Today is Friday, Sophie Smith had no morning classes, and she suddenly remembered that she hadn't been home for a long time. So, she decided to call her good friend Eva Miller and ask her to help get her an afternoon leave. This way, combined with the weekend, she effectively had three days off.
Sophie Smith rushed to the station and unhesitatingly bought a ticket back to her hometown.
Her hometown, Southern County, is a subordinate county of Eastern City, a beautiful small town about three hours' drive from Eastern City.
She bought a lot of fruits at the supermarket near her home and picked some fresh ingredients, planning to cook a meal for her family.
She rummaged through her bag for the key, only to find the key wouldn't fit.
Changed the lock again? She let out a helpless bitter smile.
"Dad? Are you home?" Sophie Smith knocked hard on the door, but there was no response from inside for a long time.
She sat down on the ground against the door, it was really ridiculous; was she now unable to even get into her own home? Or maybe, the people inside never considered her as family.
She tried hard to hold back the tears at the corner of her eyes; she thought she had been strong enough, but after continuously facing these cold hard facts, even the strongest heart was slowly collapsing.
After a three-hour bus ride, she was already exhausted; she leaned against the door and soon fell asleep.
Christopher Smith saw this scene as he came home from work.
"Little Sophie!" Christopher Smith quickly dropped the bag in his hand, "Oh dear, wake up, how did you fall asleep outside?"
Sophie Smith sleepily opened her eyes, "Dad, you, you finished work already?"
"What happened to your forehead?"
"I, accidentally bumped into the bookshelf at school's library, bled a little." She casually entwined a lie.
"Ah..." Christopher Smith sighed deeply.
"By the way, isn't your Aunt at home? How come..." Suddenly, Christopher Smith paused and sighed again, opened the door, and sure enough, there was someone inside.
Charlotte Harrison was sitting on the sofa eating fruit and watching TV; when she saw Sophie Smith enter, she didn't even raise her eyelids.
"Little Sophie came back, why don't you even open the door?" Christopher Smith's tone had a hint of reproach.
"I didn't hear knocking." Charlotte Harrison pouted, "What's the point of coming back so often? Is the food at home tastier? The house is small and crowded already, yet you come back to squeeze in..."
"Charlotte, stop it!" Christopher Smith's face turned a bit unpleasant, he looked awkwardly at Sophie Smith, who merely smiled and nodded as if she had become accustomed to it.
Charlotte Harrison was her stepmother, married to her father three years ago, bringing along a ten-year-old child. Naturally, she didn't welcome Sophie Smith.
Christopher Smith took the bag from Sophie Smith's hands and seeing she had bought some groceries, he took it to the kitchen.
"Little Sophie, I'll cook something for you, you're tired, take a rest first."
"What to cook for? It's still early for dinner. Coming back just to eat, truly useless, doesn't even help herself? Already twenty-one years old, still want us to support you?"
"Can't you keep your mouth shut for a while?" Christopher Smith was somewhat annoyed, Sophie Smith was his biological daughter after all, yet Charlotte Harrison repeatedly gave him no face, always finding fault with Sophie Smith.
"She'll get married soon, married daughters out of sight out of mind, you're really just raising a losing proposition, she still goes to study film and television performance, really thinks the family's money is abundant, oh, by the way..." Charlotte Harrison seemed to remember something, her tone immediately turned acrid, "You're not back to ask for tuition fees, are you? There's no money left at home; James Smith's training class needs twenty thousand dollars more!"
"Aunt Harrison." Sophie Smith interrupted Charlotte Harrison's endless complaints, "I didn't come back to ask for money."
Indeed, her tuition fees were outstanding for quite a while, yet she never thought of asking for money from home.
The atmosphere turned awkward, Charlotte Harrison kept grumbling on the side, more or less saying she was unnecessary, there's no extra food for her, no spare money for her, no spare room for her...
"Dad, I better leave, I'll head back to school."
Sophie Smith turned and left, walking towards the door, seeing this, Christopher Smith quickly chased after.
"Little Sophie, sorry, it's your dad's uselessness, couldn't provide a better life for you." Christopher Smith rubbed his hands, his eyes full of guilt.
"Dad, don't say that." Sophie Smith naturally understood his difficulties, he had to support this family which wasn't easy, sometimes even working two jobs a day, and all were laborious; she naturally felt distressed.
"Dad, take care of your health, okay? Don't worry about my tuition, I'll handle it myself, and send me your card number, I'll also send some money back, you do less work, okay? Your body won't bear it."
"Little Sophie,..." Christopher Smith felt increasingly remorseful.
"I'm leaving."
Christopher Smith didn't hold her back, his eyes were slightly teary, he naturally knew he owed this daughter.
Sophie Smith stood across the street, looking at her 'home', unable to stop the tears from flowing.
Even though her home looked so shabby among the surrounding towering buildings, she really wanted to return there.
Once, her home was so warm and joyful.
Now, it could never go back.