OLIVIA'S REJJECTION 109

Under the present circumstances, Stephen’s head could not process the information he got at the same time. From the stranger’s speech, he grasped that he was aware of the issue at hand. Then, he looked at the two elders and inquired.

“Oscar’s wife?”

Stephen, whose purpose of visiting his Patriarch was to find a solution to the river of problems which was drowning him, had just discovered another problem.

“I don’t have anything to do with Oscar’s wife. I ….”

His explanation, which the Patriarch and the Family Head thought were lies, aggravated his already bad case. The Patriarch, who did not deem it necessary to offer him a seat yet, rose from his couch with his military demeanor and the might of the Patriarch of the Bailey’s family and thundered. “I will not hesitate to throw you out of the barracks after the soldiers have court marshalled you if you think you can dance on our intelligence.”

Now, Stephen was aware that he had screwed up and making excuses would cause him more troubles