Chapter 6 Forcing into the Bathroom
When Alison heard his voice, her hand shook, and the blood-stained sheet she was holding felt like a ticking time bomb. Her heart pounded with the fear of being caught. "You... you finished your shower so fast?"
"Yeah, it's your turn now. Since you're still up, go take a shower. Leave the sheet; the staff will handle it tomorrow."
"I think I should take it to the laundry room."
"Emily, now that you're back, you better behave. I'm not as laid-back as I used to be. Go shower when I tell you to. I'm tired, and I need a massage."
Jack's shout made Alison's body shudder. She whispered, "I... I'll go right away."
In her haste, she tossed the sheet onto the carpet. Jack lay down comfortably while Alison quickly dashed into the bathroom.
"Hey, why are you being so shy? It's not like I haven't seen it all before. You've gotten more bashful over time," Jack mocked, but there was an unexpected hint of gentleness in his eyes.
As Alison entered the bathroom, Jack lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. A post-coital smoke was probably the most relaxing moment for a man.
He fiddled with the lighter, the flickering flame casting shadows all around the room.
Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a dark red stain on the sheet Alison had thrown on the floor.
What is this?
Jack jumped out of bed and grabbed the sheet, the bloodstain now clearly visible.
Jack was puzzled.
With the cigarette still in his mouth, he rushed to the bathroom.
But Alison had locked the door out of habit.
"Emily, open the door!" Jack shouted, his mind racing with details he hadn't noticed before. Could it be...
Could she not be Emily?
But she looked exactly like her.
"I'm... I'm taking a shower."
"I know, just open the door!" Jack continued to shout. If she didn't open it soon, he would break it down, even though he was quite fond of the apartment's bathroom door.
"What... what do you want?" Alison's voice was weak, trembling with fear.
"Open the door, I need to talk to you, now." Jack was confused. Why was there blood? Had he been too rough earlier?
Though he was angry, he had only said hurtful things and never intended to actually harm her.
Strangely, the more heartless his words, the softer his heart felt.
Alison quickly wrapped herself in a towel, making sure not to expose anything, and cautiously placed her hand on the doorknob.
She was very nervous.
This was Jack's territory, and as long as he was here, she felt like a lamb to the slaughter, always at risk of falling into his hands.
She was terrified that Jack might impulsively decide to do something to her in the bathroom...
That would definitely hurt.
Hearing the doorknob turn, Jack couldn't hold back any longer. He pushed the door open and stormed in, his tall frame instantly overshadowing Alison.
In the bathroom, Jack flicked on the brightest light, illuminating Alison's pale face.
That face looked both familiar and strange.
She did resemble Emily.
But this woman felt completely different from Emily's bold and flamboyant personality.
"Who are you really?" he blurted out, wondering if he had made a mistake. Was this woman not Emily?
Alison's fingers trembled slightly, her heart racing with panic, but she quickly calmed down.
She couldn't panic. She couldn't let this man find out she was Alison.
She smiled faintly and said, "I am Emily."
"Really?" Jack looked at her skeptically.
Jack's gaze was fixed on Alison, making her feel extremely uncomfortable under his scrutiny.
He noticed her chest and frowned. "Why is it smaller than before? And what's with the bloodstain?" He thrust the sheet in front of her, waiting for an explanation.
Alison calmly turned around, grabbed a new towel from the rack, and wrapped it around herself with elegance, her every move exuding charm, making Jack's blood boil.
Jack grabbed Alison's slender wrist and demanded, "Tell me, what's going on?"
Alison looked up, her eyes clear as water. She calmly said, "I really am Emily. Can you let go of me now?" His grip was strong, and it hurt her wrist.
"No, you haven't answered my other two questions."
"Fine, I'll tell you. I hope you're satisfied. My chest is smaller because I haven't been with a man for a long time, so my body has changed. As for the bloodstain, there are two possibilities, but I'm not sure which one you want to hear."
"Speak." He was direct. If it weren't for the bloodstain, he wouldn't have lost his mind and chased her into the bathroom.
"The first possibility is that when you hit my face with your arm earlier, my nose bled and got on the sheet."
"Bullshit, how much blood could a nosebleed produce? What's the other possibility?" He immediately dismissed her explanation.
She smiled, the first time she had smiled at him all night, a light, carefree smile as if she had seen through everything in the world and didn't care about life or death. "Or, my period just ended this morning, and it might be some leftover blood."
It's common for women to have some residual bleeding after their period ends.
Alison looked at Jack, secretly pleased with her quick thinking.
For now, she was Emily. Although she didn't know who the real Emily was, she had to use this name to deal with him.
Otherwise, for the next three months, she wouldn't be able to climb into his bed without feeling ashamed.
That would make her feel particularly humiliated.
Water droplets from her hair fell to the floor, making a "drip, drip" sound, blending with her breathing, making the quiet night feel especially gentle.
His grip on her wrist finally loosened, but the pain lingered, a constant reminder that this man was not to be trifled with.
"Emily," he growled, "your explanation sounds plausible, but something still feels off. What happened to you while you were away from me?" Today, he was determined to get to the bottom of it.