Over the phone, he returned to that old, gentle tone.
"Katie, I'm sorry. This is my fault. I don't want to lose you, but I have responsibilities to Bianca. We have a child together. She can't lose her reputation. How would she live afterwards?"
I laughed incredulously.
"So her reputation matters, but what about mine? Jasper, has your conscience been eaten by dogs?" I snapped.
He did not get angry.
He said calmly, "Katie, Bianca has given me more than you ever have. She did things she shouldn't have, but her circumstances trapped her. People look down on being poor, not on sex work. Can't you cut her some respect? She promised she won't take your place. You keep your chickens, I'll keep running the company, she'll raise our kid. Let's leave things as they are, alright?"
Fury surged through me like wildfire, scorching every nerve. The words 'go to hell' burned on my tongue, ready to explode, but he pressed on before I could speak.