Chapter 3: She Would Compromise
1089 Words
The tranquil piano music in the car stirred Sophia's memories on the brink of decay.
The vows of youth, that's all they were.
She wanted to marry James, dreamed of it, and James was certain she would compromise out of love for him.
But her pride wouldn't allow her to coexist with Isabella, and James had fallen in love with Isabella, practically forcing her to concede to his second love.
It was a deadlock.
As expected, the topic of "reconciliation" collapsed again amidst neither party's willingness to yield.
James's words were heart-wrenching.
"Sophia, if I really wanted to call off the engagement, I could."
"Don't be unreasonable. Let me say something you might not like to hear: in our circle, it's common for couples to lead separate lives after marriage."
Sophia didn't respond to this; instead, she propped her arm on the car window, gazing at the scenery outside, watching the high-rise buildings line the streets as her thoughts wandered.
As they approached their destination, she took out her phone and sent a message, "99."
The message was for James.
James glanced at the screen and casually put his phone back in his pocket.
This wasn't the first time Sophia had sent him numbers; the first time was "1," and this was the ninety-ninth time, hence "99."
He had asked her what it meant, and she jokingly said, half-joking, when drunk:
"When you stab me in the heart, I'm keeping count, James. When you stab me a hundred times, the Sophia who loves you will be out of life, and I won't want you anymore."
Sophia sent "1" last year, after their first argument following the engagement.
James had analyzed her pattern; indeed, she sent numbers after every major fight, but not every argument warranted a message, seemingly depending on her mood.
James didn't take it seriously, thinking she was just being temperamental.
After all, Sophia loved him desperately, and he was certain that in the end, she would compromise.
.......
Today is the birthday of Emily Parker, the eldest daughter of Charles Parker, the chairman of Blue Ridge International Group.
It is well known that the Parker family has two daughters: the outstanding eldest daughter, Emily Parker, and the willful younger daughter, Sophia Parker.
The favored child in the Parker family is Emily, and her birthday is always a grand affair. Her thirtieth birthday celebration is as grand as her eighteenth birthday party.
A good number of people arrived, mostly business people with "money," "power," and "interests" labeled on their foreheads, with a majority being young, single up-and-comers.
The expected arrangement was too obvious in its purpose.
Emily, with her high education, high appearance, and excellent family background, is at the top level in terms of personal conditions. However, the princess of the Parker family, who is adorned with various auras, is still single at thirty.
She's not in a hurry, but Charles and his wife are.
In the past two years, her birthday banquets have been gatherings of eligible bachelors from well-matched families. It's more of a matchmaking event than a birthday celebration.
In addition to young talents, many female guests also attended.
There were ladies from distinguished families, elegant ladies accompanying their husbands, and also glamorous entertainers from the entertainment industry for the bigwigs to show off.
In gatherings of men, they discuss business, seek benefits, build connections, boast, and flatter.
In gatherings of women, despite the cold weather, they wear luxury brand spring and summer collections to show off their exquisite figures.
Some with career ambitions expand their networks, some with vanity flaunt their men, and some who are fishing for rich men look for wealthy targets.
Bored groups huddle in corners, gossiping and chatting.
"Tsk, look at Emily, attracting bees and butterflies, her nose in the air, what's she showing off? She's just an adopted daughter; does she really think she's the princess?"
"Ah, is Emily an adopted daughter?"
"You didn't know? Aren't you from New York?"
"I am, but I grew up abroad and just returned to the country. Is Emily really an adopted daughter?"
"The Parker family has three children; the eldest son, Victor Parker, and the younger daughter, Sophia, are biological, and Emily was adopted."
"It's said that Emily's biological father died in a warehouse fire, and her mother's death is unknown, but after she became an orphan, the Parker family adopted her."
"Why did the Parker family adopt her?"
Few people know the inside story, and a young lady from a distinguished family, who just tasted a piece of cake, rushed to speak.
"I know this. Emily's biological father was a classmate of Charles. After Charles inherited the family business, Emily's father worked for him, being his right-hand man. They had a good relationship and deep feelings, so Charles adopted Emily out of pity."
After her words, some people sighed.
"Then the Parker family is too good to this adopted daughter. I heard that Charles has been focusing on training his son and Emily, and they both joined Blue Ridge International Group after graduation. Sophia didn't go; I heard she started her own business and opened a photography studio."
"Charles's wife only takes Emily out when she goes out, and when she talks about her daughters, she always talks about how excellent Emily is, rarely mentioning Sophia."
"Who let Emily be so excellent? Moreover, Emily entered the Parker family at twelve and has been raised for nearly twenty years, no different from a biological child."
"It's also Sophia's own fault for not being competitive. The willful little princess, what does she have besides her face?"
"Isn't her face enough? With that face, she managed to secure the young master of the Wilson family early on and will soon be the young mistress of the Wilson family. How impressive is that?"
"That's right, no matter how favored Emily is in the Parker family, Sophia is marrying into the Wilson family. What status does the Wilson family have? Ordinary people can't compare. Don't look at the many nobles here today; none of them can match James's status."
"Indeed, if Emily wants to marry better than Sophia, she would have to marry that person from the Wilson family."
That person from the Wilson family.
No name was mentioned, but the girls gossiping over sunflower seeds all thought of someone at the same time.
"You mean..."
Bang—
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing sound of impact echoed in the hall, accompanied by a terrified female scream.
Everyone instinctively looked towards the sound and froze.
- Writer
