Chapter 10 This Was the Lesson She'd Learned at the Smith Family
Benjamin had retired from public life years ago, relocating to this secluded sanctuary where few knew his address—a place that truly felt removed from the world.
Sophia continued, "Why don't you just move back to the city? At your age, living out here in the middle of nowhere, ten miles from the nearest neighbor—if something happened to you, an ambulance wouldn't even reach you in time."
Sophia had brought up moving many times before. Benjamin waved his hand irritably, "Alright, alright! You're so nagging. I'll think about it."
Sophia shrugged. "Take your time thinking. But if you don't move, you definitely won't get that student. If you're willing to relocate, Michael already has a place arranged for you. One phone call and people will be there tomorrow to help you pack. You could move the day after, and start teaching officially the day after that."
Benjamin huffed indignantly. So this was all about pressuring him to move back to the city!
What was so great about the city anyway? All that pollution and noise, with people constantly showing up at his door, making a racket.
Here was perfect—peaceful, ideal for his retirement.
Benjamin had lived here for seven or eight years and wasn't eager to leave, so he decided to table the discussion for now and enthusiastically took Lucas to see his recent works.
They didn't return until four-thirty in the afternoon.
Throughout the drive home, Lucas was visibly excited, clearly eager for Benjamin to teach him calligraphy.
Sophia didn't mind either way, only using this opportunity to pressure Benjamin into moving back to the city.
Benjamin had been a mentor to her, and she didn't want him growing old alone in that remote countryside. She worried that if something sudden happened, she might not even make it in time to see him one last time.
Living in the city meant convenient transportation, complete medical facilities, and an extensive network of contacts for support.
They arrived home just as dinner was being served. Lucas excitedly recounted the entire day's events, expressing his desire to study calligraphy with Mr. White.
When he finished, the others had no idea who this Mr. White was, and all turned their gazes to Sophia.
Sophia swallowed her bite of food and replied unhurriedly, "Lucas writes quite well, so I took him to meet Benjamin."
Everyone immediately became unsettled.
Ray's voice rose several octaves in surprise, "Mr. Benjamin White? The renowned master calligrapher Benjamin White?"
Benjamin's calligraphy commanded astronomical prices—the Smith family had paid over a hundred million for one of his pieces from fifteen years ago. After turning fifty, he'd retreated to the mountains and stopped taking commissions, making his subsequent works sell for even more astronomical sums.
Sophia nodded calmly. "Yes, he's a friend of mine."
Everyone was even more shocked.
The internationally acclaimed calligrapher Benjamin, who was a figure so prestigious that wealth, power, and influence couldn't guarantee an audience with him, was actually good friends with Sophia?
"Sophia, how did you meet Mr. White?" Ray couldn't help but ask.
Elite families and business moguls rarely had the privilege of meeting Benjamin. Ray didn't think Sophia had used the Smith family's influence to make the connection.
"We met at a calligraphy exhibition. I suppose you could call us friends despite the age difference." Sophia's expression remained calm, as if this wasn't particularly noteworthy.
In that moment, the Johnson family finally understood why Sophia could so easily accept the truth about being a fake heiress, quickly pack a small backpack, and abandon the Smith family's luxurious lifestyle.
Why could she return to this impoverished household with such unflappable composure, showing no complaints, no disdain, no shame.
It was because Sophia's confidence had never depended on the Smith family's power, but came from her own abilities.
The breadth of her social circle was beyond their imagination.
Three days remained before school started.
Ray had taken a long-distance delivery job and couldn't make it home for dinner.
Mary set aside a portion for him, then called the other three children to eat.
"School starts soon. Sophia, are you staying at Silver Fir Academy?" James asked.
Mentioning school, Mary looked down and pressed her lips together, choosing her words carefully, "Sophia, our financial situation isn't good, and bringing you back to suffer with us feels terribly unfair to you. You're a senior this year; your father and I discussed selling the car to pay this semester's tuition. We'll figure out next semester somehow."
Sophia's eyes flickered slightly. She couldn't understand why the Johnson family kept saying they were sorry to her.
Sorry for the poor financial conditions, sorry for the cramped house, sorry for not being able to afford an elite private school.
What was there to apologize for? The things you want should be earned through your own efforts. Depending on others' help meant you'd never truly succeed, even if those "others" were your own family.
This was the lesson she'd learned from the Smith family.
"Mom, you don't need to keep apologizing to me. I'll work for what I want myself, because those are my interests and shouldn't require your sacrifice. Don't worry about tuition. I can handle it."
Mary's eyes suddenly reddened, tears threatening to spill as she fought to keep them from falling, managing a relieved smile as she looked at Sophia.
James silently continued drinking his soup, but something that had been weighing on his heart seemed to ease in that moment.
After the Johnson family's bankruptcy, the once sweet and obedient Emily had gradually transformed from occasionally wanting new clothes and shoes every few months to becoming increasingly vain, shamelessly demanding everything this household could provide.
She wanted too much. When the family could no longer satisfy her growing vanity, she became unbearable—throwing tantrums, cursing at her parents, even laying hands on Evelyn.
Over the past two years, Mary had endured so much resentment from Emily that her guilt over failing to fulfill her daughter's wishes had grown deeper and deeper, apologizing countless times.
The mother who had treasured her child like a precious jewel had ultimately become her child's slave.