Chapter 37
His jaw was nearly touching the top of her head.
If he hadn't reached out to steady her in time, she would have tumbled right into his arms.
Sophia Sullivan took two quick steps back.
Alexander Laurent's Adam's apple bobbed. He withdrew his arm, his voice low. "Heels are easy to trip in."
He paused. "Flats are safer."
A soft laugh escaped Sophia. "Thank you."
Olivia Lopez's voice called from outside the stairwell. "Clara? Is that you?"
Sophia glanced toward the sound. "I should go."
"Mm."
Alexander's hand clenched at his side. He turned and went upstairs.
His footsteps echoed in the empty stairwell.
Clear voices drifted up from below.
"What took so long?"
"A minor mishap."
"Did you see my brother?"
Olivia only knew Alexander lived nearby, not that they were neighbors.
Sophia gave a noncommittal hum.
Seeing her expression was normal, Olivia didn't press. She eagerly began discussing dinner options.
They settled on a Thai restaurant.
Over the meal, Olivia brought up the aftermath of her blind dates. "Those trust fund brats are utterly insufferable."
Everyone in their circle knew she loved to party. Her sudden turn to arranged meetings had many waiting for a spectacle.
The reluctant bachelors forced to meet her weren't pleasant either, hinting she should settle down and be a proper homemaker.
She had scoffed. These useless men, with no ambition of their own, thought everyone else was just coasting through life?
"In a fit of anger, I aired all their dirty laundry." Olivia snorted. In the same social circle, everyone knew each other's secrets.
Sophia wasn't surprised. Olivia had always been swift to exact revenge. "No wonder the gossip columns have been so lively lately."
News of infidelity scandals and tax evasion had reached even her, buried in her studies.
"Serves them right." Olivia sighed. "My family is among the top tier, and I have an older brother to carry the legacy. Yet my parents still nag me constantly about marriage."
"Don't even get me started on my aunt. She's practically gone gray worrying over my cousin's marital status, trying every trick to push him."
Sophia faltered. Alexander was being pressured to marry?
She found it hard to picture.
"But my cousin is hardly ever home. My aunt doesn't even get the chance to pester him." Olivia shrugged. "I'm just curious what kind of woman could ever capture the heart of someone so... detached..."
Sophia suddenly remembered the scene in the stairwell.
He seemed aloof and distant, yet he was attentive and considerate. The warmth of his palm had been startling.
Just how exceptional would the person who won his affection be?
...
Time flew.
It was already December.
The day of the graduate entrance exam arrived.
The winter in the city was damp and bitterly cold. A week of predicted rain and snow finally materialized. After last night's freezing rain, a thin layer of ice coated the roads.
On exam day, Sophia bundled up in a thick down coat, scarf, and gloves. She specifically wore anti-slip winter boots before heading out.
She did a final check of her admission ticket and stationery, ensuring everything was in order.
Olivia had joked about wearing a qipao for good luck, a play on words for a successful start. But after pulling two all-nighters for work, she couldn't get out of bed.
Sophia scanned the area outside the exam hall. As expected, no sign of Olivia, but she wasn't disappointed.
True friendship never needed forced maintenance.
The exam lasted two hours. Upon handing in their papers, some looked thrilled, others worried. Sophia walked out with a calm expression.
A light drizzle fell outside. Taxis were scarce, so she decided to take the subway home.
She had only taken a few steps when someone called her name.
"Sophia Sullivan?"
She looked up to see Amelia Roscente standing under the eaves. "I thought it was you."
Amelia hadn't seen her since the incident where she tried and failed to take her to the hospital.
Over half a year had passed. Her brother and Sophia truly hadn't gotten back together.
Even their mother, Victoria Roscente, who initially believed they wouldn't really break up, was starting to waver.
Amelia often heard her mother mutter—
"Why does Ethan keep having stomach problems lately? He didn't end up in the hospital this often when he was with Sophia Sullivan."
"Amelia, do you think it's really over between them this time?"
"Is that Sophia Sullivan out of her mind? There's a limit to playing hard to get. Does she even want to marry into our family?"
Victoria had looked down on Sophia for years, but now that they had truly split, she felt oddly uncomfortable.
Amelia also found it hard to accept.
It wasn't that she supported the relationship. She just couldn't accept that Sophia was the one who ended it.
She had learned the details of the breakup from Charlie Lowell. Her brother had flaunted his new girlfriend right in front of Sophia. No wonder she snapped.
Now she truly believed these two would not reconcile.
"Amelia." Sophia smiled in greeting.
Amelia noticed the clear plastic pencil case in her hand, recalling their chance meeting at the library. "You actually went through with the exam..."
Like her mother, she thought Sophia was just putting on a show to win her brother back. She never expected her to actually go through with it.
Sophia nodded. "Graduate school was always my dream. I missed my chance before. I'm trying to fight for it now."
Amelia studied her, a frown forming. "You only started studying after the breakup, right?"
"Yes."
"In such a short time, I'm afraid..." She thought the chances were slim.
This year saw a record number of exam takers. Competition for a top school like MIT was fierce.
Sophia had been out of school for years and hadn't worked in her field. Cramming at the last minute would likely yield predictable results.
A story of self-improvement after a breakup was nice, but success in these exams required more than just determination.
Amelia didn't have the heart to crush her hopes and left her sentence unfinished.