Derek whispered into her ear, "Tabitha, why can you forgive everyone else but be so cruel to me?"Tabitha stared into his eyes and said firmly, "Don't you know why?"Derek sighed and rested his head on her neck. "The past can't be changed, and the hurt is already done. What more can I do to make it up to you? I only have this life to offer. If that's what you want, take it."She had never doubted that Derek would go to extremes for her—even when he detested her, he had followed her off the ledge.In moments of danger, he was always the one to shield her.Yet this same man, who had shown her such unparalleled care, had also wounded her the deepest."I don't want your life. From now on, we're done," she declared.Derek gave a bitter laugh. "Tabitha, you've already taken my life."Years of longing had drained him.With one sentence, two layers of meaning, he shattered the frigid silence between them.His fingers delved beneath her loose top.Tabitha bit her lip. "You dare to touch me, an
Tabitha's fingers curled tightly in Derek's shirt. "So betrayal is unforgivable no matter the reason," she said softly, the words cutting through the silence.The question was not aimed at others but at herself."Yes, betrayal is betrayal. Think about how you felt when you thought I had touched Daphne. How would you feel if you were that paralyzed husband, lying helplessly in bed? Regardless of the reason, the betrayer can never be excused," Derek replied.Tabitha's mind raced back to that night with Wilmot.The drugs had clouded her memory, but the marks on her body the next day told the story of their reckless encounter.She, too, was a betrayer.Derek, however, had no such thoughts. In his heart, he was Wilmot, and Tabitha had never truly betrayed him.He was speaking of the woman, unaware that Tabitha was taking his words to heart.Derek sensed Tabitha's shifting emotions and assumed she was upset with his words.His
"Imagine if someone sees us," the woman whispered."At this hour? Who's around?" the man replied. "Besides, who'd bother watching such a thing?"The village was small, and Tabitha recognized most of its inhabitants. But the couple before her were neither married nor lovers.The woman was the sister-in-law of the man, whose husband had been paralyzed in a fall two years prior.Unable to bear her loneliness, she had taken up with her brother-in-law.In the city, affairs were common—discovery might lead to divorce. But in the village, divorce was unheard of; if discovered, her punishment would be death.That's why they sought privacy in this secluded spot.People usually returned home by this time, leaving only Tabitha and Derek, who were clearly not thinking straight.Derek began to speak, "Tabitha—"Before he could finish, Tabitha clamped a hand over his mouth.Derek had only recently arrived and was un
Before Alma got to know Derek, her initial impression of him was shaped by labels like domineering, assertive, heartless, and a scoundrel.Now, after spending time with him, those labels had transformed into diligent, strong, and robust.He didn't seem as detestable as she had imagined, especially since he made no effort to hide his love for Tabitha, following her around like a devoted, loving dog. This sincerity led Alma to consider matchmaking for the two.As a reward for Spike's daily help, Alma personally treated his foot, determined to heal it.Derek, on the other hand, sat on a stool, husking corn that had just been harvested.Tabitha enjoyed fresh corn, particularly the sweet and fragrant kind straight from the field.She sat on a small bridge, her legs swinging as she observed the scene.Derek's clothes were drenched in sweat, and beads of perspiration dotted his forehead.After treating Spike, Alma pulled Tabitha aside
Derek's heart raced at Tabitha's sudden question. Admitting his regained sight in this situation was akin to signing his own death warrant.Derek, of course, wouldn't admit it!"Tabitha, I wish I could see too, just to stop being a burden to you," he said with a pained expression."Don't move. I'll get you some paper," she replied."Alright," he replied.He saw Tabitha wrap herself in a bathrobe, grab a dagger from under the pillow, and head his way.She was eyeballin' him like she could see right through him.Derek could tell she was suspicious.If she found out he'd been faking blindness, he was a goner.His heart was in his throat, but he didn't show it.Letting the blood drip, he asked like a dope, "Tabitha, where are you? Did you come back?"Tabitha walked up to him, put down the tissue, and said casual-like, "I'm here."Suddenly, she yanked the knife out. The blade flew past Derek's eye, stoppi
This was a massage table. She must have lain here that night when Jasper gave her a head massage.Tabitha lit the calming essential oils and prepared some massage oils for his head.Derek instinctively grasped her hand, "Tabitha, it's been a long time since you last massaged me.""Let's not bring up the past," Tabitha said, brushing off his hand.Before starting, she fetched a razor and carefully shaved his beard.Accustomed to his clean-shaven appearance, the stubble was somewhat off-putting.Bending over, she was now close enough for him to see her face clearly.Compared to three years ago when she was thin, she had gained some weight, returning to her normal weight with her face full of collagen.Having had several children, she had lost her innocence and gained the charm of a mature woman.Once a budding flower, she was now a fully bloomed rose, gorgeous and radiant.With her originally fair skin, now even mor