Chapter 26 – Traces and Dangers
The Hanoi morning was hazy, the sunlight mixed with a thick layer of gray fog. In the apartment, Linh opened her eyes, her body aching as if it had just been drained, every muscle still trembling from the previous night’s aftershocks. Her back was damp with sweat, the smell of alcohol, cigarettes and another smell clung to the pillowcase. She lifted her hand, her fingers trembling, only to see faint red marks on her skin – traces of rough hands mixed with caresses.
Beside the empty table, Hung had left. The leather chair at the table was still dented, the wine bottle was half empty, the glass still had lip marks. He left without a word, without looking back. But the look in his eyes as he left was imprinted in Linh’s mind: an indefinable look – both longing and shy, wanting to turn back and wanting to run away.
She sat up, pulled her dress up to her chest, and walked to the mirror. The image in the mirror made her heart ache: messy hair, swollen lips, and a faint purple mark on her neck. Goosebumps rose on her chest from shame. She wanted to cry, to scream, but only gasps came out.
Duc Anh had been up for a long time. He sat on the sofa with a cup of coffee in his hand, his eyes glued to the phone screen, the corners of his mouth slightly raised. Seeing his wife stagger out, he put down the cup:
– Your wife is awake. You were wonderful last night. Mr. Hung must be out of breath now.
Linh was startled and unconsciously pulled her skirt up to cover herself, her face flushed. The feeling of humiliation flooded her heart, but memories came flooding back: the intense moans, the fiery eyes, the hand that didn’t let go. She wanted to deny it, but the more she tried to push it away, the more it appeared clearly.
Duc Anh stepped closer, put his hand on his wife’s shoulder, leaned over and kissed her forehead.
– You know, I have never been so proud as I was yesterday. My wife made my best friend lose control. That is what I want to see.
Tears welled up in Linh’s eyes. She turned away, not daring to look at her husband. But his breath was hot near her ear:
– You’re shaking like this, it shows you remember everything. I like seeing you like that.
The day dragged on. Linh did everything like a shadow, her mind drifting. At noon, her phone vibrated. A message appeared on the screen:
“Linh, yesterday… I can’t forget. I want to see you alone. Don’t tell Duc Anh. Can you?”
Linh’s fingers trembled. Each word felt like fire stabbing straight into her heart. She wanted to delete it immediately, but her stomach was burning. Hung’s eyes from last night, the way he held her, his rapid breathing flashed through her mind. She put the phone down, then picked it up again. Her heart was pounding. Her fingers touched the keyboard but stopped.
The phone vibrated again. Second message:
“I have to see you. Just once. I can’t stand it.”
Linh was weak and sweating. She heard her husband’s footsteps in the office. She quickly wiped the screen and hid the phone under the pillow.
Duc Anh stepped out, eyes narrowed:
Who texted that?
– Ah… just my girlfriend… – Linh stammered.
Duc Anh glanced at it for a moment, didn’t ask any more, just smiled softly. He knew it all, and that made him happy.
Late afternoon, while Linh was sitting absent-mindedly by the window, Duc Anh sat on the chair, opened his phone. His fingers scrolled through a series of privately saved video files. He chose a clip, cut it short, and sent it.
At the same time, in Japan, Troc opened his phone. A message appeared on the screen. He touched it, and his heart stopped.
The clip appeared. Linh – his sister – was in Hung’s arms, and Duc Anh was there, smiling like a director. Linh’s moans, her breathing, her slutty smile, everything was clear.
Troc sat motionless. His hand holding the phone was clenched so tightly it turned white. His lips were pressed together, his eyes were bloodshot. He was used to Duc Anh’s sick tricks, but each time it felt like his skin was peeling off. This time was different: Linh was no longer shy, but completely let go, burning brightly. His heart felt like someone was squeezing it.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath. But then he opened them again, and continued watching. He couldn’t stop. Each frame was like a knife cutting through it, but his eyes were glued. “I knew this would happen… but I still couldn’t help but watch.” – he cursed himself in his head.
A new message:
“Brother-in-law, isn’t my wife great? I’m so proud. You should be proud of me too. Haha”
The bald man smiled, a crooked smile. He didn’t scream or smash anything, just sat there in the dark, his shoulders shaking slightly. Blood oozed from his knuckles from squeezing too hard. He whispered hoarsely:
– One more time… and this time you let go even more…
The sky in Hanoi gradually darkened, the yellow light reflected off the wall in blurry streaks. Linh sat on the bed, her phone screen lit up with a message from Hung that she had not yet replied to. Her fingers typed a few words, then deleted, then typed again, her heart pounding, her breathing quick like a marathon runner.
“I have to see you. Just once. I can’t stand it.”
The words were clear, burning in her mind like a hot iron mark. Linh bit her lip until it bled. In her mind, the image of Hung from last night kept flashing: his burning eyes, rough hands, and rapid breathing. At the same time, the image of Mai – the woman who still sat drinking coffee with her – also appeared, making her chest ache.
She buried her face in the pillow, tears falling and wetting the silk. But in her lower abdomen, the fire was still smoldering.
The door opened slightly. Duc Anh walked in, his shadow cast on the floor. He sat down next to his wife, his hand stroking her hair, his voice soft as a lullaby:
– Honey, you must be thinking about last night, right? Mr. Hung is probably struggling right now.
Linh was startled and quickly hid the phone behind her back. Duc Anh chuckled softly and leaned close to his wife’s ear:
– I want to hear you say it. Tell me.
– I… I don’t… – Linh trembled, her voice lost.
– Yes – he whispered – you know it. You are both an angel and a whore that drives men crazy. Don’t hide it.
He didn’t wait for her to answer, pushed his wife back onto the bed, her thin nightgown lifted up to her waist. He pressed down on her but didn’t kiss her, just leaned close to her face, his voice full of lust: “Last night, his hand squeezed your breasts like this, right?” He used one hand to squeeze Linh’s plump breasts, kneading her nipples, making her moan in pain. “Did he suck you like this?” He bent down, took one of her breasts into his mouth, his tongue stirred, his teeth bit lightly, making Linh arch her back and struggle. “Don’t… I…” Linh begged, but her body betrayed her. Her pussy began to ooze. Duc Anh sneered, his other hand slipped under her thin underwear. His finger touched the wet spot, then thrust hard inside. “Is it already this wet? Your pussy is really slutty, just remembering it makes it already wet. Tell me, how did you moan last night? Did you call his name? Did you beg him to fuck you?” He asked while groping inside her pussy, causing Linh to instinctively arch her hips, unable to hold back her moans any longer. “Ah… ah… husband… don’t…” He pulled his finger out, the clear, slippery liquid covering it. He brought his finger up to her face. “Smell it. This is the smell of your slutty pussy. The smell of last night. Does it smell good, whore? This smell drove my friend crazy.” He smeared the liquid on her lips, forcing her to taste his own sluttiness again. Linh turned her face away, but he held her chin tightly. Her body trembled violently, both humiliated and insanely happy, her little pussy contracted repeatedly, longing to be filled by a real cock.
The phone vibrated again. Linh saw Hung’s name shining brightly on the screen. Her whole body stiffened. Her fingers trembled as she wanted to open the phone but didn’t dare. Duc Anh picked up the phone, read it briefly, his lips curved into a half smile:
– See. I told you. He still can’t get over you.
He put the phone back in his wife’s hand and whispered:
– If you want to see me, then go ahead. I won’t stop you. But remember, I know everything you do. And I only want one thing… you have to make me proud.
Linh looked at her husband, his eyes shining brightly in the darkness like a beast holding its prey. She leaned her head on his shoulder, crying and trembling, not knowing if she was more afraid or lustful. … In Japan, in the small apartment, Troc still sat motionless. His phone was face down on the floor, but his eyes were still glued to the image in his head. He had watched that clip many times, each time like a stab, but he could not stop. A new message appeared from Duc Anh:
“Brother-in-law, you saw it. Don’t be angry, just consider it as me sharing with you.”
Bald did not reply. He just leaned back against the wall, his eyes bloodshot. A dry chuckle escaped him, then stopped. He whispered into the air:
– I knew it would happen again… but I still couldn’t help but watch… …
The Hanoi night was thick. In the bedroom, Linh sat in her husband’s arms, her phone shining brightly with an unanswered text message from Hung. Her heart was beating wildly, tears mixed with sweat. Duc Anh pressed his lips close to his wife’s ear, his voice both sweet and poisonous:
– You are my wife. You are my whore. Last night was just the beginning. There are many more games to come. And I know… you will never refuse.
The room vibrated with a long kiss. Outside, the Hanoi night streets were bustling with traffic, but in the three phones – Linh’s, Hung’s, and Troc’s – a secret fire was burning brightly, and no one could put it out.