"It must be really annoying for you to hear me talk about things like that, huh... Ha, Soph, just pretend like you didnât hear anything and ignore me. I always like to entertain these irrational thoughts." Jenny chuckled sheepishly.
Sophia turned to look at her slightly sunken cheeks. "Since you know that theyâre just irrational thoughts, then you should stop worrying about these things. You are probably bored. I remember that you are quite interested in flower arrangement. Why don't you sign up for a flower arrangement class?"
"No, only young people will attend classes like that. They will only find me annoying if I attend. Even you guys find me annoying, let alone them."
Jenny declined immediately.
Sophia frowned slightly and suggested, "If you don't want to be with young people, I'll just hire a private tutor, howâs that?"
"No, no. Don't worry about me." Jenny looked at her wrinkled brows and said with anxiety and panic, "Did I say something to upset you again? Iâll apologize to you. Don't be angry, okay!"
Sophia said no and asked her not to think too much. Despite that, she still looked panic-stricken.
Staying together would only make both of them uncomfortable, hence Sophia made an excuse to leave. When Jenny walked her to her room, she still looked like she was worried that Sophia would be mad.
There was a stifling feeling in Sophiaâs heart.
Was it her fault that Mom had turned out this way? Dad had set his heart on taking advantage of her, whereas Mom was just so fickle-minded. She was actually quite mad at Mom at the time, having no intention to come home.
Sophia stood in the corridor for quite some time before returning to her room.
Charles had already taken a shower and was sitting on the bed wearing a half-open bathrobe. His half-exposed chest and abdominal muscles looked very attractive.
When he saw her walking in, he shifted his gaze away from the document. "Tomorrow your fatherâs secretary will hand you a document to appoint you as White Industriesâ consultant. Iâm not so sure which aspect it will be, but it will do you no harm. You can just sign it straight away.â
Sophia hummed in reply and asked Charles for her phone.
Charles put down the document in his hand but did not give it to her immediately. Instead, he said suddenly, "Iâve always had many admirers from birth to present."
"Mm. I know." Sophia had pursued him for so many years, hence she knew very well how many admirers he had.
She stretched out her hand and motioned for him to give her the phone.
Charles picked up the phone and made to put it in her hand. Before she could grab it, he pulled it away again. "I have many admirers, but I keep a certain distance from all of them so others wouldnât get the wrong idea."
"All of them?" Sophia retracted her hand and lowered her head to look at him.
She could see her reflection in Charlesâs pupils. "You are an exception. I didn't realize that I liked you too."
"What about Leah? Why did you keep her by your side? Was it because you liked her but hadnât realized it yet?" Sophia opened the closet, took out a pair of pajamas, and tossed it on the bed.
Charles's Adam's apple rolled slightly. "The Harris and Jones families are partners in many aspects. I couldnât avoid her completely."
"My leg needs to be treated and Aunt Lucy is really kind to me. Dr. Hemingway is her nephew, so I can't avoid him completely as well." Sophia said mildly, "We shouldnât have double standards as humans, Charles."
Charles handed her the phone, sat up straight, and picked up his document again. He stared at the words on the document for a very long time but his mind could not even process a single word that he was reading.
He raised the document slightly higher and looked at Sophia out of the corner of his eye. When he noticed how she was thoroughly engrossed in typing her replies on her mobile phone, he frowned almost imperceptibly.
Dr. Hemingway: [I'm sorry, I was performing an operation and just saw your text.]
Dr. Hemingway: [I do know several more competent psychologists, but the best ones are a little quirky. They donât like people who use their special privileges. If you want the doctors to treat Aunt Jenny, then you have to turn up at the hospital in person. Theyâre not locals either.]
Dr. Hemingway: [As far as I know about patients with mental illness, they have an aversion to visiting a doctor. Aunt Jenny would most probably not agree to go to other provinces to see a doctor. Even if she agrees, it would also be difficult for the doctor if she refuses to cooperate.]
Sophia pursed her lips and responded with a text saying that she understood.
Victor texted back within secondsâ
Dr. Hemingway: [I will ask Dr. Sanders to come back as soon as possible. If you are still worried, you can invite some of Aunt Jennyâs old friends over to your house and talk to her.]
Sophia replied to a few more messages before putting down the phone.
Charles was seated far away and could not see the content of their conversation, but he could see the chat bubbles full of words on the phone screen. Both parties had typed equally many things.
When he saw Sophia looking over, he immediately lowered his head to look at the document, only to realize that he had been clenching the papers so hard that they were all crumpled up.
"Give it to me when someone sends me a message." Sophia gave him the phone.
Charles took the phone, put it aside, thought for a moment, then put down the document as well.
He said to Sophia just as she grabbed her pajamas and was about to go in and take a shower, "I guess you can call it jealousy."
Sophia turned to look at him. "?"
"It's not double standard but jealousy." Charles stood up and stared intently at her. "This part right here feels uncomfortable when I see you talking and laughing with other men.â
He pointed to the position of his heart.
"And?" Sophia asked.
Charles' countenance remained the same, but his earlobes were suspiciously red. "I don't like to see you talking to other men, nor to see them touching you. You are mine."
"Charles, don't you think what youâre saying right now is really naive?" Sophia said mildly, "There are only men and women in this world. Itâs normal for my colleagues, clients, friends to be a man or a woman. Am I supposed to sever all ties with the opposite sex except for you?"
Their eyes met and Charles looked away first. "I don't care about the rest. I just want you to keep your distance from Victor."
"I don't care about the rest. I just want you to keep your distance from Leah." Sophia tossed the same words back at him.
They were both in a state of mutual hostility.
Charles lowered his eyes and looked at her, his eyes turning cold. The more she behaved like that, the more he disliked seeing the way she looked when she was with Victor.
"Charles." Sophia softened her tone. "I am your lover, not your possession. I respect you, so you should try and respect me too."
Atrophy of Love: Mr. Harris, Stop Fooling Around!
ï¤Chapter 322 Is Nothing I Do Ever Good Enough Charles said coolly, "Whatâs your definition of respect? Am I supposed to watch other men grope your thigh and remain silent about it?"
Sophia was somewhat angry at first. She thought that he had set too many restrictions on her and that this was not what people would do when they dated each other. Instead, it felt more like he was interacting with a pet than a lover.
At this moment, however, she wanted to laugh when she saw how he was saying these things with a deadpan look on his face. "Can you be reasonable, Charles? What do you mean by watching other men grope my thigh?"
"Was that not the case?â She was actually laughing? Charles frowned even harder.
Perhaps he did not even notice it himself. He was already used to concealing his emotions in front of everyone in the past. Now that he was in front of her, he was getting sloppier and sloppier at concealing his emotions.
Sophia sighed softly and rubbed her brows. "I was just getting treatment. If you hadnât broken my leg back then, would I even need to get Dr.
Hemingway to touch my leg?"
Charles pressed his lips tightly without a word.
Sophia licked her dry lips and walked up to him whilst holding her pajamas. She raised her head and peered into his eyes, suddenly reaching out to hold his neck, stood on her tiptoe, and pecked him on the lips.
"No matter which man I talk to or what we do together, you will be the only one I will ever take the initiative to kiss. Are you satisfied now?"