I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 165

Gavin showed the DNA test results Sophie had sent him to his parents.

Gillian remained silent, withholding any comment.

Given how adamant Sophie had been about taking the paternity test, Gillian had already accepted that Sophie and Harold were likely father and daughter.

But confirming their biological link didn't mean she was willing to accept the girl as her future daughter-in-law.

She could respect a girl from a single-parent household who was raised by a hardworking mother and stood on her own two feet. What she could not accept was this ridiculously messy background and a psychotic half-sister.

So what if she found her real dad? Sure, she went from Cinderella to an heiress, but she also brought a mountain of toxic relatives with her.

Siblings from normal families fought tooth and nail over inheritance. Two women who had loved the same man, now fighting over the same fortune? It was bound to be a disaster.

Were they supposed to live in some ridiculous primetime soap opera? Just the thought of that toxic family dynamic gave Gillian a headache.

Gillian even suspected her son's obsession with Sophie stemmed from some childhood hero complex.

"Gavin, is this just pity? Do you think pulling someone out of the mud satisfies your fantasy of being a hero?"

"Mom, do you really think at twenty-seven years old, I can't tell the difference between pity and love?"

Gavin looked his mother dead in the eye, his tone deadly serious. "Sophie doesn't need me to save her. She's been saving herself her whole life. Whether she was bullied as a kid or faced harassment in school, she always protected herself. Even when Victoria and Eileen tried to drag her through the mud this time, she handled it on her own. All I give her is my trust and support."

Gillian glared at him. "She's surrounded by drama because she has to be tough. And you? You're giving up a perfectly peaceful life to drag yourself into her mess."

Facing his mother's fury, Gavin kept a calm smile. "Mom, I love her. How could I ever see her as a burden?"

Gillian rolled her eyes so hard she nearly saw the back of her own skull.

By the time she turned her attention back to him, he was checking his phone again.

It was the second time he had checked it since showing her the test results. He was clearly on edge, and she had no idea what Sophie had texted him.

Now, seeing her son's anxiety, she wondered if Sophie had finally taken the hint and broken up with him.

She knew her son. Ever since he was a boy, once he set his mind on something, he never backed down.

The three of them had spent days trying to change his mind to no avail. If Sophie walked away on her own, it would be the best possible outcome.

The airport intercom announced their flight again. Gavin helped his grandmother up and followed Gillian and Graham to the boarding gate line.

"Gavin, Grandma isn't saying Sophie is a bad girl. It breaks my heart to see what she's been through, but I care about you more. Her family's situation is too chaotic. If you marry her, you'll be marrying all that trouble too. I just want you to find a girl with a simple life and be happy."

His grandmother patted his hand. People were inherently selfish.

She hoped Sophie would find a good man to love her, but she didn't want her own grandson to be the one sacrificing himself to fix her.

Gillian turned to look at him as well. "Think long and hard about everything we've said these past few days. Dating isn't marriage. When you marry someone, you marry their entire family. Are you really prepared to deal with all that baggage?"