A Love Trap

"Aaaaahh!" Ashley jerked up from the bed, screaming her lungs out.

Beads of perspiration shone on her forehead and her saucer-like eyes were full of panicky terror.

Rattled, she glanced around to ascertain her surroundings. When the familiar sight of her bedroom greeted her, she sank back into her pillows and heaved a stunned sigh of relief.

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to collect herself, and when she opened them again, she stared at the ceiling, her shock still rampant in her mind.

Never in her wildest imagination had she thought that she would dream of making love to a stranger. That excruciating post-coital pain still made her insides throb.

'That man was horrible!' she thought shakily. The very memory of him made her tremble with fear.

...

Not until she heard Ellie's muffled voice call out her name from the other side of her bedroom door did she snap out of her daze. The alarm on the bedside table told her that it was 8: 30 - just half an hour before she had to go to work.

Although she had made up her mind to quit her job, she was still an employee in the Luo Group and she didn't want to be late for work.

Ashley yelled a quick assurance to Ellie that she would be ready soon and hurried to the bathroom.

It only took her five minutes to fix herself up.

"What happened? Why'd you wake up so late?" Ellie asked, frowning as she took in Ashley's sleepy-eyed appearance.

Ashley gulped nervously.

'Should I tell her the truth? It's kind of hard to tell anyone about the dream, ' she thought.

"Nothing," she said, deciding to keep the experience to herself. "I had a nightmare last night. Kind of made it difficult to sleep at night, so ended up oversleeping in the morning."

Ellie studied her for a moment before handing Ashley her breakfast and sighing. She said, "Let's go or we will be late."

Ashley gratefully took the food and bit into it as she followed Ellie out of the house.

It was 9 am when they arrived at the office.

sensed that something was different. Pausing a moment to quizzically look around, they raised their

way inside, only to be greeted by the sight of an

elegant, she looked like a woman in her thirties, not like

If your mother hadn't told me what had happened to you, I wouldn't have known

arrogant. But the Lena before her was putting up a show of being a timid girl. "I will, Auntie. I will come over to you whenever I

would be overjoyed if you could keep me company," the lady

to Lena. "If anyone gossips like this, you can fire them directly without

words were intended for Ashley, she knew it. And this was confirmed when she saw

go. You can

the exit." Lena held the

the older lady cast her a contemptuous glance and

repulsive, scornful look on her face was

heard the warning

one dared to blurt out their own thoughts, because doing

older lady's attitudes towards the two girls. It was evident that the elegant lady favored Lena and despised

work,

stood still, seething

still looks down upon

so arrogant, ' she

older lady and Lena, her eyes devoid of any emotion. Her rage was within and she wasn't about

lady all too well.

was Raymond's mother.

that Ashley wasn't good enough for Raymond. So she

the memories of the scorn and repulsion that

a lot of dismissive,

and Raymond's mother was an elephant, holding the immense power to walk all over

had had the courage to be with Raymond while facing his mother's strong opposition.

and couldn't bear the thought

...

Ashley?" Ellie asked, looking worriedly at