We went back home, walking from the party location which is a luxurious mansion, adorned with sparkling chandeliers and exquisite furniture. The walls are painted in shimmering gold and the floors covered in plush carpets.

  we were walking to my rundown car.

  My car was a rusty, dull red color, the paint chipping and peeling off in some pces. The windshield was cracked and the windows were smudged with dirt. Its tires were worn and ft, and there were several dents and scratches on the sides.

  “So, she will be surprised of what I’m capable to do?” Tease her with a smirk smile.

  “Jerk, of course. she is just jealous that we are saving up for the future, right?” Said Li while pouting

  “Yeah, of course” I seemed a bit preoccupied

  “Then again, we don’t know when something might happen to the both of us, so if you like, maybe tonight we could…” I can see her face turned red as she said that.

  Her words hung in the air; a tempting promise drenched in vulnerability.

  I felt the weight of everything unsaid pressing down on me. the specter of Sabrina's schemes.

  "We have all the time in the world," I said, wanting to believe it.

  Li smiled, but I could see the hurt shadow her eyes. She was too perceptive not to notice my hesitation.

  "Okay," she whispered, squeezing my arm as if trying to anchor me to this moment—our moment.

  We got into the car, its engine sputtering to life like a reluctant confession. “Listen Li, I love you and I also want that, but I don’t want our first time to be because of some threat that Sabrina made.”

  Li nodded, the fight leaving her eyes like a fading ember. "I understand," she said softly, but the pain lingered.

  The drive home was quiet, the city's shadows stretching long and thin across the road as if reaching for us.

  Li leaned against the window, her silence filled with unspoken fears and dreams deferred.

  I gripped the steering wheel, my mind a tempest of conflicting desires and gnawing dread.

  Once inside, we moved through our apartment like ghosts in a familiar haunt. I could feel Li’s sadness hang between us, an uninvited guest that refused to leave.

  "I’m going to take a shower," she said eventually, her voice a fragile attempt at normalcy.

  I watched her disappear into the bathroom, listened as the water began its mournful song. Alone now, I let my facade crack just enough to feel the chill of what y ahead.

  Feeling the tension, I finally said something to Li “uhm babe listen, this Friday I’m finally going to get my pay check, so maybe this weekend we can go somewhere, somewhere nice and intimate, and maybe if you still interested, we could…”

  I left it open, hoping. The water stopped, and I heard the slow creak of the door as she emerged.

  "That sounds wonderful," her voice reached me, tentative and yearning. She appeared in the doorway, wrapped in an old towel that clung to her like a second skin, drops of water glistening on her shoulders.

  The sight of her—a vision of fragile beauty—stirred something primal within me. The thought of losing her was a knife twisting deeper with every breath.

  “What are you doing, you are making everything wet.” I ugh as she came running at me.

  "I mean it," I said, crossing to her, needing to touch her more than take my next breath.

  "You and me. Away from everything." My hands found hers; warmth spread through the cold spaces between us.

  She searched my face, looking for cracks in my promise.

  "Okay," she replied, a flicker of hope reigniting in her eyes, “You better take me to some romantic expensive dinner with violin and stuff” she said while hopping back to the bathroom.

  We stood there in silence, the world outside fading into nothingness. Her heart beat against mine as I pulled her.

  ??

  Li is working in the office of Dunham Company, the fluorescent lights casting a sterile glow over the rows of empty desks. The silence was oppressive, a stark contrast to the day's bustle. I knew Leon would worry, but Sabrina's words had burrowed inside me like a parasite, feeding on my insecurities. I needed to prove myself.

  "Li," called Mr. Dunham from his corner office. His voice was cordial, tinged with authority that demanded obedience.

  I gathered my things and approached, pushing the door open. The office was expansive, decorated with a wealth that seemed obscene in its excess. He sat behind an imposing mahogany desk, his expression a practiced mask of concern.

  "You're still here?" he asked, feigning surprise.

  "You said you needed those reports," I replied, trying to keep the frustration from my voice.

  "Ah yes," he said slowly, eyes calcuting. "Sabrina mentioned you're quite the overachiever."

  The mention of her name sent a chill down my spine. "I'm just committed," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady.

  He leaned back, appraising me with a gaze that felt invasive. "Such dedication should be rewarded," he said. "Why don't you finish your work here? I have a few other tasks I could use your help with."

  I hesitated, the thought of Leon waiting gnawing at me. But Sabrina's taunt echoed cruelly in my mind. Perhaps this was exactly what she hoped for—a wedge driven between us.

  "Of course," I agreed reluctantly, forcing a smile.

  "Excellent." He rose smoothly, crossing to a small bar cart at the side of the room. "Can I offer you something to drink while you work? It might help keep your spirits up."

  I was about to refuse when he handed me a gss of red wine, his insistence difficult to dismiss. "Thank you," I murmured, taking it from him with trembling fingers.

  As I turned back to my desk, Mr. Dunham keep watching me as if he is waiting for me to finish the drink. I raise my gss and drink it all, as if I have another choice. when I finished drinking Mr. Dunham smile at me. going back to work, as I keep on working my head feel light and I struggled to focus, the words on the screen swimming before my eyes.

  "Are you alright?" Mr. Dunham's voice cut through the fog with feigned concern, his presence looming as he hovered nearby.

  "I'm fine," I said, though the room spun slightly when I stood. The smile he offered was serpentine, ced with too much satisfaction.

  "Good." He pced a heavy hand on my shoulder, a gesture that felt both reassuring and possessive. "I knew I could count on you."

  I nodded mechanically, trying to ignore the discomfort settling in like a slow poison. Sabrina's words taunted me from every shadowed corner: "Just a secretary." If this was how I proved her wrong, so be it. I was willing to endure.

  The office lights flickered above, an unnerving strobe that mirrored my unsteady pulse. I focused on the screen, willing myself to finish despite the growing nausea.

  Finally, alone again, I slumped over my desk, the artificial glow of my computer illuminating my pale skin. I massaged my temples, desperate to regain crity, but the haze clung stubbornly. Time slipped away from me like a fading dream.

  The elevator chimed in the distance, each ding a cruel reminder of my isotion. Everyone else had long since left, their ughter and footsteps echoing in my memory. Only Mr. Dunham remained, a silent specter watching me push through.

  The reports were a blur of numbers and letters that refused to stay still. I bit my lip, frustration mingling with determination.

  This was what Sabrina wanted—to unravel me slowly, to make me doubt everything I held dear.

  Minutes felt like hours as I forced myself to type, fingers moving sluggishly over the keys. I thought of Leon's face when he saw how te it was, the disappointment and worry etched into every line.

  I could picture him pacing our apartment, his mind conjuring worst-case scenarios.

  I couldn’t bear it anymore, my eyes slowly shut, my mind going bnk. before everything went bck, I saw the elevator door opens, from there emerge Sabrina and a rge man that I don’t recognize.

  ??