Chapter24: Public Humiliation

Chapter 24: Public Humiliation  Lumina "People like me?" I leaned forward, my voice getting so low as I added, feeling disgusted with her and her clearly unacceptable behavior.  "Or people like you? Because that's what this is about, isn't it? You're projecting. You're the one who hurts him." "You don't know what you're talking about." "Don't I? I've seen how he flinches, how he freezes up. That's not fear of strangers – that's learned behavior. That's a child who has always known to expect pain for any small mistakes." Sophia's face was filled with rage, and before I could react, she was moving. Her hand came up fast, trying to slap me. But I was faster. My hand shot out, catching her wrist mid air. For a moment, we were frozen there, her hands inches from my face hovering in the air. "Bad idea," I said softly. Then I released her wrist and backhanded her across the face at the same time. The sound was loud enough as it echoed through the restaurant, and Sophia's head snapped to the s