After that, I walked on eggshells around her even more carefully. I'd never cooked a day in my life, but I burned and blistered my hands until I learned, all so she'd never have to step foot in a kitchen.
And now it turned out her scar had already been healed by another man.
The moment Sabina saw me, she froze. Then, instinctively, guilt made her tug at the apron she was wearing.
"Stephen, what are you doing here..."
Eustace's face appeared behind her, eyes darting nervously toward me.
"...Stephen, man, what brings you here?"
He stepped in front of Sabina, jaw set, staring me down with a look of stubborn defiance.
"Mr. Fox, if you need to take your anger out on someone, just beat me to death. Professor Delgado only did this to help me..."
Sabina looked at him with aching tenderness, then turned on me with fury:
"Stephen, how can you be so heartless? Eustace was assaulted. His own family turned their backs on him. They were going to force him to drop out and go back to his village to marry some widow with kids. I was just shielding him from that. Can't you show a little compassion?"
"No!"
My voice trembled with rage: