Chapter 2: SEX

It's been a month since that steamy night with Ethan at our high school reunion. He had promised to keep in touch, but so far, radio silence. I let out a sigh. What was I expecting? Men and their promises, right?

I was still at the office, burning the midnight oil to finish some last-minute paperwork for a big presentation the next morning. I popped in my earbuds and cranked up my favorite playlist to keep me focused and awake.

"Come on, Luna, you can do this. Just power through tonight, and you can relax tomorrow," I muttered to myself, trying to psych myself up.

I was so engrossed in my work that I didn't notice my boss, Mr. Lorrick, sneaking up behind me until it was too late. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my butt. I jumped and spun around, my heart racing. Mr. Lorrick was standing there, leering at me with a creepy smile.

I tried to move away, but he grabbed me with both hands, pinning me against the desk. "Luna, wait a minute," he said in a tone that sent chills down my spine.

"Mr. Lorrick, I have work to do," I protested, trying to pull my hand away. But he wasn't having it. He kept pushing himself closer, his breath hot on my neck.

I felt something hard pressing against my ass and realized with horror that it was his penis. I froze, unable to move or speak. Mr. Lorrick leaned in closer, his hand already groping my ass.

"Luna, are you a virgin?" he whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. I was speechless, my face pale.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I heard the faint sound of police sirens outside. It was enough to startle Mr. Lorrick and make him jump back. I seized the opportunity to push him away and bolt towards the door.

But before I could make my escape, Mr. Lorrick caught my hand. I turned around to face him, and my stomach dropped when I saw that he had already pulled out his penis. He was still wearing his suit pants, but the zipper was open, and his boxers were down.

"Come to my office when you're done with your work," he said, his voice low and menacing. "We'll finish what we started."

"No way," I said, shaking my head. Just the sight of his deliberately exposed penis gave me goosebumps.

"No, Luna. You have to," Mr. Lorrick insisted, his voice low and menacing. "Because you'll regret it if you don't come to my room later."

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. I was too scared to say anything. I nodded, my mind racing as I tried to figure out what to do.

I returned to my desk and worked as fast as I could, my hands shaking the whole time. When I was finally done, I gathered my things and walked into Mr. Lorrick's office.

I knew I was being stupid, but that man's threat was too real. I was too scared to fight back.

I knocked on the door, and it seemed to be unlocked. I walked in and was stunned. He was sitting at his desk, a satisfied look on his face. Behind him, on a large television screen, a porn movie was playing. A woman was masturbating, moaning and writhing in pleasure.

I had a bad feeling, especially since Mr. Lorrick had been looking only at my breasts.

"Take off your clothes," Mr. Lorrick said, his eyes never leaving my chest.

I looked at him in disbelief. "What? No, I can't do that."

"If you want to keep your job, you will do as I say," he said, his voice cold and unyielding.

"No!" I refused, but Mr. Lorrick's gaze didn't seem to be playing.

"Luna, do you think I'm joking?"

"You just need to masturbate here, Luna. What's wrong with showing me your pussy? Aren't all vaginas the same shape?" Mr. Lorrick asked me.

His words were mean, very mean, but I had a lot on my plate. Rent, monthly living expenses. I could die if I didn't get a paycheck anymore.

"Luna, I'm giving you a chance. Show me that pussy and masturbate! Show me how good your pussy is," Mr. Lorrick said to me.

I hesitated for a moment, then slowly began to undress. I couldn't believe what was happening. I felt like I was in a nightmare.

As I removed my skirt, Mr. Lorrick watched me with hungry eyes. I could see his penis twitching inside his pants. I felt sick to my stomach.

It seemed that Mr. Lorrick had been waiting for me to take off my panties. My only vaginal protection at the moment.

But then, something inside me snapped. I realized that I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to be a victim. I didn't want to let Mr. Lorrick control me.

I quickly put my clothes back on and ran towards the door. Mr. Lorrick tried to catch me, but I was too fast.

"No! I don't want to!" I shouted.

"You're not afraid of being fired? Just show me your pussy, and you can keep your job," Mr. Lorrick said, his voice desperate.

"No! I don't care!" I yelled again. Showing my pussy to this rotten man would definitely make my self-esteem crumble. I rejected that and looked for a way to escape.

At first, I thought I wouldn't actually get fired. But while I was still running, my cell phone suddenly rang. I recognized that ringtone; it was the ringtone when an email came in.

I took it out and saw it was an email from HR. My heart sank when I read the title: "Termination of Employment."

I stopped running and leaned against the wall, tears streaming down my face. I had been fired. I had lost my job because I refused to let my boss sexually harass me.

But as I stood there, crying and shaking, I realized that I didn't care. I would rather be unemployed than be treated like that. I would rather stand up for myself than be victimized.

I took a deep breath and wiped away my tears. I straightened my shoulders and walked out of the building, my head held high. I was no longer afraid. I was done letting people like Mr. Lorrick control me.

**

After getting fired, the night felt different. My future was uncertain, but I walked out into the night feeling stronger and more determined than ever. I didn't know what the future held, but I knew I couldn't let it weigh me down.

As I walked through the city streets, I saw children playing in the park, their laughter filling the air. I couldn't help but feel envious. I remembered when I was their age, and my biggest worry was whether I would be allowed to stay up past my bedtime.

Suddenly, I saw an ice cream vendor. He was an elderly man with a friendly face and a warm smile. He waved and handed me an ice cream.

"Pretty lady, your face looks glum. Take this ice cream and smile," he said.

I gratefully accepted the ice cream, savoring the sweetness that melted on my tongue. The old man watched me with an understanding gaze.

"You look like you're carrying a heavy burden," he said. "Whatever it is, don't let it weigh you down. Life is too short to be unhappy."

I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat. I didn't know this man, but his words struck a chord in my heart. I realized that I had been wallowing in self-pity, and it wasn't doing me any good.

Just as my mood had improved, thoughts of Ethan brought it crashing down again. We had slept together a month ago, and he had promised to call me. But I hadn't heard from him since then.

"Was it just a one night stand?" I whispered to myself.

But what I experienced was amazing. The sex session with Ethan had made my body feel like it was reborn.

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Ethan. My heart was racing as I answered his call.

"Hey, where are you?" he asked, his voice sounding urgent.

"I'm on a walk," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you," he said. "Can you meet me at the Pigeon park? It's important."

I agreed and immediately headed to the park. My mind was racing with possibilities. Would Ethan apologize for not calling me? Was he going to tell me that he had feelings for me?

When I arrived at the park, Ethan was already there, pacing back and forth. He looked relieved when he saw me.

"Hey, thanks for coming," he said, his voice softer now.

"What happened?" I asked, my heart pounding.

Ethan took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. "I have to tell you something. And it's related to the events of one month ago."

"What happened?"

"My mom found out that we had sex," Ethan said.

I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to clarify.

"Someone tattled on me," Ethan said.

"And my mom is a very conservative person."

"What do you mean?"

"My mom wants us to get married right away," Ethan said, making me gape in shock.