"Elevator girl?" Haru called again and she quickly snapped out of her thoughts.
"Yes...sir?"
He laughed softly his hair flowing to the wind's direction. "where are my manners? My name's Haru Jun Yang, CEO"
Meilin's eyes widened as she bowed "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you, forgive me please."
"It's okay. it's 6:30 pm, there's no need to be formal so late in the evening."
She shyly nodded, her face flushed from the tender tone of his voice.
"Why are you still here. You got paid didn't you?" She frowned and looked away in refusal to answer because of her shameful situation.
"Private problems I see. If you don't mind, I can give you a lift" He politely said but Meilin thought it would be rude and scandalous to ride in the CEO's car. Especially when she's far from being famous and is absolutely a loner.
"Don't worry about anything, okay Miss?" He took her by her hand and led her to his car. He let himself get wet to shield her from the rain drops.
Meilin felt terrible watching him get in the car with his clothes all soaked. He didn't need to go that far by covering her fully with his umbrella, they both could've shared and maybe it would've prevented him from getting drenched.
He didn't complain, he seemed to be fine with it. For a man she just met, he treated her like he's known her for years. The more she thought, the more guilt she felt.
"Don't worry about it, I've been through worse."
She nodded " Bakano street is...where I live" She said in a sad tone. Bakano street wasn't so popular and developed. It's where people that don't have that much money or find themselves in financial battles stay.
"Alright I'll take you there" It was a silent drive but they'd talk occasionally for a while then then they'd go mute again.
At times she'd want to say a thing or two but she was afraid of saying the wrong thing.
He pulled over at the junction, exactly where she wanted to be dropped off. She didn't want a prestigious man like him to move further into the suburbs because of her.
"Thank you so much sir" She said with a smile and he smiled back at her before driving off.
She walked home that dark night. The rain stopped a few minutes back but the roads were still wet and she could feel the water in her shoes.
She unlocked the front door of her house and stepped in, words stuck in her throat as her eyes met those of her husband.
"Why did you come back at this time? Where did you go Meilin?"
She didn't answer, the goosebumps sparked up from fear formed up on her skin and her eyes still couldn't believe who was standing in front of her.
"Go to the room. Now!"
The next day, Meilin didn't show up at work and after that day it went on and on until she disappeared for a week.
Haru took his time to look through her files to find out some valuable information that could explain her failure to come to work.
"Meilin Yee Luan...23...She has good qualifications...obviously Chinese..." He stopped reading out loud as soon as he saw her relationship status. "She's...married?"
The following week she actually came but to...resign?
Haru couldn't believe it and before he could intervene she already signed the papers and left. He wanted to see and talk to her again, she was a pill to stop his worries. He noticed how calm he was when he met her for the first time, and talking to her for that brief moment was enough to make him adore her.
He didn't have her contact and he couldn't find her profile on 'Frenlist.'
He was worried about it. He was worried about everything. Her state of living, her sadness, her little motivation to talk out. He suspected oppression, nothing else would make her so sad.
A month passed and she applied for the same elevator job again, but the spot was taken. She was questioned about her disappearance but she didn't answer the questions, she never does.
She was yelled out for wasting the time of the interviewers and sent away. Haru spotted her from his office and he hastened his steps towards her.
"Mrs Luan..."
She figured out he must've found out she's married.
"What happened to you dear?"
"Home problems but I've solved it" She was fighting back her tears.
He lifted her face up by her chin "I see it in your eyes that you're a strong woman but it's not bad to cry sometimes."
After his soft words tears were Rolling down her face and soon her eyes were puffy and at the Same time clouded with tears.
He didn't take her home. He took her to his mansion to rest. He didn't care whether or not her husband was at home, all he wanted was to keep her in a safe environment and not Bakano.
Once again she felt bad for being a burden but he'd always tell her not to worry about anything.
His mansion was pretty much better than what she expected expensive places to be. The sculptures, paintings, furniture, it was like heaven.
She wasn't used to places like the one she found herself in that's why it took her a while before she sat down.
He came out a few minutes later, a blue robe around his body while he was drying his hair.
"Oh sorry I kept you waiting."
She waved off his apology then smiled awkwardly.
"Follow me. My maids have prepared a room for you."
She did as he said and followed him to a king sized room with a red themed space. It was beyond imaginable.
She sat on the bed and it felt so soft...so so soft.
He smiled watching her excitement but it was sad that she wasn't living with him. She'd enjoy much more than that.
"You can go shower and when you're done, come to my study room" He left her to bathe and went straight to his study room then set a separate seat as he waited for her to join him.
Twenty minutes passed and he heard a knock on His door. Meilin stepped in shyly "I'm here Master Haru"
"Come, let's talk" He said lowering his glasses a little bit down the bridge of his note.
She took a seat and he put his book away.
"Welcome to My family home. Even though I'm all that's left from the Yang clan"
"It's a nice place and thanks for the welcome" she smiled at him.
"Mrs Luan, is your husband depriving things from you? Forcing himself on you? Hitting you? All of the above?"
She remained silent for a while, she didn't know if she should say yes to everything and questioned how he would help her.
"I'm here for you. Feel free to tell me if you want to and if you still decide to cover up for your partner. We can call it a day and you can head to bed" His words were a little bit straightforward and she thought that it was Time to open up to someone.
"I was unavailable because...he came back all of a sudden and forced me to resign. Yes, he hits me, he forces me to have sex with him when I don't want to...he doesn't care about me. He never did. I'm suffering financially because of him and all his expenses are a burden to me" She cried and he was sure his passed mother could've relate.
"Any bruises from his abuse?"
She nodded and pulled up the night dress revealing a welt on her lap. Haru was disgusted by her husband after she showed him the marks on her as a result of his so called kink.
He applied an ointment to all her marks and promised her she'd see changes in a few days.
"Why don't you report this to the police"
"Whether I do or not, I'll still have bills to pay. Bills that are all in my name."
He continued to rub the ointment on her back, slowed down his symmetrical movements and her senses were keyed on the feels of his touch.
His fingers and voice were having strange effects on her body. Her face was red from the arousal but she had to make herself seem natural even though she wanted him to explore her body a little more.