My Boyfriend’s ‘Temporary Dating Agreement’ With My Bestie

Sophie Jordan and her boyfriend, Carter Jennings, had been in a long-distance relationship for four years while studying at different universities. During the semester break, Sophie took an eight-hour train ride to North Capital University to see Carter, but he was not around. The resident advisor looked her up and down with a smile. "Are you here for Carter Jennings? He isn't here for the semester break. He won't be back for a few days." Sophie's grip on her luggage tightened. "Is there some kind of mistake? He just told me that he's in his dorm." Sophie had texted Carter just minutes ago, and he told her he was tired and wanted to take a nap in his dormitory. "I have no reason to lie. Look, he wrote a note about it." The resident advisor showed her the note. "He left for Southern University to see his girlfriend. He always visits her during the holidays, rain or shine. "Carter Jennings loves his girlfriend a lot. Every guy in his dorm knows that! Look, his roommates are right there." His roommates were speaking about him. "Too bad Carter isn't around this long holiday. If he were here, we could’ve formed a team for that big competition!" "All he thinks about is his girlfriend. He's always with her during the holidays." "It takes five hours to travel to Southern University from here, but he doesn't find it tiring at all. When I asked him why his girlfriend doesn't come here to visit him instead, he said he didn't want to exhaust her with all the travelling. Dang, he must really love her!" The boys laughed as they walked past Sophie, and she heard everything they said. Her grip tightened gradually on her luggage as her excitement turned to fear. Southern University? She was not studying there. Who had her boyfriend been meeting without fail every semester break? Chapter 1 Carter Jennings ended up at North Capital University, while Sophie Jordan had to head to the far South to Streamston University. Never once did Carter come to see her in the four years they were at university, not even during the eleven federal holidays. Every time she asked Carter to visit her, he gave the excuse that it was too far and that the journey would take eight hours, which he could put to better use by conducting several experiments during that time. When Sophie offered to visit him instead, Carter would say they were too young to be wasting their time on dating. He told her that they should focus on their studies for these four years, and after that, they could be together forever. If Carter had pushed her away, who had he been seeing during those holidays over the past four years? Sophie immediately thought of Ruby Wrenly, her best friend who was studying at Southern University, but that was impossible. Sophie had been with Carter since high school, and they were deeply in love. Carter would never choose to visit Ruby instead of her. She lowered her head, dragging her luggage behind her as she left North Capital University. Sophie decided to find out the truth, and she bought a train ticket to Southern University. Before she left, she texted Carter. Sophie: [What are you doing now, Carter?] Carter: [I'm exhausted. I'm pretty tired, so I'm going to head to bed. I'll chat to you later.] Sophie texted Ruby next. Sophie: [What are you doing right now, Ruby?] Ruby: [A friend came to visit me. I'm taking him out to go sightseeing and have dinner.] Sophie: [Him?] Sophie: [It's a boy? Are you dating someone now?] Ruby: [Guess!] Ruby's reply was short, but it was enough to make Sophie's hand tremble. She was afraid that Ruby's boyfriend would turn out to be her boyfriend, Carter. When Sophie arrived at Southern University, the sky was already dark. She arrived at the building where Ruby's dormitory was and was about to call her when she saw a familiar figure dash to jump into the arms of a man nearby. "Have you waited long? I've told my roommates that I won't be going back tonight." The boy took a mini electric fan out of his bag and pointed it at the girl. "I've booked a hotel for tonight. Do you feel hot? “I got you an iced coffee. It’s your favorite macchiato. I bought it just for you!" She hugged his arm and said coquettishly, "You're the best, Carter! I love macchiatos. I'll make sure to reward you tonight!" "And how do you plan to reward me?" "I'll give you a kiss." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss the side of his lips, but it was not enough for him, as he suddenly grabbed her by the waist to kiss her deeply. Sophie watched all of this clearly from under the street light. It really was Carter with Ruby, and the electric fan he was using on her was a graduation gift Sophie had gotten him. A cute sticker Sophie had specially chosen was still on it. Now, Carter was using her gift to make another girl happy. Sophie was overcome with emotion as she stared at Carter and Ruby. Tears started brimming in her eyes, and she felt so horrible that she lost the strength to hold onto her luggage. Bam! The luggage fell over on the ground, and Carter and Ruby looked in her direction. Their faces turned pale when they saw her. Carter frowned and asked in a trembling voice, "What are you doing here, Sophie?" Chapter 2 "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Sophie asked as tears fell from her face. She did not want to believe that the boyfriend she had loved for the last five years would betray her with her best friend of ten years, and that they had managed to hide their relationship from her. Carter let go of Ruby's hand and quickly went over to Sophie to explain. "I just happened to be passing by the area and wanted to visit her. That's all." "Do you take me for a fool, Carter? I saw you two kissing, and you're trying to tell me that there’s nothing between the two of you?" Sophie was enraged, and she flung her bag hard at Carter. Carter did not dodge, so it hit him in the head. He staggered for a second before managing to stand still. "Don't be this way, Sophie. Just listen. We can explain." Ruby shielded Carter behind her while crying. She tried to explain, but Sophie did not give her the chance. Instead, she slapped Ruby hard across the face. Slap! It was a loud slap, and the sound drew the attention of other students nearby. The crowd got bigger as Ruby had one hand to her face, looking at Sophie in disbelief. "Aren't we best friends, Sophie? How could you slap me?" "Oh, so you still remember that I'm your best friend? If we're best friends, why would you steal my boyfriend? Why would you cheat with him behind my back?! Why? Why?!" Sophie went crazy as she slapped Ruby over and over. Ruby's face was bruised from all the slapping, but she did not dodge, nor return any of the slaps to Sophie. "This is all my fault. I just couldn't control myself!" Ruby said while shaking her head and sobbing, "We never wanted to hurt you. We made a pact to break up after our four years of university. Sophie, please forgive me." "You never wanted to hurt me? And you even made a pact to break up after four years? You're disgusting! You're both disgusting!" Sophie slapped Ruby even harder, and Carter finally could not take it. He grabbed Sophie’s hand and said seriously, "Stop hitting her, Sophie. Ruby's classmates are all around us. It would be bad for her reputation if you blow this up." She could not believe that Carter was more concerned for Ruby's reputation than Sophie’s dignity. Sophie watched him protect another girl and saw Ruby hiding behind him, trembling. She knew then that she had lost and suffered a complete defeat. "If this is bad for her reputation, what about mine? Have you even given me any thought, Carter? I'm not made out of stone. I have a heart, and it can bleed too. Do you know how much pain I'm in, finding out that my boyfriend and my best friend have betrayed me?" "Oh my gosh! Isn't that Ruby Wrenly from our lecture class? I can't believe she's the other woman." "Isn't that guy her boyfriend? We've studied at this university for three years, and I see him here every semester when he visits her. I can't believe a handsome, loving guy like that is two-timing them!" "I never understood what that cute guy ever saw in Ruby. Compared to that girl, she really isn't that pretty." "If I were her, I'd be heartbroken to be betrayed by the people closest to me. It'd be like your parents passing away." … While everyone was gossiping about this, Sophie slowly pulled her hand away from Carter's. Whoever said that was right. It was almost the same as having her parents pass away, because she had treated them like family. When Ruby was in the 8th grade, her parents passed away in a car accident. She had no money for school, so Sophie secretly used the money her parents gave her for school to help Ruby. When Ruby refused to accept it, Sophie paid her school fees directly to the administrative office. Sophie never revealed what she did for Ruby, even after her parents found out she had not used that money for school. When Ruby had no money for food, Sophie told her parents she did not like the school canteen food and insisted on bringing food from home. She convinced them that she was a big eater and doubled her usual meal size, but she was really bringing the food to share with Ruby at school. Since then, Sophie and Ruby became best friends, and everyone used to joke that they were Siamese twins. This continued until high school, when Sophie and Ruby took different electives and were no longer always in the same class. After that, Sophie got to know Carter, who had good Chemistry grades. She would ask for his help whenever she had questions about the class. As time passed, someone eventually teased Carter, "Hey, Carter. Are you being so nice to Sophie because you like her?" Carter straightened up and replied without hesitation, "Yes, I like Sophie!" After that, they started dating, and Sophie introduced him to Ruby. The three of them became good friends. However, it never occurred to Sophie that Carter would fall for Ruby. If they chose to be together, Sophie decided she no longer wanted them in her life. She took a step back and looked at them, saying slowly, "Carter, Ruby, since you're in love with each other, I'll back out of this relationship. "I'm breaking up with you, Carter! And Ruby, we're no longer friends. Let's just pretend that I've never done anything for you!" Chapter 3 No one came after Sophie as she left Southern University. It was already 8 PM, and there were no taxis around. Sophie suddenly remembered that she had another good friend who lived nearby. It was not long before Anya Lambert came to pick her up. "Why didn't you tell me that you were coming, Sophie? Are you here to see Ruby?" "I was here to see Carter." Sophie started crying at the mention of him. "Anya… Carter, h-he's with Ruby now." Anya suddenly slammed on the brakes and parked by the roadside. She looked at Sophie in shock. "So, you found out about them!" Sophie's tears stopped falling as she turned slowly to look at Anya. "What do you mean? You knew about them too?" "I'm so sorry, Sophie. I knew about them for a long time, but don't get it wrong. Nothing really happened between them. They just have a four-year agreement to date during their university years and break up when they graduate. "Carter still has feelings for you, and you're the one he wants to marry. I feel so sorry for Ruby, especially when she isn't even asking for much. You should pretend you don't know anything, Sophie. We'll be graduating in a few months, and they'll break up then." Sophie and Anya were high school friends and were supposed to be close, but Anya chose not to tell Sophie about Carter and Ruby's relationship. "I've already called Carter, and he's on his way here to take you to the hotel. You should talk things over with him and stop making a fuss over this." Sophie felt her heart fall to her stomach. A chill went down her spine, spreading to her limbs, and she started shivering. She said nothing. All she did was get out of Anya’s car and take her luggage out of the trunk. After that, she quietly walked away. Anya got anxious. "Sophie, what are you doing? Where are you going alone so late at night?" Sophie ignored her and kept walking. That was when Carter arrived with Ruby behind him. "Sophie!" Ruby's eyes were swollen from crying, and so were her cheeks. She looked like a complete mess. Ruby had never been a pretty girl, and she could never compare to Sophie in terms of looks or her body. Some might even say she was ugly, but Carter still chose to betray Sophie for her. Sophie could not understand why she had lost in this love triangle. Carter stared at her with pain in his eyes. "Stop this, Sophie. I've reserved a room at the hotel nearby. Let me take you back there, all right?" Ruby sobbed as she said, "Carter's right, Sophie. I'm sorry! If you really don't like me being with Carter, I'll break up with him right now, okay?" Sophie sneered. "Break up with him? You're the other woman! Do you even have the right to say that you'll break up with him?" "That's enough, Sophie! Ruby has already apologized to you. What else do you want? She's your best friend, but you slapped her in front of so many people today, yet she doesn't blame you for it at all. Stop throwing a tantrum." Carter gave me a special frappuccino mix from South City. "Didn't you say you always wanted to try this frappuccino mix, but Streamston University didn’t sell it? I bought this specially for you. I made sure it's less sweet. Have a drink, and stop being mad, all right?" He was always this way. Carter would remember everything Sophie said. When she said it was cold, he would send a care package with warm gloves and a scarf. When she complained about the hot weather, he could get iced drinks delivered to her, and even bought her caps and umbrellas. When Sophie had her period and was feeling terrible, he would transfer money to her roommates and get their help to buy her painkillers, and he would even be considerate enough to buy her roommates drinks to thank them. Carter was great in every way, except for the fact that he had never come to visit her at Streamston. Sophie always thought he was busy at university, but he was really busy taking a five-hour train to see another girl. "You think this frappuccino will stop me from being mad?" Sophie looked at the boy in front of her and sobbed. "Let me ask you this, Carter. Was it true that you couldn’t celebrate my birthday two years ago because you had a competition at university?" Chapter 4 Carter shook his head. "I don't want to lie to you, Sophie. To tell you the truth, Ruby had a high fever that day, and I was worried about her, so I came over from North City to see her here." "When I was suffering from gastritis last New Year’s and was hospitalized for three days, I called you because I wanted you by my side. You told me that your lecturers had arranged a project for you, and you couldn't make it…" Carter hesitated before replying, "Ruby had entered a singing competition that day, and she told me she really wanted to see me." Sophie bit hard on her lip to stop her tears from falling. "Last semester during the winter holidays, I wanted you to come to Streamston to pick me up so we could go home together, but you told me you were already back in our hometown." "I was on a trip to Harton with Ruby because she told me she wanted to see the snow and ice skate…" Carter could no longer continue. He hugged Sophie tightly in his arms and said with a sob, "I'm so sorry, Sophie. I never meant to lie to you! It’s just that I promised Ruby that we'd only be together for four years, and after that, we'd pretend nothing ever happened. "There are still three months. Just wait for me until they’re over, Sophie. We'll get married right after graduation, and I promise I'll stay only by your side and do whatever you want me to." "You don't need to wait three months," Ruby interrupted him with a sob. "We'll end things between us right now. I'll no longer be your girlfriend from now on, Carter. You belong to Sophie. I don't want to ruin your relationship anymore!" After that, she looked at Sophie, teary-eyed. "We're still best friends, right, Sophie?" Sophie could feel Carter's chest burning and the strong beating of his heart, but her heart was cold. Suddenly, Anya started to speak up on Ruby's behalf. "Listen to Ruby and let this go, Sophie. You know how pitiful Ruby's life has been. She's an orphan, and she's always been alone since she was young. She fell for Carter a long time ago, but she never dared to tell you because she felt guilty about it. “All of us tried to hide it from you. We didn't expect you to find out about it." "That's enough! You should all shut up!" Sophie pushed Carter away and watched as he fell toward the road. Ruby ran over to him to push him out of the way of oncoming traffic. "Look out, Carter!" Bam! A speeding car came down the road, and Ruby crashed into the windshield like a broken doll. She fell heavily to the ground. Everyone looked in shock as a pool of blood started growing under her body. Everyone stood stunned for a long time before Carter lunged toward her. He knelt by her side, looking at her helplessly. "Where are you hurt, Ruby? Are you in pain?" "Oh no, Ruby! What should we do? What should we do, Carter? Is Ruby going to die?" Anya kneeled on the ground and could not stop crying. Ruby tried her best to open her eyes, and she pointed in the direction of Sophie. "Sophie… Please forgive me… We'll always… be best friends…" "Stop talking, Ruby! Don't say any more!" Carter carried her in his arms frantically and roared at Sophie. "What are you standing there for?! Call an ambulance! Sophie, I need you to call an ambulance right now! If anything happens to Ruby, it's over between us!" Sophie trembled as she pulled her phone from her pocket to call 911. When Ruby started coughing blood, Sophie stepped forward right away to try and save her. "I'm a medical student. I can save—" Before she could get nearer, Carter pushed her away. "Get away from her, Sophie! Don't you dare get anywhere near Ruby, or I'll kill you!" Carter pushed Sophie so hard that she fell onto the road, and her waist hit the side of the pavement hard, hurting her tremendously. She bit her lip, trying to get up, but could not move. Sophie could only watch with heartache as Carter's tears fell over Ruby. All she wanted to do was to save Ruby. The speeding car had been far away from Carter and would never have hit him. Sophie could not understand why Ruby had suddenly rushed out onto the road. The ambulance arrived very soon, and the paramedics put Ruby, who was covered in blood, into the ambulance. Anya and Carter followed her into the ambulance and left Sophie behind, all alone. Sophie stared at the pool of blood, and her mind went blank until her phone started buzzing. It was a text from her lecturer. Mr. Kingsley: [Aren't you going to consider continuing your studies overseas, Sophie? Placement is limited, and if you reject the offer, we'll consider someone else.] Sophie typed replied with trembling fingers. Sophie: [I'd like to accept the offer to go overseas.] Mr. Kingsley: [Great. You’ll leave after the semester holidays. Come back to the university as soon as possible.] Chapter 5 Sophie hailed a taxi to go to the hospital on her own. When she got into the taxi, she realized her waist hurt so much that she could hardly move. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, and the driver asked in concern, "What are you doing alone on this road so late at night, young lady? Don't you have anyone with you? I don't think you can even walk through the hospital doors when you're in pain like that." "I'm fine. Thanks for your concern." Sophie got out of the taxi painfully, but she only managed a few steps before falling onto the ground. The taxi driver could not bear to see her struggling, so he parked his car and helped her into the hospital. "Someone, please help this young lady! She hurt her waist really badly." A nurse came with a wheelchair to take her to the emergency room, and the driver waved at her. "Don't be afraid, young lady. You'll be fine." Sophie could no longer hold back her tears at this stranger’s concern. "Thank you, sir." The nurse had just started wheeling Sophie to the emergency room when they bumped into Carter and Anya, who had just paid Ruby's medical bills. Several students from Southern University were also there to visit Ruby at the hospital. When they saw Sophie in a wheelchair at the hospital, several of them got mad. "How dare you show your face here, Sophie Jordan!" "Why are you being so petty about this? Did you really have to push Ruby onto the road to get knocked down by a car just because she's dating Carter behind your back? What an evil person you are!" "Yeah! If we knew this was going to happen, we would’ve convinced Carter to break up with you during freshman year. That way, they wouldn't have had to hide their relationship so painstakingly." That was when Sophie realizedthat many people were aware of their relationship, and she had just been stupid enough to never suspect a thing. However, she was in too much pain to be bothered with them. "Please make way for the patient! She's hurt, and I need to take her to the emergency room." The nurse frowned, wanting them to make way for Sophie. The first person to block their way was Anya. "She's hurt? She doesn't look hurt at all." Anya placed her hands on her waist as she stopped Sophie from going forward and said angrily, "Get out of that wheelchair right now, Sophie! Ruby isn't out of danger yet, and you should wait with the rest of us outside the surgery room! Once Ruby is out, you need to apologize to her right away!" Everyone else agreed. "Yeah, Anya's right. You shouldn't be going anywhere. You have to apologize to Ruby!" "Nurse… Please… It really hurts…" Sophie's waist felt even more painful, and she struggled to finish her sentence. The nurse got anxious, not knowing what to do. "Every one of you should get out of the way. The patient is really hurt!" "What do you think we should do, Carter?" "Let's stop talking about this and just drag her over there!" Before they laid their hands on Sophie, they glanced at Carter. When he did not object, they acted right away and pulled Sophie out of the wheelchair. "Stop pretending and come with us to apologize to Ruby!" "Ah!" Sophie could not help screaming from the pain in her waist. She fell to the floor, and her head hit the tiles hard from being handled roughly. When the nurse saw it all happen, she was so scared she had no idea what to do. "Hey! What are you doing to her? Stop it!" "You should stay out of this! This is between us. She caused our friend to be in a car accident, and our friend is still in surgery because of her. She's afraid of being held responsible for what happened, and she's scared her boyfriend won't want her anymore. "That's why she's pretending her waist hurts. Nothing is wrong with her. She's just lying to you!" "Yeah, you should get busy somewhere else. You shouldn't waste your time on someone as malicious as her." The nurse was hesitant. "But she really does look like she's hurt. I need to bring her in for a checkup, no matter what." "Stop wasting time talking. Let's just drag her there!" Several male students grabbed Sophie's arm and forcefully dragged her in the direction of the surgery room. Chapter 6 For every second they dragged her, Sophie felt sharper pains in her waist. When they arrived at the stairs, no one hesitated to continue moving forward, ignoring the fact that she had almost passed out from the pain. "It really hurts." She bit her lip and had no choice but to beg Carter, "My waist really hurts, Carter. You were the one who pushed me onto the road, and it hurts a lot right now. Please get them to let me go so that I can see a doctor. I'll come back after that to apologize to Ruby." Carter looked down at her righteously. "Are you still insisting on putting on this act? I didn't really push you that hard. How hurt can you be? Ruby is the one whose life is still in danger in that surgery room because of you. Your pain is nothing compared to her condition." Sophie felt like her heart had just been punched through, and a cold wind was blowing through it. It hurt so much that she could not bear it. She stopped screaming with pain and resigned to her fate as she was dragged to the surgery room and flung hard onto the floor. "Wait right there! Once Ruby gets wheeled out of there, you should apologize right away!" "That's right! I've never seen such a petty woman before. How dare she claim to be friends with Ruby!" The pain continued spreading, and Sophie started to see black as her sight gradually blurred. She used the last of her strength to look up at Carter, but he did not look at her at all. The lights above her reminded her of their high school's sports day during senior year. Sophie had sprained her ankle while taking part in the sprint category. When Carter found out about it, he gave up his turn in the high jump and carried her on his back to take her to the nurse's office. The teachers tried to stop him. "Carter, you're in the middle of your competition. What are you doing here? Put Sophie down, and we'll get someone to take her to the nurse's office. You don't need to take her yourself." "No, I have to take her to the nurse's office. She's in a lot of pain now, and I can't leave her like this." Sophie was crying from the pain along the way, and it hurt Carter to see her that way. He had tried his best to comfort her. "Don't worry. We'll be at the nurse's office soon." She leaned onto his shoulder and sobbed while asking, "Why are you so good to me, Carter?" "I'll be good to you for your entire life, silly! I can't bear to see you crying or even in the smallest bit of pain." However, she was no longer in his heart now. Sophie had no idea how much time had passed before the doors to the surgery room finally opened. Carter rushed to the doctor the moment he walked out. "Doctor! How is my girlfriend doing?" "She's out of danger now. She only suffered a few fractures, and she'll be fine after recuperating." Carter was relieved, and everyone crowded around Ruby when she was wheeled out. "How are you feeling, Ruby?" "Carter, I was so scared… I was afraid I wouldn't see you again." "Don't be silly. I'm here. I'll always be here." "Will you be here in the future too?" "Of course, I will. I won't ever leave you!" All of Sophie's feelings for Carter died when she heard his reply. She lay on the ground weakly and was in so much pain that she was on the brink of passing out. Someone kicked her. "Hey, Ruby is out. You should apologize right now." Sophie could hardly open her eyes and could not react. When the doctor noticed her condition, he frowned. "What's wrong with her?" Someone replied, "She's fine, Doctor. She keeps claiming that her waist hurts. Don't worry, it's all pretend." "Her waist hurts?" The doctor bent over to check Sophie's waist. "It's a lumbar facet joint dislocation! This is serious! Why didn't any of you take her to the emergency room? How are you related to her? Why aren't any of you showing any concern for her?" Carter was taken aback, and his face turned pale. "I'm her boyfriend, Doctor. Is she really hurt?" "You're her boyfriend? Then who's that young lady who just had her surgery? You young people are really… Sigh…" The doctor shook his head and arranged for a nurse to take Sophie to the emergency room. "Hurry! Take her for emergency treatment right now! Any later, and this young lady might become paralyzed!" Chapter 7 When Sophie woke up, she realized someone was holding her hand tightly. It was Carter. He seemed to have stayed by her side the entire night because her hand was numb from his clutch, and she could hardly move it. Sophie's waist still hurt, and she grunted from the pain, which woke Carter up right away. "Are you awake, Sophie? Does it still hurt?" She pulled her hand away from his. "You should go." "I'm sorry. I had no idea you were really hurt." Carter frowned, looking apologetic. "If I knew you were hurt, I wouldn't have ignored you." "Yes, you would’ve." Sophie exposed him without hesitation. "Because you only have eyes for Ruby." "You're still mad about Ruby and me, aren't you?" Carter sighed. "I know I was wrong for lying to you, but I didn't do it on purpose. I only found out that silly Ruby had a crush on me after we took our SATS. “You know I've always been soft-hearted. She told me she didn't want anything and would be happy enough if we just dated for the four years of our university life. "She also promised that she wouldn't make any trouble with you. She would hide our relationship from you to prevent you from getting hurt. I only agreed to date her for four years when I saw how sadly she was crying. "It's only for four years, but if you don't like the idea, I'll break up with her once she gets better. After that, you'll be the only person I'll be with." Sophie looked at the boy in front of her and suddenly felt as if he were a stranger. In high school, Carter was a handsome, morally upright boy. How did he become such a disgusting person in four years? "Do whatever you want." "You're really fine with it?" Carter hugged her excitedly. "I knew you were the best, Sophie! I promise you I'll be there to attend your graduation. We'll head to North City after that. Didn't you always say that you wanted to continue your postgraduate studies at North Capital University? "Let's apply together, and we'll always be together after that." Carter was imagining the future, but Sophie was thinking about leaving him. There were still five days left in the semester break, and Sophie had to be hospitalized for four days. Once she was discharged, she would leave without looking back. "Ruby is awake, Carter. She wants to see you." Anya stood by the door, looking unhappily at Sophie. Carter released Sophie from his arms. "Wait for me, Sophie. I'll be back later to see you. Just give me some time to handle everything." He left after that. Anya glanced at Sophie, looking like she wanted to say something, but she stayed silent in the end and followed behind Carter to leave. Since then, Carter would come by to visit Sophie as promised. He took very good care of her, making sure she did not burn herself on the soup by blowing on it before feeding her, and making sure the water had cooled before bringing the glass to her lips. When the wind was blowing strong, he would close the windows, and when it was slightly breezy, he would let the air in. Carter would draw the curtains closed the moment a little sun shone onto Sophie, but it would take only one call from Ruby for Carter to leave her behind right away. On the day Sophie was discharged, Carter was called away by Ruby once more. "Ruby is craving watermelon. Wait for me. I'll come back with your favorite frappuccino. I've checked with the doctor, and he said it's okay for you to have it." Carter left with a smile. Sophie watched him walk away and said quietly, "Goodbye, Carter." It was really goodbye for them, as she never wanted to see him again. Sophie got discharged on her own and left the hospital. She boarded the train after that and returned to Streamston. After she was done packing, she went to the airport with her lecturer, who felt sad about Sophie leaving. "You're a good student, Sophie. Work hard over there, and I'll be waiting here for you to return as the best cardiothoracic surgeon in the nation!" "Thanks, Mr. Kingsley!" Sophie entered immigration. Carter called her before she boarded the plane, but Sophie did not pick up. He called numerous times after that, but she declined every time. After several dozen calls, Carter texted her. Carter: [Why did you leave the hospital on your own, Sophie? Where did you go? Are you back in Streamston? Be careful on your own. You have three months until graduation. I'll take you with me to North City after that.] Sophie: [Let's break up, Carter. I wish you and Ruby happiness.] After she was finished with the text, Sophie turned off her phone and boarded her flight without looking back. Carter did not need to pick her up, because she no longer needed him.