Chapter 12

Sherry hadn’t noticed the difference in me, nor did she see the tear of my dress. She handed Jacques a sum of money. As Jacques had his back turned to me, he didn’t see me enter.
Her son, Andrew, was asleep in the Pack and Play in the living room. I understood she must have just received another instalment payment from Lee Jung.
As usual, I had to fake a cheerful smile, speaking in a high-pitched voice, “I’m heading to my room!”
She didn’t keep me at all. Neither did Jacques follow. I knew they were discussing. Probably discussing my matters, or possibly what Sherry wanted to do in the future.
I locked myself in the bathroom and broke down in tears. Tears that I was reluctant to allow The Master to see. I couldn’t understand what happened that he would be so brutal to me. He got what he wanted. There wasn’t a point in this torture anymore. But as long as Lee Jung kept seeking ‌Sherry in Thailand, I would always be at risk.
I guessed that the meeting with Lee Jung probably happened during the time he left with the car. I knew this wouldn’t be the end of their visits to Thailand. I deduced that Lee Jung would continue to provide Sherry substantial sums of money to support her new life, as well as the future heir of the Lins’ business empire. I understood from Jacques that even though it belonged to Lee Jung now, he likely had a plan for her son, because of his bloodline.
Beggars couldn’t be choosers. One day, Sherry would have to come to terms that her son was the future heir of the business empire, since Lee Jung didn’t have an heir, and news was that he had split up with his female partner.
I still couldn’t understand even after how Lee had set Sherry up repeatedly because of his infatuation with her, which now he claimed to be over with, she still believed him. But I couldn’t bother myself with her affairs. I know I was selfish, but I just couldn’t care about her anymore, after how it led me to lose almost everything.
I stopped crying and observed my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were red and puffy, a few abrasions riddled my throat and shoulders.
I stepped out of the torn dress and into the shower, turning the knob of the tap towards the coldest setting. Then I picked up my hard sponge.
I wanted to wash myself as much as I could out of the filth on my body. My entire body ached, and some parts of me were still sore from the Master’s brutality earlier. He hadn’t bothered with lubrication at all, and his intention to drive me into pain was deliberate.
In my eyes, although I got over my episodes of imprisonment in the Master’s den, I would always perceive him as a monster.
Then, what about Milanda? Did she save me on purpose, or did she never exist since she was dead long ago?
I couldn’t drive myself to think about this right now.
“Piper?”
I had fallen asleep on the bed, still wrapped in a towel. I must have forgotten to dry myself, because I responded with a sneeze. I quickly turned my head away so that he couldn’t see the graze on my face.
“I fell asleep.”
“You didn’t return my calls today,” he said. “When you got back, you were in such a rush. What happened at the psychiatrist’s today? Dr Soleil’s assistant told me ‌he was caught up with work elsewhere and she herself couldn’t come in today, and thus forgot to notify you of the cancellation. The staff at the office said they saw you, but couldn’t find you. Where did you go?”
“I had to pick up some things.”
I pulled on a tee and shorts, acting as natural as I could ever be.
“Piper..”
“I’m tired.”
I knew he suspected something after I was gone for five hours without answering his calls. But I couldn’t bear to tell him what had happened, for fear that it would implicate him in my affairs. He had already done a lot for me.
In the past, in the present, and his promises in the future. I was indebted to him.
He walked away to grant me space and left the room. Hearing the door close, I pulled up my phone and glanced at the notification log.
He had called me about fifty-six times today. But something else caught my attention.
An anonymous message read, “Today what happened stays here. Nobody can ever know about it. Otherwise, your friends will be in trouble.
LL”
The initials corresponded to Lenard Lee, the Master. I long-clicked on the message to delete it. Immediately, it was gone from my phone, but not my fear.
Tossing my phone aside, I leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a very long time. The pain and confusion of what happened today lingered in my mind, giving me an extremely heavy feeling. I lurched in pain, twisting in bed. That constant pain in my abdomen served as a huge reminder of what had occurred today.
Everything was against me, I thought. When would I finally be free?
That night, Jacques didn’t return to the room to sleep, probably not wishing to disturb me. I knew he was due for a night shift job, so I didn’t leave my room to look for him.
Closing my eyes, I greeted the night, wishing I knew when my troubles would ever end.
For the next few days, I refused Jacques’ attempts to get intimate with me on the alibi that I was having my period. But it was just a lie. I never had my periods after leaving the den.
I probably would never ever have them in the future. Even without going to the gynaecologist, I believed what they said was true. I was a barren tree, and would never, ever have a child of my own.
One day, I would get it all back, I swore. I couldn’t lie low forever and live a romantic life with Jacques, pretending everything never happened.
They would pay. I swore on it with my life.
………………………………………………………..
Weeks turned into months, and in no time, a year had passed.
To occupy my mind from thinking about my fears, I got myself a job helping‌ in a shop. Jacques continued his job in the kitchen, and they soon promoted him to assistant chef.
Sherry, because of her inexperience and lack of hands-on skills, became a masseur once she was done with a month of her postpartum recovery.
While I knew this wasn’t the life we wanted to lead, we had no options. It made me remember what the three of us had once agreed on back in Lin Corporation. We had vowed to become the star employees of the company by working our backs off every day, disregarding the lack of work life balance.
But now, here we were, hiding away from everyone and trying to stay alive. Our dreams and ambitions were long crushed and would never happen. At least we were alive.
Today was the day of Andrew’s birthday celebration. Coincidentally, it fell on a holiday, so none of us had to go to work. Jacques was blowing my short curls in front of a mirror, and I was applying my makeup.
“You broke in a cold sweat last night,” he told me.
Chill, Piper, it’s been almost a year since that incident with the Master, I told myself. Just last night I had a nightmare of what the Master did to me on that unknown paddy field.
“Just a nightmare,” I told him, and faked a smile. “We all dream, don’t we?”
My confidence seemed to relieve him. Recently, my psychiatrist had confirmed I was fine and transferred me to a psychologist instead. As they deemed me fine, I offered to pick up Andrew’s cake before going to the restaurant directly.
“Are you sure that you don’t want me to drop you off?”
Jacques would drive Sherry, because of a scare she had from a stalker recently. Her exotic features made her noticeable out of the locals, plus the fact she worked as a masseur made her an easy target for lewd clients.
“I’ll be fine,” I said cheerfully. “But before getting the cake, there’s a new book I want to get at Le Bookies.”
“Sure.” He handed me a wad of notes. “I know you love to read.”
“I have a job, dear.”
“Think of it as an early Valentine’s present.” He pushed the notes into my pocket. “I’ll see you later in three hours.”
The sun was just overhead. I headed towards the nearest bus stop to take the next ride to the neighbourhood shopping centre. It was a short wait. There, I immediately grabbed my book from the bookstore and paid with Jacques’ money.
I had to get to the subway station to take the train to the bakery. But before that, I wanted to take a peek at the latest summer collection at B&G a few blocks away. I had frequented them for the last five months, and they often struck discounts for me with little haggling. The business was a little shady, but the clothes there were the most affordable. After all, having lost so much, what else could I lose?
A bright low-shoulder yellow dress was on display, and since coming out of my fear of my body, I had had no chance to try on such a dress. Without hesitating, I took the dress and entered the changing room. There were no doors in the changing room, only curtains secured by rope. Seeing that someone pulled the curtain close and tied a knot in the rope, another customer would know that the room was occupied.
I had just stripped down to my bra and underwear, but before I could try on the dress, I felt the cold metal of a knife against my throat.
“Miss, cooperate with us and I can ensure your life won’t be in danger.” A creepy voice whispered into my ear in fluent Thai, sending a chill down my spine.
“What do you want?” I responded in basic Thai, sensing another man binding my hands behind my back.
Then, they pushed me into a body bag, with only darkness surrounding me.