Chapter 203

Chapter 203

Henry had packed his things long ago, but was forced to stay an extra day.

He grabbed his suitcase, glanced at Ophelia, and walked out of the room.

They got into the elevator together. Ophelia stood at the far edge, keeping her distance from him.

Even now, she was still on guard against him.

After getting out of the elevator, Henry checked out at the front desk and left the hotel. His ride was already waiting.

Henry opened the back door and gestured for Ophelia to get in.

Ophelia glanced at the passenger seat. "I get carsick. I'll sit in front."

Henry smiled slightly and let her have her way.

It was rare enough that she was willing to share a car with him, rare enough that she was willing to see him off at the airport. This was already good.

After the heavy rain, the roads were deeply flooded. The car drove carefully. Henry kept checking the time. They'd left a bit late to begin with, and now they were wasting even more time on the road.

"Could you please hurry?" Henry was worried about missing his flight.

When they arrived at the airport, there was still half an hour before boarding time.

Standing at the entrance, Henry felt somewhat reluctant to leave.

Ophelia didn't seem to feel the same way. She probably couldn't wait for him to disappear from her sight and never appear again.

"I'm off then." Henry's tone was fairly light.

Ophelia nodded. "Have a safe trip."

Henry smiled. "Next time I come, can I still ask you to buy me dinner?"

Ophelia looked up. His smile was faint, his eyes bright, looking very clean and clear.

He had helped her. If she refused now, she would seem too heartless.

"Sure." Ophelia nodded.

"It's a deal then." Henry didn't have much time. He took a deep breath, his eyes full of Ophelia's unenthusiastic expression. "I'm going now."

Ophelia nodded again.

Henry turned around and walked toward security.

He looked back again. Ophelia was still standing there, watching him.

Henry smiled at her.

After passing through security, he looked back again, but there were too many people—he couldn't see her anymore.

After boarding, Henry took out his phone and started typing a message.

After finishing it, he remembered her phone was broken, and she wouldn't be able to see the message at all.

He put down his phone. By the time the plane took off, the message still hadn't been sent.

When Henry returned home, he made plans with Matthew and Joshua. He'd originally told them to come alone without their partners, but none of them were willing.

In the end, he gave in. They could bring their partners.

Matthew and Sophie arrived first.

"You got a lot out of this trip." Matthew had been friends with Henry for years and could read his emotions pretty well.

Before Henry could respond, Sophie laughed. "How did you manage to make Ophelia break up with her boyfriend on this trip?"

Henry raised his eyebrows. "She talked to you about it?"

"I saw her Facebook post." Sophie was joking. "You didn't go there to wreck someone's relationship, did you?"

"Sophie, do you think I have that kind of power?" When it came to Ophelia, Henry had zero confidence in himself.

Sophie laughed. "Either way, you've got a chance now."

Henry shook his head with a bitter smile. "We're so far apart, and she's already very guarded against me. I want to try, but I'm powerless."

"Giving up?" Matthew asked.

"Not quite. I still want to give it a shot." Henry had waited so long for Ophelia to break up. How could he possibly give up? He just needed a solid plan.

With Ophelia, he really had no choice but to scheme.

Joshua and Emily arrived.

The two of them were doing much better than before. At least they weren't sitting separately anymore. They sat together.

Henry watched them all pair up and felt bitter and sad.

Midway through, Sophie and Emily went to the restroom together.

Sometimes, coincidences really can't be explained.

They were washing their hands when Bella walked in from outside.

Bella stared intensely at Sophie, then a mocking smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Sophie couldn't be bothered with her little acts and walked out of the restroom with Emily.

"What was with that look? Just seeing it made me want to hit her." Emily really couldn't stand Bella.

Sophie didn't take Bella seriously at all. No matter what she did, Matthew wouldn't pay attention to her.

Besides, Victoria was back now. Bella could only step aside.

If she were smart and behaved herself, she could still ride on Victoria's coattails and get Matthew to look after her a bit, allowing her to survive in Silverlight City.

"She won't be hanging around Matthew anymore."

Emily frowned. "If she's like this, won't her sister be even more ruthless? They say the dog that bites doesn't bark."

"At least she hasn't been bothering Matthew so far."

Sophie didn't know much about Victoria.

The two times she'd met her, Victoria gave off a completely different vibe from Bella. She had a good sense of boundaries and had never sought out Matthew.

She preferred to believe Victoria was kind and sensible.

"I hope they're all good people, too." Emily linked arms with Sophie. "I just feel like it's the calm before the storm."

Sophie patted Emily's hand. "Don't worry about my business. Whatever happens between Matthew and me, it can be resolved."

"I know what you're saying. But I don't want that day to come." Emily didn't want to mention divorce anymore.

Divorce was exhausting.

"Alright." Sophie squeezed her hand. "Let's not borrow trouble from things that haven't happened yet. Being happy in the moment is what matters most."

When they got back to the private room, Sophie opened the door and heard a woman's voice inside.

Emily saw her, too. Right in front of the door, someone in a wheelchair with their back to the entrance.

When they opened the door, the person turned around.

Emily recognized that face. It was the first time she'd met her face-to-face after learning the name Victoria.

She couldn't help but grip Sophie's hand tighter.

They'd just been talking about how Victoria was different from Bella, and now here she was.

"Victoria." Sophie walked in with a smile. "We just saw your sister in the restroom."

Victoria moved her wheelchair slightly. "Really?"

"I went out to take a call and ran into her, so I brought her over to say hi," Henry explained, afraid Sophie might misunderstand.

"We're all friends. The more the merrier."

Sophie glanced at Matthew. Matthew's gaze was fixed on Victoria.

Even from a distance, Sophie could sense that Matthew had some complicated feelings for Victoria that he couldn't quite shake off.

If it were her, she definitely wouldn't be able to completely cut off someone she cared about so easily, either.

Evelyn liked Victoria so much, which meant Matthew liked Victoria very much too.

"I'm used to going to bed early, so I won't hang out with you guys." Victoria turned her wheelchair and smiled at Sophie. "Sophie, could you see me out?"

Sophie was slightly taken aback. She had her doubts, but responded calmly. "Sure."

She walked behind Victoria, catching Matthew in her peripheral vision and seeing a trace of worry in his eyes.

What was he worried about?

Was he afraid Victoria would say something to her? Or afraid she would do something to Victoria?