'You know the consequences...'
'What consequences? Like taking off my clothes and washing me as before? Or cutting off the part of my body that was touched by another man like what ancient people did to unchaste women? Or dealing with the man who touches me?'
Sophia was enraged by the many times of threats of Stephen. 'This man never regards me as a person, but a thing belonging to him. He can do whatever he wants to me and I'm never free unless being abandoned by him.'
Gritting her teeth, Sophia wanted to say something but finally gave up.
It was stupid to rebel against Stephen at the moment.
She didn't want to make trouble for herself and any one else. But she felt so wronged that her tears fell down.
Stephen was touched by her helpless eyes and tears.
Somehow there was a sentence flashing through his mind: A competent man never let his woman cry.
Stephen raised his hand and wanted to wipe the tear on her cheek when the phone rang. Sophia recovered herself and saw his motion. She was blank for a moment and then turned and ran away.
With a pause of his hand, Stephen clenched his fist and didn't put down his hand for a long while.
The phone stopped ringing after a while and the office became quite again. Stephen walked to the window and took out the cigarette box from the pocket to light a cigarette. After a deep drag on the cigarette, his mind was calm as the smoke went into his lungs.
After work, Sophia had dinner at the canteen of the company. After meal, she sat in the canteen for a long time.
She was reluctant to go back as she didn't want to see Stephen and be insulted by him any more.
As it was getting dark and there were only a few cleaning ladies in the canteen, Sophia finally stood up and drove herself home.
When Sophia came back, Stephen was drinking the tea on the sofa of the living room. He glanced at her and didn't speak.
With a pause, Sophia drooped her eyelids and walked across the living room to her room in a hurry.
In the next few days, Stephen and Sophia just ignored each other. They still lived and had breakfast and dinner together, but neither of them spoke to or looked at each other.
The servants in the Berry villa began to whisper about it and change their attitudes toward Sophia. Hannah kind of gloated over it.
Sophia often worked late in her room these days as she wanted to finish the translation of the manuscript as soon as possible to get her payment early. She was the last to turn off the light almost every night.
This night, Sophia was focusing on the translation work when Hannah knocked at the door and said, "Miss Carter, It's already eleven o'clock now. It's time to turn off you light." Then she pressed the switch before Sophia could say anything.
Having no way, Sophia had to get up early to do the translation and translate for a while in the office after having dinner at the company. As a result, she had less time to rest and had dark circles around her eyes soon.
Stephen saw them when having breakfast with her. He frowned and said nothing.
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