Chapter 3
Our eyes met, and the door instantly slammed shut. A sense of dreadful foreboding completely enveloped me. He’s just peeking now, but what if he escalates later? The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became. I rushed back to my room and immediately ordered a pepper spray online. It would take a few days for the delivery to arrive. I thought for a moment, then, following a trick I learned online, I jammed a clothes hanger into the doorframe. This way, he wouldn’t be able to push the door open easily for a while. I huddled under my covers, silently praying that he was all bark and no bite.
The next few days were calm. He was quiet at night, and I didn’t catch him peeking again. My guard slowly lowered, and life seemed to return to its usual tranquility. Then came Saturday. I finally got to sleep in, and my mood was great. I was planning to meet up with Chloe, my best friend, later for some shopping and a nice meal, as I pushed open my door. The sight on the balcony moments later made me freeze. My roommate was actually standing by my freshly laundered undergarments, sniffing them in an utterly perverse way! His expression was one of pure ecstasy, and he was even rubbing his hand over them, caressing the soft fabric. Watching his expression and actions. A wave of disgust washed over me, and my voice came out ice cold.
“What are you doing?!” My cheeks burned red with shame and indignation. I rushed forward and snatched the intimates back. “You… you’re going too far!” He gave a sleazy chuckle, completely unbothered by being caught. “Didn’t you hang them on the balcony just to tempt me?” His eyes, burning with intense desire, swept over my body. Then, he smiled strangely. “Congrats, it worked. How about you be my girlfriend?” What the hell, what kind of delusional creep was this? I instinctively recoiled, biting hard on my trembling lip. Faced with his predatory gaze, I instinctively turned and bolted back to my room. But my heart was pounding uncontrollably, overwhelmed with fear. No, I can’t stay here. I hurriedly changed and fled to Chloe’s place. When Chloe heard what happened, she cursed him out as a pervert too. But since he hadn’t done anything concrete, there was nothing the police could do. After staying at Chloe’s until Sunday afternoon, I had no choice but to go back. I had to be at work on Monday, and my professional clothes and work ID were all at home.
“It’s okay. If he dares to be creepy again, you tell me. I’ll send Liam, my boyfriend, to deal with him!” With Chloe’s comfort, plus the pepper spray having already arrived, I felt a bit more relaxed. Back home. He didn’t seem to be home; his slippers were by the door. As I was gathering dirty clothes to throw into the washing machine, I realized I couldn’t find the pair of stockings I’d changed out of on Friday. After searching around with no luck. I was drawn, as if by an unearthly urge, to my roommate’s door, and reached out to twist the doorknob. Click. It was locked. I withdrew my hand, feeling an indescribable mix of emotions. Maybe I just put them in some corner. As for the set of intimates that had been hanging on the balcony, I threw them directly into the trash can. Just thinking about how many times he must have touched them over those few days they hung there made my skin crawl. It wasn’t until very late, after I had already fallen asleep, that I heard my roommate opening the door and returning. His room was quiet tonight. Unknowingly, I drifted into a deep sleep. I don’t know how much time passed. Bang! The sound of a water bottle hitting the floor instantly jolted me awake. I was disoriented for a second, then my eyes shot open towards my bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. I could vaguely see a dark silhouette frozen at the doorway.
4. I cowered in fear, terrified he would burst in the next second. The dark figure tentatively pushed the door. Rattle, rattle. Thankfully, the door was still jammed shut with the clothes hanger trick, so he couldn’t easily get in. I trembled all over, feeling as if I’d plunged into an icy abyss, too scared to even speak. But my shaking hand frantically gripped the pepper spray hidden under my pillow. The person at the door tried again. After still failing to open the door, he quietly closed it and left. It wasn’t until more than ten minutes after he left that I finally calmed down. My brain raced. This person was undoubtedly my roommate. The fact that he could open my bedroom door meant he must have had a key copied for my room. So, on days I wasn’t home, when I was at work, had he been…? The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became. Sleep was impossible. I quickly got up and checked around the room, but found nothing missing. But I knew deep down, this couldn’t continue. If he ever completely lost control, I would be finished. I spent a restless night. The next morning, I specifically called in sick to work and kept my ears peeled for any movement from next door. Finally, I heard him leave. I immediately jumped out of bed and called a locksmith to change the lock. After the new lock was installed, I felt a bit more at ease. My gaze involuntarily fell on his tightly closed door. He was always so secretive; there had to be something seriously off in that room! I asked the locksmith to open his door, claiming I had accidentally locked it. The locksmith, without suspicion, picked the lock and then left. And I, pushing the door open, nervously stepped into his room. The curtains were drawn tight, making the room incredibly dim. His computer was locked, connected to a set of streaming equipment. Microphones, cameras, etc. It looked very professional. Wasn’t he a voice actor? Why was he dabbling in live streaming?