Page 139 of The Love Position

‘What? Why?’

Sophia’s hand shook as she gripped the phone. ‘Swami Vishnu found me when I was doing karma yoga. He put his arm around me and said you’d broken your vow with women before.’

She gulped in breaths to stay calm as the memories flashed through her.

‘Then he put my hand on his… on his penis,’ she finished with a rush.

Silence.

‘Isaac?’

‘Are… Are you sure that’s what happened?’ His voice sounded calm. Measured.

Everything from the past year tumbled onto Sophia like a collapsing building. Marcus cheating on her, undermining her on the dig, stealing her credit for the find, misreading the evidence, making her out to be a hysterical, scorned woman. Humiliation after humiliation with nobody taking her seriously or believing her.

‘Why on earth would I make something like that up?’ she said, fighting to get the words out through her chattering teeth. ‘I was so petrified, I couldn’t move. I just sat there, frozen.’

Sophia dropped to the floor and pressed her forehead against the cool glass as lights flashed behind her eyes. ‘Jessica came in and rescued me. Then Swami Vishnu rang the bell and said we’d attacked him.’

More silence.

‘Isaac, I was so bloody terrified, I threw up!’ she cried, her voice rising. ‘Ganapati, Mohan and Anisha made us pack and took us to the mainland in the speedboat.’

Sophia breathed heavily, trying to stay afloat. ‘Are you even listening to me?’

‘You need to call the police.’

She let out a manic laugh. ‘What’s the point? It’s our word against all of theirs. And I’m not going back there.’ Her voice broke. ‘I’m never going back.’

‘Tell me exactly what happened. From the moment Swami Vishnu entered the temple.’

Sophia wasn’t sure if Isaac was being so calm in order to bring her down off her psychological ledge, or if he wanted to trip her up because he didn’t believe her. Whatever the case, she was falling into a hell where nothing made sense, even her own thoughts.

‘I know what you did to the man at Conqueror. You lied to me.’

‘I didn’t. I told you I lost it.’

‘You didn’t tell me you’d put him in hospital! Are you going to attack Swami Vishnu?’

There was a brief hesitation before Isaac replied.

‘No.’

With her free hand, Sophia clutched her pounding head. ‘Of course you won’t. Because he’s your guru and can do no wrong.’

‘No, that’s not why. My reaction back then made everything worse. I want—’

‘So, you’ll just let him get away with it? Do you even believe me? I thought you were different. I thought…’

‘Sophia! Love, just breathe. I’m going to come to you now.’

But she was spiralling, her face and hand soaked with tears.

‘Was any of it real? What happened between us? Or are you just like Marcus? Your guru? Do you tell women you’re celibate to get them into bed? You knew how vulnerable I was.’ She gulped in a shuddering breath. ‘I must have been your easiest mark.’

‘Sophia, no! Please! That’s—’ Isaac sounded out of breath, as if he was running.

The tannoy went off, announcing the final boarding for her flight.

---