“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“It’s too late.” I looked at him quietly. “Vice President Lynch, you should go back.”
“Laura…” His eyes locked onto me.
My heart raced uneasily. I avoided his gaze, knowing that if I didn’t, I might do something irrational in the next moment. Because at this moment, the Cameron in my mind and the one before me merged into one.
Suddenly, Cameron pushed his way into the room.
“What are you doing?” I exclaimed in surprise.
After he entered, he casually closed the door and locked it from the inside, looking at me with a smirk.
“What else can I do?” He sneered. “Of course, I came to see my little plaything, how could you have such charm to seduce other men right under my nose!”
“When did you get involved with Patrick?”
“You’re insane!” I glared at him angrily.
“Laura, our relationship shouldn’t be like this.”
“What do you want then?”
“You said you were my plaything, right? A toy should act like a toy. When I want you, you have to get naked and lie down! But you… You dare to find another man, flaunting your affection in front of me. It’s unbelievable…”
“Get out of here!”
Before he could finish his sentence, I hysterically interrupted him.
He enjoyed seeing me in pain. The more I suffered, the more he laughed.
“You want me to leave? It depends on whether you have the guts!”
He grabbed me forcefully, and his aggressive kiss abruptly silenced me. I struggled to escape, only to face his more violent treatment.
“Has Patrick kissed you?” he panted heavily, pressing me against the wall. “Has he fucked you?”
“Get off me, go away…”
“Laura!”
He roared angrily, staring at me for a while before slowly releasing me.
My wrist was hurt.
Then he took out his phone and played a video in front of me, with a mocking smile.
My blood seemed to freeze in my veins. The world suddenly fell silent, leaving my mind blank.
The only thing I could hear was the sound coming from the video…
The two people in the video, the man is him and the woman is me. He had me pinned down on the couch and we were having sex.
Our voices were sometimes high and sometimes low, and his movements was rough at first, then to gentle, and then more and more fast at the end…. He released with a low growl…
“Not bad,” Cameron’s voice was icy. “Laura, your moans are quite captivating.”
I stared at him in shock, trembling all over. I knew my face must be deathly pale, and cold sweat trickled down my spine.
“How could you…”
“I told you before,” he said coldly, looking at me. “That apartment is filled with micro-cameras everywhere. Did you think I was joking when I told you?”
I was seething with anger and slapped him hard across the face.
“You bastard!”
“Cameron, why would you do this?” I cried hysterically. “You scumbag… You… You’re despicable and shameless!”
“Laura!” He grabbed my wrist, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t understand. “I installed the cameras initially to monitor you, but later I wanted to see you… I wanted to see you every moment!”
“You worked with Holly to run the magazine, staying late into the night every day. I let you stay at the apartment to make it easier for you to write and research… Those three months I was abroad, I had endless meetings and work to do every day. The only moment I could relax was when I could see you.”
“I could open my phone anytime to see what you were doing… I saw you pacing back and forth at home wearing slippers, saw you pondering over a manuscript, saw you occasionally watering plants upstairs, sleeping on the swing, laughing heartily after eating sweets, and yet worrying about gaining weight…”
I suddenly pushed him away, squatting on the ground and covering my ears, tears streaming down my face.
Why did he have to tell me all this?
What was the point of saying it?
To increase my troubles, to make me suffer? What did this man really want? Was he truly so happy to see me sad?
“Laura!” Cameron grabbed me again and forced me to face him.
“Yes, I’m despicable and shameless. I’m crazy, I’m a pervert! It doesn’t matter… Just see me as a completely bad person! This bad person just doesn’t want any man to get close to you!”
“You belong to me…” he turned fierce again. “You’re mine, Laura! You can’t escape me for the rest of your life!”
“Stop it!” I yelled.
My heart was beating so fast that I thought I was going to collapse in front of him.
“Cameron, you’re not only cruel, but you’re also selfish!” I cried, tears streaming down my face. “I will never be with you… Never!”
“Now please leave my house. If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police! Patrick won’t let you off!”
“Fine, let him come!” He looked fearless, sneering. “It’s perfect if he comes. I’ll let him see the woman he loves, moaning joyfully beneath me!!”
“Cameron…”
I froze.
I felt a chill run through my whole body,
“Break up with Patrick,” he stared at me. “Otherwise, I will make sure he thoroughly enjoys your performance in bed!”
My throat felt like it was being choked, and tears fell uncontrollably.
I couldn’t break up with Patrick. I should forget about Cameron.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down.
“Cameron, can you please listen to me first?” I spoke softly. “I’ve only been dating him for a month, and we don’t know each other deeply. There are feelings between us, but it’s not… it’s not to the point where I can’t live without him.”
“So what?”
“So, breaking up won’t be difficult,” I struggled to get the words out.
Cameron remained silent for a long time, finally showing a hint of satisfaction.
“But Cameron,” I looked at him, “he has been really good to me this past month… Breaking up with him abruptly would hurt him. Please give me some time to find an excuse… You can trust me, I’ll handle everything.”
He stared at me, one hand against the wall, encircling me with the other.
“Laura, are you learning to play for time now?” he asked.
“It’s not playing for time!” My palms were sweating nervously. “I will break up with him, but you have to give me some time!”
“I won’t give you too long,” He leaned in, whispering in my ear, “My patience is limited!”
“I know.”
“One week, is that enough?” he twirled a lock of my hair.
“That’s enough.” I closed my eyes.
I knew there was no room for negotiation. Cameron wouldn’t give me that chance.
After he left, I felt anxious and restless. I hardly slept that night.
On Monday, when I went to work, I could hear whispers wherever I went.
Patrick confessed his love at the company entrance, Cameron punched him, and anyone could see the connection.
The gossip in the company was more intense than ever before.
That morning, I felt dizzy and couldn’t focus on anything. At lunchtime, as I got up to get some coffee, I saw Queenie standing in front of me.
“Come with me, we need to talk.”
She was still as arrogant as ever.
I remained silent.
“Laura,” She raised her voice, “You don’t want to talk here, right?”
Colleagues were already looking over. Helpless, I took her to a nearby café downstairs.
“What’s the matter?”
Honestly, I had nothing to say to her. She always wore a mask, acting innocent in front of others, but she could easily gather a group of girls to beat me up in the restroom.
Now she was sitting across from me, coldly scrutinizing me.
For a long while, she sneered, “Back then, Cameron assured me that he drove you out of Jerez State so he could marry me. He promised me that you wouldn’t come back. I didn’t expect you to have such thick skin and return!”
He assured her?
My heart sank.
“Laura, are you that desperate for a man?” Queenie stared at me intently. “Can’t you live without Cameron?”
“Don’t forget, I am Cameron’s wife now! You shameless third party, are you trying to ruin my family?”
I looked up at her.
Strangely, at that moment, I felt no emotion in my heart. Perhaps being hurt to the extreme led to numbness, and I had been numb for a long time.
“I think you’re mistaken, Mrs. Lynch,” I said calmly but firmly. “I don’t know what rumors you’ve heard, but I have no relationship with Cameron. What needed to be let go, I let go three years ago. My return this time is solely due to a recommendation from a professor.”
Queenie snorted, disdain evident in her eyes. “You try to fool me with that excuse? I wasn’t born yesterday!”