I never thought my husband would ask me to conceive another man's child.
Last week was my birthday. My husband, who hadn't shown me any affection in a long time, suddenly decided to take me on a trip.
With a mix of apprehension and excitement, and under the encouragement of my best friend, I purchased a daring nightgown online, secretly packed it in my suitcase, and eagerly set off with my husband.
The destination was a newly opened resort in our city. While checking in, I couldn't help but pull on his sleeve and whispered, "Honey, I saw this resort online. It's very expensive. Let's change to a more affordable place; this is too wasteful."
"It's ok," my husband replied without meeting my gaze. "This is a complimentary voucher from a client. We don't have to pay anything."
My husband works in a foreign trade company. His salary is not high, but he encounters many influential people. I didn't suspect anything and simply held onto his waist, laughing and praising him: "You are so smart, dear."
We strolled around the resort, had dinner, and by then it was already dark.
Back in our room, my husband suddenly handed me a bottle of orange juice. "Xiao Ai, the dinner was a bit greasy, wasn't it? Drink some orange juice."
I was pleasantly surprised to receive the juice. How long has it been since my husband was this considerate?
I gladly took a couple sips of orange juice, but then my husband suddenly hugged me from behind, whispering into my ear, "Xiao Ai, are you willing to have a baby?"
Under the dimmed lights, my heart pounded heavily.
We had been married for two years but hadn't had a child yet. This has been a lingering pain in my heart.
"I do," I whispered back, hoping to kiss him, but he dodged my advance.
"Xiao Ai, you go take a shower first. I'll wait for you while having a smoke outside."
"We're old and married, and you're still so particular?" My face turned red, but still, I grabbed the towel and went into the bathroom.
When I came out of the shower, my husband wasn’t back yet. I found the pajama I had packed deep in my suitcase. Having carefully sprayed it with perfume, I turned off the lights and laid down on the bed nervously.
As time tick by, my husband still hadn’t returned. I considered calling him, but stood up only to find out that I feel dizzy.
Am I too tired? Why do I feel so dizzy?
I drifted to sleep in a daze. After god knows how long, I suddenly felt a hand touching my body in the darkness.
A gentle murmur escaped my throat. Assuming it was my husband, I reciprocated his gesture and embraced him.
However, the body I touched was not my skinny husband, but a magnitude of fat tissue.
I jolted awake, reached for the lamp on the bed, and beheld a fat man with chubby cheeks, feasting on my neck.
"Ah!" I screamed and pushed him away. Using the light from the lamp, I recognized the fat man in front of me, which startled me even more, "Mr. Jiang?"
Mr. Jiang is my husband's boss. I have seen him a few times at company events, and every time he would stare at me for a long time, which made me feel really uncomfortable.
At this moment, Mr. Jiang was naked, and showed no fear when I identified him. Instead, he chuckled, as his fat jiggled, "Xiao Ai, don't panic, I, your brother Jiang, will be very gentle."
As he said, he lunged at me again. The strong stink of alcohol on his breath made me want to vomit.
"Get off me! How dare you!" I struggled indignantly and screamed, "Are you not afraid that I will tell Li Cheng?"
Li Cheng is my husband's name. Upon hearing my words, Mr. Jiang laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, "Tell Li Cheng? Stupid woman, it was him who offered you to me to have a child!"
A loud ringing sound echoed in my head as I stared at Mr. Jiang in shock.
"What?" I only felt cold to my hands and feet, shaking my head continuously, "What did you just say...How could Li Cheng offer me to you... for a child..."
Mr. Jiang lost his patience, roughly grabbing my hair and said, "My wife is as barren as a hen that can't lay eggs. I want a younger woman to bear me a child. Li Cheng took the initiative to recommend you. 300,000 for you to give me a child. Isn't this a profitable deal?"
I trembled violently, covering my ears tightly. "No! I can't believe it! Li Cheng wouldn't do this to me!"
My scream made Mr. Jiang lose his patience completely. With a slap hit on my face, I fell heavily into the quilt, held down by his obese body, unable to move. His rank saliva dripped down onto me, marking each part of my body.
"Xiao Ai, would you have a child for me?"
Li Cheng asked me this question before he left, like it was still ringing in my ears.
I thought he was referring to having a child with him. But to my surprise, he was asking me to have a child for another man.
Tears blurred my eyes. In despair, I suddenly felt an unknown strength, and reached for the ashtray on the bedside table, fiercely slamming it against Mr. Jiang's forehead!
Bang!
Blood blurred my sight. I struggled to get off the bed, sprinted towards the door, and rushed out.
In the wee hours, the corridor of the holiday village was deserted. I was running wildly when I heard the enraged voice of Mr. Jiang behind me.
"Lin Xiao Ai, you mad woman! How dare you hit me!"
I panicked, turned around and saw Mr. Jiang, covering his bleeding head, rushing towards me.
Scared, I quickly flopped in front of a room's door, hammering on it like a maniac.
"Help! Please, save me!" I screamed in a cry, but then my scalp suddenly felt a sharp pain. Turning around, I saw that Mr. Jiang had already caught up with me.
He was gripping my hair hard, the blood on the top of his head staining his bulging, fat face, made it even more harsh.
"Scum! How dare you hit me? I swear I'm going to ruin you today or my name is not Jiang!" roared Mr. Jiang, grabbing me and dragging me away.
With a crazed look in my eyes, I screamed and pounded on the door, "Help! Someone, please save me!"
My only hope was on the door right in front of me. But the truth was, I did not even know if there was anyone in the room behind that door.
Just as I was about to be dragged away by Mr. Jiang, I was in utter despair. But then --
The door opened.
I managed to gather all my strength and broke free from Mr. Jiang, throwing myself at the person who opened the door.
"Please save me! Please, I beg you!"
Overwhelmed with fear, my mind was in chaos. I did not even look up to see the face of my savior, only remembering that he was wearing a white bathrobe and had a scent of shower gel mixed with tobacco.
I thought Mr. Jiang would grab me and drag me away again. But for some reason, he did not. I heard his panicked voice behind me, "Qin... Young Master Qin…"
"Get out."
The deep voice rang out above my head, followed by the sound of Mr. Jiang running away in a panic.
It was as if my brain was filled with cotton, still dazed and unable to comprehend what was happening. I only vaguely felt the man help me onto his bed.
I heard the sound of a lighter being ignited. He seemed to have lit a cigarette, and he calmly asked, "Who did you come with? A friend? Husband? I'll call them to come and pick you up."
Saying so, he took out his phone.
Suddenly, I grabbed his hand as if I was being shocked by electricity.
No…
Don't contact my husband…
The man who sold me out…
Refusing to contact anyone else, I clung to a man, crying like a madwoman; as I sobbed, I felt my body growing hotter— a scorching heat radiating from deep within my bones. Finally, I realized something was wrong.
I remembered the orange juice, the one that Li Cheng gave me…
Under the effect of the drug, I involuntarily held on to the man before me, as if only in this way could I quell the burning sensation somewhat.
I felt the man's body go rigid, and then I heard his hoarse voice—
“Woman, do you know what it means to stay in a man's room, wearing this kind of sleepwear, without shame?”
In my confusion, I mumbled a response, but the next second, I was pinned down by the man's burning body.
The sleepwear that I had sets so carefully for Li Cheng, was now being torn beneath another man’s body;
My body, fired up from the drug, was also experiencing another man’s touch…
The scorching heat and panting, everything seemed muddled and dreamlike…
A dream that I refused to admit.
Yet, when I received the medical report two months later and saw the word “pregnant” on it, I realized this wasn't a dream after all.
