Chapter 4
Ethan's face was grim as he stayed silent.
Sophia knew exactly what he was thinking.
Suddenly, she just lost interest. She pushed herself up from the table, looking like she might collapse under the blazing sun.
"If you want me to go, I'll go," she said.
With that, she walked over to the grill.
Everyone just ended up hanging around Ethan.
Sophia worked the grill with practiced hands, moving on autopilot as she flipped the skewers.
Every so often, their laughter and jokes floated over, but all the fun belonged to them. She had nothing.
The scorching sun beat down overhead, while the sea breeze whipped around her relentlessly.
A drop of sweat trickled down Sophia's cheek, sizzling as it hit the charcoal on the grill.
Her vision grew hazy, and her knees nearly buckled beneath her.
Chloe watched her through the haze. When she noticed Sophia's face turning pale, her eyes darkened for a split second, then cleared up as if nothing had happened.
"Go ahead and keep talking, I'll go see how Sophia's doing," Chloe said.
She walked up to Sophia, greeting her with the warmth of someone catching up with a long-lost friend.
"Sophia, let me help you," Chloe said.
"No need, I'm almost done," Sophia replied.
As soon as Sophia finished speaking, Chloe reached for the skewers in Sophia's hand.
Sophia didn't put up a fight and was just about to walk away when, out of nowhere, the hot coals suddenly spilled toward her.
"Ah," Sophia cried out.
She didn't have time to react. The searing coals landed right on her exposed skin.
Her skin burned, and the stench of burnt flesh hung in the air.
Sophia crumpled to the ground, crying out in pain.
"Sophia," Ethan called out anxiously.
He rushed over, his voice tight with worry. "Come on, let me treat your burns."
With that, he lifted Sophia into his arms and carried her over to the RV.
Sophia's hands and legs were instantly covered in angry red welts and blisters, the sight almost too much to bear.
Ethan's brows were tightly knit as he grabbed the first aid kit, his movements careful and focused as he tended to Sophia's burns.
Sophia trembled from the pain, and when the cotton swab brushed her skin, she bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood.
"Just hang in there, I have to disinfect it," Ethan said.
Ethan's voice, for once, was gentle.
Her vision blurred with tears as she looked at him. Ethan kept his eyes down, his movements gentle and careful, and his furrowed brow showed just how worried he was.
He seemed really worried about Sophia.
Just thinking about it made her nose prickle with emotion. A mix of hurt and sadness welled up inside her.
The ache in her heart was so overwhelming, she barely felt the pain from her burns anymore.
"All done," Ethan said, setting the medicine bottle aside.
"The burns aren't too serious, you'll be okay," he added.
Sophia lowered her eyes, her long lashes masking the emotions in her gaze.
She could just barely feel the sting from her wounds growing stronger, waves of burning pain pulsing through her skin.
"Go on, get some rest," Ethan said gently.
"Alright," Sophia replied.
She never expected him to see her off; she headed home alone.
But when she got home, the burning pain in her skin was way beyond what she could bear now.
What had just been red and blistered was now starting to fester, as if something was corroding her skin.
Without giving it much thought, Sophia tried to drag herself upstairs to rest. But the moment she bent her leg, it felt like her burn was being ripped apart. She screamed in pain and crumpled onto the stairs.
Cold sweat broke out all over her body.
Sophia couldn't take it anymore. Her hands shaking, she dialed up her family doctor.
"Dr. Smith, can you come over?" she said, her voice trembling.
Her forehead veins bulged from the pain. "I-I burned myself."
Marvin sounded genuinely worried on the other end.
"Of course, Mrs. Grant. I'll be there as soon as I can," he replied.
About half an hour later, Marvin showed up at the villa.
Sophia was sprawled weakly on the couch, so drained that even lifting her eyelids felt like a Herculean task.
When Marvin caught sight of the raw, exposed skin on her hand, he frowned hard.
"Mrs. Grant, how did you get burned like this? Why is it so serious?" he asked, worry etched in his voice.