On Graduation Day, I Received a Cry for Help from Ten Years Ahead Chapter 06

On Graduation Day, I Received a Cry for Help from Ten Years Ahead Chapter 06

When Ethan heard that, he finally panicked. For the first time, he understood that he knew

absolutely nothing about my leaving.

After I arrived in New York, I finally learned why my mother had always taken Sophia’s side. Over

the years, I had vaguely noticed how differently she treated Sophia, but I had never thought too

deeply about it. I thought my mother loved me and also loved my friend. I thought she cared about

me, so she treated Sophia like her own child too. I had even felt lucky because of it.

When my father told me the truth, I was in his company office, still adjusting to the time difference.

His voice was calm, as if he were talking about a stranger.

Back then, the first love my mother had never gotten over came back. That man was Sophia’s father. During that time, my mother kept going to his house. My father knew their marriage could not continue. He fought my mother for custody, and the court arranged visitation. But every time, my mother held me and cried, saying she could not live without me.

She also told me my father had willingly given me up. I believed her when I was little.

Every time visitation day came, I clung to my mother and refused to leave, crying until I could barely breathe. My father said he had not given up because he did not want me. He gave up because he saw me crying like that and could not bring himself to tear me out of my mother’s

arms.

After all these years, I finally learned the real reason my parents divorced. I had never asked either of them. On some nights, when I woke up in the dark, I had resented my father too. I blamed him.

for breaking our family apart.

Now I knew. He had never been the one who broke our family apart.

My mother had not taken care of Sophia because Sophia mattered to me. I had been only an excuse. As long as Sophia stayed close to me, my mother could keep getting close to that man’s

daughter.

I stayed silent for a long time. Then I sent an email to my future self. I asked whether the future had already changed. She sent one final reply.

“No night lasts forever. Dawn always comes.”

I did not know whether those words were comfort or prophecy. But I decided to take them as my

answer.

I poured all my energy into school and work. My father had already helped me connect with the visiting student program at Columbia’s School of Professional Studies. After I submitted my materials, I enrolled in several evening business courses. During the day, I handled classes and

internships. At night, I came home and followed up on the projects my father, assigned to me.

After leaving Los Angeles, my father had started over alone in New York and eventually founded his own company. He said he planned to hand the company over to me. This time, I did not refuse.

Later, Sophia got the address of the apartment under my father’s company from my mother. Then she found my recent food–delivery history and followed the trail all the way to New York.

Half a month after I arrived, I came back to the apartment and saw her blocking the doorway. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were still bright. I knew that expression too well. No matter what

happened, she always looked like the one who had been wronged.

When she saw me, she gave me a tight smile.

“You know, don’t you?”

I smiled faintly.

“Know what?”

“That my boyfriend slept with my best friend? Or that you two are already legally married?”

I glanced at Sophia’s belly, which had already begun to show.

“Three months, right?”

She froze. Her lips moved, but for a long while, no sound came out.

“When did you find out?” she finally asked.

“Secrets always leave a trail.”

I looked straight into her eyes.

“Was I not supposed to find out? Or are you upset because the project authorship records, file signatures, and final presentation roster from my company work hadn’t all been transferred into

your name yet?”

Her expression stiffened completely. The trace of grievance in her eyes drained away, leaving only panic. She had not expected me to know so much,

Seraphina.

At that moment, Ethan hurried over. He had clearly heard what I said. He stood behind Sophia, lips pressed tight, as if he wanted to explain. I did not give him the chance. I opened the door, went inside, and slammed it shut, leaving both of them outside.

Ethan knew I did not want to see him and left soon after.

Sophia began pounding on the door. There was no more grievance in her voice, only barely

suppressed impatience.

“Liv, open the door!”

“Do you know what I hate most about you? You have everything, and you still act like it is only

natural.”

“Why does every good thing have to fall into your lap?”

Her voice came through the door, tears tangled with anger.

“You probably still don’t know. Ethan and I slept together the day you introduced us. The next day, I didn’t feel well, and you were the one running around taking care of me. Liv, do you have any idea

how ridiculous you looked?”

I did not answer. I sat back down at my desk, opened my project materials, and continued organizing data. Outside the door, everything stayed quiet for a long time. Then her footsteps

faded away.

That night, someone knocked again. I looked through the peephole.

It was Ethan.

He stood outside the door with his hands in his pockets and his head lowered, as if trying to figure out how to begin. After a few seconds, he lifted his head and spoke to the door. His voice was not

loud, but I heard every word.

“Liv, I need an explanation.”