Chapter 5

As soon as Felix finished speaking, the gazes on me suddenly became heavier.

I slowly put down my chopsticks and looked straight into Felix's eyes.

"If you want to be an uncle, I'm afraid I can't help you right now. Why don't you ask your dear Rachel? She might have a solution."

Mrs. Young chimed in at the right moment, "You've been married for so long, it's about time you had a child."

I wondered, if she knew that both Rachel and I were carrying children at this moment, what would her reaction be?

Probably the same as Gabriel's, thinking that the child of Miss Sullivan was more precious than the child of an orphan like me.

"Everyone, I'm done eating. I'll leave first."

I suppressed the nausea in my chest and stood up to leave the table.

If I stayed for one more second, I was afraid I would really throw up.

"Sophia, what are you upset about now?"

Gabriel reached past Rachel and grabbed my arm, "Sit down, we'll go home together later."

The familiar sensation on my arm involuntarily made me flash back to the photos on my phone.

It was these same hands that had caressed Rachel's body...

The nausea intensified.

I pulled away from Gabriel's hand, "No need, you and your sister haven't seen each other for a long time. I won't interrupt your reunion."

"Sophia, you..."

Gabriel wanted to follow, but was held back by Rachel beside him.

"Gabe, I feel unwell."

Those five short words were enough to stop Gabriel from following me.

I listened to the lively chatter resuming behind me as I walked out of the Young house, step by step, out of the cage I had schemed to put myself in.

That night I had a dream.

I dreamed of myself, Gabriel, and Rachel when we were young.

I was like an ugly duckling hiding in a dark corner, peeking at the happiness of the prince and princess.

But one day, I appeared in the prince's eyes.

That day, I accidentally witnessed Rachel confessing to Gabriel.

Gabriel rejected her.

He gently patted Rachel's head, "Rachel, I only see you as a sister."

"I don't want to be your sister!"

"You're lying! You weren't like this before. It's all because of Sophia! Ever since she came, you've changed!"

Rachel screamed hysterically.

I was surprised to hear my own name.

The ripples in my heart gradually amplified.

Would I be different to Gabriel?

Perhaps it was greed at work, but I decided to confess.

In the summer of my sixteenth year, I used up all the courage I had accumulated over the years to grasp at a possibility.

"Gabriel, I like you."

I still remember clearly Gabriel's expression after hearing this.

He smiled at me, his eyes bright, "Sophia, you're still young. Let's talk about this when you grow up, okay?"

When I was eighteen, Rachel said Gabriel had agreed to be with her.

So, I waited until I was twenty-one.

It was also that year when I learned Rachel was going to drug Gabriel to force him into marriage. I despicably schemed against them.

I took Rachel's place and slept with Gabriel.

After that night, Gabriel's look towards me changed completely.

He said, "Sophia, how could you be so cheap?"

But I had already grown up...

Then came these five years after our marriage.

I got my wish to stand by Gabriel's side, even if I wasn't the only one.

At the same time, I completely lost the light I had longed for.

Sometimes when he was in the mood, he would call me "Sophia" just like when I was sixteen.

But more often, his eyes only held contempt when he looked at me.

"Your blood is too dirty."

"I don't want to have a child as shameless as you."

...

I waited from the summer of my sixteenth year until I was twenty-six.

And I finally got an answer.

But it's really so dirty!

The next morning when I woke up from my dream, I opened my eyes to see Gabriel beside me.

I didn't wake him up, but got out of bed and left on my own.

"Dr. Lewis, I've made my decision. Let's schedule the abortion for today."