Though there were so many questions in her heart, though she didn't understand why Ned had proposed breaking up, though there were too many "thoughs"...
Even if she was slow, she now understood that there was no need to ask why anymore.
All the way, Sophie walked very slowly. She kept her head down as she left the C&C building, then slowly shuffled toward the bus stop.
This was how it ended.
This was for the best.
A relationship that began without knowing why, and ended just as inexplicably—though it was ridiculous, it was even more tragic.
Why had they started in the first place?
And why had it ended?
But no matter the reasons, since it was over, none of them mattered anymore.
Was this what love was like?
Was the essence of love nothing but confusion?
What was true affection? What exactly was the difference between true affection and sweet nothings?
...............
In the hospital, Sarah received an anonymous letter. There were no words inside—only a photograph. The photo showed her daughter Sophie, wearing only underwear, her eyes dazed and dreamy as she gazed at Ned, who was about to reach the door of the suite.
The moment she saw the photo, Sarah was overwhelmed by an impulse to die right then and there. The thing she feared most had still happened. The two children who shared the same blood had committed the most terrible act—incest.
Tears slid silently down her cheeks. In her heart, she was filled with deep regret. If she hadn't listened to the midwife Eugenie back then and swapped her own child, perhaps none of this would have happened.
But why had the baby she received in the swap been Victoria's daughter? How had she ended up in Manchester and gone into premature labor? This had always been a mystery that Sarah could never unravel. Wasn't it all too much of a coincidence...?
Why had Victoria wanted to swap her child—just because she had given birth to a daughter? Did she want a son instead?
Or was it to secure her marriage through a son?
Why hadn't she had a second child...?
All these questions swirled in Sarah's mind, refusing to leave. She no longer wanted to consider anyone's feelings. She wanted to make this truth public...
She could not let the two children continue to make such a mistake...
With trembling hands, she took out the phone that had been placed under her pillow and made a call, arranging to meet the other person in detail at the hospital at ten o'clock in the morning three days later.
Then she pulled out the stationery and fountain pen that had been sitting in the drawer for a long time and began to write a letter.
.........
After walking for half the day, Sophie suddenly felt exhausted and sat down on a bench by the sidewalk to rest.
It was here that Archibald spotted Sophie, who was sitting there in a daze.
"Hey!" He pulled his car up beside her, rolled down the window, his face full of surprised delight. "I can't believe I ran into you here again!"
Sophie lifted her head and saw Archibald... Her eyes were unfocused and scattered.
"What's wrong? You look really off." He frowned, sensing something was wrong with her.
Sophie tried to shake her head, but suddenly felt the world spin violently—
And then, she abruptly fainted on the bench.
When she woke up, she was already lying in a clinic.
Blinking her eyes and staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, her mind completely blank, she had no idea where she was...
She turned her head and saw Archibald sitting beside her, looking at her with concern. Then she noticed the long IV line in front of her. Following it, she saw three bags of fluid hanging by the side of the bed, with a needle inserted into the bottom of one...
So she'd been brought to a hospital. She struggled to sit up.
"Don't sit up. The doctor said you're suffering from malnutrition and extreme fatigue—you need to rest properly." Archibald stood up and gently pressed her shoulders down.
Sophie still sat up. "Am I in the hospital?" she asked, her voice very weak.
"Yeah, I brought you here. You suddenly fainted just now and scared the hell out of me! So I found the nearest clinic and rushed you over." Archibald said, "You should lie back down quickly. The doctor said you can't be discharged today—you need to stay overnight for observation."
Sophie said nothing.
"If you're scared to be alone, I'll stay here with you. Don't worry."
She shook her head. "I'm not scared. You don't need to stay. There are doctors and nurses here—I'll be fine on my own."
Archibald pursed his lips, then plopped back down in the chair, sticking to it stubbornly. "No need to argue—you can't chase me away. We're good friends, at least. How could I leave you here alone as a patient?"
Sophie lowered her head. "Thank you for bringing me to the hospital," she said, trying to change the subject.
Archibald stared at her, then smiled with sudden understanding. "Sophie, do you often faint on the street like this?"
Sophie flinched as if something had struck a nerve, her eyes flickering.
"Are you a stray cat or a stray dog? Fainting right there on the roadside?" Archibald scratched his head. "What on earth is going on with you? When I first met you, you were so cheerful and optimistic! That's the you I liked. You've always known I like you, right? What exactly happened to turn you into this?"
She glanced at him but said nothing.
"Is something wrong with Aunt Sarah?" Sophie shook her head.
"Then it must be Ned. He must have done something stupid and upset you again." Sophie looked into his eyes and smiled—a smile that was very forced.
"Should I call him?" Archibald suddenly asked, then pulled out his phone and started dialing—
Sophie's face stiffened. "Don't call him!" She reached out to stop Archibald.
"Why not?" He paused, stunned. "Aren't you two together? You're sick and in the hospital—he should come visit and take care of you!"
"This is my business. It has nothing to do with him." Sophie said the words very calmly.
"What do you mean? How does it have nothing to do with him?" Archibald was completely confused.
"Yesterday, we already broke up." Sophie turned her head away, biting her lower lip, trying hard not to let her tears fall.
Archibald froze. He stared at her with wide eyes. "Broke up? Impossible! Are you joking?"
"It's true! We really broke up!" Sophie turned her back to him, struggling to hold herself together.
He was stunned for a long moment. "Why? Why would you break up? This is too sudden."
"There's no why." She turned back around, having forced her emotions down, and answered in a calm tone.
Archibald reacted as if he'd heard a joke. "No why?" He let out a cold laugh, then started dialing the number again. "I'm calling Ned over. I want to ask him why he's breaking up with you—"
"There's no need to ask. No—need—to—ask—anymore." Sophie suddenly raised her voice. "When a man proposes a breakup, if the woman keeps asking why—or even gets friends to ask for reasons—she looks so pathetic! That would just make me seem even more pitiful!"
Archibald's expression changed. "He's the one who went too far. The way he acted the night before last—even I couldn't stand it. And he still has the nerve to break up with you. What are you afraid of? Confront him right in front of me!"
"Since we've already broken up, there's no point in keep asking why. If you can pick it up, you should be able to put it down." Sophie said to him, word by word.
"You're willing to just be dumped like this without any explanation? You're not the kind of woman who meekly accepts everything."
Sophie replied expressionlessly, "I'm not willing! But this has nothing to do with being meek. I don't want to confront him and ask why either." She took a deep breath, then said to him, "We were never suited to be together in the first place. Even if we didn't break up now, we would later. I've always known that 'breaking up was the right thing all along'."
Archibald was getting frustrated and angry. "Are you still the Sophie I know? How can you say nonsense like 'breaking up was the right thing all along'? Ned treated you like this, and you can just tolerate it? You're really pissing me off." He glared at her.
"Thank you for bringing me to the hospital. I'm very grateful, but please don't interfere in matters between him and me anymore." Sophie looked straight at Archibald—vulnerable, yet stubborn.
The two stared at each other for a long time until Archibald finally gave in. "Fine~ I'm the one sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. I'm meddling too much, okay? I won't get involved with you two anymore!" He stood up and walked to the door, then turned back around. "Sophie, no matter what, you've broken up with Ned—not with me. We're still good friends, right? Whenever you need me, I'll always be there!"