Chapter 9

"Not interested. My goal is to marry into the Miller family in the future. As for John, he's fine to play around with, but dating him? Forget it."

Sophia said each word deliberately.

I raised an eyebrow, watching John's heartbroken expression.

Sophia and her friends were still chatting on the other end of the phone.

"Sophia, don't you think Alice has changed? People from Class F say she doesn't sneak food during class anymore. Although she doesn't seem to be listening carefully either, she doesn't look as stupid as before. Did the Baker family arrange for Alice to get treatment?"

"Alice's stupidity is innate. It can't be cured. For the rest of her life, she'll only be a fool."

Sophia's tone darkened.

"You scared me! I thought Alice had gotten smarter. Then, Sophia, you'd better watch out for your position in the Baker family."

Sophia sneered coldly, "A dumb pig? I'm afraid of her?"

"She's not the problem. Emily is the problem. Once my dad divorces Emily, Alice can get lost too."

I glanced at John. His expression was getting worse and worse.

That was normal.

After all, Sophia had always acted kind and harmless in front of this admirer of hers.

He had never seen this mean and calculating side of Sophia.

I guessed that right now, his impression of Sophia had been completely shattered.

I hung up the phone.

I wasn't interested in whatever Sophia and her friends discussed afterward.

This phone call did give me some "gains" though. I didn't expect Sophia to be planning to push my parents toward divorce.

If it were just a simple divorce, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

Robert already had a grown illegitimate son. A man unfaithful to his marriage—Emily would be better off kicking him out.

She deserved better.

But Emily hadn't chosen to divorce Robert. She must have her reasons.

I just didn't know why yet.

"I'm sorry."

John's voice pulled me back from my thoughts.

"I misunderstood you."

"Now that you know, go away. Don't bother me," I said coldly.

John left dejectedly.

……

Evening, after school.

Sophia, wearing a face mask, blocked my way in front of the car. She looked upset. "Alice, what did you say to John?"

"He suddenly stopped talking to me?" Sophia looked confused.

"Go ask him yourself. Don't bother me."

I pushed past Sophia and got in the car.

After sitting down, I saw Sophia clench her fists, as if she had made some kind of decision.

……

When Emily saw me come home, she happily took my hand. "Babe, tonight I'm taking you to have dinner with your brother. Today we'll eat diet meals together with you, okay?"

I nodded.

Emily took out her phone to call James Baker.

"James, have dinner with Alice tonight."

"Busy. No time."

The other end hung up coldly.

Emily frowned slightly but didn't call again. She just pulled my hand. "Blowing me off, huh? Come on, Babe, let's go straight to his company to find your brother."

"Okay."

Emily pulled me along energetically.

She was pulling me, so we really couldn't walk too fast.

Walking behind her, I couldn't help but smile slightly.

We arrived at the Baker Group.

The elevator went straight to the 32nd floor, the executive office level.

"Mr. Baker is in a meeting," James's secretary told Emily.

Emily nodded in understanding and sat with me in James's office to wait for him.

James usually lived alone and didn't often return to the family mansion.

And as Alice's biological older brother, he seemed to dislike Alice, too. His way of showing dislike was to stay away, so Alice's memories didn't include much about this brother of hers.

She only knew that James's right leg was severely atrophied due to Emily giving birth to him prematurely with oxygen deprivation.

He could actually walk a little.

But his walking posture would look extremely awkward and ridiculous.

So James always chose to use a wheelchair.

A memory fragment about James flashed through my mind.

It was when Alice was wolfing down food, and James angrily came forward and knocked the food in front of Alice to the ground.

His handsome face was full of anger and disappointment. "You're still eating? Look at what you've become—don't you have a mirror?"

After being yelled at, Alice shrank back in fear. "Alice was just hungry..."

"Hungry? Then hold it in. Is it glorious to become a fat pig and eat yourself to death? How can I have a sister like you? You disgust me."

"Don't be angry, James. I'm sorry. Alice won't eat anymore, won't eat..." Alice started crying, apologizing to James carefully.

"Get lost. Get out of my sight," James said impatiently.

Alice shuffled a few steps.

"Don't you know how big you are? Get farther away. Don't let me see you."

After that, James never spoke another word to Alice.

"Emily."

Robert suddenly appeared.

I turned to glance at Robert.

He didn't spend much time at the mansion either, and he and Emily slept in separate rooms. Based on what Olivia said before, I guessed Robert couldn't get close to Emily at home—probably because Emily wouldn't let him.

His appearance made Emily's expression change slightly.

However, she seemed unwilling to let bad emotions affect me, so she quickly softened her expression. Still, her tone when speaking to Robert revealed impatience. "If you have something to say, say it."

"An important foreign business partner is visiting the company. Come with me to meet them. They brought their wife along, too."

I understood.

Robert needed Emily to help with socializing and building rapport.

Could it be that he only came to Emily when he needed something?

"Not going."

Emily refused just as directly.

She didn't even want to give Robert another glance.

"Come with me to one meeting, and I'll transfer that suburban villa to Alice's name."

Robert made an offer.

Emily paused. "Let's go."

Robert smiled and extended his arm, gesturing to Emily.

Emily took it with slight disgust.

But the smile in Robert's eyes deepened.

I didn't quite understand.

If Robert loved Emily so much.

Why would he cheat and have an illegitimate son?

Or was Robert just a scumbag who wanted everything?

"Babe, wait here for Mommy. Mommy will be back soon."

Emily instructed.

Robert completely ignored my existence.

From the moment he entered, his gaze hadn't lingered on me for more than a few seconds.

I nodded.

Emily kept looking back every few steps, still very worried.

But after all, this was the Baker family's company. Nothing could happen to me staying here.

I got up to use the restroom and found that I couldn't get into James's bathroom.

It was locked.

With fingerprint authentication.

"..."

I remembered—James was a germaphobe. His bathroom could only be used by him personally.

No choice. I had to go out to find another restroom.

When I came back, I happened to overhear the secretary joking with a colleague about something.