Chapter 10

Sophia followed Nicholas out of the hospital, one after the other.

After such a long delay, it was already getting late when Sophia came out.

"Nicholas, thank you for earlier. If it weren't for you, I might have..." She didn't finish, just looked at her swollen wrist.

Nicholas followed her gaze. "Remember to put some medicine on it when you get home."

"Okay."

Nicholas glanced at her and suddenly smiled.

Nicholas's smile was faint, but it made Sophia feel dazed for a moment.

She remembered back in college, Nicholas was a big shot at their school. He was two years ahead of her, incredibly talented, and won countless awards.

Back then, they were in the same club. When they occasionally ran into each other, he would smile and call her "little junior."

Later, she got married, he went abroad, and they lost contact.

She never expected they'd meet again under these circumstances.

"In your situation, there's only so much outsiders can do to help. Only you can really help yourself." As he spoke, he handed Sophia a business card.

"If you need anything, you can contact me."

Sophia took it with both hands. Scarlett leaned over to look and immediately widened her eyes, gasping sharply.

"STUDIO WE, Chief Designer, oh my god! Is this STUDIO WE I'm thinking of?"

Sophia was quite surprised, too.

After all, STUDIO WE was the biggest fashion company in the country, and ranked at the top in the global fashion industry!

The chief designer was basically a legendary figure who had been featured in every major magazine.

"Nicholas, I had no idea you'd become so successful."

Nicholas smiled lightly. "Just an ordinary job."

Scarlett gasped beside them. "What! Is the chief designer 'just an ordinary job'? Then what do you call jobs for regular people like us? Part-time work?"

Nicholas ignored her joke and looked at Sophia.

"Sophia, I've heard bits and pieces about your situation. When you got married back then, I thought it was such a waste. At least now the sand that was burying you has been blown away by the wind."

Sophia's eyes grew warm, but she couldn't help laughing. "The way you put it, should I be thanking that wind?"

"You'd better thank me for digging you out of that pit instead." He joked, then continued, "I have a project coming up—a collaboration with a luxury brand from Lumaria to design next year's spring collection."

"If you're willing, you can join in and complete this project together."

Sophia was completely stunned. She even doubted her ears—had she heard wrong?

A collaboration with a Lumarian luxury brand? Spring collection?

That was an opportunity countless designers would kill for!

"Nicholas, I just got back to the studio, and I'm still adjusting. Such a big project, I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what?" Nicholas interrupted her. "I still remember your graduation project. Your talent is the strongest I've ever seen."

"If you hadn't been held back for those few years, your achievements now would definitely be on par with mine. And right now, what you need most is an opportunity to prove yourself."

"This is also Professor Rogers's idea."

Sophia looked at him, warmth flooding her heart. She took a deep breath and nodded seriously. "Nicholas, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I definitely won't let you or Professor Rogers down."

Nicholas smiled. "I believe in you." Then, checking the time, he said, "Well then, see you at the studio tomorrow. Get some good rest."

As dusk fell, his figure in the sunset was straight and composed.

Scarlett stared from the side. "Sophia, this Nicholas of yours is actually pretty hot!"

Sophia smiled at her. "You like him? You could go after him."

"Why would I like him! I was thinking, since you're planning to divorce Benjamin anyway, why not develop something with him?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Sophia laughed and scolded her.

Three days later, Harry was discharged from the hospital.

The doctor said he had recovered pretty well, just needed to avoid getting too emotional in the future.

During those three days, Sophia hadn't come to see him once.

At first, Harry was quite happy, thinking it was great that Sophia wasn't coming! After all, he had Alice with him.

But gradually, he started feeling it wasn't so great.

The nutritious meals he had to eat every day were just too awful! If Sophia were still around, she would definitely make him apple pie, hot beef porridge, and sweet and sour strawberry jam.

But now, none of that was there.

Without tasty food, he felt completely listless and couldn't get his spirits up.

He kept thinking that once he got home, it would be better—at home, there would be all kinds of good food.

He finally made it to discharge day, but when he got home, there still wasn't any good food!

Harry was disappointed to the extreme.

Alice had been running to the White Villa every day these past few days, saying she needed to take care of Harry, that Harry couldn't do without her. She practically treated the White Villa as her second home.

That afternoon, she ordered takeout again.

"Harry, come on, time to eat." She opened the takeout boxes and set them on the dining table. "I ordered your favorite pizza."

Harry walked over, glanced at it, and frowned.

"Don't want it."

"Why not? Don't you love pizza?"

Harry didn't answer. He poked at the pizza with his little fork, put it in his mouth, chewed twice, then spit it out.

"Doesn't taste good."

Alice's expression stiffened.

"How can it not taste good? This is from that famous place. You said you liked it last time."

"It just doesn't taste good." Harry pouted and put down his fork. "It's not as good as what Mom makes."

Alice's smile completely fell apart.

Just then, Benjamin came downstairs and saw this scene, his brow furrowing slightly.

"What's wrong, still not to your taste?"

"Dad, I don't want to eat this." Harry looked at him pitifully. "I want Mom's tomato meat sauce pasta, and corn chowder, and..."

"That's enough." Benjamin cut him off. "Your mom hasn't been around these past few days, just eat this for now."

Harry pursed his lips and lowered his head, poking at the pizza with his fork over and over.

Benjamin watched him like this, a wave of irritation rising in his heart.

Every time he came home, there would be delicious food on the dining table. Sophia would stand at the kitchen door, smiling and calling to them, "You're back? Wash your hands and eat."

Back then, he took it for granted, enjoyed it so naturally, never thought it was anything special.

But now, without the things he'd always been used to, Benjamin inevitably felt uncomfortable.

Alice noticed he was distracted and quickly said, "Benjamin, you go ahead with your work. I'll take care of Harry."

Benjamin nodded, then glanced at Harry again. "Eat properly. Your mom will be back in a couple of days."

Harry responded, but once Benjamin turned around, he put down his fork again.

Benjamin walked to the study door and looked back.

In the dining room, Alice had pulled out her phone and was fiddling with it, her attention completely absorbed by the phone, not noticing what Harry was doing at all.

Harry sat there alone, pouting at the takeout boxes, cutting the pizza into pieces, then putting them in his mouth.

A thought suddenly rose in his mind: When Sophia was around, Harry never had this much trouble eating.

The thought flashed by, and he pushed it down.

It's fine. Once she comes around, she'll come back.