Chapter 81 Chapter 81
No one knows what tomorrow will bring. All we can be certain of is what we've done today. Then, we must accept whatever comes of it.
Grace took Gia to the hospital, had a doctor tend to her wounds, and then drove her back home. It was late, and there were few pedestrians on the narrow street. As Gia stepped out of the car, she glanced up at the night sky and suddenly exclaimed, "A shooting star! Ms. Hill, look! A shooting star!”
Grace instinctively followed her gaze. The night sky was dim and yellowish. In this city plagued by light pollution, the stars were barely visible. How could a shooting star be seen?
Grace watched Gia's figure disappear into the night before driving through the dilapidated streets and turning onto a wide, bright avenue. Only then did she pull over and pause to reflect on the events of the evening.
Clearly, she had overstepped. Crossing Benjamin's boundaries had been unwise.
So now, what should she do? Should she take steps to make amends?
Or should she persist with her hardline stance and start a new cold war?
If she continued the cold war, what could she possibly rely on?
Was it his obsession with her body or the faint, elusive hint of affection?
She scorned his affection and loathed his clinginess. Yet, she couldn't provoke him into genuine anger—the consequences were too terrifying to contemplate.
Perhaps she should call Benjamin, offer a few words, voice some grievances, and yield to him.
Grace analyzed the situation calmly and rationally, picking up her phone several times, only to put it down again each time. Just as she lifted it once more, an incoming call appeared. It was Benjamin.
She was surprised. Why would he call her at this moment? What did he want?
Confused, Grace pressed the answer button. Just as she was about to say "Hello," a sound came from the phone.
It was the sound of a man and a woman having sex—not background noise from a TV, but the real thing, happening right now.
The woman seemed to be struggling the whole time, first calling for help, then pleading. Her voice came in fits and starts, sometimes clear and sometimes muffled, occasionally punctuated by a startled cry.
Grace flinched at first, then found Benjamin to be childish and ridiculous. What was he doing?
Was he deliberately making her listen to this to make her jealous or angry?
Unfortunately, she only felt disgusted and bored.
Maybe he was actually assaulting another woman at that very moment. But what did that have to do with her?
She could barely take care of herself. Who was she to play savior?
Grace sneered, unwilling to subject herself to further disgust. She moved her finger toward the hang-up button but then heard a clear cry from the girl on the phone. "No! Please, I don't want to!"
The sound made Grace pause. Immediately after, Benjamin's low chuckle filled the line. "Don't worry," he said lightly. "I know it's your first time. I'll be gentle.”
The girl's voice was frantic and disjointed. She only repeated, “No, Please.”
Benjamin kept laughing, as if deliberately teasing her. “If you don't want this, then why did you get into my bed?”
“Mr. Norman, they made a mistake! I didn't come here on my own! Please let me go. I'm still in school."
Unlike the muffled cries earlier, the girl's words were crystal clear. She nearly dropped the phone in shock.
She recognized that voice. It was Wendy's.
Grace's hands trembled uncontrollably.
She didn't know why the girl was with Benjamin or how she ended up in his bed.
Grace didn't know. Her mind was a mess.
Through the receiver, Benjamin spoke slowly, "But I don't want to let you go."
The call cut off at that very moment.
Despite the bitter winter cold, Grace's palms were drenched in sweat. She slowly collapsed onto the steering wheel and took deep breaths.
The most important thing now was to calm down first, then prioritize the situation by urgency and tackle each issue one by one.
First, was the woman with Benjamin really Wendy?
Second, if it was Wendy, was this premeditated or mere coincidence?
Was Benjamin's call a slip-up, or was it deliberately intended for her ears?
Why would he do this? Was it merely to let her hear him with another woman, or had he discovered her dealings with the Meyers and used the call to make a declaration?
Finally, if this truly was Benjamin's way of telling her that he knew everything about her and Mrs. Meyer, then what should she do?
Grace took a deep breath and called Benjamin back, only to find that his phone was off.
She paused, then dialed Wendy's number from memory. It was also switched off, as expected.
She had no choice but to call Mrs. Meyer. After a long time, the elderly woman finally answered, surprised by the late-night call. "Ms. Hill?"
Despite Grace's efforts to suppress it, a tremor slipped into her voice as she asked, "Mrs. Meyer, is Wendy home?"
A vague sense of foreboding stirred in Mrs. Meyer, yet she remained composed. "She said she was staying on campus to study for her final exams these past few days."
"Can you reach her?" Grace pressed. "Please call Wendy's dorm immediately to confirm she's still on campus."
“What's happened?” Mrs. Meyer asked.
Grace struggled to answer. "Wendy might be with Benjamin right now."
Moments later, Mrs. Meyer called back. Her usual calm composure was gone. Her voice trembled with uncontrollable panic and urgency. "Grace, Wendy isn't at school. Where is she? Where is Benjamin? Call the police. Can we call them?”
Grace fell silent for a long moment. She didn't know how to respond to the old woman, nor did she know how to handle the situation. Should she gamble that this was just a coincidence and let Wendy be violated by Benjamin, enduring everything she herself had suffered? Or should she assume that Benjamin already knew everything and, as he wished, turn back and throw herself into his trap?
How much did Benjamin actually know?
What could she possibly do now?
The elderly woman on the other end seemed to sense Grace's hesitation and conflict. Her voice trembling, she pleaded, "Ms. Hill, please, reach out and save Wendy. She's just a child. My son is dead. She's my only granddaughter. I just want her to be safe so that I can face my deceased son with dignity when I die.”
Officer Meyer? The officer who died because of her.
Grace slowly closed her eyes. Her voice was rough as she replied, "Mrs. Meyer, rest assured. I will bring Wendy back."