Chapter 7

His final question hung in the air, suffocating me with its intensity. I felt like a trapped animal, cornered by his relentless pursuit and unable to escape his grasp.

In a moment of sheer panic and desperation, I hurled my phone across the room, the sound of its impact echoing off the walls. I sat on the edge of the bed, my mind reeling from the onslaught of his crazed and perverse words.

I couldn't fathom why he was so fixated on me, like a moth drawn to a flame. It both scared and intrigued me, leaving me feeling powerless and exposed in the wake of his relentless obsession.

After composing myself, I carefully typed out my response to him. "If you are obsessed with me, why don't you come and find me directly? Sneakily harassing me will only make me hate you more."

As the message was sent, I held my breath, waiting for his reply. But as minutes ticked by with no response, I felt a surge of frustration and confusion wash over me. Why was he so elusive? What was he hiding?

Unable to shake off my unease, I set my phone aside and tried to distract myself, preparing to settle in for the night. However, just as I was about to drift off to sleep, another message flashed across my screen, pulling me back into the whirlwind of his twisted games.

"Alfred isn't as perfect as he appears to be. If you don't believe me, come to G&A Club tomorrow night at eight, and you will see his true colors."

My blood boiled with anger at his audacity to try and tarnish Alfred's reputation without revealing himself. In a fit of rage, I hastily fired back a response, "Even if he's only pretending in front of me, he's still a hundred times better than you, hiding in the shadows and refusing to face me!"

With that final message sent, I powered off my phone, unable to bear the thought of engaging with him any longer. But despite my attempts to shut him out, his words lingered in my mind, casting a dark shadow over my thoughts and leaving me feeling more unsettled than ever before.

***

When I woke up the following morning, a sinking feeling settled in as I realized I hadn't called Alfred before falling asleep. Our nightly calls had become a comforting routine since we officially started dating, a small but significant way to connect and say goodnight to each other.

As expected, there were two missed calls from Alfred on my phone. With a heavy heart, I decided to return his call, hoping to explain my absence and reassure him.

But as the phone rang, my heart plummeted when a soft, unfamiliar voice answered, "Hello?"

Confusion clouded my mind as I double-checked the number on my phone screen, confirming that it was indeed Alfred's number. Why was someone else answering his phone?

Before I could gather my thoughts to respond, the woman chuckled and said, "You must be another one of Alfred's mistresses, right? Actually, he spent last night with me..."

Without a word, I abruptly ended the call, the weight of her accusations echoing in my mind.

As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, a whirlwind of emotions swept over me. Anger, betrayal, and heartache collided within me, leaving me reeling with a sense of despair and disbelief.

"It can't be true," I whispered to myself, clinging to the hope that it was all just a terrible mistake.

But deep down, a gnawing fear gnawed at me, threatening to shatter the fragile illusion of happiness I had built with Alfred.

As night fell, the city's neon lights began to illuminate, casting their dazzling colors, signaling the start of a night filled with revelry.

I stood outside the imposing facade of the G&A Club, my heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and dread. It had been nearly half an hour since I arrived, each passing minute weighing heavily on my nerves.

The G&A Club held a notorious reputation as a playground for the wealthy and influential, where the elite came to escape their responsibilities and indulge their desires. I couldn't shake the gnawing fear that Alfred might be just as promiscuous as the messages had described him to be. Doubt gnawed at my mind, casting shadows over the tender moments we had shared.

Summoning what little courage I had left, I pushed open the door and stepped inside, the thumping bass of the music assaulting my senses. The private room was dimly lit and filled with a cacophony of noise, but amidst the chaos, I spotted Alfred seated in the center of the room.

My heart sank as I watched him, his lips locked in a passionate embrace with a woman draped in a revealing dress. My stomach churned with a mixture of disbelief and betrayal, the warmth and affection I had felt for him dissipating into thin air.

As I stood frozen in shock, a voice from the crowd broke through the haze of my thoughts, urging Alfred to take his indiscretion further.

"Alfred, be a man and fuck her in public, will you?" someone cheered.

Alfred's response was callous, his flirtatious smile sending a shiver down my spine.

"Why not?" he replied, his voice dripping with arrogance.

As I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest, the scene before me unfolded like a nightmare. Alfred, the man I had trusted and cared for, was entwined with another woman, his hands wandering freely over her body. The shock of betrayal threatened to overwhelm me, but I refused to let it show.

Just as Alfred was about to undress her, his eyes locked with mine, and he froze in place, pushing the woman away from him. Confusion rippled through the room as others exchanged puzzled glances, unaware of the drama unfolding before them.

A sneer cut through the air, "Could it be that Alfred is impotent?"

Alfred brushed off the comment, quickly straightening his clothes before approaching me with a disarming smile. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice smooth and composed.

I offered him a faint smile, my facade masking the turmoil raging inside me. "I truly admire your acting skills, Alfred," I replied, my words laced with a hint of bitterness.

"I'm just playing around with them. It means nothing.” His smile remained unwavering as he reached out to touch my hand, but I recoiled instinctively, repulsed by the thought of his hands on me after touching so many others. The very idea made my skin crawl.

"Don't touch me with your dirty hands," I spat out, unable to hide the disgust in my voice.

But Alfred persisted, his tone pleading as he tried to reassure me of his sincerity. "Oprah, I only have genuine feelings for you. Everyone else is just for socializing."

I remained expressionless, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing how deeply he had wounded me. Without another word, I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving Alfred behind in a whirlwind of confusion and regret.

As I made my way through the crowded room, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before me, blocking my path.