Chapter 8: Dancing with Wolves

It had been a few months since their talk in the restaurant. Things had deteriorated further on the business front. James did not heed the advice from his executives and Sarah but continued running things as usual. Apart from being in a poor business, he had also accumulated significant debt.

Sarah looked at her reflection in the mirror, smoothing down her little black dress. She was waiting for James to pick her up for a business dinner with a potential investor. It was the make-or-break deal for their Asia expansion plan. She had her reservations about this deal and its feasibility, but she trusted James and his judgment.

James arrived dressed for the occasion. He looked so dashing and confident in his tailored suit. She saw a glimpse of old James for a while. “You look stunning tonight,” he complimented her as he ushered her into the limousine. A campaign bottle was resting in an ice bucket for them.

Sarah smiled as she sipped on the bubbly liquid. It was good to see old James back. All her doubts melted away in an instant. “Thanks, I am sure everything will work out just fine,” she said softly. “Mr. Chen seems committed to making this deal happen.”

“Oh, he is. This is mutually beneficial with potential for future expansion,” James chuckled with a glint in his eyes. “This deal is going to get us out of all our troubles.”

Sarah nodded but was not sure what else to say. This was one of those times when she did not have all the details. James had that shifty look in his eyes, and she had learned not to pry too much in such situations. She would wait until she got a better understanding of things.

James offered her his arm as he led her inside the private dining room. Mr. Chen, a portly old man in his expensive business suit, was already there. He greeted them with his toothy grin as his eyes roamed over her body. His lustful gaze made Sarah’s skin crawl. She wanted to leave but endured for James’s sake.

Drinks flowed freely as the evening progressed. They discussed the finer details of the deal, but it was just a formality. Mr. Chen seemed more interested in Sarah. He continued with his lecherous stares and inappropriate comments. She looked at James for support, but he ignored her silent plea. Sarah was uncomfortable with the situation. She tried to excuse herself, but James insisted that she should stay.

Soon their discussion came to an end. James offered a final toast, “For a successful partnership!”

Sarah’s memories grew hazy from then on. There were flashes of Mr. Chen looming over her, too close for her comfort. His comment about “sealing the deal” and James’s response about “making it all worthwhile,” but soon everything went dark.

Sarah woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. A sense of dread washed over her. Soon the horror of the situation dawned on her. She was in a hotel room naked, and her body felt sore. She was tired and in pain, red bruises and bite marks all over her body. The memories surfaced in her mind in sickening waves. She had been violently used throughout the night.

A coughing sound brought her back to reality. She saw Mr. Chen at the dressing table. He was getting ready and had a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Wah lau, what a night, eh? You really something else, ah,” he drawled, reaching toward her on the bed. “James, say you one helluva pussy ... he no lie, one!”

The realization struck her like a freight train. Sarah felt a wave of nausea. James had drugged her. He had offered her like a sacrificial lamb to a hungry wolf. His betrayal cut deep as the emotional pain assaulted her in her delirious state. He had traded her love for some sleazy business deal.

“Stay back,” she croaked out as she scrambled to the bathroom door on shaky legs. She wanted to put some distance from this vile man. She could hear the mocking laughter behind her as she closed the bathroom door.

Barely inside, she started retching violently. How could James do this to her? Betray her love for some petty gains? She didn’t want to believe it and called James to end this bad dream.

He picked up her call on the second attempt, his voice still slurry from last night’s drinks. She could hear his smug and casual response. “Hey, babe. Did you have a good night?”

Her heart constricted as the reality finally dawned on her. “You bastard!” she shouted in broken sobs. “How could you do this to me?”

There was silence as James woke up. She heard a quiver in his voice as he spoke harshly. “Don’t be naïve, girl. This is how business works. We trade a favor for a favor. Didn’t you say that you would do anything to help me out?”

She wanted to scream, to gouge his eyes out if he had been in front of her ... but the fight drained out of her in an instant. What was the point? He had never professed his love for her. It was she who had built the romantic fantasy around what they had. She had trusted the wrong man.

“Just stay away from me,” she whispered and ended the call. She broke down in sobs and slumped against the wall. Her mind refused to accept the reality.

She thought of ending everything then and there. She wanted nothing to do with this cruel world anymore. As she was about to act on her suicidal thoughts, she saw a flicker of a memory. Her father’s face came into view, his eyes full of love and pride. While he was doing better now, he still needed her. She couldn’t abandon him in his time of need. She had to stand and carry on. She had to live.

Something broke inside Sarah at that moment. She lost something precious and unique about her. Her innocence was gone. There was no time to grieve. She had to be home. Her father was waiting for her.

She was presentable when she greeted her father early in the morning. She managed to hide her despair as she presented a happy front, citing she was just tired from an unplanned business trip.

Even after another long shower, she still felt cheap and dirty. As she tried to sleep, finally the shock of the events caught up with her. The memories came in tidal waves, and she lived her nightmare over and over again...

Sarah’s world had shattered into a million pieces. The betrayal cut deeper than the horrifying events of the night. Her anger festered inside her with no release. She was trapped in a vicious cycle of shame and self-blame.

Sarah desperately needed help but did not dare to open up. She thought of talking to Tanya. What could she possibly say? Nightmares tormented her sleep. Sarah tried in vain to bury the memories deep within her psyche. Confessing to someone was out of the question. She did not want to go to the police as well. She still relied on James’s financial support and the privileges he provided - privileges that ensured her father received the medical care he so desperately needed. So, she continued working for James, never once entertaining the idea of severing ties with him.

The ensuing weeks were a blur as Sarah merely went through the motions of life. She passed on a fake smile, following James’s orders like an obedient puppet. But inside, she was slowly dying, her soul withering away in agony. Alcohol became her only solace. It was her coping mechanism. The bottle was her constant companion as she struggled to make sense of her shattered reality.

One evening, after another degrading business meeting where a client had made lewd advances, Sarah stood before the bathroom mirror - and the woman staring back at her was a stranger. Her once hopeful eyes were now hard and calculating. On autopilot, she reached for the pills that had become her regular companions. This was another gift from James to ‘help’ her. She lost count of how many she’d swallowed in recent weeks. The harsh reality was too much to bear, and the pills offered a temporary escape from her misery.

Despite her inner turmoil, Sarah kept up appearances at home, playing the role of a cheerful daughter. She hid her pain behind closed doors, never letting on how much she was truly suffering. She went through each day at work like a zombie. Merely surviving and fulfilling her duties. She acted as the perfect daughter for her father while her true self rotted away from the inside.