Chapter 4 It's Not Just This She's Abandoned

Ray went to find clean bed sheets, while Evelyn and James cleared Emily's belongings from the second bedroom, and Mary tidied up the room.

When Sophia had left the Smith family, she'd brought nothing but her identification documents. Now all she had was money.

The house had basic toiletries available, but she needed to buy several sets of clothes to change into; she wasn't particularly keen on wearing Evelyn's clothes.

Lucas insisted he knew the way and could guide her, making a fuss about wanting to go out with her.

"Sophia, I'll be really good! I won't run around or jump about, please take me with you!" He pouted, trying to charm her. He wanted to build a good relationship with Sophia quickly—that way, Mom and Dad would surely be happy too.

Sophia had never taken care of children before. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Are you sure you'll stay close beside me?"

"Yes!" Lucas immediately stood at attention, raising three fingers in a solemn pledge while grabbing Sophia's hand with the other. "Sophia, I'll hold your hand like this and promise to be good and not run off."

Actually, he was very nervous. He wanted to get close to Sophia but was afraid she might shake him off.

After waiting a moment and seeing that Sophia didn't seem disgusted by him, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Sophia was stunned—this was the first time anyone had held her hand.

Well, there had been one other time, sort of. That jerk from the Smith family had grabbed her wrist, and the next second, her arm had been dislocated.

Sophia pushed away these scattered thoughts and gently squeezed Lucas's hand back. "Alright then, I'll have to trouble you to show me the way."

A five-minute walk from the apartment building led to a supermarket, and beyond that, the evening shopping district was bustling with life, lined with numerous restaurants and clothing stores.

She picked out three or four casual outfits plus a set of athletic wear—enough for daily changes.

On the way home, holding Lucas's hand, they passed a caramel apple stand. She noticed him stealing several glances at the caramel apples in the glass case, but being too well-behaved to ask for one. Sophia smiled and bought him one.

Holding the caramel apple, Lucas's face lit up with that unique joy only children possess. "Thank you, Sophia!"

He grinned and held the caramel apple up toward Sophia. "Sophia, you take the first bite!"

The first bite should go to someone you care about—that was showing favoritism.

Sophia paused, then ruffled Lucas's hair. "I don't like sweets. You eat it."

"Oh," Lucas replied, counted the caramel apples on the stick, and smiled with innocent delight. "I'll take it home to share! James, Evelyn, and Dad can each have a bite, and since you don't want any, Sophia, Mom can have extra!"

"Sounds good," Sophia replied with amusement.

...

When James threw away Emily's belongings, his heart felt as though it were being carved up by a thousand knives, torn and bleeding.

He'd fantasized that maybe Emily would come back—after all, they'd been family for seventeen years. She had to have some feelings for them.

If Emily refused to stay with the Smith family, they wouldn't let go of Sophia, whom they'd invested heavily in raising. They'd keep either the biological daughter or the adopted one.

The moment he saw Sophia appear at their home, he knew Emily wasn't coming back.

Looking at the raccoon plushie in the cardboard box by the trash can, James clenched his molars, his heart twisting into knots.

This was the stuffed animal he'd won for Emily at a ring toss game during elementary school.

Even though she'd had many more beautiful, higher-quality stuffed animals, she'd always kept that little raccoon by her pillow.

Emily had once loved that stuffed animal dearly, just as she'd once loved this family dearly.

But everything had changed since the Johnson family went bankrupt.

When Sophia returned to the apartment building with Lucas, she could see James from a distance, picking up a stuffed animal from the box of items that should have been thrown away.

He cradled the toy gently, brushing the dust off it like someone navigating through a field of blades to collect fragments of happiness. His beautiful eyes held endless melancholy and reluctance to let go.

Regarding Emily's departure from the Johnson family, James was the most disappointed, the most heartbroken, and the one who couldn't let go.

"James."

Hearing Sophia's voice, James frantically hid the stuffed animal behind his back. Watching Sophia approach, he felt inexplicably guilty.

Sophia remained expressionless, unconcerned with such cheap sentiments. She said flatly, "No need to hide it. I saw."

James lowered his gaze like a child caught misbehaving, slowly bringing the stuffed animal back out. "Emily used to love this raccoon plushie. She always kept it by her bedside and hugged it to sleep every night. I never thought she'd abandon even this."

"It's not just this she's abandoned."

The matter-of-fact statement felt like a knife through James's heart. She sighed quietly and asked, "Do you want to keep it?"

James looked down at the stuffed animal in his hands, his fingers gradually tightening as he struggled internally.

After a long moment, he threw the toy back into the cardboard box and forced a smile for Sophia. "No, it's not worth anything."

Lucas stared at the discarded stuffed animal for a long time. He'd really liked that toy, but since it had been Emily's treasure, he couldn't take it, no matter how much he wanted it.

But now this former treasure had become abandoned trash. James must be very sad, right?

"James, look! Sophia bought me a caramel apple! Have a bite!" Lucas beamed, offering the caramel apple to James. Eating something sweet would make the sadness go away.

Seeing the thoughtful Lucas, the gloom wrapped around James's heart seemed to lift slightly.

His lips curved into a gentle smile as he crouched down and took a bite of the sugar-coated apple from Lucas's hand.

"Very sweet, very delicious."