Chapter 29: A Shocking Revelation 

**The Cooper Household**

"Peggy, you don't have to do this!"

Adam pondered for a long time before deciding to get straight to the point. 

This was an opportunity too precious to miss. If he let it slip, he might never see Peggy again. In the original timeline, young Sheldon never saw Peggy after this. There was no news of her in the scientific community, not because her guest role ended or there was no budget to invite her back. It could only mean that Peggy had truly left the field and lived as an ordinary person.

Peggy glanced at Adam, her expression a mix of mockery and self-deprecation. "I like it."

"Do you really like it?" Adam pressed on, righteous and firm. "Don't lie to yourself. What you love most is being smarter than everyone else. You love math and physics, not this non-mainstream little redhead look."

"Ha!" Peggy's eyes dimmed, and she scoffed at herself. "So what if I'm smarter than others? My parents never used to argue, but now they've divorced because of me. People like you, living ordinary lives, are better off."

"…"

Adam felt a twinge of frustration but was encouraged that Peggy was speaking more openly to him for the first time. Venting was better than cold indifference. So he rallied his spirits. "Don't overestimate your influence. Your parents' divorce wasn't because of you!"

"You don't understand." Peggy sneered and echoed Adam's words back to him, "Don't overestimate yourself."

She clearly understood Adam's intentions but didn't want to accept them.

"No, it's you who don't understand!" Adam smiled bitterly to himself but maintained a serious tone as he continued his bold reasoning. "Do you really think your parents divorced because of you? Look at Sheldon! He's just like you. His parents have had countless arguments over his quirks and peculiarities. But are they divorced now?"

"Every family is similar but also different." Peggy glanced at the bewildered young Sheldon nearby. Her expression softened for a moment but she shook her head. "My parents did divorce because of me. 

If it weren't for my education, my mom wouldn't have insisted on moving here. 

If my dad hadn't left his hometown, he wouldn't have been so depressed from losing his friends. He hasn't made any here. 

And because my mom spent so much time taking care of me, she couldn't focus on my dad. That's why they argued and eventually divorced. It's all because of me!"

"Well said—clear logic and a strong thesis—it's definitely all because of you!" Adam couldn't help but mock inwardly. But outwardly, he shook his head like a seasoned actor. "You're overthinking it. That might be part of the reason, but it's not the main one. Your parents divorced because they fell out of love. Your issues were just the spark. 

Think about it. If they truly loved each other, couldn't they have talked things out instead of fighting until they divorced? They got divorced because they were tired of each other. 

Humans have flaws. Being drawn to the new and tiring of the old is part of human nature. Psychology even has the concept of the 'seven-year itch' in marriage. How long were your parents married? 

If you don't believe me, check America's divorce rate. Numbers don't lie. The increasing rate of divorce reveals a universal truth. Are all those divorces caused by children? 

Don't be ridiculous! 

They just didn't love each other anymore. They didn't even want to stick it out for the sake of their child. 

And didn't you say your mom has already started dating…?"

"I never said that." Peggy's eyes turned sharp as she looked at Adam. "How do you know?"

"Uh…" Adam froze, realizing his slip-up. But he quickly composed himself and improvised. "Isn't it obvious? Look at your mom. Even though she looks troubled, she doesn't seem too burdened. In fact, she's dressed up quite nicely. I remember she's a stay-at-home mom, right? She doesn't work, so why is she dressed so carefully? She must have a date!"

Peggy frowned slightly. "She has started dating."

"Exactly!" Adam clapped his hands. "If your parents really divorced because of you, would she have moved on so quickly, leaving the shadows of her marriage behind to embrace new love?"

Peggy was silent, seemingly lost in thought.

"It's working!" Adam felt a surge of joy and decided to press on. "Now, you've taken up this non-mainstream style and stopped focusing on your studies. You think you're punishing others, but really, you're only punishing yourself—"

"I *am* punishing myself!" Peggy interrupted, lifting her gaze.

"Fair enough." Adam winced. "But the opposite is also true. You think you're punishing yourself, but you're actually making everyone who cares about you sad and worried. Is that what you really want?"

Peggy fell silent again. After a long pause, she raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears. "I'm living between two houses now, back and forth. My grandmother says awful things about my dad. I know I'm making everyone worry about me by doing poorly at school. But it's hard to care about studies anymore. The things that used to matter to me… they just don't anymore."

"You're lonely." Adam took a deep breath, knowing this was his chance to make or break the situation. He softened his expression, speaking gently. "What you need is a friend."

"A friend…" Peggy glanced at the still-baffled young Sheldon.

"…" Adam sighed internally but chose not to argue with a child. He amped up his empathy. "Yes. Your parents' divorce has affected you deeply, but think about America's 50% divorce rate. Life goes on. 

There's always a silver lining. Both of your parents love you, and now you'll have two families and more people to love you."

"Have you never heard of *Snow White*?" Peggy rolled her eyes at Adam.

"Ahem. That's beside the point." Adam coughed awkwardly, knowing his argument was flimsy. But Peggy's mood had visibly improved, so he decided to gloss over the details. "Leave your parents' issues to them. Trust that they both love you. Right now, focus on being yourself. Find joy in your life, and reassure the people who care about you. 

A moment of rebellion and self-destruction leads to a lifetime of regret. Peggy, you're so smart. Step out of this shadow. Look at the situation from a higher perspective. You know what the rational choice is, don't you?"

Seeing Peggy's emotions stabilize but still not hearing the system's notification, Adam grew anxious. Glancing at young Sheldon, he had a sudden idea. "Sheldon, what should you do when a friend is sad?"

"Hmm?" Young Sheldon frowned thoughtfully. "Offer them a hot drink?"

"Peggy?" Adam turned to her with anticipation.

Peggy blinked, looking between Adam and Sheldon a few times. Suddenly, she smiled. "That sounds… nice."

*Ding!* 

**Wisdom +6!**

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*(End of Chapter)*