Chapter 357 Your Happiness Matters More
The next morning, Sophie got up and spent over two hours doing her makeup in front of the vanity.
After putting on her lipstick, she looked at her perfectly made-up face in the mirror and gave a sarcastic smile. She never thought she'd have to rely on her looks to catch someone's attention.
Pushing aside her jumbled thoughts, Sophie headed downstairs.
Maria, who was chilling in the living room watching TV, looked up when she heard footsteps and was momentarily stunned. Sophie was rocking a light green dress that showed off her fair skin, making it hard to look away. Her long hair was pinned up with a light green jade hairpin, and her makeup made her look like a delicate flower bud swaying in the spring breeze.
Maria asked, "Sophie, I didn't set up a blind date for you today. Why are you all dolled up? Going out?"
Sophie replied calmly, "Yeah, I have an appointment today. Has Dad come back yet?"
Maria's eyes filled with worry, and she shook her head. "No, come sit down. I need to talk to you."
Maria had been tossing and turning all night, thinking things over. She realized Leonard was right; they shouldn't dump the responsibility of saving the Lee Group on Sophie. She and Leonard had been too selfish, asking Sophie to sacrifice her future to save the company.
Sophie sat down beside her, looking puzzled. "What's up?"
Maria sighed and said slowly, "Sophie, I've been pushing you to go on blind dates lately. You must be exhausted, right?"
Sophie lowered her eyes, her fingers slowly tightening. "No, Mom, you're right. I should get married."
Having raised Sophie herself, Maria knew her true feelings all too well. "Sophie, I won't force you to go on blind dates anymore. If you don't want to get married, then don't. Not everyone has to get married."
Sophie looked up, frowned, and said, "Mom, maybe not everyone has to get married, but I've benefited from all the family resources over the years. Now that our company is in trouble, I'm willing to marry to save it. I just want to find someone I can live with for the rest of my life."
"But how can you spend a lifetime with someone you merely find suitable?" Maria retorted. She understood the mindset of young people today. Unlike their generation, where most marriages were arranged, young people now valued free love, and many didn't even get married.
She held Sophie's hand, looked into her eyes, and said word by word, "Sophie, don't force yourself. If the company goes bankrupt, that's its fate. You don't have to bear such a heavy burden. Your father and I hope that you can find someone you truly love to spend your life with, rather than compromising your marriage for the sake of the Lee Group."
Sophie felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. She didn't expect Maria to say such things. "Mom, I understand."
Maria gently patted her hand. "Good. Don't worry about the company. Your happiness is more important."
After sitting with Maria for a while, Sophie saw that it was almost time and left. Any doubts she had about developing feelings for Dwayne were dispelled by Maria's words in the living room. Now, she knew what she should do. For her, love was not a necessity.
For some reason, Randy's image suddenly popped into her mind. Randy, smiling as he handed her a bouquet, holding her hand tightly with worry in his eyes, chasing her in his car until he caught up, looking anxious and angry, talking while drunk and hugging the table corner... Memories of their past interactions surged back like waves in a deep sea, hard to calm. Then Sophie managed to calm down.
When Sophie stepped into the restaurant, Dwayne was already there. His eyes lit up when he saw her in that dress, her slender waist catching his attention.
Dwayne stood up and pulled out a chair for her, smiling gently. "Ms. Lee, please have a seat."
"Thank you," Sophie replied.
After she sat down, Dwayne returned to his seat, handed her the menu, and said with a smile, "I wasn't sure what you like, so I ordered a couple of the restaurant's specialties. Feel free to add more."
"Okay," Sophie said.
She opened the menu and started browsing. From Dwayne's angle, he could see her smooth forehead, straight nose, and bright red lips. Sophie was indeed a beauty; no wonder Randy liked her.
Dwayne withdrew his gaze, took a sip of tea, and smiled warmly.
Sophie added two dishes and handed the menu to the waiter.
Dwayne raised an eyebrow. "Ms. Lee, are you trying to save me money? The portions here aren't very big. How about ordering two more?"
"Mr. Carr, I don't come here often, so I don't know what's good. You order; I'm not picky," Sophie replied, her voice clear and pleasant.
"Alright, then I'll take the liberty," Dwayne said.
After ordering, Dwayne looked at Sophie and said apologetically, "Ms. Lee, I'm sorry for my previous neglect. Let's reintroduce ourselves. I'm Dwayne Carr. Nice to meet you."
Sophie couldn't help but laugh and mimicked him, "Mr. Carr, I'm Sophie Lee. Nice to meet you too."
They both laughed, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.
Dwayne, being well-educated and aware of their shared experience studying abroad, selected topics that captivated her interest, rendering their conversation exceedingly delightful.
After dinner, as they were about to leave, Dwayne suddenly looked behind Sophie and called out.
Sophie turned her head to look in the direction he was looking, her hand on her lap trembling slightly. Not far away, Randy was walking with a girl about twenty-five years old. They weren't walking towards them, but to leave the restaurant, they had to pass by their table.
Sophie recognized the girl as Amara Farley, the daughter of the president of Apex Ventures Corporation. Randy and Amara together indeed looked like a perfect match.
While Sophie was in a daze, Dwayne's voice, tinged with amusement, sounded in her ear, "Randy told me he was going on a blind date, and I didn't believe him. Turns out it's true."
Sophie tried to ignore the sour feeling in her chest and replied calmly, "Yes, they look good together."
"Really? You think so too? But I envy Randy. At his age, he still has plenty of time to date. While we need to start thinking about settling down," Dwayne said.
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