I'm a traditional girl with an amazing figure. When I had a fever, my boyfriend who came to take care of me said he wanted to come in and "feel it." After I refused him, he sulked for three days. My best friend said sexual intimacy between adults is normal, and that I was being too much of a puritan. So today, when I saw him park his Tesla out the window, I gathered up my courage and put on a three-piece Victoria's Secret lingerie set. The door opened, and I threw myself at him with my eyes closed. "Honey, you're back~" My boyfriend reacted quickly, his burning heat making its presence known. I was just about to thrust my hips forward. When a low, hoarse voice—belonging to my best friend's fiancé—came from above my head. "It's me. You've got the wrong person." 1 Hearing the voice, I was absolutely stunned. I scrambled out of his embrace in a panic, so embarrassed I didn't know where to cover up. Large swathes of exposed skin burned with humiliation. I hurriedly grabbed a trench coat off the sofa and draped it over myself. "Mr. Sterling, why are you here?" Alexander looked away. His side profile was handsome, his aura cold and noble. Under the dim light of the sconce, the tips of his ears seemed flushed red. "It's Valentine's Day. I came to drop something off for Chloe." He was indeed holding a beautifully wrapped box. A Patek Philippe watch. So expensive! I couldn't help but sigh inwardly. But unfortunately, Chloe never wore watches. Chloe and I met in college. She was the queen of her sorority, and my best friend. Even after graduation, we rented apartments right across from each other in Brooklyn. Alexander Sterling was the fiancé she talked about every single day. And the aloof CEO of the Manhattan gaming company I worked for. Thinking of this, I panicked even more. But when I looked down, I saw the obvious bulge between his long legs, wrapped in his bespoke Savile Row suit. The sensation of being pressed against his lower abdomen suddenly came rushing back. My cheeks were burning. Alexander noticed my gaze and turned his back to me, his posture a bit stiff. "I was just dropping by to tell you, when I walked past your desk after work, it looked like your MacBook was unplugged." "...It's nothing, I'll be leaving now." As soon as the door closed, I let out a massive sigh of relief. Then his words finally registered in my brain. The sky was falling! If my laptop was off, what about the renders?! I quickly pulled out my iPhone to check the remote app. Only to find the rendering was proceeding normally. Did Alexander see it wrong? Whatever, it was a false alarm. At least I could relax now. I couldn't help but cover my blushing face with my collar, wishing I could slap myself. How was I supposed to face him and Chloe after this? 2 I had just looked up when I realized my door wasn't completely shut. Through the crack, I saw Chloe open her door for Alexander. She hooked her arm through his, pleasantly surprised, pouting flirtatiously. "Why are you here? Didn't you say you were busy with work? So you were planning to surprise me!" "Is this a gift for me? Thank you!" Alexander let her pull him, lifting the item in his hand. "Sponsored by a Wall Street brand, I just brought one over since I was on the way." He was always like this—an absolute, unapologetic workaholic straight man. That's what Chloe told me. Chloe had known him since they were kids. They were childhood sweethearts from matched Upper East Side old money families. Chloe had chased him for two or three years. But they only got engaged three months ago. Their families had met and dined together at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Although he would have his assistant send gifts and flowers for every major holiday, he didn't understand romance. He always claimed he was busy with work, repeatedly rejecting Chloe's invitations for a date. Valentine's Day was no exception. For him to personally deliver a gift this time... it really was just like Chloe said. Even the coldest ice would eventually melt. Therefore, even though Alexander's delivery was stiff and he gave her something she didn't even like, Chloe was still ecstatic. She blinked her bright eyes, blushing as she invited him inside. But after she took the box, he simply pulled his arm away. "No, I have a transnational conference call tonight." Chloe instantly deflated, biting her lip and stepping closer. "We're engaged. It's Valentine's night, and all you want to do is work?" "You weren't like this before." "In college, you didn't even want to study in Europe because of me. You even coded an animated confession for me." "But ever since you came back from Harvard Business School, you've been so cold." Her voice was low and thin, her eyes a little red. "You won't even kiss me now." Their voices carried clearly through the crack in the door. I clenched my fists, feeling a bit angry on Chloe's behalf. How could a fiancé be so cold! Alexander remained silent. I couldn't see his expression, but he just flatly dropped a sentence: "It's getting late. I'm leaving." As he stepped into the elevator, he glanced towards my side, scaring me into quickly shutting the door tight. 3 After returning inside, I curled up on the sofa and continued waiting for my boyfriend. But I didn't expect Chloe to come over first. The first time I saw her, I felt guilty and defensive. My parents divorced early on, and I was dumped in rural Ohio, fostered at my aunt's house. They treated me well, but the sensitivity of living under someone else's roof and the emotional lack never faded. In my freshman year, Aunt Mary sent me homemade beef jerky. My roommates thought it looked ugly and mocked me for being a hillbilly from a trailer park. Only Chloe stood up for me. "What, the steaks you eat aren't raised by farmers? Stop acting so high and mighty." She smelled the jerky and smiled at me warmly. "Smells great. Give me the ones they don't want, I want to take them home to eat this weekend!" Chloe defended me like that, and opened her heart to me. Even though I dressed in a very country way, guys surprisingly hit on me quite often. She was afraid I'd get tricked, so she always strictly vetted them for me. Playboys, jerks, scum. Because of her, I avoided a lot of frat boys with bad intentions. Occasionally, when girls suddenly showed me goodwill, she'd tell me to be careful, saying she'd heard them talking trash about me. So for four years of college, we stuck together. One true friendship beats countless fake ones. I was never lonely. The more I thought about it, the more guilty and ashamed I felt. I was so sorry. I had to let today's incident rot in my stomach and forget it completely! Chloe skipped inside, smiling as she raised the watch on her wrist. "Alexander personally delivered it. Designer, tens of thousands of dollars. Does it look good?" I nodded vigorously. "It looks beautiful." She curled her lips into a smile. "Alexander and I are childhood sweethearts. No one understands him better than I do. He loves me to death. He acts distant on the outside, but he's incredibly passionate in private." "The reason he doesn't want to live with me is out of respect." This was Chloe's usual narrative. She always told me how good Alexander was to her, how much he loved her. I had always believed it before. Maybe Alexander just wasn't good at expressing his feelings. I hugged her arm and acted cute. "Yes, yes, yes. You two are a perfect match. When you get married, you'll be Mrs. Sterling. You'll give me a promotion at the company then, right?" Chloe poked my forehead. "Don't worry, you're my best bridesmaid. I won't do you wrong." Saying that, her sharp eyes caught the lingerie fabric peeking out from under my trench coat, and the large spread of food on the coffee table. She covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh my, I just made a casual suggestion, and you're really going all out to keep Carter around." My face flushed red, and I squeezed my hands awkwardly. 4 Carter Hayes was introduced to me by Chloe. She said he was different from the others, a really great guy. He pursued me passionately, and eventually, I softened. Three months ago, we got together. He was a gentleman, considerate—the model of a perfect boyfriend. Normally speaking, sexual intimacy between adults is perfectly fine. But on our first night, I was working late on a project and caught a fever. I asked him to help me get some medicine and a thermometer. Instead, he only brought back a box of condoms, leaning in to whisper ambiguously in my ear. "I heard that when your body temperature is high, it feels completely different. Should we try?" I pushed him away, gagging, and from then on, I heavily resisted getting intimate with him. Carter apologized with self-blame the next day. I accepted it. Recently, he said that accommodating my emotions was too tiring and he wanted to break up. I panicked. In my life, besides work, there was only him and Chloe. I didn't want to lose either of them. So when I heard Chloe casually mention the 'honey trap' tactic that day, I took it seriously. "It's really pretty. That kid Carter is so lucky. His girlfriend is a good cook and has great taste in the bedroom." Chloe's words interrupted my thoughts. "If you had done this earlier, he'd be clinging to you like glue. He wouldn't bear to leave you out in the cold." I pursed my lips shyly. "But my body isn't that great, and I'm a little chubby." A meaningful look flashed in Chloe's eyes. She pushed me in front of the full-length mirror. It reflected me, and the dainty, exquisite her. "So what? Even if your body is average and your looks are ordinary, in the eyes of the person who loves you, you're the best." Chloe was always so understanding and comforting like this. "Alright, I won't disturb your sweet time." "Carter is a top-tier boyfriend. I've known him for years, I know him inside and out. Don't worry, he loves you to death." I embarrassedly replied with an "Mm." 5 When the apartment quieted down, I suddenly remembered something. Carter's car had pulled into the parking lot ages ago. Why wasn't he up here yet? I called him. His voice sounded slightly frustrated. "The AC filter in the car is clogged with dust. I'm changing it out. Sorry for the wait, you can start eating first." "It's okay, I'll wait for you." Hanging up, I checked the dining table for anything missing. It seemed I forgot the contraceptives. I put on my clothes and headed down to the 7-Eleven on the corner. On my way back, to take a shortcut, I braved the dark and walked along the edge of the parking lot. Passing by a Tesla charging station, two figures kissing passionately caught my eye. Just as I was about to bite the bullet and walk past them, the left car door opened. Someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the car. My scream was muffled by his hand, blocked in my throat. It was Alexander! He still hadn't left! He pulled me so suddenly that I fell sideways into his lap. The lighting was dim, making his features look even sharper. My heart was pounding, and I was just about to struggle. But his right hand suddenly gripped the back of my neck, pulling me forcefully toward him. Caught off guard, I put my hands on his chest to steady myself and looked up in a panic. He gently lowered his head, resting his chin on my left shoulder, his tone bewitching. "Don't move. Look outside."
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