Chapter 11 His Sister Wasn't Being Good
James collected himself emotionally before looking up with his gentle smile, "Since Sophia can handle the tuition issue, we can breathe easier. I'll look for some part-time work this weekend, at least Sophia's and my living expenses won't be a worry."
Sophia thought for a moment but ultimately didn't object to James's proposal.
Perhaps allowing him to contribute would help reduce some of his guilt toward her.
They finished dinner by six-thirty.
James cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them, while Lucas and Sophia returned to their rooms to catch up on homework.
Shortly after, Mary finished tidying the living room and knocked on Sophia's door.
"Sophia, your father wants to know if you'd like to barbecue. We could set up the grill on the rooftop."
Sophia considered this—she'd only eaten barbecue before, never actually grilled anything herself.
Now that she'd left the Smith family, she was all about trying new experiences, so she agreed, "Sure, I've never tried grilling myself before."
Mary's smile brightened. "Then I'll prepare the ingredients. James, go down to the grocery store and get some drinks."
"I'll go buy them," Sophia said, grabbing her phone and standing up. "James can stay here and help with the food prep."
She wasn't much help with food preparation, and she couldn't just sit idly while the whole family was busy. Buying drinks was something she could handle.
Guessing her thoughts, James smiled. "Alright, Sophia can go. Take Lucas with you, he knows which ones taste good."
Even this detail was considered. Sophia blinked and went to knock on Lucas's door to bring him along.
Though the barbecue was organized on short notice, the preparations came together quickly. In less than half an hour, all the materials were ready on the rooftop.
When Ray returned home, Mary and Lucas were threading food onto skewers, James was lighting the charcoal, and Sophia was watching James light the charcoal.
There was no helping it—Sophia had lived a privileged life since childhood and didn't know how to do anything, nor did she have any interest in learning.
Once the charcoal was burning, they could start grilling. The family sat around the small grill, each holding two or three skewers, chatting and laughing to make the long waiting time less tedious.
Gradually, the meat began releasing the fragrant aroma of sizzling fat.
But the appetizing smell quickly turned into the smell of burning.
Everyone sniffed the air. The rooftop lighting was too dim to see whose food was burning.
They each lifted their skewers closer to check—everyone else's looked fine. Finally, all eyes focused on the chicken wing skewer in Sophia's hand.
It was impossible to tell whether it was a chicken wing or a piece of charcoal fished out of the grill.
Sophia stared at the wing in her hand with a confused expression, her eyes full of bewilderment. "Why did it turn black?"
The whole family burst into laughter—Sophia was clearly a kitchen hazard!
"Sophia, have you never tried barbecuing before?" Ray asked.
Sophia thought about it. "We had one organized during a middle school field trip, but my friends did the grilling, and I just ate."
"So this is Sophia's first grilled chicken wing! I have to try it." Ray reached over and took the charcoal-like skewer from Sophia's hand.
"I want some too," James said, shaking with laughter. "I need to taste Sophia's cooking."
"Save me a bite!" Lucas raised his hand, seeking attention.
Sophia had assumed they were just teasing her, but Ray actually took out a small knife, scraped away the black layer from the wing's surface, and took a bite.
Then James and Lucas followed suit.
Children couldn't hide their feelings. Lucas spat it out the moment it hit his mouth. "Ew! So bitter! Sophia's cooking is awful!"
He handed Sophia his freshly grilled meatball skewer. "Sophia, don't cook anymore. I'll grill for you."
Sophia pressed her lips together and accepted the skewer. "Thank you."
James chewed the chicken in his mouth, finding it so terrible it was funny. He kept his mouth tightly closed, shoulders shaking as he tried to suppress his laughter.
Sophia felt embarrassed. "James, just spit it out. You don't need to force yourself."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ray, on the other side, wore an expression of noble sacrifice as he swallowed, then gave Sophia a determined thumbs up. "Delicious! Sophia has real talent! For a first attempt, this is pretty impressive!"
Sophia's lips twitched slightly, and after a moment, she sighed softly, "Dad, you don't need to force compliments; your tears are already showing."
The rooftop was filled with cheerful laughter and conversation. Though Sophia had helplessly exposed her weakness, her family's reaction warmed her heart.
The basement air was thick and oppressive, as if wrapped in layers of invisible spider webs.
The man seated in the wooden high-backed chair had sharp, austere features. The dim candlelight cast stark shadows across his sculpted face, making him look like a mysterious and dangerous demon emerging from the abyss.
The voice on the phone continued its report, "Ms. Smith only took her documents and tablet when she left. She's staying with the Johnson family now."
Hearing the last sentence, Andrew Smith's eyes narrowed slightly, exuding a dangerous aura. "Keep close watch on her, especially at school."
"Don't wait for me to come back; she'll be covered in bruises from being bullied."Understood."
The call ended. Andrew's long fingers drummed lightly against the desk.
His sister wasn't being good.