Countdown to Goodbye: You Can Burn Now

"Mr. Hamilton, I'm willing to head to Rovendale and become your younger sister's therapist," Sophia Jensen calmly said over the phone.

On the other end of the line, Russell Hamilton's deep voice rang out, laced with a hint of surprise.

"I heard you're married, Ms. Jensen. If it's hard for you to part with them, I can make arrangements for your husband and child as well."

Her husband and child?

Sophia lowered her gaze. The milk she'd knocked over by accident was still spreading across the floor nearby. She suddenly recalled the look of disdain her son, Mason Chase, had when she spilled it this morning.

"Why can't you even do something so simple properly, Mommy? Ms. Sloan would never have made such a mess. You're nothing compared to her."

Mason was referring to Christina Sloan, who was also the true love of Sophia's husband, Kevin Chase. Christina was a renowned ballerina. Even Mason was enamored with her dreamlike performance in Swan Lake.

When Kevin heard what Mason said, he didn't reprimand Mason. Instead, he eyed Sophia coldly and remarked sarcastically, "How can she possibly compare to Christina? I never would've married your mom if it hadn't been for her scheming ways…"

Sophia and Kevin had been married for seven years, but the marriage began only because she got pregnant after a night they never meant to share.

The Chases were a wealthy family with traditional beliefs. After she'd married Kevin, the family demanded that she give up on her career to focus on being a good wife and mother to Kevin and Mason.

For Mason's sake, Sophia eventually agreed to it. She devoted all of her time to maintaining the household and looking after the family.

But even after seven years had passed, her very own son and husband only cared about another woman.

She thought about what Mason often said to her. "Mommy, why are you always fighting with Daddy? You don't know how to do anything. It's normal that Daddy doesn't like you. If only Ms. Sloan could be my mommy instead."

Looking away from the milk, Sophia said faintly, "That won't be necessary, Mr. Hamilton."

Since Kevin and Mason wanted Christina to be their wife and mother, respectively, she would grant them their wish. She didn't want them anymore.

She and Russell arranged for her to leave in half a month.

Russell was the richest man in Rovendale, and his younger sister, Cecily Hamilton, suffered from severe depression.

He had sought the help of Owen Carter, a professor and Sophia's mentor. Owen recommended Sophia to him, for she was once his most gifted student and showed great talent in the field of hypnosis and psychology.

Back then, Owen had found it a pity when Sophia chose to become a housewife after marrying Kevin.

"Even if you become a wife, Sophia, you shouldn't let the Chase family keep you confined to the house. You are your own person, independent and free. You should be out in the world, letting your brilliance shine," Owen said to her.

At the time, Sophia had chosen to compromise with the Chases, but she now knew that, as a bystander looking on, Owen had been right.

She was the only one who cared about all the effort she'd put in and the sacrifices she'd made for Kevin and Mason. In their eyes, despite having once been considered a genius in the field of psychology, she could never compare to Christina, the graceful ballerina.

As soon as the call ended, she received a voice message from Kevin. "Mason and I are dining out tonight. Don't bother preparing dinner for us."

His tone was curt and distant. It didn't sound like he was informing his wife, but was instructing a housekeeper instead.

Well, considering how she'd spent all these years tiring herself out with endless chores, she was indeed rather like an unpaid housekeeper.

Sophia was just about to respond to Kevin when she heard the tail end of the voice message—and caught Mason's and Christina's voices in the background.

"Mommy is just an old hag, Ms. Sloan. She doesn't know how to do anything, but she still bosses me around all day long and forbids me from eating so many things. You're the best to me, Ms. Sloan. You let me do anything I want! I love you the most."

Mason's voice sounded so childlike and innocent.

In the past, Sophia would've been deeply hurt and upset to hear that, but right now, her heart was unexpectedly calm.

Mason had been born premature, which left his health a little more frail. She'd taken great care of him all these years, paying close attention to his diet as well. Worried about his health, she always refused to let him dine out.

But in his eyes, that made her an old hag.

Without bothering to say anything else, Sophia shot back a curt reply. "Got it."

So what if they were related by blood? So what if his body was weaker than average? It had nothing to do with her anymore.

Sophia looked around the messy living room. Instead of cleaning up the spilled milk herself, she summoned a housekeeper.

Kevin didn't like letting outsiders into the house. Because of that, she had spent years dutifully cleaning everything herself, clumsily doing everything to his liking.

However, she'd now regained her clarity. Since she was leaving, Kevin's preferences no longer mattered.

As the housekeeper tidied up, Sophia returned to her room, signed the divorce agreement, and arranged for a scheduled mail delivery. In half a month, Kevin would receive the document.

She figured that this was probably the last gift she was giving him.

…

At night, Kevin finally returned with Mason.

As soon as they walked in, Mason's excited voice rang out. "Daddy, Ms. Sloan looked so magical when she danced. It looked like she was sparkling! Can I invite her to my performance at school tomorrow?"

He attended an elite kindergarten, and the kindergarten had organized a performance the next day. All of the parents were expected to accompany their children.

Having always considered Sophia an embarrassment, Mason had never once brought it up to her. She now knew that he wanted Christina to attend the performance instead.

Meanwhile, Mason's cheerful display came to a grinding halt the moment he entered the house. As soon as he spotted Sophia, he pursed his lips and frowned.

Kevin, who was holding Mason's hand, glanced around the house and frowned as well. "Has someone been here?"

"Yes," Sophia replied evenly. "I had someone come by to clear out some of the unused items and donate them."

This included the ties and cufflinks she'd bought for Kevin, which he never wore, as well as the toys she'd gotten for Mason, which he'd abandoned in a corner soon after.

Since she was leaving, she thought it best to dispose of these old belongings as soon as possible. That way, the house would be ready for Kevin to welcome Christina, its new mistress.

Meanwhile, Kevin felt like something was off. He rarely paid any attention to the things in the house, including the closets, so he couldn't remember what was missing.

Nevertheless, his brows remained knitted as he curtly said, "Mason's health is fragile. He's allergic to many things, so it's best if you don't let others into the house. You can simply discard all the junk. It's not like we're deprived of anything."

That was true. The gifts and surprises she'd meticulously prepared for Kevin and Mason had always been dispensable and of little significance to them.

Sophia didn't argue the way she would've in the past. She didn't bother explaining that she knew Mason's allergies better than anyone, either. She just nodded at the handsome, indifferent Kevin and said, "Understood."

Recalling what Mason had said when he was entering the house, she abruptly declared, "I've got something to do tomorrow. Can you and Ms. Sloan attend Mason's performance?"

Mason's eyes lit up at once. "Really? Are you really going to let Ms. Sloan accompany me, Mommy?"

After seeing how excited he was, she smiled and nodded, replying, "Yes, I am."

However, Kevin's brows furrowed. He took this as Sophia pitching a fit, and his expression turned cold.

"What are you acting up about now, Sophia? Mason's still young. It's normal for him to like Christina. He only said those things in passing. Are you seriously going to take it out on him?" he snapped impatiently.