The Virgin

The girls were listening to Renata’s narration and were equally showing their emotions. At times they cried with her, consoled her, were angry at Michel and when they heard how he protected her from Stephan, their anger subsided.

“Don’t call yourself that,” snapped Hazel. “You are not an odal, not a slave.”

“I just want to say thank you to you, Haze. You came to Michel and asked him to help me. Without you, I don’t know where I would have ended or what Narciso would have done to me,” Renata hugged Hazel and kept sobbing on her shoulder.

“I am sorry that I came to Michel. I thought I could talk to him and ask him to help you. But he made you his slave and all those things he did to you. I am sorry,” said Hazel and tightened the hug.

“But I think you both love each other,” said Valentina.

“What?” shouted everyone at once.

“Even though he is angry, he cares for you. He protected you, saved you, comforted you. And you, every time he had sex with you, you used the word ‘sex’ but last