Chapter 4 Try Me

Half an hour after Cedric left, the doorbell rang. I thought he had forgotten something, so I opened the door without any reservations. But the person standing outside wasn't Cedric—it was Jason. He wore a custom-made suit and held a bouquet of bright red roses, smiling arrogantly. "Long time no see, superstar," he purred. He braced his foot against the door and forced his way in. His cologne's strong stench instantly overwhelmed the smell of disinfectant in the house and made me nauseous. "Get out!" I yelled. I grabbed a vase from the entryway and pointed it at him with a trembling hand. Jason didn't take my threat seriously at all. He glanced around our simple and minimally decorated apartment. He clicked his tongue and sneered. "You live in a place like this? What is it, a thousand square feet? It's smaller than my bathroom." He walked to the dining table and disdainfully wiped a finger across the surface. "Living with that shabby forensic doctor must be tough, right? I heard his monthly salary is only a few thousand dollars. Is that enough for you to buy a jar of face cream?" "Jason, what exactly do you want?" I retreated step by step until my back was against the wall. I had nowhere else to go. Jason closed in on me, reached out, and pinched my chin. The force he exerted was so great that it felt as though he wanted to crush my bones. "Don't you know what I want?" Jason smirked and lowered his head. His hot breath fanned across my face as he said, "Emily, you've had enough fun, so now it's time to come home. I haven't gotten my case closed yet. With just a snap of my fingers, that forensic doctor husband of yours… He won't only lose his job, but he might also accompany you in going to prison." "You wouldn't dare!" I glared at him, my eyes bloodshot. "Try me." Jason smiled cruelly. "Tonight at ten, I'll be waiting for you at Club Nightfall. Wear the red dancing heels I sent you. If you don't come… "Tomorrow's headline will say, 'Forensic Doctor's Wife Suspected of Massive Money Laundering, And the Husband Is an Accomplice Who Knowingly Broke the Law.'" After saying that, he let go of my chin, threw the roses on the ground, and stomped on them hard. Petals scattered everywhere, reminiscent of blood. Jason left shortly after. I slid against the wall and sat on the floor, staring at the shattered flowers. Despair washed over me like a tidal wave. I knew Jason meant what he said. I had no choice in the matter.