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.

quizzically look around, they raised their eyebrows and glanced at each

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

in her thirties, not like the forties woman

the hand and said amiably, "You can come to my house anytime you want. If you have any problems in the company, you can tell me. Don't suffer alone. If your mother hadn't told me what had happened to you, I wouldn't have known that you've been having such a

Lena she knew was unreasonable and 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 have the time. I only hope

keep me company," the lady responded, flashing Lena a

to Lena. "If anyone gossips like this, you can fire them directly without asking for my or Raymond's permission," she said, the sternness a

knew it. And this was confirmed when she

to go. You

the exit." Lena held the lady's arm intimately and they

the older lady cast her a contemptuous glance and let out a

the repulsive, scornful look on her face was evident.

had heard the warning and nobody wanted to be chucked out. So they held the gossip within themselves, not daring to voice

blurt out their own thoughts, because doing that could mean

lady's attitudes towards the two girls. It was

work, but

stood still, seething

still looks down upon

so arrogant, ' she thought.

the retreating backs of the older lady and Lena, her eyes devoid of any emotion. Her rage was within

elegant lady all too well.

Raymond's mother.

that Ashley wasn't good enough for Raymond. So she often came up to

the lady brought back all the memories of the

lady had directed a lot of dismissive, harsh words towards her,

an elephant, holding the immense power to walk all over Ashley and insult her as she

no idea how she had had the courage to be with Raymond while facing

life and couldn't bear the thought of leaving him at the

...

you okay, Ashley?" Ellie asked,