Chapter 107

Sophia sat there, crying for a while, when her stomach suddenly let out a loud growl.

The sound subsided, but a fierce hunger followed, overwhelming her emotional distress.

She had barely slept last night, worried about Henry, and hadn't eaten breakfast.

At noon, she had a bowl of porridge and a couple of sweet potatoes, which did little to stave off hunger. After working all day under Ken's watchful eye, she was utterly exhausted and starving.

Being isolated was nothing compared to the pain of an empty stomach.

At this moment, nothing mattered more than filling her stomach.

Sophia pressed her hand to her belly, holding out for a moment longer, then wiped her tears and stood up to head back.

She went straight to the kitchen upon returning to the youth camp.

Everyone else had already eaten and gone back to their dorms. Only Mike, Jack, and Gabe were left in the kitchen, scooping food and setting it on the table.

They still acted as if Sophia didn't exist, ignoring her completely.

Sophia couldn't understand what she had done to deserve such treatment from them.

Since coming to the camp, she had never had any conflicts or disagreements with any of them, always speaking politely.

She was always kind and avoided disputes.

They were well aware of her relationship with Henry. Henry had always shielded them and even ended up in labor camp trying to get food for them.

But the moment Henry was sent away, they started treating her this way.

They used to call Logan cold and harsh, a freak.

But from her perspective, they were far colder and crueler than Logan ever was.

Any sense of loyalty was only a facade until trouble arose.

Of course, criticizing them in her mind was pointless.

With no other option, Sophia asked, "Can you tell me where my food rations are?"

Jack glanced at the cabinet and said, "In the bottom shelf, it's all yours."

They had taken their food to their dorms, valuing every grain and bit of flour as precious.

Sophia walked over to the cabinet.

She opened the bottom shelf to find it nearly empty, with only three flattened burlap sacks left.

She opened each sack to find a small amount of cornmeal, sorghum flour, and dried sweet potatoes.

She stared at the last sack of dried sweet potatoes for a moment, then turned to ask Mike, Jack, and Gabe, "How did you divide the remaining food?"

Mike looked at her and replied, "We split it evenly by headcount."

Sophia asked, "By ten people or seven people? When Henry, Charlie, and Gabe left, they didn't take their rations. The remaining food should be split among ten people, not seven."

The three of them were silent for a moment.

Then Mike said, "They're not here, so why should we?"

Sophia replied, "Why not? Are you going to give them their work points back if you eat their food? They need to bring their own food to the labor camp. I will send it to them."

The three men exchanged glances, saying nothing.

Sophia added, "They will come back. If you don't give me their food, they'll come looking for you in three months. You should think it over."

They were still afraid of Henry.

If Henry came back and sought revenge, it wouldn't be just about the food.

Mike then said, "We'll weigh it out after we finish eating."

Hearing this, Sophia didn't press further.

She scooped some cornmeal and washed a few sweet potatoes, then started cooking.

She didn't eat much, just enough to make one bowl of food, or she'd reheat leftovers for the next meal.

Before her food was ready, Mike and the others finished eating and cleaned up.

They didn't drag their feet, calling Lily, Grace, and Cecilia to settle the food division.

After explaining the situation, Lily, Grace, and Cecilia didn't dare withhold food from Sophia, fearing Henry's return and retribution.

So, they recalculated, dividing the food into ten portions. Mike and his group took three, Grace's group took three, and Sophia got the remaining four portions.

Once the food was divided, Sophia's meal was ready.

She packed her food into the cabinet, saying, "Even though Henry and the others aren't here, don't think you can bully me. If you bully me once, I'll make a note of it, and when Henry returns, we'll settle it."

Sophia's words were blunt, with a sharp tone.

Lily couldn't hold back her annoyance and said, "Who's bullying you? We just don't want to be dragged down by you anymore. We're not Henry, we haven't taken advantage of you, and we don't owe you anything."

Sophia looked at her, "You think too highly of yourself. Why would I cry and beg you for help? Compared to me, you're just as bad off. I might get some sympathy and help from others, but you'd be turned away."

Hearing this, Grace, who prided herself on her looks, retorted, "What do you have besides your looks? Are you trying to seduce someone else now? You'll be reported for your improper behavior sooner or later!"

What was once a fun topic in friendly times now turned into a sharp weapon in hostile moments.

Sophia's eyes reddened, looking at Grace without a word.

Mike and the others, silent until now, turned and left.

The food was divided, and they wanted no further trouble.

Life was already hard enough.