Chapter 221 Farewell

Chapter 221 Farewell

Once again, Zachary's words left Sophia speechless.

She couldn't understand why he kept targeting Lucas. Without thinking, she shot back, "At least Lucas has been there for the kids all these years. He's never made them cry."

Compared to Zachary's hot-and-cold "father" act, at least Lucas had never let Julia and Simon down!

What neither Sophia nor Zachary realized was that both were consumed by resentment toward each other.

They hurled accusations back and forth, but the argument only deepened the chasm of misunderstanding between them.

Standing face to face, they might as well have been separated by an abyss.

Neither was willing to take that first step forward.

Finally, Sophia let out a cold laugh.

She turned to the speechless Zachary and said, "My decision won't change. The kids were happy with me before, and they'll be just as happy with me in the future. You have no right to make decisions for them."

Zachary instinctively moved to block Sophia's path.

But at that moment, Lucas—who had been worried about their argument—caught up to them.

Before he even got close, he could feel the razor-sharp tension crackling between them.

He silently thanked his timing.

Lucas stepped directly into Zachary's path, blocking him from chasing after Sophia. His voice was cold. "Mr. Spencer, Sophia doesn't want to see you right now."

Lucas's appearance only made things worse.

The moment he showed up, all of Zachary's pent-up fury found its target.

He clenched his fists and stepped forward, his tone dripping with contempt. "Don't you think you're overstepping, Mr. Brown? Or are you just that interested in other men's wives?"

Zachary's mockery continued. "I suppose you're waiting for our divorce so you can be with Sophia. Unfortunately, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed—Sophia doesn't seem interested in being with you either."

Sophia didn't hear those words.

But Lucas could easily imagine how furious she would be if she had.

He felt indignant on her behalf, his brow furrowing. "Are you out of your mind? Sophia is your wife, for God's sake. Is this really how you think of her?"

Lucas's eyes turned icy. "Sophia really misjudged you. After all these years with you, I feel sorry for her!"

Zachary's fist came flying at Lucas's face.

Lucas's pupils contracted sharply. He jerked backward, barely dodging the blow.

Feeling the vicious force of the punch whistle past his ear, Lucas's heart hammered. Zachary had put his full strength into that swing!

If that punch had connected, he wouldn't have been able to show his face in public for at least a month!

He became even more determined to keep Sophia away from Zachary. His entire body tensed defensively. "Mr. Spencer, are you sure you want to settle this with your fists?"

Zachary's gaze was ice-cold, simmering with displeasure.

The two men stood on the verge of a physical fight when Zachary's phone suddenly rang. The abrupt sound shattered the frozen atmosphere.

Zachary's expression darkened. He irritably pulled out his phone.

The caller ID showed the very name Sophia had been throwing in his face repeatedly.

Seeing Paula's call at a time like this, Zachary naturally had no patience for it. He took a deep breath and answered curtly. "What is it?"

The person on the other end said something.

Zachary's cold expression softened slightly.

He glanced deeply in the direction Sophia had gone, then said coldly to Lucas, "Mr. Brown, this isn't over."

With that, he turned and left—apparently heading off to meet Paula.

Lucas slowly exhaled a heavy breath.

He drove after Sophia, rolling down the window. "Let me drive you home. Whatever needs to be said can wait. Don't let your emotions affect the kids."

Sophia forced out a strained smile. She opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes involuntarily drifted toward the rearview mirror.

Lucas's gaze flickered. His grip on the steering wheel tightened momentarily.

Then he quickly returned to normal, mentioning casually, "He got a call from Paula. Something came up, so he left."

Sophia's reaction was flat. She simply nodded, saying nothing more.

Her heart, which she'd thought had gone numb, throbbed with a dull ache once again.

It felt like being cut over and over with a dull blade—the wound in her heart bleeding endlessly.

She silently got into Lucas's car. After a long stretch of silence, she said hoarsely, "I still haven't told Dylan I'm leaving. He's been so good to me all these years, and I..."

Lucas quickly tried to ease her guilt. "Dylan cares deeply for you. Naturally, he wants you to live the happy life you deserve."

She smiled faintly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I hope so. At the very least, I need to say goodbye to him properly."

After she finished speaking, Sophia turned to gaze out the window, lost in thought.

When that sharp, swelling pain in her chest finally eased, she forced herself to stop overthinking. She told herself again and again:

Just get through this period. Things will get better.

It'll all be over soon.

Once I leave Zachary and Paula behind, even the deepest scars will heal eventually. And I'll still have the kids...

---

Sophia went to see Dylan first.

As she approached his hospital room, her hesitant footsteps gradually grew more resolute.

Finally, with a look of firm determination, she knocked on the door. Her heart was full of apology, but her voice was unwavering. "Dylan, I've made up my mind."

Dylan's heart skipped a beat.

Seeing Sophia's calm, determined expression, he suddenly felt a sense of finality settle over him.

He had a vague idea of what she was about to say.

Dylan suppressed a sigh of reluctance and said, "What is it? Do you have something important to tell me? Whatever you decide, I'll support you."

Sophia's nose stung with emotion. Fighting back her reluctance, she told Dylan that she had already withdrawn the children from kindergarten and would soon be leaving with Julia and Simon.

She gripped his hand, her voice thick with guilt. "Dylan, I should spend more time with you, but—"

"What nonsense."

To her surprise, Dylan didn't object at all.

Instead, he refused to let her apologize. His voice was heavy but gentle. "I know you haven't been happy at home. I used to push for you and Zachary to reconcile, but now I see... you two were never meant to be."

He held back a sigh, unwilling to become a burden on Sophia's conscience.

He looked at her with tender concern. "After that scandal broke, I told you I'd support whatever you chose to do. Even if you divorce Zachary, you'll always be my granddaughter. That will never change."

Sophia smiled through her tears, nodding firmly. "You'll always be my grandfather."

He smiled warmly, patting the back of her hand with relief. "Good. Then it's settled. You're divorcing that bastard Zachary—not breaking ties with your grandfather. Come visit me often, you hear?"

"I'll bring the kids to see you as often as I can." Sophia blinked back tears of gratitude, making promise after promise.