Chapter 5: Feeling of Shame
1731 Words
“Ring, ring!” My phone rang.
The caller ID was hidden, so I picked it up with trepidation.
“Did you like the gift?”
The speaker’s voice had been modified. I had no clue at all who it could be!
“Who are you? Why do you have my things?!” I asked irritatedly.
“All hot and bothered, aren’t you? Craving for a man’s body, hmm?” they went on, ignoring my questions.
“I know your secret~ If you don’t want your husband to find out, be a good little girl and do as you’re told. Understood?”
My mind was whirling. Who could this be?
The doctor? But how did the doctor get my underwear?
Michael? But how would he know what happened at the hospital?
I was wild with panic.
“There’s no need to panic. I’ll be in touch… when the time is right.” They hung up.
The room was eerily quiet. I felt like I was being spied on by countless eyes, and it gave me goosebumps.
Could it be Michael after all?
I snuck into his room and found it to be neat and tidy. A few exercise books were arranged on the desk.
I opened his closet and searched through it carefully.
I caught sight of a flimsy black thing and pulled it out slowly.
It was my pantyhose!
What was it doing here? Could Michael have been both the delivery man and the unknown caller? The gears in my brain spun rapidly as I reconsidered our various daily interactions.
It made me blush to even think about it.
He was barely 18, only a child to me. Were all boys so precocious? I stood there quivering as I held the pantyhose, unable to come to terms with it.
Inadvertently, my eyes found Michael’s bed, and it was like discovering a whole new world!
There were strands of hair of various lengths all over his bed—they obviously belonged to more than one person. Among them was a particularly eye-catching strand of golden hair. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head.
Michael had been doing that?
I was unable to find anything else suspicious, so I returned to my room. I dug through all my clothes and realized that the pantyhose and underwear were not all I was missing.
Several more pairs of underwear and pantyhoses had mysteriously disappeared.
I sat dumbly in the pile of clothes and pondered for a long time on what I should do. If I told Matthew, what would he say? What would he think of me?
Michael was only a child, it would be wrong to ruin his image.
“Creak.”
I heard noises from outside; Matthew and Michael, no doubt. I quickly tidied the clothes away.
Walking out of the bedroom, I noticed Michael watching television on the sofa.
“Hey Michael, I put your clothes into the closet for you earlier today.”
“Oh, Ciara…” Michael turned around, his eyes darting left and right. “My brother said he’ll be back later — taking care of some business.”
That was to be expected. Matthew worked in exports and had told me earlier that processing the current batch of goods meant that he would be busier than usual for a while.
“Are you stressed about school? Making friends?”
I took a seat beside him. I wanted to bring up the matter of the pantyhose, but it was really awkward. Would I have to literally ask him if he had taken my pantyhose?
“Stress, nah! And yeah, my classmates are nice!”
Michael avoided eye contact the entire time. He kept his eyes on the television even though it was playing a commercial.
What was he hiding?
“So, are the girls in your class pretty? Anyone you like?” I tried asking.
Michael whipped his head around at that and looked at me.
“I’m still a student, Ciara. It’s too early for a relationship.”
Now I felt bad for asking.
“Ciara, do you feel hot?” Michael asked, blinking.
“Not really. See, the air conditioner is on!”
The air conditioner had been on the entire time, so the room was hardly warm at all. However, a strange smile appeared on Michael’s handsome face.
He suddenly removed his T-shirt, revealing his broad chest and smooth skin. The unique scent of a teenage boy in his prime wafted through the air, and my heart skipped a beat.
“It’s so hot outside, I’ve been sweating the entire time. This feels much better!” As Michael slouched back on the sofa, his arm touched my shoulder.
A shiver traveled through my body as it rapidly heated up. It felt like the searing heat from my crotch was running rampant inside me!
No!
I stood abruptly. Perhaps shocked by my sudden action, Michael stared at me.
“What’s wrong, Ciara?”
My cheeks felt hot and I averted my gaze. In a fluster, I picked up the shirt Michael had taken off.
“I’ll… I’ll wash this for you. I was just about to do some laundry…”
Were all boys so forward these days?
I quickly closed the bathroom door, looking for a space to calm my nerves.
I must have been sweating! Not only did my clothes feel damp, so did my underwear.
I slapped my cheeks, wondering why I had reacted so strongly. It was only a light touch, perhaps even accidental. What in the world was I thinking?
As I felt the heat radiating off me, I looked down and was alarmed to find that my clothes were soaked through with sweat!
Forget it, I need a shower!
I undressed slowly, closed the shower curtains and let the warm water run down my body.
“Creak!” The door opened suddenly.
I let out a startled yell and covered myself. “Don’t come in!”
Michael didn’t come in. He stood by the door and said, “Ciara, just letting you know my clothes need to be hand-washed!” He made a strange motion with his fingers as he said this.
“Also, don’t forget to put a non-slip mat on the floor. Call me if you need anything!”
I sighed in relief when the door closed again. I had to lock the door when I showered in the future!
Michael sounded very considerate just now.
He was even more thoughtful than my husband. Matthew would never have thought about putting down a non-slip mat. Sometimes, it felt like I lived alone.
The thought left me dispirited and loneliness bubbled up inside of me.
When I was done bathing, Michael was no longer in the living room.
No! I could not condone his behavior!
If nothing else, Michael was still my husband’s brother. I could not stand by and allow him to get away with sleazy actions!
I composed myself and thought of a way to initiate the conversation with Michael. Shortly, I poured a glass of milk and carried it to his room.
“Michael, have some milk, it’s good for your body!” I entered Michael’s room and placed the glass on his desk.
He seemed to be writing something, but quickly threw it into the bin when he saw me enter, positioning himself so I was unable to see it.
“Thank you, Ciara.” Michael smiled awkwardly. “It must be hard to move around in your current state, so don’t trouble yourself. If I need something, I’ll be sure to let you know!”
I shook my head. “I just wanted to talk. Am I interrupting?” I sat down on the bed.
The thick, manly scent that filled the room washed over me like an ocean.
“Not at all.” Michael turned his chair around to face me and stared at my belly so intensely that it started to make me blush. His earnest attitude only added to my nervousness.
“Michael, you’re… old enough now and should pay more attention to matters of… privacy, like…” My voice trailed off as I wrung my hands and sighed nervously.
“What do you mean, Ciara?” Michael looked at me in puzzlement. Struck by a sudden thought, he asked, “Is washing my clothes too tiring?”
My heart leaped into my throat at the mention of clothes. Exactly! The clothes!
“It’s not that, but clothes… Clothes shouldn’t be taken at random. Especially my clothes, they’re not for you to…” I thought of the wet underwear that had been delivered and blushed.
Maybe he had even sniffed it up close! How mortifying! The longer I rambled, the harder it became to breathe. Staring at him was all I could do as my face turned crimson.
His expression held fast, like he had taken no heed. Suddenly, he lurched toward me until we were inches apart.
I could even see his sparse stubble and the Adam's apple he had just developed.
I held my breath and froze as my arms were grabbed by his powerful hands!
Oh my god! What is he doing?!
I was scared stiff, afraid to even exhale.
“Mic—”
He interrupted me.
“Ciara, your figure—I wouldn’t be able to wear your clothes even if I took them!” Michael wore an innocent expression and looked like he was suppressing a smile. “You must be joking!”
I felt stunned as my heart thrashed against my ribs.
I fled the room at once, and in the solitude of my dim bedroom, slowly steadied my breathing.
Matthew had not come home yet. I called several times before he picked up, only to be told that he was busy and that I should wait. When he eventually returned, exhausted, it was late at night.
The moment he entered the bedroom, I grabbed his arm.
“Honey, look at the time, you must be so tired,” I ventured.
Matthew took off his tie and tossed it on the bed.
“Yeah, I’m exhausted. What’s keeping you up?”
I tugged at his arm and made him sit.
“I need to tell you something, honey…”
He stared at me with wide-open eyes and spoke gravely.
“What’s going on?”
- Writer
