When I woke up, Duy Long was sitting beside my hospital bed. An IV needle was stuck in my hand, and my right elbow and knee were wrapped in layers of gauze. The moment he saw my eyes open, he shouted, “Thank god! You scared the shit out of me, Hưng!”
I had no idea what had happened. Duy Long continued, “You collapsed in the middle of the street yesterday! You were lying there for a while before someone passed by and called an ambulance to get you here.”
I asked, “Then how did you know I was here?”
He replied, “I noticed you didn’t come home, so I called you. Some doctor or nurse picked up, and that’s when I found out and rushed over! I told you already, didn’t I? Stop pushing yourself so hard! I’m begging you! If you keep this up, I swear I’ll call your mom and tell her!”
Judging by his tone, I knew he wasn’t bluffing. If something like this happened again, he really would tell my mother. So after I fully recovered, I only dared to work ten hours a day. The remaining six hours, I had no choice but to split among the younger staff at the shop.
Before I was discharged, Định and Ms. Ngân came to visit me. What Định told me made me sit straight up in bed. He said, “I told you that bitch would get her karma sooner or later! The other day, Lân’s wife went straight to the company to catch them in the act. Holy shit, I’m telling you—she ripped that girl’s shirt right open, tits out and everything! She beat the hell out of her, and Lân didn’t even dare step in. That bitch kept screaming ‘Lân, save me!’ but his face—pathetic as fuck. He didn’t do a damn thing!”
I blurted out, “Holy shit! Then who stopped it in the end?”
Ms. Ngân continued, “Who would dare? She brought along three or four big, scary-looking guys. She said, ‘This is my personal business. Stay out of it and I’ll deal with this slut myself. But if any of you interfere, I’ll tear this whole building down.’ If it were me, I wouldn’t dare step in either.”
Định added, “You didn’t tell the best part. The security guards tried to call the cops. Then she said, ‘Go ahead and call them. By the time the police get here, this bitch’s body will already be ready to be hauled away. Everyone up there is my people. I’ll make one call and see if anyone shows up in thirty minutes.’ Damn, that was badass as hell. I almost stood up and applauded!”
Just hearing it made me feel scared for Thúy Diễm. Still, curiosity got the better of me and I asked, “So what happened to her?”
Ms. Ngân went on, “What else could happen? She kept crying, ‘Sis, it’s all a misunderstanding! How could I possibly dare to do that with Lân?’ The wife didn’t say a word. She just waved her hand, and one of her guys immediately played a video on his phone. Fuck, she blasted the volume to the max—the whole room heard that bitch moaning, ‘Lân, I feel so good… push it deeper, harder…’ She played the clip while beating her in rhythm. Her face was completely bruised.”
I asked again, “And Lân still didn’t stop her?”
Định snorted, “As if he had the balls. His wife tore into him too. She said, ‘At home you have a beautiful wife and good kids. I told you to stay home with me. We don’t lack money. But you insisted on going out to “do business.” What business? Selling horns? Or selling sperm? Heaven really doesn’t tolerate scum! From today on, get the fuck out of my house! I can raise my kids myself—I don’t need a worthless bastard like you!’ He panicked and dropped to his knees, hugging her legs and begging. Fuck, I’m telling you, he was pathetic beyond words!”
So it turned out that everything Quang Lân had built up in front of everyone was thanks to clinging onto his wife’s family. Knowing that, I could understand why he cheated with Thúy Diễm. Always living under his wife’s shadow, it was no wonder he desperately wanted to feel like a “real man” in front of another woman.
But that was an explanation, not an excuse. Wrong was still wrong. Everything he got, he deserved.
Then I suddenly realized I’d forgotten to ask something and said, “Wait—so how did his wife find out in the first place?”
Định puffed out his chest proudly, “I used a clone account and sent her the video! Don’t mess with me! I know everyone in Lân’s family. After sending it, I locked the account and disappeared from the drama. The rest was up to her.”
No wonder he’d spoken so confidently when I sent him the clip earlier. Thúy Diễm was exposed everywhere; it seemed her road ahead wouldn’t be easy. And who knew whether her beloved “Lân” would still love her after all that.
But I didn’t dwell on it much. I still had my own mess to deal with. That morning at work, the shop owner suddenly gave me some good news. He said, “Since you started working here, business has really picked up. Starting next month, I’m raising your salary by five million.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin and said, “Oh my god, boss? I’m really grateful, but that’s a lot. You’re making me nervous!”
He replied, “Consider it an attendance and performance bonus. The staff you trained are doing much better than before. You work more, you earn more—simple as that.”
I almost jumped through the ceiling. That meant with just ten hours of work a day, I was earning the same as before.
After the rain, the sky finally cleared. There was even a rainbow.
Life slowly returned to normal, and the streets grew lively again. I didn’t have a boyfriend, so after months of lockdown I wasn’t in a rush to see anyone. Ngọc Lễ, on the other hand, complained every day about missing his lover. Even more unexpectedly, his boyfriend secretly came to visit that day. Duy Long and I hadn’t even had breakfast yet, and we were already force-fed dog food.
Ngọc Lễ was dating a guy one year older than him named Khánh Đăng—pretty handsome, a head taller than Lễ. More importantly, every word and gesture of his screamed classic bad boy. His mouth was full of flirtation, his movements gentle and gallant, and his eyes constantly oozed sex appeal. Unfortunately, that was exactly Lễ’s type. He always bragged that his boyfriend was like someone “stepping straight out of his fantasies.”
After lunch, Khánh Đăng borrowed the bathroom for a while. Outside, I teased Ngọc Lễ, “Hey, why are you eating so little today?”
Duy Long immediately chimed in, “He’s saving room for something else!”
We exchanged looks and burst out laughing, while Ngọc Lễ cursed, “Keep messing with me, you bitches!”
We were all guys, but Duy Long and I still respected their privacy. That afternoon, the two of us stayed downstairs while upstairs the other two tangled together—sometimes giggling and whispering, sometimes kissing loudly enough for the whole room to hear. By evening, they even showered together. Through the foggy bathroom door, I could vaguely see Lễ sucking Khánh Đăng’s cock inside.
I didn’t know whether they were deliberately letting us see it, but they always chose the exact gap right behind the door to go at it. Khánh Đăng stood upright, head tilted back, one hand resting on Lễ’s hair. Lễ worked hard to please his lover, his head moving back and forth relentlessly. When Lễ finally pulled Khánh Đăng’s cock out to suck on his balls instead, I could faintly make out that his dick was no joke either. No wonder Lễ was so completely obsessed.
Duy Long and I had to wait a long while before those two finally came and wrapped up their fun in the bathroom. I let Duy Long shower first since he still had things to do outside. By the time it was my turn, dusk had already fallen. I didn’t pay much attention—until I noticed something strange about my underwear.
It was smeared with fresh semen, still damp, not yet dried.
I froze. I had changed that underwear that very morning. If I’d had a wet dream the night before, it would’ve dried by now. Duy Long had no interest in my underwear. And Ngọc Lễ definitely didn’t either—his boyfriend was right there.
From morning till now, the only stranger who had entered the bathroom was Khánh Đăng. Thinking back, I realized how odd it was that he’d stayed in the bathroom for so long at noon. I’d assumed he had a stomach issue after eating. But I had no proof to say he was the one who came on my underwear.
In that bathroom, only Lễ and I hung our underwear. Duy Long kept his in his bag. So there were only two possibilities. First, Khánh Đăng thought it was Lễ’s underwear and used it to jerk off. Second… I didn’t dare think about that one.
I stood under the running water for a long time, letting it wash away the disturbing thoughts in my head. In the end, I settled on the first possibility—it had to be just a coincidence.
When I came out, Duy Long was already gone. Khánh Đăng and Lễ had ordered fried chicken for dinner. I quickly dried my hair. Over by the fridge, Khánh Đăng was rummaging around and asked, “Out of ice? I was thinking of having some soda.”
Ngọc Lễ replied, “Yeah. I’ll go buy some. Hưng, don’t buy food, okay? We ordered plenty of fried chicken!”
Lễ slipped on his sandals and trotted off to the convenience store at the end of the alley. At the dining table, only Khánh Đăng remained. The silence felt awkward, and he struck up a conversation, “Hưng, does Lễ usually badmouth me when I’m not around?”
I smiled and answered, “We wish he would. Honestly, he’s like a fan chasing an idol. Anyone who says a single bad word about you and he’ll jump right up.”
Khánh Đăng turned half his face toward me and asked, “So what do you and Long say about me, then?”
I had to admit, his expression right now was incredibly provocative, almost seductive. I quickly lowered my gaze and replied, “I wouldn’t dare.”
He hooked his finger at me and said, “I’m just kidding. Why so serious? Come sit.”
I hung my towel on the rack upstairs and came back down. Since Khánh Đăng hadn’t brought spare clothes, he was wearing Lễ’s. He wasn’t much bigger, but his legs were longer—especially the one in the middle. Sitting there, he propped his right leg on the neighboring chair. For some reason, that “middle leg” slipped right out of Lễ’s ridiculously short pajama shorts, the flushed tip jutting out provocatively.
The moment I saw it, I reflexively recoiled. Khánh Đăng laughed and lowered his leg, saying, “Sorry, that was careless. Lễ’s shorts are too short—I just sat out of habit.”
I laughed it off, unsure what else to say. Just then, Ngọc Lễ came back upstairs with a bag of ice. Khánh Đăng immediately stood up to take it, poured ice into several cups, and filled them with soda for everyone.
I wasn’t exactly a saint, but I knew my boundaries. The table had two sides, so I moved my chair to the other side and sat alone, letting the lovebirds sit comfortably together. I didn’t really care what they were talking about—only that the fried chicken was damn good. But while I was eating, a foot brushed against my leg. Once… twice… the third time, it didn’t pull away. Toes wriggled, hooking up toward my ankle. I instantly realized it was deliberate and froze, the chicken leg halfway to my mouth.
Ngọc Lễ asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
I replied, “Oh—nothing. Just choked a bit.”
He said again, “Eat slower. There’s plenty. I was even planning to save some for Long, but who knows where he went.”
I didn’t need to think to know whose restless foot it was. Khánh Đăng kept chewing on his chicken while his foot fondled my thigh. I completely lost my appetite. I left the table and went upstairs, turning on my laptop to play games. My mind was a mess. I had no idea how to tell Lễ that his boyfriend was that kind of person.
He dared pull this shit right in front of him. Who knew what he did behind his back?
And if he dared do that, then the semen on my underwear… it had to be his.
I couldn’t imagine how Lễ would react if he found out. But then again, things you can’t control—especially other people’s business—are best left alone. Everyone has to hurt to grow up.
I played games for a while. Downstairs, they finished eating. Then I heard Lễ call up, “Come up and rest. I can clean this up myself!”
Khánh Đăng didn’t refuse at all. He quickly came upstairs and sat beside me while I was gaming. He took out his phone, tapped on it for a bit, then asked, “Hưng, wanna play this game?”
My eyes stayed glued to my screen as I fought, answering, “What game?”
He said, “This one right here. Look.”