Chapter 7: Heard You’re Married (NC-17)

The soft background music and the luxurious ambiance of the restaurant faded away the moment Ms. Grace grabbed my hand and pulled me into the narrow restroom.

The sharp click of the lock reverberated in the small space, and my heart raced so fast it felt like it would burst from my chest. I stared at her in confusion, questioning why she had to do this. But the look in her eyes silenced me.

“Pim, why did you say that?” she began, her low voice laced with an intensity that carried a weight I couldn’t ignore.

“Say what?” I asked, avoiding her gaze, but she stepped closer. Her hand gently tilted my chin upward, forcing me to meet her eyes.

“The part where you called yourself just a ‘Friend with Benefits.’ Why would you say that? You mean more to me than that, Pim.”

I froze, overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions. Before I could respond, her lips crashed onto mine with a force that left me breathless. Her tongue claimed mine without warning, and the kiss deepened, becoming a fervent expression of possession.

“Ms. Grace...” I moaned softly as she pulled away slightly, our foreheads still pressed together.

“Promise me,” she whispered, her breath brushing against my cheek. “Promise me you won’t say that again.”

“I... I...” I stammered, the words caught in my throat.

“If you don’t, I’ll have to punish you.”

Her husky voice carried a tantalizing threat as her lips trailed down my neck. Her hands gripped my waist firmly, pulling me closer until no space remained between us. Slowly, her fingers slid down to the hem of my skirt, lifting it inch by inch.

“Ms. Grace... we can’t do this here,” I said shakily, but my words seemed to vanish into thin air.

“Yes, we can. No one will know,” she replied with a sly smile before capturing my lips again in another consuming kiss.

She gently pushed me back until my shoulders hit the restroom wall. Her hands traced the curves of my body, each touch deliberate and masterful, leaving me powerless to resist. A soft moan escaped my lips, unbidden.

“You’re being stubborn,” she murmured into my ear. “So now, I have to punish you.”

Her fingers found their way to my most sensitive spot, moving slowly at first, deliberately teasing.

“Ah... oh...” I whimpered, unable to contain the sounds spilling from me. Heat spread through my body, consuming me entirely.

Her pace quickened, becoming more insistent. I clung to her shoulders for support as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through me. When the final moment came, my body trembled as her name left my lips in a cry of release.

“Ms. Grace...”

I was left breathless, my body shuddering as she pressed a tender kiss to my forehead.

“Remember this,” she murmured softly, her voice filled with an unfamiliar gentleness. “You mean so much to me.”

I nodded weakly, still trying to catch my breath. My body may have surrendered, but deep inside, my heart felt hollow.

Even though she said I was important, a part of me couldn’t shake the feeling that I was merely a plaything she reached for whenever it suited her.

While my body gave in, my heart was breaking.

Ms. Grace used sex to silence me.

She probably thought I didn’t notice, but I knew all too well. I knew she was trying to distract me, to avoid the conversations she didn’t want to have. And yet, I still let her.

Since that night at the team celebration, I never brought up the topic of our Friends with Benefits status again—not because I stopped thinking about it, but because I thought about it too much.

I’ve come to realize that, between Ms. Grace and me, there could never be anything more than this.

..

Today started off like any other workday. Yesterday, Ms. Grace had taken the day off, briefly telling me she had family matters to attend to. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time. Everything seemed ordinary—until late morning, when the answer to my curiosity arrived, catching me completely off guard.

Kay, my ever-enthusiastic colleague with a penchant for gossip, approached my desk with her usual lively demeanor.

“Pim, I’ve got some juicy news for you!” she announced, plopping into the chair next to me with an excited grin.

I looked at her, amused, already anticipating one of her signature revelations.

“What’s the scoop this time, Kay?” I asked casually.

“Do you remember Ms. Grace taking the day off yesterday?”

Hearing her name immediately piqued my interest. I set my pen down and turned my full attention to Kay.

“Yes, why?”

“Well, I saw her at the mall yesterday evening!”

Her words made my heart skip a beat, a sudden unease creeping into my chest.

“Really? What was she doing?” I asked, trying to sound indifferent while keeping my voice steady.

“She was having dinner at this super fancy French restaurant! You know the one—it’s super famous.” Kay’s tone was brimming with excitement.

I nodded slowly, masking my growing discomfort.

“Was she with her parents?” I asked, feigning nonchalance.

“Doesn’t look like it, Pim, because she was with a man!”

“A man?”

“Yes! And not just any man. He was gorgeous, tall, sharp, the perfect mix of charm and elegance—like a lead actor straight out of a drama!” Kay’s voice rose as she gushed about the mystery man.

I froze, her words hitting me like a slap. My mind went blank for a moment, her declaration echoing relentlessly: She was with a man.

“But do you want to know the juiciest part?” Kay continued, clearly proud of her revelation.

“…” I couldn’t muster a response. I just stared at her, waiting.

“The guy looked so familiar, like I’d seen him somewhere before. Then it hit me—I’d seen him in photos from a wedding my friend attended! She posted pictures on Facebook, and guess what? That guy was the groom. And the bride? Any guesses?”

Kay paused dramatically, as if savoring the moment. I could feel the blood draining from my face as I stared at her, bracing for impact.

“Ms. Grace!” she exclaimed, her words landing like a bomb. “She’s married!”

The world seemed to crumble around me. The noise of the office faded into the background as her words reverberated in my mind. My chest tightened, and I struggled to breathe as a whirlwind of emotions engulfed me.

“And they look perfect together,” Kay went on, oblivious to my turmoil. “She’s gorgeous, and he’s insanely handsome. Ugh, I’m so jealous of her—her husband is a dreamboat!”

I forced a faint smile, trying to conceal the storm raging inside me. But every word Kay said felt like a dagger to my chest.

Why didn’t she tell me? Why didn’t I suspect anything? Was I so blind to the truth?

Ms. Grace is married.

The phrase played on repeat in my mind, taunting me. The relationship I had imagined between us, the connection I thought we shared, was shattered in an instant.

But the most excruciating realization was this: I had fallen for her—deeply, hopelessly. And now I knew that not only was I nothing more than her Friend with Benefits, I was also just another notch on her belt.

A mistress.

And I never even saw it coming.

..

I walked into the restroom, feeling as though the world was closing in on me. Each step felt heavier than the last, my legs barely able to support me. I didn’t care if anyone noticed; all I wanted was a small, quiet space where I could escape from everything.

As soon as I shut the door to one of the stalls, I collapsed onto the closed toilet seat, pulling out my phone with trembling hands. My heart pounded relentlessly, and Kay’s words echoed in my mind, refusing to let me go.

I opened the browser immediately, my fingers typing out Ms. Grace’s full name in hurried strokes, letter by letter. A small part of me hoped the search results would prove Kay wrong, that what I’d heard was just a misunderstanding.

But the results revealed nothing.

Of course. This wasn’t the first time I had tried to search for personal details about Ms. Grace. I had already scoured every social media platform, desperate for any glimpse into her life beyond the office.

Her profiles were locked down tight. The only professional trail was her pristine LinkedIn account, filled with accolades and achievements, and an Instagram account set to private. Her profile picture was the only visible detail: a polished photo of her in a sleek work outfit, smiling faintly.

I stared at that picture for a long time. Her beauty felt like a thorn, pricking me over and over again—not because of how stunning she was, but because it was a stark reminder of how unreachable she truly was.

My heart clenched painfully, tears welling in my eyes. A hollow emptiness stretched inside me, vast and unending, like an ocean I could never hope to cross.

The first tear splashed onto my phone screen, followed by another and another. I buried my face in my hands, trying to stifle the sobs that threatened to escape into the silence of the restroom.

Why did Ms. Grace do this to me? I asked myself.

But deep down, I already knew the answer. Because I let her. I’d known from the beginning that whatever was between us wasn’t normal. I’d sensed that she was hiding something from me, but I chose to ignore it. I let myself hope—hope that she was unattached, that maybe she would look at me the way I looked at her. I had been lying to myself the entire time.

My hand clenched around my phone as waves of pain and disappointment surged through me, threatening to overwhelm me. I tried to soothe myself—stop it, Pim. Just stop.

I wanted to forget this feeling, to leave it all behind. But my heart was stubborn, refusing to let go. It clung to her, to Ms. Grace, a woman I should never have loved.

The last tear slid down my face as a faint sob escaped my lips. I took a deep, trembling breath, trying to gather myself. I told myself I had to go back to work, to act like nothing had happened. I had to be Pim, the woman everyone knew—a dependable coworker, unaffected and composed.

Wiping my tears, I stood up, my emotions a tangled mess. But deep down, I knew the truth: nothing would ever be the same again.

......

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