Sophia was floored to hear that so many people had bought long-term bath packages at Chloe’s salon. Some had signed up for dozens of sessions, paying tens of thousands upfront.
It turned out that Chloe had made close to ten thousand dollars in one day just from herbal bath sales alone.
Sophia hadn’t expected the bath treatments to become so popular so quickly. Per Chloe’s request, she prepared a fresh batch of herbal bath Products and packed them for the salon.
Chloe, generous as ever, also transferred five thousand dollars to Sophia as an advance, knowing she might need some extra funds lately. She reassured Sophia that the rest would follow once the accounts were tallied.
Sophia was grateful and accepted readily.
With the influx of money, she continued renovating her house on the mountain. After several rounds of cleaning, she finally had it looking cozy and welcoming. She ordered some wallpaper and two sets of sofas online, spending two days decorating until the place felt like home.
Everything was falling into place. Now, even if she got kicked out of the Scott home, she’d have somewhere to go.
However, one issue still loomed: the mountain property didn’t have water or electricity yet, which would need to be sorted before moving in.
Just as she was organizing some things, Sophia heard someone enter the herbal clinic. She went downstairs to greet the visitor and recognized the young woman immediately, though she couldn’t quite remember her name.
“Sophia! Don’t you remember me?”
Sophia paused, then guessed, “Mary?”
The girl in front of her had undergone a complete transformation. Her face was now clear and radiant, with a natural makeup look that enhanced her features. She was a far cry from the girl with acne and painful blemishes—now practically unrecognizable and downright stunning.
“Yes!” Mary beamed. “Dr. Sophia, look at the difference! My skin is so clear now, I can wear makeup, and people are saying I’ve completely changed! I even have guys interested in me, and I’m way more confident now, all thanks to you and your amazing acne cream!”
Sophia smiled warmly. “You’re like a whole new person—I hardly recognized you.”
“By the way, why has my skin improved so much?” Mary asked.
“I added some skin-nourishing herbs to the cream. Combined with the internal herbal treatment, it naturally makes the skin look healthier.”
Mary nodded, visibly moved, and chatted with Sophia for quite a while, expressing her gratitude. “Everyone in our online group says your acne cream is a miracle! Many people are thinking of coming here for a consultation too.”
Sophia smiled. “Thank you for recommending me to others. As long as it’s working, that’s the best outcome!”
After a bit more conversation, Mary left, overflowing with thanks.
Sophia’s social circle had expanded significantly since meeting Chloe and Nancy. They often invited her to events or outings, and this weekend was no exception. Sophia, Chloe and her husband, Nancy, and her brother Liam had planned to play tennis together.
The tennis courts were part of the same high-end club that housed the swimming pool they’d visited previously. Though everything looked upscale—from the luxurious changing rooms to the pristine courts—Sophia didn’t think much of it; she’d seen far grander things in her previous life.
When she arrived, she found Liam already waiting, checking his watch. “Strange… where is he?” he muttered.
“Here he comes!” Nancy pointed, clearly excited.
Certainly, livinus emerged from a sleek black sedan, wearing his usual suit. It was the height of summer, and everyone else was in short sleeves, but here he was in his perpetual suit attire. Did he not feel the heat?
“Cutting it close?” Liam asked.
“Meeting ran over,” Livinus replied, casually carrying his tennis racket as he headed toward the courts, not sparing so much as a glance in Sophia’s direction.
Sophia, in turn, kept her expression neutral as she followed the group inside.
After warming up, they divided into pairs. Chloe and her husband, James, formed one team, while Nancy and Liam made up the second. This left Sophia partnered with none other than Lvinus.
Sophia immediately protested, “I’m not that good at tennis. James, could we swap? I’ll team up with Chloe.”
“Absolutely not,” Chloe teased. “We’re here for some bonding time, and besides, you’re only here to give Livinus a warm-up. With his skill level, he’d wipe us out in three rounds.”
Liam smirked. “True. Livinus was unbeatable in college tournaments.”
Nancy chuckled. “Is there anything he can’t do?”
“Actually, yes,” Liam said with a grin. “The man’s practically allergic to dating. Finding him a girlfriend would be like scaling Mount Everest!”
Nancy burst out laughing, while Livinus’s face darkened. “Keep talking, Liam, and I’ll ensure it’s your last match.”
With that, Livinus walked to the other end of the court, ignoring the others’ laughter.
Sophia, left facing him from the opposite side, didn’t find it amusing either. Livinus’s presence alone was intimidating, exuding a strong, unspoken message that she was about to lose.
Truthfully, Sophia had barely any experience with tennis—her prior attempts had been laughable. For her, simply hitting the ball onto the opposite side of the court was a success.
Livinus tossed her the ball, and Sophia attempted a basic serve, sending it lobbing over to him. He returned the shot effortlessly, and the ball came at her fast, with so much force it felt as though the net might snap under its pressure. Sophia barely managed to return it with every ounce of strength she had.
But, of all places for the ball to go, it flew straight toward Livinus’s inner thigh!
The force of the hit—unintentional but powerful—landed squarely on Livinus’s leg. His normally impassive expression faltered for a split second as he bit down, visibly bracing himself against the pain.
The others rushed over, startled by the mishap.
“Livinus! Are you alright?” Liam asked, suppressing a laugh. “Did it hit… uh, anything vital?”
Livinus, his face dark with irritation, grits his teeth and mutters, “I’ll live.”
Seeing that he was alright, Liam couldn’t resist a teasing jab. “Good, good. We don’t want any accidents down there—it’s crucial to your, uh… future happiness, you know?”
Livinus’s face darkened further, and his gaze toward Sophia was sharp enough to make her feel as though he was mentally carving her name into stone. The expression clearly conveyed, You’re going to pay for this.
Sophia sighed, resigned. She should have known that their interactions were doomed to mishaps. The odds of accidentally hitting his leg were low to begin with, but hitting him there? She knew better than anyone how sensitive the inner thigh could be, and she looked at Livinus Sympathetically.
