Chapter 3
I quickly turned on the lights, opened the windows, and saw Asher sprawled on the sofa with a bottle, surrounded by empty bottles.
I squatted in front of him, patting his face.
“Honey, why did you drink so much? What’s wrong?”
Hearing my voice, Asher jumped up and hugged me, crying.
“Adeline, I’m done for; I can’t be with you anymore!”
I frowned, confused.
After a long time comforting him, I finally understood.
Asher was desperate for a promotion. The project he took on had a batch of products with a 50% deposit paid.
But now, at delivery time, the supplier was unreachable. He went to their office, but it was empty.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.
“How much was the 50% deposit?”
“Five million…”
I was stunned. Five million. Our savings together barely reached one million, and even with this apartment, it wouldn’t cover the gap.
“Let’s call the police!”
“We can’t call the police, Adeline. If we do, the company will find out and fire me… You know our corporation is the industry leader. If I’m fired, no one else will hire me…”
Asher was agitated, his grip on my hand hurting.
I tried to stay calm, coaxing him.
“It’s okay, we can find another job slowly. You have me; my salary can support us.”
“No… no…”
No matter how I comforted or persuaded him, Asher drowned in his emotions.
He always avoided problems instead of solving them.
I lost patience, my voice turning cold.
“Then what do you want?”
Asher glanced at me, seemingly making a decision. He suddenly got off the sofa and knelt.
“Adeline, only you can save me now.”
My heart tightened, sensing something bad. Before I could ask how, Asher spoke up.
“Adeline, just spend the night with Mr. Finn. He said he’d cover the five million privately. Then I can find another supplier to fill the order, and no one else in the corporation will know…”
I slowly stood, staring at the man kneeling before me, feeling like he was a stranger. “Adeline, you’re the only one who can help me now.”
A sense of dread gripped my heart. Before I could ask how, Asher blurted out the answer himself.
“Adeline, you just need to spend the night with Mr. Finn. He promised to handle the five million privately for me. Then I can place orders with other suppliers to cover it, so no one else in the corporation will find out…”
I slowly stood up from the floor, staring blankly at the man crying and kneeling in front of me. In that instant, he seemed like a stranger.
Was this the same man who used to defend me with his fists when classmates teased me in school? How could he shamelessly suggest something like this with such confidence?
“Asher, are you out of your mind? I’m your wife, and you’re asking me to sleep with another man?”
Asher clung to my leg desperately, his words tumbling out incoherently.
“Adeline, Mr. Finn promised, it’s just spending the night. He won’t do anything else, don’t worry!”
I struggled to control my emotions, taking a deep breath to calm myself.
Asher was just panicked by the sudden crisis, not thinking clearly. Maybe once he’s sober, he’ll realize what he’s asking, and then we can discuss how to solve this.
“Honey, I can’t agree to this. I’m a person, not a commodity to be used for such things. Let’s talk when you’re thinking straight.”
After saying that, I pried his hands off me. I had lost all interest in dinner and decided to wash up and go to bed.
Asher sat dazed on the floor, mumbling something I couldn’t make out, and I left him alone.
After washing up, I found him sitting by the bed, holding a glass of milk, with a hint of guilt on his face.
“Sweetheart, I lost my mind earlier. I’m sorry. Will you come with me to the police station tomorrow?”
Hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief, glad he had come to his senses. I stopped drying my hair, sat beside him, and held his hand.
“Yes, honey, we’ll figure this out together. Tomorrow, let’s go to the police station first, then see how the corporation handles it. If worst comes to worst, we can go back to our hometown and start over, right?”
“Yeah, right! You didn’t eat dinner earlier, so I made you some milk. Drink it, please.”
“Thank you, honey!”
I didn’t suspect a thing, took the milk, and drank it. I didn’t notice the forced smile on Asher’s face.
After drinking it, I planned to dry my hair. But as I stood up, I suddenly felt dizzy. I shook my head and grabbed Asher’s sleeve.
“Honey, I feel so dizzy…”
“Adeline, I’m sorry, just help me this once. After this, I’ll never push you to anyone else… I can’t lose this job. I’ve worked so hard for it…”
Only then did I notice the madness in Asher’s reddened eyes.
My body gradually lost strength, and I lay on the bed, gasping for air.
“Asher, what did you put in the milk?”
“Adeline, it’s just something to make you weak. Just get through tonight, please…”
“You’re crazy, Asher, you’re a madman. I’m your wife.”
“Exactly because you’re my wife. You think I’m not suffering too? But I have no choice… Adeline, forgive me!”
I lay motionless on the bed, not wanting to see that twisted face anymore.
The weakness in my body, the grievances in my heart, and the fear overwhelmed me, and tears streamed down my face.
Normally, I could accept anything. I even agreed the last time Asher asked me to have dinner with Finn. But this time, he truly broke my heart.
I began to doubt if our marriage could really continue. For the first time, I considered divorce.
I didn’t know what Asher put in the milk. My body was weak, but my mind was clear.
Asher took me to a nearby hotel, stripped me naked, and left me on the bed.
“Adeline, I’ll come to get you tomorrow morning!”
I didn’t respond, just silently closed my eyes. Tears fell silently onto the pillow.
As I waited, the feeling of humiliation made me tremble uncontrollably. I started to hate Asher for doing this to me.
I didn’t know how long it was before the hotel door opened and Finn walked in.
The moment he saw me, he looked away and covered me with a blanket.
With the blanket on, I finally felt a bit of security.
“Sorry, I didn’t expect Asher to be so…”
I knew what he wanted to say, those two words he didn’t speak—shameless.
“Adeline, you’ve been let down.”
Yes, I had been let down, completely. I never imagined that nearly ten years of relationship from dating to marriage couldn’t compete with a job.
That night, Finn didn’t touch me. He slept on the couch all night.
I’m somewhat grateful to him for leaving me with a shred of dignity.
The next morning, after the drug effect wore off, I quietly got dressed to leave before Finn woke up.
As I reached the couch, he grabbed my hand, and I lost my balance, falling onto him, my hand resting on his chest.
“Adeline, you don’t think just because I acted like a gentleman all night, I truly am one, do you?”
I felt nervous, avoiding his intense gaze.
“Mr. Finn, thank you. Can I have some time to think?”
“Sure, I’ll wait for your decision.”
When I got home, Asher wasn’t there. I took a quick shower, put on my uniform, and got ready for work.
Just as I opened the door, Asher was outside, about to enter. When he saw me, his eyes lit up.
“Adeline, you’re back. Didn’t we agree I’d pick you up? When I went to the hotel, you were already gone.”
At that moment, I was almost late for work and didn’t want to talk to him. As I tried to pass him, he grabbed me.
“Adeline, did Mr. Finn touch you?”
Hearing that, the string that had been tight all night in my heart finally snapped, and I slapped Asher hard.
5
His face turned away from the slap, and my palm throbbed painfully as I choked out the words,
“Asher, you may not care about your reputation, but I do!”
I shook off his hand forcefully and went to the office.