Chapter 3 Making Herself at Home

After hearing what she said, everyone stared at Sophia in disbelief. Given her expensive clothes and refined appearance, she surely wouldn't lack comfort even after leaving the Smith family.

Yet she was willing to live in this small house with five other people? "Not welcome?" Sophia raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying an unmistakable note of authority.

Mary quickly responded, "No, no! We're thrilled you want to come back!"

"That's good to hear." Sophia rose and looked around. "Mind if I take a tour?"

Ray's lips trembled slightly as he nodded. There was something very commanding about this daughter. Sophia wandered through the house while Mary gave her a simple tour.

"This is the master bedroom that your father and I use." Mary pushed open the bedroom door.

Inside was just a queen-size bed and a double-door wooden wardrobe that looked like it belonged in the 1980s or 90s, with no real sense of style.

"This furniture was all left by the previous tenants. Since it wasn't broken, we continued using it."

That was simply a polite way of saying they couldn't afford to replace it. Sophia didn't comment and just glanced around before moving on.

The other two rooms were roughly the same size, and the smaller one belonged to James and Lucas. It had a bunk bed and a desk, with just enough space for a small wardrobe. The other room had belonged to Evelyn and Emily, with two twin beds arranged in an L-shape. Their headboards were against adjacent walls, and a wardrobe filled most of the remaining floor space. From their belongings alone, the striking contrast between the two girls' lifestyles was clear.

Emily's leftover clothes and shoes were clearly beyond what this family could afford. Seven or eight shoe boxes sat under the bed,Her clothes took up seventy percent of the closet space. In comparison, Evelyn, only a few years older, Evelyn had only a handful of decent dresses suitable for public appearances. Sophia's gaze swept over the clutter under the bed, her expression showing slight dissatisfaction,though she kept it to herself. Back in the living room, they sat in silence once more. Finally, Ray sighed heavily and broke the quiet, "Sophia, you've seen our home now. If you have better options, don't feel obligated to stay here." The Johnsons were a middle-class family, with a car and their own home,

But with two incomes supporting four children's education, money was always tight. Remembering how Emily had left without a backward glance,Showing no trace of reluctance, Ray's heart ached. The eyes that had once shone brightly now seemed clouded by wealth, lacking even the simplest gratitude.

If Emily, who had been raised with love and care for seventeen years, could be so heartless, how could Sophia, pampered her entire life in luxury, act any differently? …possibly cope with such a dramatic drop in living standards? Sensing Ray's dejection, Sophia didn't offer comfort. She had never been good at consoling others.

Instead, she said, "I'll room with Evelyn. Can we clear out everything in there that belongs to no one but her or me?"

James, who had been wiping Lucas's hands, froze at her words. A sheltered flower could never endure harsh conditions to grow strong in the wild.

She was probably just playing around—wealthy people often grew restless with their comfortable lives and sought new experiences.

With this thought, James went along with her request, "Sophia, if you want to move in, we’ll need to make some space for you. After dinner, "I'll pack up Emily's things and remove them." Evelyn looked at James in surprise. James had always doted on Emily more than anyone else. How could he accept her departure so quickly and be so uncaring as to discard all her belongings?

Sophia smiled warmly. "Thank you, James."