Maybe he’s already long gone.
I walk around it and approach the string, only to discover another note dangling from it. For some reason, the fact another note is waiting to be found makes me less fearful. I tear it off carefully and read the typed out words.
Are you ready to play?
I check the back, but it’s blank. There’s only this one line … and it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight.
Am I ready to play?
That depends on the game.
I smirk and tuck the note into my pocket. That’s when I hear rustling behind me, and I turn around and run toward the sound. I swear I could see something disappearing behind a tree, but as I approach, I find it’s nothing more than a cute squirrel jumping up into the tree.
I blow out a breath and smile to myself. No need to be on edge.
Except … when I hear the humming of an engine and the loud screeching of a car racing away.
***
Accompanying Song: “Obsession” by Golden State (Animotion Cover)
Drake
With my Polaroid on the passenger’s seat, I race off in my car, making sure to stay low so no one can see me. I know her neighbor saw me, but my hoodie hid my face, so I doubt she knows who I am.
As I hit the gas and turn the corner with one hand, I sift through the photos I took of Hyun with my other hand. Some of them show her looking up at books in the library. A few others are of her picking up my various notes. Every time, the look on her face is what captures most of my attention. That, and the blush … god, that fucking blush.
With one hand, I unbutton my pants and dive in while the other stays firmly on the wheel. While I look through the photos one by one, I focus on her mouth and picture myself running the tip of my cock along her pouty lips. I’m already hard from just the thought, and I stroke myself long and slowly. I want to take my time to enjoy these pictures, and I really don’t care if anyone catches me jerking off in my own car right now. I don’t even care that I’m still cruising down the street; I just want to touch myself while I look at her.
I like her too much. So much so that I can’t stop thinking about her. Her presence consumes my every fucking thought. I won’t be able to hold back much longer … and I doubt she’ll want me to by the time she realizes what I could do to her body.
6.
Accompanying Song: “A Reflection” by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Hyun
5 months before
I’ve worked day in and day out, trying to keep myself occupied. I even asked my boss for extra hours, just to stay here. He agreed, but only if I did it for free, which I do. I don’t care about it. I’m doing anything to avoid having to go back home, where I know that man will be waiting for me.
He followed me everywhere.
When I finally managed to escape my parents’ home after the party, he was on my porch the next day, stepping foot on my lawn. No matter how many times I told him no, he wouldn’t listen. It got so bad he even tried to force me to go with him, blocking my way with his car.
I won’t let it happen, so I’ve kind of disappeared now, for the time being.
My parents have tried to call me a gazillion times, probably to ask me where I am and to tell me to get home immediately. After a while, I turned off my phone and just ignored it all. But I know he’s out there somewhere, waiting for me. And when he finds me, I know it’ll be too late to escape.
I can’t let that happen, so I’ve been sleeping in the back of the coffee shop for a few days now, behind a few boxes where I’ve made a bed out of coffee bean bags and cartons. I keep sneaking in through the back door whenever it’s time to lock up. No one notices I’m gone … not many people do anyway. My boss doesn’t know about it, luckily, because I’m sure he’d kick me out if he did.
A new customer making his way to the front of the line pulls me from my thoughts.
Sighing, I hand the cup of cappuccino to him and say, “Have a pleasant day, sir.”
He gazes down at his cup. “I didn’t order this …”
For a moment, I’m flabbergasted, and then I realize he ordered a Frappuccino. “I’m so sorry, sir.”
He hands the cup back to me, and I quickly dump it and begin again. As I give him the proper coffee, my boss stands behind me and says, “I know you asked for more hours, but if you’re gonna mess it up, that’s not very useful.”
“I know. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again,” I say.
“Really?” He raises his brows at me.
“Promise,” I add, and I give him a fake smile.
“All right. If you say so.” He places his hand on my shoulder. “Your next customer is here. I’m gonna go back to my office to get some of that paperwork done. If you need any help, holler, all right? Good luck.”
I don’t reply because when I look up and see him standing in front of me, I freeze.
Out of all people, it has to be him.
Gregory Warren.
How did he find out where I worked? I never told him the exact location.
And how did he know I was here today? Never once did I tell him my schedule.
“Hello, Hyun. What a pleasure to see you again …” The wretched smile on his face makes my eyes watery.
There’s only one thing I can say. “Leave.”
“Now, now, is that the way to speak to a customer?” He cocks his head. “Maybe I should speak to the manager about your behavior toward me.”
“No,” I say sternly.
“Hyun?” I hear behind me, and when I glance over my shoulder, I see my manager appear from the back. “What’s this about?”
“Oh, Hyun and I are practically family, and I wanted to speak with her for a second, but she says she’s got so much work she can’t take a minute break,” Greg fills in. It’s as if he’s played it all out in his head. Lie after lie.
“It’s fine. I’ll take over for her,” my manager says.
“But—”
“No buts. You go take a break, Hyun. You obviously need it.” My manager pushes me out in front of the counter, closer to Greg. “Go on,” he spurs.
Greg wraps his filthy fingers around my shoulder and pulls me so close I can smell his stench, making bile rise in my throat. “Yeah, c’mon, Hyun. We’re gonna have a little chat.”
“Please don’t …” I mutter, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“Honey, you know this has been a long time coming.”
“I don’t want you,” I whisper, hoping the customers don’t hear. I don’t want to lose my job. It’s the only thing I like about my life. The only thing I chose for myself. The only part I have control over.
“But I want you,” he murmurs, smiling sickly. “My wife.”
Those words create goose bumps all over my body.
“You have no choice in the matter. Your parents wanted money, and I wanted you. What’s done is done. But I’ll give you a good life.” He grins, and I know it’s a lie too.
He escorts me outside where his car is parked right in front of the door. “Get in.”
He stands behind me and blocks my only way out. I turn around and face him, looking directly into his eyes with fury.
He licks his lips. “You don’t want to make a scene, Hyun … If you do, I’ll make sure there isn’t a coffee shop to return to when I’m done with you.”
I shudder, and the tears stop immediately. This monster deserves nothing.
I don’t want to lose the only place that makes me feel like I actually own my own life.
I have no other choice but to step into the car.
So I turn around and crawl in quietly, realizing this might be the last time I set foot on the ground as a free woman.
***
Accompanying Song: “Daydream” by Ruelle
4 months before
In my white gown, I walk along the aisle, tears staining my eyes. Still, I refuse to cry. I hold my breath as I lay my eyes on the man in the suit inches away from me, his wick
ed smile crushing my soul.
Every step I take is another one toward being a prisoner in a loveless marriage, and each of them feels heavier … more painful than I could ever imagine.
I stay silent through most of the ordeal. I’m only partially there; my mind has already long drifted off to a place where I can be at peace. He holds my hand like it already belongs to him, and when I’m asked for my answer, I simply answer yes.
A ring that feels cold and unwelcome slips on my finger, and Greg leans in for the most hideous kiss I’ve ever felt. My life, stolen away by a madman.
When everything is over, we walk out through the rows of people, and I’m overcome with shame at having to look into their eyes, knowing it’s all a lie. My parents seem joyful, smiling brightly as I pass them. Money is all it took to make them happy, in exchange for my own happiness.
Mom briefly grabs my hand and squeezes. “I’m so proud of you, honey.”
Her words sound hollow, only adding to the chasm slowly eating away my heart.
It all seems like a blur. Minutes and seconds merge until I don’t even know how much time has passed or how late it is.
When the guests congratulate us on our marriage, I manage to slip outside with a glass of champagne and drink it outside on a bench. I’m on my own for the first time in a long while. Greg probably lets me out of his sight because he knows I can no longer escape him.
This ring …
I stare at it, wishing I could toss it away.
It burns into my skin.
I look up and wipe away the tears I promised I wouldn’t cry.
In the distance, a man walks away over a dirt path as he pulls his hoodie over his head. For a moment, he glances at me over his shoulder and shows a tiny hint of a smile.
After which he disappears.
***
Accompanying Song: “A Reflection” by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Now
My fingers glide over the ring on my finger, twisting and turning it until I can’t feel it anymore. I look at the notes I received so far. I’ve read them so many times I can almost recite them word for word without looking.
I don’t know why, but these notes … they feel … like they’re important. Personal. Meaningful. Unlike Greg.
He never wrote anything. He always called people on the phone instead of sending messages. And if it was really him, wanting me back, I’d guess he’d barge down my door right about now. He wouldn’t go about it in a sneaky way.
No, this is someone else.
I fumble with my ring again, and it bothers me so much that I pull it off and toss it away.
It’s the first time I’ve taken it off since my wedding, and damn, does it feel liberating. I don’t even know why it took me so long to take it off in the first place. Maybe I kept it on out of habit. A silent reminder of his chokehold on me.
But enough is enough.
I get up and put the notes back into the folder. However, as I lean over my table, I notice something in the trashcan next to my door.
Frowning, I walk over to it and pluck out a half-smoked cigarette.
For a few seconds, I stare at it, wondering what it’s doing here.
I don’t smoke.
Rage boils up from deep inside, and I crush the cigarette in my hand. Then I grab the gun that I hid behind the vase and tuck it into my pocket. Anger blinds me from making the right decision. Instead, I storm out of my house, jump into my car, and drive straight to Greg’s.
For ages, I was fearful of going back and facing the beast, and still, the anxiety makes me tremble. However, the raging fury inside me has taken over, and it wants out. There’s no stopping me. No matter how many times the voices in my head tell me it’s a bad idea, I still go to his house, ignoring all the warnings I know are there for a reason.
I just have to know.
I don’t just knock on his door. I practically ram it, all while smashing the doorbell too. “Greg! I know you’re in there!” I know it’s evening, but at this point, I don’t care if the neighbors hear me.
I slam his door a few more times and yell, “Greg! Open the door!”
After a while, I feel it move underneath my hand, and I step back.
He casually opens the door, staring at me with an uninterested look and an aloof attitude. “Hyun … Finally come back, have you?”
I ignore his taunt. “You came into my house, didn’t you?” I say, and I show him the cigarette, which I’d conveniently stuffed into my left pocket.
He narrows his eyes while looking at it then he focuses his attention on me. “Have you lost your mind?”
“I know you’d do anything to get me back,” I reply.
“You stupid girl … do you really think I’m that stupid? Causing a scene in front of your neighbors?”
“You have the police in your pocket. What’s stopping you from breaking in and entering my home to steal me away again? It’s not as if it stopped you before.” I sneer.
“Not when people could call the news.”
“Oh, so there is something that holds you back … bad publicity.” I scoff.
He sighs. “Did you just come here to accuse me of leaving a cigarette in your home?”
“Don’t lie to me,” I hiss.
He leans in and grabs my arm, his grip strong and painful. “Let’s get one thing straight here,” he mutters under his breath. “I’m only letting you live there because you made such a big deal about being separated from me. I’m trying to show you what a true gentleman I can be by giving you what you want. But don’t … test … my … patience.”
Each word comes out as a restrained yell.
“Let. Me. Go,” I say, trying not to let my voice fluctuate.
I won’t show him any weakness. I’m way past that point.
“Or what? You’re going to call the cops? Last I checked, you came to my home.”
I jerk free and take my gun from my right pocket, pointing it at him. “Stay back.”
I walk backward as he holds up his hands. “No need for violence, Hyun.”
“Shut up!” Violence. Like he doesn’t know he’s the violent one.
Manipulative bastard.
“I’m keeping an eye on you … Hyun.” His voice is so low, so dark, that it makes my skin crawl.
He’s a liar. A deceitful devil. One day … I’ll prove it to the world.
“You can’t keep running away from me,” he adds.
“Don’t try to stop me,” I hiss, and I turn and run away, still clutching the gun.
Turmoil fills my head as I make my way back home, barely able to keep my mind on the road. When I’ve finally parked my car in my driveway and get back inside, I sink to my knees against the door. I breathe in and out, but nothing I do slows the beating of my heart.
I scream and get up, marching toward the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine. I pull out the cork and drink from the bottle. I don’t need a glass when I’m in this deep.
I spend the rest of the evening drinking and watching game shows on TV while trying to forget about this whole ordeal. I don’t even care whether I get drunk or if it’s bad or not. I need this. For just one moment, I’d like to forget all the bad stuff.
So I drink until I can no longer see straight, which is when I decide to go to bed.
Too bad I can’t even walk without stumbling into everything.
And as I try to grab the empty bottle so I can throw it in the trash, I fall over my own feet and land headfirst on the table.
I black out.
I don’t know for how long but, goddamn, does it hurt.
My head aches, and when I touch my forehead, it feels wet. When I bring my hand to look at it, I see blood.
But I’m too drunk to care. Too drunk to move. Too drunk to help myself.
And as I feel myself fade again, I hear a creaking noise and something tugs at my arm.
I don’t know how much time passes before I come to my senses again.
But somehow, someway, I en
ded up in my bed with a Band-Aid over my wound. And with my clothes removed and wearing a fresh smelling nightgown.
I blink a couple of times to try to make sense of it all. I don’t remember getting up or taking off my clothes.
That’s when I notice a dark figure looming in the corner of my bedroom.
Part II
The Transformation
7.
Accompanying Song: “Hungry Like The Wolf” by Snow Hill
Drake
I watch her wake up from across the room. She’s been in and out of it for a while now, but her eyes haven’t looked this sharp since. She’s finally seemed to notice me.
I hold my breath and watch the shock seep into her veins.
It’s strange to see her look at me like that. When we finally come face to face.
Maybe I shouldn’t have stayed. Maybe I should’ve left. But that’s not what I did.
I wanted to watch over her, take care of her, and make sure she’s all right.
And she sure doesn’t seem all right.
She clutches the blanket and pulls it up toward her neck, trying to hide the skin underneath. Then she looks down at her chest, and I know she realizes I changed her clothes.
I didn’t do it to be a pervert, even though her body is a sight to behold. It’s thrilling, but it’s not what I get off on. I get off on her knowing I’m there, watching, fantasizing about her.
But this time … she didn’t even see me coming.
I admit breaking into a house isn’t exactly something that can make a person trust you, but since the door wasn’t locked, as usual, I just let myself in. I knew she’d do something she’d regret.
Indecent Games Duet - Boxed Set Page 26
