Chapter 83 Is Sophie's Father Still Alive
Austin snapped, "Even if Lily didn't ace her exams, there's no way she needs to retake them. Her grades are better than any of ours, except for Nathan, the med school whiz. She's doing great."
Improving so much in just a few months is something most people can't achieve.
Sophie was stunned by Austin's defense of Lily. She hadn't expected him to stand up for her.
First, Michael changed, and now even Austin was showing signs of change.
A wave of panic washed over Sophie.
She couldn't lose her brothers' favor.
Sophie said uneasily, "I know Lily's grades have improved a lot, but maybe the sudden improvement isn't stable, which is why she didn't perform well this time."
Michael was deep in thought. "Isn't your school having a seminar tomorrow about applying to colleges? And students who need to retake exams can get advice too, right?"
Sophie nodded, "Yeah, that's right."
"Let's go to the school tomorrow and see what's going on."
"Michael, do you think I should retake the exams too?"
Sophie didn't really want to retake the exams. It seemed pointless. She'd rather make money through her livestreams.
In the future, she could even get into the entertainment industry through Peter's film company!
Michael's tone was calm, "Sophie, even if you did well, you wouldn't get into a top school. There's no need to retake the exams. Just pick a major you like and go to college."
Michael had made up his mind.
He would persuade Lily to retake the exams.
This time, he wouldn't make the same mistake. Without Sophie around, he wouldn't let Lily suffer any more.
Michael left after speaking.
Sophie watched Michael's back, biting her lip in frustration. What did he mean by that?
Did he mean she wasn't as good as Lily?
Even if she retook the exams, it wouldn't be as meaningful as Lily retaking them.
Austin, feeling a bit awkward, scratched his head and said to Sophie, "Sophie, don't take Michael's words to heart. He's always doted on Lily. It'll pass."
"Austin, why would I take it to heart? Michael has always been good to me, too. I'm already grateful for what I have."
Sophie said this, pretending to be understanding, then looked at Barry. "Is the herbal soup I made for Michael ready yet? It might not be as good as Lily's, but I want to help ease his stomach pain."
"It should be ready in a bit."
Seeing Sophie being so considerate, Austin felt a bit relieved. "It's okay if you didn't do well on the exams. Let's go to a bar and relax."
"Sure, I'll go change my clothes first. Barry, could you help me bring the soup to Michael later?"
Sophie was excited as she headed upstairs.
But just as she finished changing into a dress, her phone rang.
She glanced at it; it was an unfamiliar number. This number had called a few days ago, too, but she hadn't answered.
Sophie thought it was probably a wrong number, so she didn't pay much attention.
But now the call was coming in again.
Feeling good, she answered, her voice cheerful, "Hello, who is this?"
"Soph, it's me."
Hearing the familiar voice on the other end, Sophie's mind went blank.
Her hand trembled as she lowered her voice, "Who are you?"
Why did the voice sound exactly like her deceased father, Paul?
But Paul had died years ago in a car accident while working as a driver for the Roberts family, sacrificing himself to save Lily's parents.
"Soph, it's complicated. I can't explain everything right now. But I need you to send me some money urgently."
"Seriously? Scammers are getting more and more creative, pretending to be my dead father to trick me out of money? Do I look that gullible?"
Sophie hung up the phone.
But she couldn't calm down. Instead, she felt a storm brewing inside her.
Because her father used to call her Soph.
She hadn't heard that nickname in years.
Sophie had always had doubts. Her father was an abusive man who loved gambling. Whenever he lost money, he'd come home and beat her and her mother.
Eventually, her mother couldn't take it and left. Being a girl, Sophie didn't fare much better.
One day, her father supposedly died heroically, and she was taken in by the Roberts family.
She always felt something was off about the whole thing.
Her father wasn't a good person. He wouldn't have saved anyone!
But Sophie never dared to speak up, fearing that if the Roberts family investigated, she might lose her life of luxury.
She deliberately forgot about these oddities and accepted all the benefits from the Roberts family.
But now, receiving a call from someone claiming to be her father, she felt panicked. What if Paul were really alive?
What really happened in that car accident?
Sophie didn't dare to think further!
There was a knock on the door.
"Sophie, how long does it take to change clothes?"
It was Austin's voice outside. Sophie snapped back to reality, "I'm ready."
She blocked the number and deleted all call records, pretending nothing had happened.
That call must have been a scam. Paul was definitely dead.
After composing herself, Sophie left the room, "Let's go, Austin."
Austin was a bit impatient, "Girls always take forever to get ready."
Outside the bar.
Lily got out of the car with Dennis and Eric. As she saw the bar's sign, it felt oddly familiar.
Wasn't this the bar where Sophie humiliated her in her past life?
What a coincidence.
Dennis noticed Lily's uneasy expression, "What's wrong? If you don't like this bar, we can go somewhere else."
"No need, this bar is quite famous and popular lately."
Eric turned back, "Yeah, this place is pretty lively."
Dennis gave Lily a long look, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"As long as you guys are here, what could go wrong?"
Lily masked her earlier disgust. This wasn't her past life; she wouldn't let Sophie bully her without fighting back.
Dennis watched Lily's back. Sometimes she seemed to have a maturity beyond her age, a sense of discord.
Maybe it was just his imagination.
The three of them walked into the bar.
Lily put on a fox mask. Tonight's theme was a masquerade ball.
Just like in her past life.
She remembered Sophie getting cozy with Ethan at this bar, and Ethan pretending to confess to her to make Sophie happy.
In her past life, she had no experience with relationships and faced the biggest humiliation when a guy pretended to confess to her.
The worst part was, Austin was there and sided with Sophie, saying it was all just a joke.
She was mocked and humiliated, treated as insignificant.
She was curious to see what would happen this time.
As Lily entered the main hall, rhythmic music played.
She saw a spotlight on the stage, and Ethan, holding a bouquet, approached a girl wearing a bunny mask.
Lily instantly recognized the girl in the bunny mask as Sophie.