Charles swirled his glass. The red liquid swished in the glass and formed a whirlpool, making it extremely fancy to look at, yet at the same time, staining it with a tinge of sombre suppression.
"I drank a glass of red wine, but Ms. Sophia only drank half a glass of juice. Thatâs not very appropriate, donât you think?" Sawyer set the empty glass on the table and picked up another glass of red wine from the waiterâs tray before bringing it to her mouth with a smile. He said ambiguously, "Why donât we do this... I wonât make things too difficult for you either. You take a sip and Iâll drink the rest. What do you think?"
Having said that, he darted Charles a provocative glance.
The edge of the glass had been stained with Sophia's lipstick. She pursed her lips and took the wine glass from his hand. "You drank a glass of wine, so itâs only fair that I drink a glass as well.â
"Nah, thereâs no needââ Sawyer smirked but did not let go. He placed his hand on top of hers. "I am a man and you are a woman. Iâd be bullying you if I ask you to drink an entire glass, wouldnât I? You take a sip and I can drink the rest."
Sophia gritted her teeth as she watched his hands over hers.
Sawyer made it very clear that he was flirting with her. Despite that, she would be going back to Dream Club tomorrow. If she did not do what he wanted her to do, then he might continue to give her more troubles.
"Havenât you drunk enough water in the swimming pool last time?" Charles looked at him with a cool gaze and pulled Sawyerâs hands off of Sophia.
He then dragged Sophia behind him.
This was the scene Leah saw as soon as she came in. Her smile froze on her face and only went back to normal after a short while.
"Are you angry, Mr. Harris?" At the thought of the sorry state he was in in the last party, Sawyer's good-looking face turned livid. However, he had no choice but to force out a smile. "Iâm just joking with Ms. Sophia. Donât take it to heart. Here, let me apologize."
He raised the glass of red wine and drained it before placing the empty glass back on the table again with much force.
Sophia clenched her fists. Her knuckles were turning white from exerting too much force.
What did Charles take her for? An object?
"I'm used to sharing women with my brothers. I didnât know that Mr. Harris would care so much for just about any woman. Itâs my fault. I wonât make the same mistake again." Sawyer's face was flushed one moment and livid the next. Defiance filled the depth of his eyes. Even so, an ingratiating smile remained hanging on his face.
Charles ignored him. He turned to Sophia and said, "Give me your hand."
She stretched out her hand. He poured two glasses of champagne on her hand, washed it carefully, and tossed her some paper towels before asking her to wipe it clean.
"Itâs clean." Was Charles saying that she was filthy?! Sophia endured the humiliation and wiped her hands clean before muttering these words.
Sawyer leaned against the table in a languid manner and drank five to six glasses of red wine in a row. Redness was starting to stain the corners of his eyes.
"Take a detour next time you see a male dog in heat next time." Charles grabbed a paper towel and wiped his hand that had been stained by champagne before throwing it away. He walked north. "Catch up."
Sophia hummed a reply and went after him with her head hung low.
After they had walked seven to eight meters away, Sawyer slammed the empty wine glass on the table with a bang and spat on the floor, cussing, "What the f*ck. Now heâs getting in my hair for a darn b*tch!"
"What are you so mad about, Mr. Phillips?" A woman with flaxen-colored curls sauntered over.
"Who else if not Charles, that scumbag?!" Sawyer roared in a suppressed voice. His fox-like eyes were glowing with malevolence. "He thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he was born in the right family."
The woman looked around cautiously and said in a girlish voice, "I know you are not afraid of Mr. Harris, but this is his territory after all, so please lower your voice."
"Get lost, get lost, get lost!" Sawyer pushed her away irritably and stared straight at Sophia's back. Charles was trying to stop him from sleeping with her? Well, he insisted on sleeping with her!
Sophia walked behind Charles. After taking only a dozen steps, Leah called out to her.
"Charles, Sophia, wait a minute." Leah's voice was tender and soft. It sounded melodious to the ears.
Sophia frowned but still stopped eventually. She raised her head to take a look. Charles was still walking forward as though he did not hear her.
She pursed her lips and did not call out to him.
"Sophia." Leah maneuvered the wheelchair to her while wearing a smile on her beautiful face that would make anyone feel comfortable.
On this very day two years ago, the scene of Leah walking toward her red sports car while wearing the exact same smile played in Sophia's head like a movie.
Her anger surged all the way up from the soles of her feet. Sophia took a deep breath, her countenance calm and indifferent. "Mr. Harris is right in front. You can still catch up to him if you go now."
"I can go and see Charles later." Leah smiled gently, then picked up the gift box placed on her wheelchair. She handed it to Sophia with both hands.
"Happy birthday, Sophia."
Sophia did not even take a look at the gift box. Even the scar on the end of her brows was stained with a subtle mania that could be seen even on ordinary days. âI appreciate your kindness but I canât accept your gift.â
âNeither do I want to accept it.
âItâs sickening to me.â
"I was worried that you wouldnât accept it, so I didnât get you an expensive gift." Leah's eyes were seemingly filled with bright stars. "Do you remember that I was once very fond of photography and even went to different places to take pictures with my SLR?"
Every breath that Sophia exhaled carried scorching irritability. She tried her best to stifle the anger and disgust in her heart. "That was a long time ago. I have a terrible memory."
"I took a lot of pictures of you, Sterling, William, myself, and Charles just before your 18th birthday." Leah was seemingly unaware of her emotions and continued to wear a radiant smile on her face. âI washed out those prints and made a booklet for you to commemorate our beautiful youth."
There were many guests at the birthday party, so there were voices of people talking everywhere. This made Sophia, who was already irritable to begin with, reach the peak of irritability.
She was constantly taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm her emotions. However, in the face of Leahâs innocent smile and her so-called gift box to commemorate their beautiful youthâ
She could not suppress her rage any longer!
Bang!
Sophia took the gift box and slammed it hard to the ground. Her voice sounded slightly shrill from raising it too much. "Is this to commemorate my beautiful youth or my foolishness and naivety?!"
Atrophy of Love: Mr. Harris, Stop Fooling Around!
ï¤Chapter 88 I Went To Hide In The Toilet For A While Tears slid down the corners of her eyes, and she wiped them away swiftly.
All of a sudden, the entire birthday party fell silent. There were stupefaction, confusion, curiosity, and mockery in everyoneâs eyes when they stared at the two.
Leah retracted her empty hands and looked at the photos scattered on the ground in a daze. Her smile vanished like colorful bubbles in the sun, leaving only sorrow on her face. "Sophia..."
"Don't call my name!" Sophia's body quivered slightly. Mania and fury surged through her limbs and bones, seemingly about to burst through her blood vessels. "Youâre unworthy of calling my name, Leah! Youâre unworthy!"
The dress was designed to be long in order to cover the scars on her legs. Under Leahâs wounded gaze and everyoneâs stares, Sophia held the hem of her skirt and rushed out of the banquet hall.
There were people walking around the hotel corridor. Sophia stumbled forward without looking at them. She could sense that these people were talking about her just like they had been doing two years ago.