Chapter 7

Sophia's eyelashes quivered mildly, but she quickly composed herself. "It's nothing." She calmly explained, "I've already completed all my credits. I figured it would be a good idea to graduate early and start looking for a job." Her answer took Caleb by surprise. "You're going straight to work? Not grad school?" Sophia avoided his gaze. "Yeah, no grad school for me. I'll start working right away." She was leaving the country in two days. At such a crucial juncture, she had no intention of telling Caleb her plans. It would only cause unnecessary trouble. But she didn't want him to cling to her over the grad school spot, so she simply claimed she was planning to start work. It would put an end to everything, once and for all. This way, he would have no reason to keep up his act any longer. As expected, Caleb was flabbergasted at the news. He had assumed that with grades as exceptional as hers, Sophia would stay and pursue further studies. He didn't think that a master's degree wasn't in her plans. Catching him in a daze, Sophia seized the opportunity to struggle free. Caleb snapped back to reality and pulled her into his arms, trapping her. "Sophia, why are you always in such a hurry to leave?" His tone carried a hint of displeasure. "Why do I get the feeling that you've been avoiding me lately?" She turned away again, avoiding his eyes. "I'm not." His brows knitted even more tightly together. Back then, pinning Sophia down like such would make her fair complexion flush bright red. Yet now, her expression remained unfazed. Even in such proximity, he could distinctly hear her steady heartbeat. There was not a single flutter. A sudden wave of irritation surged through him. As if to prove something, he grasped her by the chin and planted a domineering kiss on her lips. At the same time, he boldly slipped a hand under her clothes. All he wanted was to see her react the way she used to—flustered, breathless, utterly shaken. But this time, Sophia flew into a panic. Hadn't she already told him she wasn't interested in grad school? What more did he want? "Caleb!" She grabbed his hand. "I... I'm on my period! You can't!" His hand paused mid-action. "Are you?" He raised an eyebrow, his voice husky. "But Sophia, I can't hold back anymore." Sophia's body trembled. Before she could say another word, Caleb's gaze fell to her lips. They were freshly kissed, wet, and glistening. His gaze darkened further. "Come to think of it, your mouth is really small," he murmured in her ear as he stuffed his slender fingers into her mouth without warning. "Your tongue is so soft, too. What if we used this..." "No!" Sophia cried, chomping down on his fingers. Caleb hissed in pain and retracted his hand. When he looked up, he was stunned to find Sophia's eyes reddened with tears. He froze at the sight. "Sophia..." She screwed her eyes shut, unable to bear it anymore. Why... Just why? She had already told him she wasn't going to grad school. Why wouldn't he leave her alone? Was she nothing more than a tool for him to fulfill his desires? The thought made her eyes sting with humiliation, and tears threatened to spill. Seeing her like that, Caleb felt a sharp pang in his chest. Instinctively, he seized her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Sophia, why are you crying—" Just then, his phone started ringing and interrupted him. Irritated, he answered it, only to hear his friend's voice. "Cal! Everyone is here; it's only you we're waiting for! It's my birthday, man, you can't bail on me!" That was when Caleb suddenly remembered that he had made plans. "Got it." He hung up, still annoyed, and turned back to Sophia. "You're coming with me." This time, he didn't give her a chance to refuse. He forcefully dragged her along to the karaoke bar. But when they arrived at the venue, he was met with an unexpected sight. Christine was there too. One of Caleb's friends leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Christine suddenly said that she wanted to join, and we couldn't bring ourselves to say no, so..." Caleb didn't comment. He simply pulled Sophia to sit down beside him. The group partied wildly. An hour later, most of them were already drunk—apart from Sophia and Christine, who hadn't touched a single drop of alcohol. Sophia had long since grown impatient. Seeing how Caleb was too occupied to pay her any attention, she decided to leave. But just as she reached the door, a cold voice sounded behind her. "Sophia, you heard everything at the café earlier, didn't you?" Sophia spun around, and at the sight of Christine, a sigh of weary resignation escaped her lips—Christine must have caught a glimpse of her when she left the café. Sophia didn't bother lying and simply nodded. "I overheard it by chance." The color drained from Christine's face at once. "I'm sure you think I'm despicable, toying with Caleb's feelings like that." The corners of her lips twitched, and she continued, "But I have a murderer for a father, and my mother ran away when I was five because he kept abusing her. I fought tooth and nail to become who I am today. So, I don't care if you think I'm disgusting. I just want a better life going forward." Sophia studied her for a long moment before replying softly, "I don't think you're despicable. And I have no intention of telling Caleb." She meant it. This was between Christine and Caleb. She was leaving soon anyway—there was no reason for her to get involved. "Thank you." Christine pulled a wry smile. "I'm so sorry. Ever since my mom lied and told me she was going out to buy me candy, only to never return, I've never trusted anyone. And that includes you. The only way I can ensure you don't interfere is to completely break the two of you apart." Sophia frowned, bewildered. But before she could ask further, Christine smashed the glass in her hand and slashed it against her own face. Her scream pierced the air, and Caleb recognized it almost instantly from inside the room. "Christine!" He pulled open the door of the room, only to find Christine collapsed on the ground. Her hand was cupped over one cheek as she sobbed at Sophia. "Sophia Lane! How could you do that to my face?"