Chapter 10
738words
I already felt desire for his strong, burly body. If I were to be tempted, I would be playing with fire. One misstep could land me in deep trouble.
I couldn't do that!
…
When I finally got home, I slumped down on the floor. I couldn't help sobbing quietly. I had come so close to being violated by that old monster tonight.
I still felt shaken as I looked at Carl, who was still sound asleep, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
I gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead and murmured, "I'm sorry, honey. It was my fault for not resisting my urges that day and for letting someone have a hold over me. However, I'll never betray you."
I meant what I said.
The next morning, I went to visit the building's security guards with the photos that Stan had taken. I asked them about it, but they said firmly that no one like that lived in the neighborhood!
The building's security guards had been working there for about 8 years and were very familiar with all the occupants. Since they had denied it, it meant the old man could not possibly be a tenant.
Who was it then? I felt rather glum.
Being constantly tormented by such an inconsequential issue felt like having a bone lodged in my throat. It was very uncomfortable.
I sighed.
At that moment, a new command arrived from him by text.
"I only played a little joke on you last night. Don't get agitated. At my age, I've seen all kinds of women. What I really want is information on the project that your husband is currently working on. Once you hand that over to me, I promise that I'll delete the video!"
It turned out that he wanted to use me to steal confidential documents from Carl.
I gritted my teeth angrily.
"You want to threaten my husband's career over that mild video? You must be dreaming!"
"Oh? Well, you can try and see. I wonder if your husband will be able to accept it if I post this video on the Internet."
He sent me an email address and gave me two days to send him the information on Carl's project. If I didn't, I would have to bear the consequences.
I paced up and down for the entire afternoon, racking my brains for a way out of this mess. However, I couldn't come up with anything.
I decided to try to probe Carl. Since this would concern my future, I had to be cautious.
When Carl got home, he went straight into the study and turned on his computer, continuing to work late. He only had a few bites of dinner.
I couldn't suppress the anxiety I felt and hugged him from behind. "What have you been busy with recently, honey?"
He reached out to stroke my hair, as if he were petting a docile kitten. "Darling, our company has recently been planning a collaboration with an important client from Merina. I'm busy preparing the project documents. This is a big deal that's worth 20 million!"
Was it worth that much? No wonder his opponent was putting so much effort into making me steal the documents.
I suddenly hugged Carl even more tightly. "Honey, would you still love me if I betrayed you one day?"
Carl seemed utterly triggered by what I had said, and he shot to his feet like an angry beast. "I told you before we got married that I'm very particular when it comes to relationships and that I want my future wife to be loyal, never to betray me.
"If I ever find out that you've done anything to let me down, don't blame me for being ruthless."
He sounded steadfast as he spoke, but then he seemed to think that he had been too harsh. He put an arm around me to comfort me. "Darling, have you run into some trouble lately? We're a couple. We should face everything together."
Could we face things together? Would I have the guts to tell him these secrets?
I suddenly felt an intense regret. Why hadn't I held back when I was overwhelmed with desire? Things would have been very different if I had.
