Chapter 4

Just when I thought that everything was finally settling down, something terrible happened again. My phone wouldn't stop ringing. When I saw that it was a call from Mom, I inhaled deeply before finally daring to answer the call. "Sweetie," Mom said, sounding completely exhausted. "That project your dad had been handling got cancelled again. He lost a lot of money." I stopped sculpting, the sculpting knife still in my hand. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. I know that we shouldn't be burdening you with our issues, but—" "Mom," I said, feeling my throat constricting. I fought to keep myself calm and said, "Don't worry about me. I can take good care of myself." Mom sighed and said, "I just wish you could find someone of equal social standing in the future. It's not necessary that he's rich and powerful. Even a simple life with him would be good enough. Just don't end up like your dad. He's always struggling like this…" Someone of equal social standing? I could never be on equal social standing with the one person I was in love with. I packed up my things and went back to my dorm, purchasing the cheapest bottle of red wine I could find on the way back. The apartment was freezing cold. I didn't even bother turning on the lights, uncorked the wine, and drank it straight from the bottle. The wine was bitter and astringent, and it burned all the way down my throat. I then sank into the bathtub, still tipsy from the wine, as the steam from the warm water made my head spin. Memories from Christmas night flood my mind once again. I could feel the weight of Liam's body pressing down on me, the roughness of his calloused hands caressing my skin, his hoarse voice as he forced me to call him "Daddy," and his quiet and vulnerable side profile when he was fast asleep. An itchy yet hollow feeling surged deep within me. I bit my lip and slowly slid my hand down my body. No, wait. I had to stop thinking about him. However, the more I suppressed the feeling, the stronger it grew. My skin became extremely sensitive to touch, and I longed for him to touch me again. I sighed and reached haphazardly for the vibrating toy I kept in the cabinet next to the bathtub. Then, I turned it on, pushed it inside my body, and leaned back in the tub with my eyes closed. Ripples appeared on the surface of the water. I could feel my temperature rising. The alcohol in my system was also weakening my defenses. My lips parted uncontrollably as a broken moan escaped my lips. "L-Liam…" No, that wasn't enough. I needed more. His bloodshot eyes flashed through my mind. Suddenly, I could see him gritting his teeth as he thrust into me and brought me to my climax again and again. "Daddy…" Just as I was about to reach my peak, I heard a sudden loud bang, and the bathroom door was thrown wide open. It hit the wall behind it with full force, giving me a huge shock and making me curl up in fear. Someone was standing at the door. His tall figure blocked out the light behind him, so I couldn't see his face. However, it illuminated him from behind, and soon I could make him out as a very familiar silhouette. It was Liam.