back for what I did two years ago. What do you think?”

Her face was pale. Her uniform was hanging on her body loosely. It made her look abnormally thin and weak.

Charles looked at her with his eyes lowered. Her eyes were as calm as stagnant water. They were completely different from the arrogant adoration she had in her eyes two years ago.

His lips were pressed together in a thin line. There was a hint of frustration in his eyes. “It’s too easy for you to die like this.”

“I guess my life can’t compare to Miss Jone’s leg.” Sophia smiled. She wanted to laugh, but she could not. She only felt that she was extremely lamentable. “I understand now.”

“Harris, don’t bully her so intolerably!” Sterling clenched his fists. His eyes were getting bloodshot.

Charles smoothened the wrinkle on his suit and said nonchalantly, “You should thank me, Mr. White. Sophia might not choose to continue living if it isn’t for me.”

Sterling’s anger was about to break out of his chest. He lifted his fist and swung it at Charles’ face.

“Sterling!” Sophia pulled the needle out and stood in front of Charles barefooted. His family could not afford to offend Charles.

Sterling’s fist stopped mid-air. His eyes were red. He said while gritting his teeth, “Soph, go away!”

“It’s late. Sister-in-law and the kids are waiting for you. You should go now.” There was pleading in Sophia’s eyes. Her brother was the only one who was good to her. She could not implicate him because of her problems.

Sterling retracted his fist and held in the tears in his eyes. He glared at Charles. “Remember, Harris, if something happens to my sister, I’ll make you pay even if I have to risk my life.”

“Sterling, go home.” Sophia tugged his clothes and interrupted him. “Pay attention to the wound on your head. If something feels off, come to the hospital.”

Sterling looked at her with his eyes red. He wanted to say something, but it was as if his throat was stuffed with cotton. He could not utter one single word.

After a while, he took out a card and stuffed it in her hands. He glared at Charles before leaving.

Sophia lowered her head to look at the card. It was still the one from last time. She sighed voicelessly and put the card into the pocket of her uniform.

As long as she did not touch the money in the card, her parents would not know.

“I’m sorry.” She did a 90-degree bow to Charles and said in exhaustion, “I apologize on behalf of my brother for what happened. Please forgive him.”

“The relationship between you two is good,” Charles said with unknown intentions.

Sophia pursed her lips together and knelt on the ground. “I’m sorry. Please forgive him.”

“I’m not the emperor from a feudalistic dynasty. I don’t have a fetish of seeing people kowtowing or worshipping me.” Charles looked at her with his gaze lowered. He furrowed his brows. “Get up.”

The bruises on Sophia’s knees had not recovered yet. Her stomach was in excruciating pain. She supported herself on the ground using two hands and stood up after a lot of difficulties.

“Why do you have an IV drip?” Charles looked at the IV drip with his head tilted.

There was still the smell of alcohol on her breath. Sophia felt nauseous just from smelling it. She suppressed the waves of emotions in her heart, but when she opened her mouth, there was still a hint of bitterness in her voice. “I drank too much. My stomach problems are back again.”

Charles’ dark eyes lingered on her for a while. Then, he shifted his gaze and grunted a reply absent-mindedly.

Sophia knew she should not expect anything. She also knew she should not expect him to feel guilty for what he had done to her. However, when she heard him grunting his reply, she could not help but feel disappointed.

It seemed that her position in his heart was even lower than she imagined it to be. She had overestimated herself.

Knock, knock, knock!

Someone knocked on the door. Without waiting for the reply from the people inside, the person pushed the door open and came in.

Atrophy of Love: Mr. Harris, Stop Fooling Around!

Chapter 30 Charles Harris Has Left Her Behind Leah was wearing a white dress while sitting in a wheelchair. When she appeared in front of Charles with a perfect smile, there was a hint of surprise and jealousy in her eyes. However, they were gone in a flash.

She pushed the wheelchair next to him and said shyly, “Charles, you remember that I’l be here for my physical therapy today. I thought you would forget about it since you’re so busy.”

Sophia lowered her head, and her hands that were on her sides clenched her clothes tightly. She could feel the coldness of the ground spreading to her heart from the bottom of her feet. It felt extremely cold.

No wonder Charles was here. It was because Leah was here for her physical therapy.

“How are your legs?” Charles looked at Leah’s legs that were exposed in the winter. Ridicule flashed across his eyes.

“The doctor said they won’t be able to go back to the way they were before.” Leah smiled bitterly. Then, she said lowly, “However, ti’s fine. Even if I can’t dance again, I will not blame Sophia.”