The Mysterious Revenge Wife

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A woman in her mid-20s, dressed in a beige trench coat over a white button-down polo tucked into her pants, paced rapidly around the cold streets, her phone pressed to her ear.

As she rounded the corner, her phone rang with the busy tone of an irate customer who had just hung up. Patiently, she redialed the number, but there was no response.

After turning into an alley, she brushed her long hair that had been blown in all directions by the howling north wind.

Then, she turned her back to the wind and messaged her client quickly.

The woman stared intently at her phone as she typed and revised her message, searching for the right words to express her sincerity.

However, the sea of apologies she sent before got no response, just like a stone dropped into the waters.

Infuriated over something that was not her concern, the woman could do nothing but let out a long sigh to relieve her tension and wash away the chill of the winter evening.

She knew she had no place to vent her frustration, so she could only rub her freezing hands together and stuffed them into the pockets of her trench coat while she waited to cross the street. As the traffic signal turned green, she dashed across the road to the company building.

At eleven o'clock in the evening, the office lights began to flicker and then went out, leaving only the bulb above the woman's head.

"Rebecca, aren't you leaving yet?" A colleague asked.

"I'm still rushing through this list. I'll go when I finish," Rebecca replied.

"Alright, I'll be leaving then. It's getting late. Make sure to ask your husband to drive to pick you up."

After hearing that, Rebecca shook her head thoughtfully. Then, she grinned and said, "Yeah."

The truth was that Rebecca was no longer married. Just a month ago, her marriage ended in divorce. The one who had once been closest to her was now seeing another woman.

A few more minutes passed, and only Rebecca remained in the vast office after everyone else had departed. After sending the revised event plan to her client, she immediately got a reply a few seconds later.

[Rubbish!]

Rebecca stared at her client's reply. That was all there was to it; just one word. Helpless yet determined, she remained still in her chair and worked for quite some time.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rebecca finally felt tiredness flooding through her system. The lines on the screen started to look more like random symbols, so she knew she couldn't go any further. Ultimately, she decided to shut down the computer and head downstairs.

Upon leaving the office, Rebecca made her way to a nearby 24-hour convenience store. She went straight for the sandwich, picked one out, and paid for it at the register.

Then, Rebecca looked for an empty seat on one of the tables and began eating her food. She reached into the right pocket of her trench coat and brought out her phone, where she immediately began searching for the contact whose name had been marked with a star.

[Do you want to meet tonight?]

Rebecca felt a chill in her fingertips once she sent the message. After barely eating a few bites, she tossed the remaining food in the trash and left the convenience store.

As the brisk air swept in, Rebecca shivered, jolting her body awake. Then, she looked at her phone again and decided to withdraw the message. However, the other party had already sent a voice message at the same time she did so.

Rebecca clicked on it, and a low deep voice greeted her.

"Send me your location. I'll pick you up," the voice message said.

Rebecca felt her cheeks flush red as she shared her location.

[It's cold outside. Stay inside a cafe first. I'll be there in twenty minutes.]

Rebecca: [Okay.]

It wasn't until Rebecca sat at the caf and stared at her mocha coffee that she realized what she had done. However, before she could even decide what to do next, the phone in her pocket suddenly buzzed.

Rebecca gave it a quick peek, and a notification flashed across the screen: [I'm here. On the side of the road, double flashing lights.]

She hesitated for another two minutes before exhaling deeply. The next second, she already had her phone in hand and was out of the cafe.

Approaching the car, Rebecca noticed that the man patiently awaited her despite the freezing winter night. Seeing him standing by the car door in his black alpaca coat was captivating.

"Hey," Rebecca greeted.

"Get in the car," the man replied as he turned around.

He opened the car door for her and placed his hand on the door frame to help her get inside. Rebecca bent down and stepped inside, thanking him thoughtfully.

As soon as she settled in her seat, the car's extreme warmth and lovely aroma slowly eased her worries.

The man's slim fingers rested on the steering wheel when he suddenly spoke. "I saw you took your message down. I can take you home right away if you don't feel like doing anything."

"No" Rebecca said, staring blankly through the windshield.

When the man heard her response, he started the car and drove to a nearby hotel. They checked into the hotel and reserved a room. The process was as quick as it could have been.

As they stood in front of the room, the man had his back against the door, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the room card. Rebecca was surprised when he suddenly handed her the card.

His long, attractive lips raised as he said, "You open it."

Rebecca curled up her fingers. She tapped the card on the door and waited while looking into the man's deep, dark eyes. Then, with a sharp sound, the door unlocked with a single click.

As they stepped into the room, the man turned the doorknob and held her waist in his arms. Following the door's lock, Rebecca found her back pressed against the wall and her lips sealed by the man's passionate and burning kiss. He grabbed her around the waist and carried her to bed.

"I gave you a chance to leave," he warned.

The man immediately kissed Rebecca on the lips right after he placed her on the bed. His right hand slipped at the back of her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"I won't hold back," he whispered to her ear.

After that, he swiftly removed Rebecca's trench coat and threw it on the floor. Claiming her lips for the second time, he drew the coat he was wearing and slowly crawled to the bed, making Rebecca move back until she reached the headboard.

Before her head hit the wall on the bed, Rebecca found the man's right hand holding the back of her head. Then, from there, his hand traveled down her nape.

The coffee's bittersweet taste permeated the man's tongue as he claimed Rebecca's lower lip. Wanting to deepen the kiss, the latter cooperatively tilted her head to the left.

Once the man felt satisfied, his lips traveled from her neck to her shoulder. As he did that, Rebecca started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Mhm.." she softly moaned as she felt his breath and lips brushing against her bare skin.

The man suddenly opened his eyes, meeting Rebecca's long visible lashes from her shut eyes. His gaze then went from her face to her body as his left hand rested on her waist while the other slowly slid inside her top.

The man's moves were fast and smooth, which aroused Rebecca more. In an instant, he was able to unclasp her bra with one hand and throw it to the side of the bed.

Rebecca placed her hands on the man's waist and traveled down to his shirt's hem to pull it out from being tucked inside his jeans.

"Fuck," the man groaned when her hand reached his navel.

Between the deep kisses, they started unclothing each other until their upper bodies were entirely naked, leaving only their jeans.

The man kept playing with Rebecca's nipples before he suddenly parted his lips and pulled her body to his, making her feel his length on her.

"Let me take this off," the man whispered to her before drawing back, attempting to unzip his pants.

Suddenly, Rebecca's hand traveled down his body, making him freeze for a moment. Then, she started to palm him through his jeans.

"Ah," the man groaned as he guided her hand to his zipper.

Rebecca unzipped his pants, revealing the man's rock-hard member. Then, she moved her hands to her own zipper and started pulling her jeans down when the man stopped her hand and said, "I'll do it."

Pleased, she let him remove her jeans until the only piece of clothing left in her were her panties. Unable to wait any longer, the man's hand traveled inside the small piece of fabric, stroking her wet part while he continued sucking on her nipples.

When he had enough, his lips traveled from her breast to her lower body, leaving soft kisses on her waist to her leg. After a few seconds of teases and kisses, Rebecca guided the man's head back to face hers and whispered, "I'm ready."

The man smirked, "I'll go hard."

Rebecca could only nod before he started entering her core. After a few seconds, the man started thrusting on her with a rhythm that gradually grew faster and faster. Seeing nothing but pleasure and satisfaction in her eyes, he went deeper.

"Ah," Rebecca moaned.

"Should I stop?"

"No, justahits too...," Rebecca barely replied as she closed her eyes.

The man distracted Rebecca with kisses as he went in and out on her and thrust deeper. He tightened his hold on her hips and kept a steady pace. Gratified, they moaned in unison.

Playful as he was, the man suddenly removed himself from Rebecca and entered again, making her scream in pleasure.

He kept whispering praises as he continued thrusting, she was also very turned on by how he looked.

After a few more thrusts, Rebecca and the man both finally came. Exhausted, they slowly fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning, Rebecca's internal body clock kicked in a few minutes before her phone alarm sounded. When she opened her eyes, she found no one beside her. Suddenly, it made her feel like what happened last night was just a happy dream.

When she reached for her phone, she found a note under it that stated: [I'm leaving for work. I'll call you tonight.]

The elegant handwriting on the piece of paper woke her up instantly, and her drowsiness completely disappeared.

Rebecca sat by the bed for a few minutes before the phone rang again, drawing her blank thoughts back.

The phone screen flashed with a strange incoming call.

"Hello" she uttered.

"Is this Raynor's sibling?" An unsettling male voice said. "This is Southern seven-six, police station."

After that call, Rebecca hastily took a cab from the hotel to the police station, where she showed her ID. After verifying her identity, the police officer escorted her to the office.

"Your younger brother brawled with another person. Please sign this," the policeman explained. "The opposite party has provided a diagnosis certificate. Compared to him, Raynor's injury is relatively minor."

Rebecca signed the paper and glanced at what was written on it too.

According to the diagnosis, Otis Hill, an 18-year-old male, suffered from a traumatic brain injury. There was a two-centimeter-long wound there.

Skeptical, she stared at the column of the doctor's signature for three seconds before she asked the officer, "Can I take a picture?"

"Yes, you may."

Inside the police's office, Raynor quietly sat on a chair beside a wall. He lowered his head with his hair blocking the expression on his face.

As soon as the door opened, his eyes met Rebecca's, and he mouthed the word "sister."

Rebecca walked up to where Raynor was sitting, extended a hand, and helped him to his feet. When she held his wrist, he suddenly hissed in pain.

Rebecca stared at Raynor's wrist and then the bruise on his face and the fracture in the corner of his lips. She asked him, "Have you been beaten?"

Raynor's gaze was brimming with resentment as he held up his hand and made some lightning-fast gestures. He was trying to communicate with her sister.

As he explained the situation in sign language, Rebecca heard a snort coming from the side.

"Dumb."

Rebecca instantly turned around. A young man, his face bandaged, stood opposite her with his hair dyed a striking shade of pink, wearing a sharp suit, and looking stylish despite the wound on his face.

The boy returned the look and said, "Why are you looking at me like that? He has been disabled since he was born. A mute is mute. Am I wrong?"

Raynor was about to charge forward once more when Rebecca grabbed his elbow and glared at him.

"Are you going to cause a ruckus in the station?" the cop shouted aside.

Apathetically, the young man snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets.

At the door, a policeman called out, "Otis, your family is here to pick you up."

As he left, Otis stuck his middle finger behind his back and went out, making Raynor almost dash forward again.

Outside the police station, a black car was parked at the right side of the station's entrance. A bodyguard, dressed in a black suit, opened the door for Otis as he came up.

Otis bent down and entered, saying, "Thank you so much, Uncle Fred."

Fred looked at Otis's bandaged forehead for a moment. "It looks so fake. Can't that get more realistic? There's not even a taint of blood on the gauze."

Otis chuckled, raised his hand, and tore off the gauze. As he removed the bandage, it revealed that he had no injury at all. "Thanks to Doctor Derick, I got issued a medical certificate."

Fred snarled at Otis's remarks and said, 'Don't try to do this again."

Fred was looking at something outside the car window when suddenly his gaze was drawn to the opposite side. As Rebecca strode through the door, her black pencil pants accentuated her slender, attractive legs.

Sensing his uncle became quiet, Otis followed Fred's gaze, "Uncle, is that your type? I do think she has a really hot body and attractive looks," he whistled. "I believe she's the sibling of that little mute."

Rebecca's hair twitched when the breeze blew across it. After flagging down a cab, she entered the vehicle and gave the driver the hospital's address.

When Raynor heard this, he immediately gestured at her to explain that there was no need to go to the hospital as he could just buy an ointment in the pharmacy.

"Doesn't your hand hurt?" Rebecca asked, glancing at him.

Immediately, Raynor was rendered speechless. He could only lower his head and follow his sister's order.

As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Rebecca requested a doctor, "I want to see Doctor Derick Walters."

The hospital at that time was filled with patients and people who had their checkups. The doctor, Derick Walters, had a long queue of people waiting to get treated by him, so while waiting, Rebecca bought a bottle of water for Raynor and contacted her team leader to ask for a leave of absence.

Not long after she sent a message, their team leader, Sarah, replied immediately.

Sarah: [How about your client?]

With the mention of her client, Rebecca felt her irritation boiling again.

Rebecca: [She's a little tricky.]

Sarah: [Provide me the final result as soon as possible, preferably no later than when I leave work today. Mr. Peter has already been informed of the concern. Are you still committed to getting promoted as a deputy team leader?]

Rebecca took a couple of slow, long breaths, and replied: [Sure. Will do my best! Thanks for remind me that.]

She searched for her client's name in her inbox again, paused for a moment of reflection, and sent another message. However, a red exclamation point this time appeared in the dialogue box. Apparently, the client had already blocked her. The term "Rubbish" written above was even more grating for her.

Rebecca felt annoyed when suddenly a woman's voice over the speaker called their names. She breathed heavily before taking Raynor and ringing the bell of the doctor's office.

Doctor Derick, who was wearing a white coat, sat at the desk and took the medical card from Raynor's hand. Then, he examined Raynor's sprained wrist and bruised face.

Derick gave various medications and said, "There's nothing to worry about the wrist cartilage tissue or his face being injured. Just be careful not to get water on it. Get these medicines, and you'll be good."

He turned his attention back to the monitor of his computer, clicked the mouse, and said, "Next."

However, the woman in front of him didn't move an inch.

Derick was confused, so he asked with a frown, "Is there anything else you need?"

Rebecca remained silent for a while. Then, she placed her phone on the table and used her fingers to pinch and expand the image displayed.

"Doctor Derick, you do realize that the hospital would punish you severely if you issued a forged certificate, right?"

Derick was about to grab the phone from his desk when Rebecca suddenly blocked him and retrieved her phone.

Squinting his eyes, he said, "It's not up to you to decide whether it's fake or real."

"Yes. But we'll know if it was indeed a forged certificate if you bring over that kid and run another test." Rebecca smiled and added, "The diagnosis certificate is at the police station anyway."

Derick looked at Rebecca fiercely upon hearing her remarks. Even though he couldn't deny that she was beautiful, he was not the type of person that mere looks could win over. Thus, he didn't even bother to look at her longer.

Leaning back in his chair, Derick tapped his finger on the table and effortlessly offered, "I can pay for the medical bills if that's what you came here for."

With that, Rebecca's face remained expressionless. "I'm not here to ask for money." Then, she suddenly leaned a little closer and the corner of her lips slightly curved into a smile. "But I would like to ask you to do me a small favor. A really small one."

After hearing what Rebecca said, Derick cocked his head and squinted his gaze. If he hadn't known Otis's character, he would have assumed this was Rebecca's trap to get him to take the plunge.

Left with no choice, Derick puckered his lower lip, took out his mobile device, and dialed a number.

As soon as the call went through, an ecstatic female voice greeted, "Derick!"

Hearing her, Derick scowled unnaturally, "I heard you're having a welcome party for me. How is it going?"

A soft female voice could be heard in the background as Rebecca looked at Derick's side profile.

Her client, Nicole, was on the other end of the line. Nicole was the typical spoiled rich woman who kept pursuing Derick, especially now that he had just returned to the city. Coincidentally, Rebecca had taken over the event planning for the party Nicole was preparing for Derick.

When Derick rejected Nicole's invitation to a welcome party, she vented her frustrations on the event's organizer, Rebecca. Even though the latter's plan was impressive, Nicole rejected it three times in a row.

When Rebecca first saw the doctor's name on the diagnosis certificate at the police station, it immediately rang a bell. She couldn't believe her great luck when she realized it was the person for whom she had been arranging the whole welcoming party. Nonetheless, it was purely coincidental that she ran into the person Nicole was trying to pursue.

After Derick ended his phone conversation, he raised his chin towards Rebecca. Then all of a sudden, her phone began to ring. Rebecca looked at the caller's number and saw it was Nicole. Having a hint of what the call was about, Rebecca gave a quick nod to Derick before picking up her phone and walking out of the clinic.

As she had hoped, she finally solved her problem.

In the end, Nicole decided to go with the first version of her proposal out of the three. Rebecca went about making preparations for the various meals, drinks, and etiquette to ensure that the event could begin without a hitch three days later.

At the planning department's group meeting, the team leader congratulated Rebecca for fixing the situation. After their meeting, Lily, her colleague, intercepted her and said in a sarcastic tone, "You really nailed it this time around."

Aside from Rebecca, Lily was one of the top picks to succeed in the deputy team leader position. However, the higher-ups valued Rebecca more, and she was even more popular than Lily, making it likely that she would get the job.

"I appreciate your compliment," Rebecca replied.

Like a typical work-related drama, Lily suddenly took another step when Rebecca was about to leave and remarked, "You didn't succeed on this project by sleeping with your client, did you?"

Hearing this, Rebecca halted. "What did you say?"

"Don't act as if no one knows what you're doing." Lily heaved a disdainful sigh, brushed up against Rebecca, and bumped her hard as she moved by.

Sophia, another colleague inside Rebecca's workstation, had just brought her a glass of water and comforted her, saying, "That woman is really a bitch! A crazy bitch!"

Rebecca took the glass and replied, "It's fine," as she took a sip from it.

These kinds of things were not new to her anymore. In fact, after working for a long time, Rebecca had become accustomed to this kind of strife in the office.

Rather than focusing on Lily, Rebecca concentrated on completing the final preparations for Nicole's party. She was eager to finish the project as soon as possible to avoid working with customers like that again.

At the end of the day, Rebecca finally had time for herself. After working nonstop from morning to afternoon, she sat at her desk, drank coffee, and browsed through her contact list.

Only then did she notice an unread message from the contact number with a star on its name.

[I haven't checked out of the hotel room. I will wait for you.]

Reading the message, Rebecca felt a strange flutter in her chest. It had been nearly 24 hours since the man delivered the message. She lingered on the dialogue box for quite some time but ultimately decided not to send anything in reply. Instead, she simply put her phone away and left the company.

There weren't many times that Rebecca could leave work on time, but this was one of them. So, she decided first to take a stroll around the grocery store, where she purchased fresh milk and some fruits before heading to the Courtney neighbourhood to deliver them.

As she entered the house, she texted her brother from downstairs.

Two minutes later, Raynor came running down the stairs, signing, 'Sister!'

Rebecca handed him the things in her hand and signed, 'Take them to mom.'

Raynor looked at the groceries and gestured with his left hand, 'You're not going upstairs?'

Rebecca glanced at the window of the old-fashioned residential building and shook her head, 'No, I won't go up.'

Raynor continued to move his hands, signing, 'Sister, mom is too.'

But Rebecca interrupted him and said, 'I know. Don't worry about me.'

When Rebecca left the community, she took the subway to circle the city. After walking out of the station, she looked up and saw that it was a hotel.

Squeezing the hard key card in her pocket, Rebecca pursed her lips tightly and entered the hotel with her head lowered.

It had been only a day since she'd left this place. Hesitant, she stepped in front of the door and looked at their room number. After three minutes, she made up her mind and opened the door.

The room was pitch black when Rebecca walked in, so she couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. Just as she touched the wall and was ready to slide the room card into the card slot, she found her back suddenly pressed against a hard and warm chest, and the warm breath of a person flickered in her ears.

The man's voice was deep and alluring, "I've been waiting for you."

With that, Rebecca's half-body softened, causing the room card in her hand to fall to the floor.

The man who pulled Rebecca inside the room was taller and bigger than her, but he was clearly more agile than her.

When she felt the man's arms wrapped around her, Rebecca didn't dare move a muscle, nor did she dare breathe when he buried his head on her neck. She stayed still, unfamiliar with these kinds of things, especially when it came to this man.

"Breathe. I promise I won't bite," the man said with a chuckle, his breath gently touching Rebecca's skin.

With that, Rebecca started to relax. Her strained muscles, a little stiff from forcing herself not to move, came back to life.

It wasn't the first time the man had held Rebecca, so she wasn't averse to his touch. It was, however, the first time the man held her like this C unhurried and gentle.

Usually, they just rip their clothes off and do the deed, so Rebecca never minded it. It was, after all, what she wanted. It was the reason why she agreed to continue seeing him. He was good in bed, and Rebecca knew he wasn't the man who likes commitment, and neither was he a man who would ask her for a long-term relationship.

They were bed partnersnothing more, nothing less.

Rebecca should have run away, but she slowly relaxed in the man's gentle embrace.

"But I'll bite you if you ask me nicely," the man suddenly said.

Rebecca's eyes went wide.

Annoyed with herself rather than the man, she shoved him hard and quickly backed away toward the door. Cornered, she switched the lights, and the room lit up, revealing the man looking at her with hungry eyes.

"Forget it then. I'm leaving!" Rebecca stated and quickly opened the door.

"Wait!" Yet again, the man was beside Rebecca without her even knowing.

'How does he move like that?' Rebecca thought with annoyance.

"Stay! Promise I won't do anything you don't like," the man said with his utmost innocently-sounding voice, but he couldn't fool Rebecca. Something in his eyes told her she should run away. Fast!

The three knocks on the door stopped the man from talking as the man from the outside called and announced, "Sir, your dinner is here!"

"Leave it at the door!" The man answered the man.

"Were you expecting I'd come here?" Rebecca asked the man who dragged the food cart inside the room.

The man shrugged. "I had a feeling."

"I'm not hungry," Rebecca said firmly. It unnerved her that the man was being considerate of her. They were never like this.

"Then at least take a bite," the man was smiling, but something in his voice made Rebecca stop refusing the second time.

Rebecca had a feeling that the man could and would think of other ways for her to do his bidding. The thought scared her, but her body humming at the anticipation of the man's wicked ways betrayed her.

Afraid that the man could read her thoughts, Rebecca took the spoon he offered, scooped a spoonful of the beef stew, and ate it.

Then, she didn't talk afterward. The taste of the food filled her senses, and it sated the hunger she didn't know she had. Before Rebecca took another bite, she saw the man beside him hiding a smile by taking a spoonful of his food.

Rebecca didn't care. The food in front of her was too delicious for her to care about anything else.

...

"Would you like to take a bath?" The man asked Rebecca who was fixing the plates on the table. Before the latter could nod in agreement which he was sure she would, he added, "We can go together if you want."

Rebecca froze and looked at him with murderous eyes. "Please, go ahead," she answered through gritted teeth. "I'll go after you're done."

The man shrugged, not letting Rebecca's refusal let him down. He deliberately passed by her on his way to the bathroom while slowly unbuttoning his shirt collar, revealing his collarbone and large chiseled chest. It made him smile inwardly when he noticed Rebecca's cheek flushed red.

"You won't run away, won't you?" he asked when he was close enough for her to hear him.

"N-No!"

"Then wait for me, alright?" He said before leaning over and brushing his lips against the corner of Rebecca's lips.

The latter stared at the bathroom door as it closed. Suddenly, how she met the man flashed before her eyes.

Rebecca once had this crazy idea. She wanted to get herself wasted for the first time in her life and dared to do so. Exactly thirty days from her and Benson's divorce, she picked out the "quietest" bar she found online in the city and went there to get drunk.

When she woke up in a hotel the morning after, Rebecca found out she had grabbed a man at the bar. Apparently, she forced the man into joining her in her crazy escapade, continuing her drinking spree at a hotel.

But then, the man, a certified gentleman, was kind enough to let her sleep the rest of the night. When the morning came, and Rebecca woke up, she tried to leave as fast as she could in embarrassment. However, she failed to escape unnoticed.

...

When the man got out of the bathroom, he saw Rebecca walking back and forth in the living room. Unable to help it, a mischievous grin flashed on his lips. He liked teasing Rebecca and loved it more when she screamed and writhed under him with pleasure.

"The bath is ready," he said to get the woman's attention.

He wasn't the most handsome man, but he was confident in his physique and witty charm. So he paraded it in front of the woman, his robe tightly loose around his waist, showing off his chiseled chest.

It pleased him when Rebecca flushed and looked everywhere but him.

"RCRight, ICI should." Rebecca stuttered as she scrambled to get her bag and walk past him. That almost made him chuckle, but he reeled it in. He thought it wouldn't be good for Rebecca to run away, which would most likely happen if he teased her too much.

So, he contented himself with offering an alternative. "I can help you wash your back if you"

"No, thank you!" the woman almost shouted before shutting the door in his face.

Alone in the living room, the man laughed in rich amusement. He would not have stopped earlier had he not heard the woman's phone vibrating on the coffee table. With a slight smile, he stepped closer to the coffee table where the phone was and peeked.

When he saw the name on Rebecca's phone, his smile faded at once.

Rebecca took a deep breath, held it in, then exhaled while the cold water from the shower head above her beat down her already tired body. Then, she pressed her forehead on the tiled wall and asked herself, "What are you doing, Rebecca?"

Rash decisions were, after all, seeds of mistakes. Rebecca never intended for their relationship to go this far, but after that morning, when they agreed to exchange numbers, she asked the man to meet her again.

The man, on the other hand, didn't even hesitate and decided to meet with her the weekend after they met.

That one time happened again and again and again until Rebecca found herself having a bed partner in the face of the man.

While Rebecca let herself drown in her thoughts in the bathroom, the man suddenly knocked from outside. She listened and heard the man shouting, "You still alive in there?"

Rebecca laughed bitterly, then turned off the water and shouted back, "I'll come out in a minute!"

...

Rebecca immediately saw the man sitting on the couch, smoking a cigarette as she entered the living room.

He looked so serious, looking as though he had been waiting for her to come out and take a seat. Once she did, the man leaned closer and caressed her cheek.

'He smells like cigarettes,' was Rebecca's last thought before the man took her lips in a not-so-gentle kiss. As their kiss deepened, the man grabbed and squeezed Rebecca's right breast through her robe, causing her to break their kiss with her surprised gasp.

As if unsatisfied, the man took out her right breast, squeezed it, and planted kisses on it.

Because of that, Rebecca could only let out a long groan. Her breathing accelerated more when the man started teasing her nipple next, prompting her to slide her fingers into his hair and push his head to her breast.

"Don't stop!" Rebecca protested when the man stopped but gasped, moaned, and writhed again when the man adjusted their position to have better access to Rebecca's left breast this time.

Fast as a flash, Rebecca pushed the man onto the couch and sat on top of him, her legs spread wide open on either side of his closed legs. She tried to keep afloat to avoid pressing on his cock through his robe, but the man pulled her waist and pressed her most sensitive and wet part to him.

With that, pleasure shot through Rebecca's body. She didn't care if it would hurt, but she pulled the man's hair and initiated a deep kiss while her waist swayed with the rhythm the man had set.

The man teased Rebecca's tongue out, licked, and played with it before nipping at her bottom lip, which made Rebecca tremble in pleasure.

"Stop teasing me!"

Rebecca knew she was starting to sound desperate, but she didn't care. All she wanted was for him to put his big throbbing thing inside her, but he kept playing with her. So when he gripped Rebecca's waist harder, pressing his aching cock harder on her clothed body, she gritted her teeth and pleaded, "Please Mmmm. Put it in!"

Rebecca felt the man smile when he kissed her exposed neck before lifting her and laying her spread wide on the sofa.

After untying his robe and revealing all his maleness for her eyes to see, the man slammed his cock inside her.

As soon as he did that, Rebecca's back bowed as he thrust in and out of her.

"Tell me what you want," the man groaned as he pushed deeper inside her to get better access to her lips.

"Tell me!" he demanded again, pulling his cock halfway from her pussy and then banging it back in her.

Rebecca gasped and grabbed at the man's shoulders. "Faster!" she managed to groan out. "I want you to go faster! Please!"

...

The smell of food woke Rebecca up the following day. Sluggish with her night activity with the man, she slowly got down from the bed and looked for him. After looking around, she found him preparing another set of food on the dining table no doubt it was something he had ordered from the hotel restaurant.

"Good morning!" he greeted.

Rebecca thought the man must have woken up early because he looked even more refreshed. He was wearing a striped polo shirt and black slacks, paired with black leather shoes, and his hair, almost always mused when they were together, looked unusually styled this morning.

Rebecca had noticed it before, but the man didn't seem to be an ordinary man. He spoke of class and wealth. And although she couldn't confirm it, the clothes he was wearing looked to be custom-made for his build and physique.

Rebecca might not be well-off, but she had met many people just like him in her line of business to know that the man was no ordinary man.

"Morning," Rebecca mumbled while she watched him.

"Breakfast?" he invited.

"Yes, please," Rebecca said excitedly. She was famished, and her stomach grumbled in agreement.

Rebecca sat across from him and started eating, her eyes glued to her phone. She was sending a message to Sophia when her mobile phone suddenly disappeared from her sight.

When Rebecca looked up, she saw that the man had snatched her phone away.

"I was just C"

The man didn't bother to hear Rebecca out and insisted, "No phones while you're eating."

...

Before leaving, Rebecca grabbed the man's arm and pushed the room card into his palm. "I'm giving it back," Rebecca said when the man looked at him in question.

However, the man only stared at the room card for a full minute before looking back at Rebecca.

"Keep it. I reserved the room for three months," he answered when Rebecca looked at him in question. "You can use it anytime."

"Three months?" Rebecca repeated, surprised that the man would go so far as to reserve this expensive room for their little rendezvous. "I didn't realize we agreed to a three-month relationship. Isn't that a little too long?"

"Long?" The man quirked an eyebrow, his lips curling in a smirk. "You must have had quite a few relationships in the past. How many have you had?"

"NCNo. I only meant." Rebecca couldn't see her face, but she was sure she was as red as an apple. She was no player, and it was her first time proposing a one-night stand with the man in front of her. She wanted to explain herself but stopped herself from doing so.

'We're not in a relationship,' she scolded herself. 'I don't have to tell him anything. It's best,' Rebecca decided, 'that we keep secrets from each other.'

"I was just teasing you." The man laughed, but Rebecca didn't mind. But she narrowed her eyes at him when he said the craziest thing she'd ever heard. "But if you don't want to be in a hotel, you can go to my house ins"

"I didn't say that!" Rebecca hastily rebutted.

Even though she and the man had met quite a few times, Rebecca made a rule for herself. She promised herself not to step into his life completely, so going as far as staying at his house was breaking that rule.

"We're fine the way we are right now," Rebecca added, scared that the man would try to persuade her to agree.

So, it was almost a relief when the man only shrugged at Rebecca. "Ah, well. Maybe I'll ask another time."

Rebecca flinched. "Y-You don't have to. I won't change" Rebecca's heart jumped in surprise when the man stepped closer.

He was so close. Close enough that Rebecca could feel his breath on her right ear. He gently grabbed her hand and placed the room card in her palm. "Keep this with you," the man said while gently touching the delicate skin of her wrist with his fingers. "So we can meet whenever you want."

Rebecca wanted to convince herself that she wasn't expecting the man to kiss her then, but the disappointment in her eyes when he stepped away was enough to tell her otherwise.

"Do you have plans for today?" the man asked as if nothing had happened. "I'll take you there."

"I'm fine!" Rebecca didn't mean to sound annoyed. She coughed. "I mean it's faster for me to take the subway, but thanks for the offer."

Not waiting for the man to respond, Rebecca left and headed directly to Southwood High School.

...

Once the first bell rang, Otis quickly ran toward the concealed corner of the school ground and hid there. He stood in front of the wall and contemplated how to climb over the wall.

Otis was planning to skip school and spend his valuable time more productively, like playing at the Internet Cafe near his school!

The moment he flung his bag over his shoulder to prepare himself for jumping, someone called his name.

"Otis!"

Frowning, Otis looked at the teenage boy who was running toward him. "What is it?" He asked when the boy got closer.

"You're" the boy gasped. "Your mom is here!"

Otis glared at the boy, and the latter quickly raised his hands in defense. "I didn't say anything!"

That annoyed Otis. 'Why is she here then?' he wondered.

'Mom couldn't have heard I was skipping class, right?' he thought.

"Where is she?" Otis asked.

"She's right behind me."

Otis looked in the direction his classmate indicated, but the person he saw turned his frown into anger.

"Hi, Otis!" The woman stepped closer and greeted Otis.

"You're not my mother!" Otis screamed. He looked in the other boy's direction, intending to shout at him too, but his classmate had already fled. 'Traitor!'

"What the hell do you want?" Otis asked the woman in front of him. If he remembered it right, her name was Rebecca, and she was Raynor's older sister.

"You know, for an injured person, you look very healthy," Rebecca said while she pointed out his forehead.

Otis almost gasped. He had forgotten to put back the bandage on his forehead this morning! 'Otis, you fool!' he screamed at himself.

"ICI don't need it anymore." It was a weak answer, but it was the first thing that came to Otis's mind.

"Hmmm" Rebecca came closer, close enough to peer at Otis's forehead.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Otis stuttered when Rebecca scrutinized the wound he didn't have in his head. Only a few people could intimidate Otis into a stuttering mess, and Rebecca wasn't one of them. But somehow, at that moment, he felt wildly scared at the hint of animosity in the woman's eyes. "GCGet away from me! ICI'm warning "

Rebecca turned her head sideways, glanced at the surveillance camera at the school gate, stepped back two steps, leaned against the wall, and gestured for Otis to come.

When he did, Rebecca didn't let him finish his words. She had no time to listen to the little boy's ramblings. She was there for one reason and one reason only.

Quick as lightning, Rebecca grabbed Otis's arm, held him, and threw him over her shoulder and onto the ground.

When the kid started cursing, Rebecca didn't care. It was music to her ears.

"You bitch! You crazy woman!"

"That's only a warning, Otis," Rebecca loomed at the teenage boy writhing on the ground. "If I hear you are bullying Raynor, I won't hold myself back. Whatever pain you give him, I'll make sure it's tripled!"

The boy's eyes widened in anger, shock, and humiliation.

"YCYou'll regret this! I'll make sure you and Raynor" the boy screamed even louder, but Rebecca was no longer listening. She left the boy screaming on the ground and walked away.

Nicole booked a four pm rehearsal meeting with Rebecca that afternoon to check if the latter was doing her job right. However, it was now five twenty in the afternoon, and Rebecca had not seen a single hair of the woman.

Rebecca waited, annoyed that Nicole had not even messaged her that she would be late.

"I could have finished a few more works at the office!" Rebecca grumbled to herself.

Alas, when Nicole finally appeared with a man in tow at five thirty, Rebecca wiped out any personal emotions and greeted the two with a professional smile.

Nicole introduced the man to Rebecca, "This is Derick, as you've seen in the pictures I showed you. He'll be the star of the party!"

Rebecca didn't break her smile as she shook the man's hand, "It's nice to meet you, Derick. I'm glad you two got here safe. Shall we get started on the tour at the venue?"

"I'm good. I'll stay here," Nicole announced as she took a seat in the corner seat of the room. Though Nicole was full of smiles, Rebecca knew the woman was bored with the event planning and only came today to be with Derick.

Rebecca would have rolled her eyes because of that. But then she reminded herself, A client is a client, Rebecca. So don't mess this up!'

Despite how fickle and uncooperative Nicole might be, the woman was still a paying customer, so Rebecca forced herself to keep the smile on her face. "Well then, Derick, if you follow me, please."

"So you're in charge of my welcoming party, huh?" Derick said when they were a few feet away from Nicole.

"Yes," was Rebecca's simple answer. To stop Derick from discussing anything other than the party, Rebecca described to him what the actual party would look like.

Derick must have felt Rebecca's dismissal since he also focused on checking the place, sometimes nodding and asking questions Rebecca.

By the time they were finished, Rebecca felt relieved, happy even that a few minutes more and Derick and Nicole would be out of her way for the day.

But before Rebecca could give Derick back to Nicole, he stopped and looked at Rebecca.

"Do you have any more questions about the party?" Rebecca asked.

"No, it seems perfect enough," Derick answered. "You will pick me up before the party, right?"

"I will make sure that the company will provide you transportation that day." It wasn't a no and not a yes, either. Rebecca's job didn't include chaperoning a full-grown man around.

"Yes, but if you want the party to be a success, you'll come and get me yourself," Derick bantered, which made Rebecca pause. The man was right. He was the very reason Nicole organized the event in the first place!

"I'll pick you up at the said time, Derick," Rebecca conceded, her face stiff from keeping the smile on her face.

...

Rebecca had promised Raynor she would pick him up at seven at school that afternoon, but her appointment with Nicole and Derick didn't finish until seven that evening. Because of that, Rebecca messaged Raynor that she would be late, but still, she could have avoided being late had Nicole come at their appointed time. Then Raynor wouldn't have to stay at the library waiting for her.

At least, it was where Rebecca thought Raynor would be. So she was surprised to learn from the school security guard, the first person Rebecca met when she arrived at school, that Raynor was at the teacher's office.

"That's her!" Otis shouted as soon as Rebecca stepped inside, pointing his finger at her. Rebecca ignored Otis and looked at Raynor, who sat across from him instead.

"Raynor, what happened?" she asked and sat beside him.

Raynor made a sign that said he was alright.

The teacher, who was also inside the room, coughed to get Rebecca's attention. "I'm sorry for keeping Raynor here, Rebecca. It's just Otis here who has concerns about you." The teacher said, looking at Rebecca with curiosity and worry. The teacher was Raynor's homeroom teacher, and because of Raynor's particular circumstances, Rebecca had been in constant contact with her. The woman no doubt didn't want to put Rebecca in an awkward place, but she was also a teacher and had to do her part.

"I see," Rebecca answered slowly. No doubt Otis had reported the incident this morning to the teacher, but Rebecca wasn't worried. She, after all, knew a thing or two about revenge plots. Try as Otis might, he wouldn't be able to pin the blame on her or Raynor.

"Come on, Teach! Do something," Otis whined. "I'm telling you, she was the one who beat me up. Look at the bruises I have!"

The teacher cleared her throat. "Calm down, Otis," she gently chided the boy, and the latter shut up in anger. "Rebecca, do you know anything about this?" she asked.

"No," Rebecca said innocently. "I'm not sure what he's saying."

"She's lying!" Otis shouted. "Teach, you can see my wounds. They're proof enough that she hurt me!"

The teacher looked at Otis and Rebecca.

Rebecca, on her part, did her best to sound hurt when and worried at the same time when she said, "Otis, why ever would you tell your teacher I beat you up? You know I don't have any reason to hurt you."

"Yes, you do!" Otis answered before he could stop himself, making Rebecca, Raynor, and the Teacher look at him.

"What do you mean, Otis?" The teacher asked, unaware that Otis asked for a medical certificate so that he could bully Raynor.

"II mCmean" Otis tried to explain, but the teacher was already looking at him suspiciously, making Otis stutter more. "ICIt doesn't matter if she has. The fact is, she beat me up, and I want her punished!"

"Young man," the teacher said, "We don't punish anyone just because of assumptions. You know that!"

"Otis, are you sure you didn't get those wounds from playing with your friends?" Rebecca interjected before Otis could shout again. The latter was wasting her, Raynor, and the teacher's time.

"No, I didn't!"

If Rebecca didn't know the real reason why Otis was hurt, he would have believed Otis that he didn't get bruises while playing with his friends. With how little Rebecca knew Otis, she was eighty percent sure the latter didn't have any friends. If Otis had, they must have only stuck close out of fear of the boy.

"Then" Rebecca paused purposefully, waiting for Otis, the teacher, and even Raynor to look at her in question. "Could you have gotten them from trying to skip class?"

Silence, short but very telling, descended on the room.

When Otis's teacher spoke next, it sounded firmer and suspicious, "Otis, is that true?"

"No!" Otis choked. "No, of course not! Oh, forget this! I'm leaving!"

The boy didn't look at the teacher and scrambled to get his bag and ran from the office.

And that is how you win a fight!' Rebecca thought happily.

...

Otis slammed the car door shut and faced his uncle, Derick. "That woman threw and beat me up, Uncle! Now my body is hurting. She even threatened me! Look." He raised his arms and rolled up his sleeve. "I have bruises all over. Can you give me another medical certificate?"

Derick barely glanced at Otis's arms before starting his car. "Not a chance."

"Uncle!"

"You lied to me once, kid. I'm not going to help you again."

"But Raynor's aunt beat me up this time. I even have wounds. Why can't you?" Otis whined.

"You should have thought about that before lying to me the first time, Otis," Derick answered, his voice indifferent. "You reap what you sow."

Otis started protesting, grumbling and mumbling any excuse he could use to persuade Derick into helping him, but the voice of the man who sat in the back seat stopped him, "Enough, or I'll send you back to your mom's house."

Otis shut up, and he remained quiet and still until they returned home.

Fred leaned on his car while he looked at Otis, running toward the big house. When he heard Derick walk toward him, Fred asked, "So what's the story?"

Derick looked at the now-closed door of the house. He told Fred the story about the medical certificate and the police involvement with a sigh, then ended it with, "The boy's aunt even visited and threatened me at the clinic. Guess she also visited Otis this morning." Derick chuckled while he shook his head. "Who knew a small woman like her could do that?"

Indeed,' Fred silently agreed while he lit up a cigarette. Never did it cross his mind that the woman who was so timid in bed would be that bold.

"Are you joining us for dinner?" Derick asked after a while. When Fred shook his head, Derick shrugged. "See you later then," he said and went inside.

Left alone under the darkening sky, Fred took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Where are you?" He asked when the call got connected. "I'll pick you up."

Fred heard something breaking on the other side of the phone, then the woman's voice came, "Sorry, I can't talk right now. I'll get back to you later."

"Wait, Rebecca " Fred frowned when the call got disconnected.

Rebecca stood back with Raynor as they silently watched their mother apologizing to the two older women in the middle of her small restaurant.

One of the women broke a glass and shouted at Rebecca's mother, "You must remember to pay your loan this month, Mary, or else your restaurant might just disappear!"

"I will, of course, I will!"

Rebecca heard Mary answer, and the latter's voice, when she did, was so soft, meek, and distressed that it made her gut wrench in anger. Mary was a tough woman. So tough that she always told Rebecca not to cry for no reason and to know how to fight when needed. It took a while for Rebecca to understand that, but she did, which was why she was the person she is now.

Mary was no perfect mother, sometimes raising her hand at Rebecca when she did something wrong and rarely hugging her when she needed it most. But she was the parent who stuck around and raised Rebecca, so in some way, Rebecca had some love for Mary.

So, when Rebecca saw Mary lowering herself down from the two women, Rebecca knew she wanted to hurt them.

Rebecca started to walk forward when she felt a hand grab her arms. It was Raynor. He shook his head as his way of telling her not to go. With what had happened, Rebecca forgot Raynor was ever there. She smiled to reassure Raynor and signed, [I won't do anything. I'll just check up on mom. Stay here.]

Rebecca didn't wait for Raynor to respond and approached the three people inside the room.

"Mom, what's going on?" Rebecca asked Mary.

Instead of answering her question, Mary hissed at her, "Rebecca! What are you doing here?"

"Is this your daughter, Mary?" The woman who broke the glass asked.

"Yes, I am," Rebecca answered before Mary could. "Did you want something from my mother?"

Rebecca heard what the two women were saying, but she pretended not to know anything.

The woman sneered, "Your mom here ow"

"That's none of your business, Rebecca. Aren't you supposed to be at home right now?" Mary didn't shout the words, but Rebecca felt her mother's intention to push her away.

"Mom"

"Benson is waiting for you at home. You should go."

Yet another thing Rebecca and her mother couldn't seem to agree upon. Rebecca had tried to tell Mary that she and Benson were no longer together, but Mary didn't seem to listen.

"Mom, I told you before, Benson and I"

Mary hissed. "Stop it, Rebecca. We'll talk about this another time. I have guests."

Rebecca could no longer do anything when Mary turned her back on her and faced the two women who looked more like the enemy than Rebecca.

Angry, she turned around and walked out of the restaurant as fast as her legs could. She saw Raynor move to try to stop her from leaving, but she ignored him. Ironic as it might, it was safer for Raynor to stay with their mother.

Rebecca knew this street like the back of her hand, so even without thinking, she knew where she could go to avoid the many people who were scrambling to get home wherever it was.

By her estimate, it must only be around nine in the evening. Yet Rebecca was tired to the bone. Rebecca slowed down when she was far enough from Mary's restaurant to catch her breath.

"Go home and sleep," Rebecca repeatedly mumbled to herself while she walked along the street. It was all she could do at the moment to stop herself from thinking about Mary, Raynor, and Benson. It was too much for her right now to deal with them at the same time.

It was when Rebecca turned another corner that she noticed something was wrong. She was being followed. Rebecca saw the man wearing a black mask five minutes ago but thought he was just another stressed worker trying to get home, so she quickly forgot about him.

But she started noticing how he kept pace with how she walked.

When Rebecca slowed her pace, the man would also slow down, and when Rebecca quickened her pace, the man also followed.

Hands trembling with panic, Rebecca reached inside her pocket and took out her phone. She pretended to dial a number and said loudly, "Hey, babe! I'm very close. I'm around five minutes from Victoria Road. Really?" Rebecca looked around and made sure the man saw what she was doing. "Oh! I see your car."

Rebecca might have missed the black car parked across her had she not looked closely at the street. So, it was a relief to really find a lone car at that time of the night and in this almost secluded area.

Rebecca still had her phone in her ears as she crossed the street and approached the car. She tried not to run so as not to signal her stalker that she had long noticed him.

'Now what?' Rebecca started to get more anxious.

If she was lucky, someone was inside the black car and was willing to help her. But if not, then tough luck.

Rebecca knocked at the passenger seat, and her knees almost buckled in relief when the window slowly pulled down.

Her knees never buckled, though, because the next thing Rebecca felt was shocked upon seeing the man in the driver's seat.

"Get in," Fred urged the woman who didn't seem to have plans on getting inside her car. It had gotten colder these days, and the woman was obviously trembling from the cold.

When Rebecca was safe inside, Fred quickly turned on the heater inside the car. He noticed that Rebecca was distracted by something outside, so he looked in the direction she was looking but saw no one.

"Are you alright?" Fred asked. Now that he had a closer look, Rebecca looked more rattled than cold.

'She's scared.' That made Fred curious. Yet another thing he found surprisingly amusing was the woman who looked as cold as ice.

"Rebecca, are you alright?" Fred couldn't help it. He reached out and caressed the woman's cheek. 'Scared and cold,' Fred changed his assessment. Rebecca might be good at hiding things, but Fred had observed the woman for quite some time to understand if the woman was hiding something from him and herself.

Rebecca looked at her then, dazed but at least a little more herself. "I'm fine," she said in a breath of relief. "What What are you doing here?"

"You weren't answering my call." Fred pointed at the phone Rebecca held tightly in her hand.

"Oh! I was busy."

"How did you know where to find me?"

Fred heard a suspicious glint in Rebecca's voice, but he just shrugged and asked instead, "Do you have work tomorrow?"

It wasn't the right time for him and Rebecca to discuss such things. 'There's time,' Fred told himself for the nth time.

"NCNo," Rebecca shook her head. "But I have to attend an event in the evening."

"I see. Make sure to call me when you're out this late," Fred said, his voice firm but gentle.

He heard Rebecca chuckle. "Why?" Fred was surprised to hear a hint of bitterness in her voice when she continued to ask, "Are you going to come for me if I call you?"

"Call me, and we'll see," Fred answered. He didn't dare give Rebecca an outright answer, fearing that she would dismiss him as a liar. Fred didn't lie.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Fred asked to change the subject.

"No, not yet," Rebecca answered.

"Good!" Fred was right there to reach out and buckle Rebecca's seatbelt. "Let's go somewhere else."

Fred parked the car when they reached the bar. With no words said, Rebecca followed him after he opened the door for her. The blinding colorful lights and upbeat music immediately welcomed them as soon as they entered.

Protective as always, Fred wrapped his arm on Rebecca's shoulder, took her to his side, and fended her off against the already intoxicated guests.

Seeing how stiff Rebecca somehow became, he leaned against her ear and asked, "Is this your first time?"

Before she could even respond, Fred spoke again and answered his question himself. "Well, I guess not. I just remembered we met at the bar last month."

Rebecca had once come to the bar with her roommate in college. However, Benson, who was her boyfriend at that time, never liked crowded places, so she stopped going. If she weren't stressed enough to seek an escape, she wouldn't have gone to the bar last month and met the man.

...

The music was invigorating. It was the kind of music that persuaded people to be the wildest people they could be, to forget that they were nothing but a body made for dancing to the music.

"You sure know a lot of places!" Rebecca shouted at the man to make herself heard.

"Fred!" The man behind the counter greeted the man.

'Is that his name?' Rebecca thought while she watched as Fred greeted the bartender. Fred smiled, shook the other man's hand, and exchanged a joke that made them laugh out loud.

"So, who's the girl?" The man asked Fred.

Fred, however, winked teasingly at Rebecca and answered the man with, "Can you give us two drinks?"

The man nodded with a grin and poured two drinks as Fred requested.

"Put it in my tab, yeah?" Fred said as he took the drinks and gave one to Rebecca. "You can drink, right?"

Rebecca nodded.

"So why did you bring me here?" Rebecca asked when the bartender left them to serve another customer.

Fred shrugged. "I thought you might need to relieve the pressure off you a bit."

"Why made you think that?" Rebecca asked.

Fred stared at Rebecca and simply answered, "Your post."

It took a while for Rebecca to understand what Fred meant. When she did, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Everything that could go wrong went wrong the month Rebecca divorced Benson. Not only did Benson leave Rebecca, but she also got into a fight with Mary about the divorce, and Raynor had a fight with some gangster kids. Out of frustration, she blocked all her friends and posted a short article about it. Seeing that Fred knew about Rebecca's post must mean he was the only one who read her post.

"There's nothing wrong with getting stressed now and then," Fred said. "You know the best way to relieve the pressure?" Rebecca frowned and waited for Fred to answer, "Alcohol and sex."

Rebecca doubted that, but ten minutes later, she found herself in the middle of the dance floor dancing to the song's rhythm.

Fred watched as Rebecca flung her arms upward and swayed her hips to match the music booming inside the bar. He wondered if Rebecca was even aware of what she was doing right now. Fred excused himself a few minutes ago from Rebecca to use the men's bathroom only to find out that the woman had disappeared. He searched for Rebecca, of course, and was relieved that she was only dancing with the bunch of people in the middle of the dance floor.

Fred streamed through the crowd to reach Rebecca, quickly grabbing her arms to face him.

"Hey!" Rebecca laughed in surprise, joy, and probably drunkenness as she wrapped her hands around his neck. "I've been looking for you!"

Fred should have been annoyed and shouted at Rebecca for leaving their seat without telling him, but all the annoyance he felt disappeared when Rebecca suddenly tiptoed and kissed him on his lips.

It gave Fred pleasure to kiss Rebecca wherever and whenever he could, but the growing doubt that the woman might not know who she was kissing dampened that pleasure. So he forced himself to break the kiss and asked Rebecca, "Do you know who I am?"