VIVIAN I sprawled myself on the couch as drowsiness gradually overtook me. When the clock struck 4, I decided not to wait any longer. I dragged myself toward the bathroom and took a quick shower. The cool water running down my body helped refresh me a bit. I walked out of the bathroom with a towel. As I searched for a robe in the closet, I was stunned to find a bag of embroidered black lingerie hidden behind a mountain of nightdresses. I remembered buying it from a lingerie store with Jessica a few years ago after our high school graduation. Back then, I was still that naive girl who believed Nathan was interested in me. Jess had suggested that I wear this sexy lingerie to seduce him, saying that no man could resist me in it. But I never had the chance because not long after, Annika appeared, and Nathan hopelessly fell in love with that girl. I looked at the lingerie. It must have been packed away in my bags when I moved here. For once, I was curious about how I might look in it.

VivianI pulled up my silver Audi at the parking lot, took a few deep breaths, and checked my make-up in the rear mirror. Thank heavens, I didn’t put mascaras on, otherwise my face would be mottled. I got off the car and blend in the sea of business men and women in formal attire or trendy designer dress. DanLes was located in Barnet, one of the tallest buildings downtown, occupying ten floors from the sixtieth to the top. I wiggled my way through the crowd and slipped through the turnstile with my pass. People in the lobby were piling themselves into the elevators like sardines in a can; no one wanted to be late. The carriages full of human odor promised no pleasant ride, but I dove onto one of the elevators at the last second nonetheless. Marley would surely be riled up if I was late again. As the door slid shut, I squeezed my hand over to press the button for the sixty-fifth floor. “Excuse me,” I uttered. Everyone in the elevator moved by tiny increments to make room for me. The