I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 185

The first-class cabin was nearly empty. Luke slipped on an eye mask and noise-canceling headphones the second he sat down.

Victoria tried several times to strike up a conversation, but couldn't find a single opening.

Sitting behind them, Arthur and Eleanor Lawrence did the exact same thing, keeping their eyes shut and thoroughly rejecting any attempt at dialogue.

Upon landing, Arthur politely declined Harold's offer to share a ride back, opting to book a private town car instead.

The spacious seven-seater SUV held only the driver, Victoria, and Harold.

The second Victoria got into the vehicle, she started venting. "Who does Arthur think he is, putting on airs in front of us?"

Over the years, she had grown entirely accustomed to Arthur's absolute obedience. Sometimes, she genuinely felt that Arthur was just a loyal dog she and Harold had raised. If they pointed east, Arthur would never dare look west.

And now, just because Eileen had accidentally injured Luke, Arthur was suddenly giving them attitude.

Recently, she had swallowed her pride, forced herself to be polite, and begged for mercy. But the Lawrences had completely disregarded their two decades of friendship, ruthlessly pushing forward with the lawsuit.

She hadn't even unleashed her own fury yet, and they had the nerve to distance themselves from her.

"Enough. Aren't you exhausted?" Harold snapped impatiently.

"Did you eat gunpowder for breakfast?" she shot back indignantly. She had only made one comment, and he was already treating her like the enemy.

Harold closed his eyes, making it perfectly clear he had no intention of continuing the conversation.

After Luke regained consciousness, Arthur had submitted his formal resignation, citing his advancing age and the need to care for his son.

Harold had gone through the motions of trying to make him stay, but Arthur’s mind was made up. He insisted on completing a formal handover of his duties, severing their professional ties for good.

When they had gone to pick up Luke, Harold had explicitly stated in front of Arthur and Eleanor that the company would always hold a position open for Luke, whenever he wanted to return.

Luke had politely declined.

A life-and-death friendship spanning over twenty years was now destined to become nothing more than a superficial acquaintance.

How could Harold possibly not be furious about it?

He was so incredibly exhausted, and utterly sick of it all.

After resting at home for a week, Luke announced he was returning to San Francisco.

Both Eleanor and Arthur completely disagreed. "Just stay here and recover. Quit that job over there."

"Having work makes me feel like I'm still alive." Hearing their son say this, Arthur and Eleanor exchanged troubled glances. They wanted to comfort him, but words completely failed them.

Ultimately, they decided to move to San Francisco with him. The house they had originally purchased for his marriage was sitting empty. By moving there, they could take care of him while putting some much-needed distance between themselves and the Harpers.

Harold's strained politeness and Victoria's endless resentment were making them both deeply uncomfortable.

Restoring their former friendship was clearly impossible. Continuing to live as next-door neighbors, running into each other constantly, would just be unbearable.

On the day they moved out, the commotion inevitably caught the attention of Victoria next door.

She stood on her third-floor terrace, glaring down with cold eyes as the Lawrence family bustled in and out of their house. She cursed them relentlessly under her breath.