The Wrong Woman

After their intimate time together, Candice, overcome with embarrassment, hastily dressed while Elio was bewildered. She practically sprinted away from the room. "Candice..." Elio called out. He couldn't go after her as he wasn't fully dressed yet.

She dashed out of the office and into the elevator, gasping for breath. Upon returning to the design department, Vanessa hurried over and leaned forward with her hands on Candice's table. Vanessa's gaze fell upon Candice's flushed face and slightly swollen lips. "Candice, what happened? Why are you so red? Did you have lunch?"

Candice avoided Vanessa's gaze, looking down sheepishly. "Yes, I did. Just by myself."

"I didn't see you in the cafeteria! And you usually take only half an hour for lunch. Why did it take you over an hour today?"Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

"I-I didn't eat at the company cafeteria. I went somewhere... far."

Vanessa lightly smacked Candice's hand with a hint of displeasure. "Candice, why didn't you bring me along if you found a great spot?"

Candice forced a smile and tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. "Next time. I'll definitely take you there next time."

Suddenly, Vanessa exclaimed, "Don't move."

Candice looked at her in surprise.

Vanessa lifted Candice's long hair to inspect the area behind her ear close to her neck. Then, she questioned, "Why's there a red mark on your neck? It looks like a hickey." Candice panicked. "A hickey?"

"A love bite!" Vanessa said, looking astonished.

Flustered, Candice quickly let her hair fall to cover her neck. Then, she feigned annoyance. "Don't talk nonsense. I-I scratched myself. It was just a mosquito bite."

Given her experience, Vanessa could

easily tell whether it was a mosquito bite or a hickey. Moreover, Candice's bashful expression was

us

unmistakable. Her face was ablaze with redness, and her eyes were brimming with shyness.

Vanessa sighed and asked, "Candice, are you sure you don't have feelings for Wendell?"

"I don't. Please stop trying to set us up," Candice muttered.

Vanessa shrugged and mumbled disappointedly, "Alright then. I'll let Wendell know he should move on and look for someone else."

Candice gave her a faint smile. "That's something you should have done a long time ago."

With that, she turned on her computer and began to revise some drafts.

Meanwhile, feeling the drag of boredom, Vanessa slumped back into her chair and rested her head on the desk, intending to take a brief nap for about half an hour.

Suddenly, the ringing of Candice's phone broke the silence. It was Elio calling. A wave of awkwardness and embarrassment swept over her, and she found herself at a loss for how to handle the situation.

The thought of having sex with Elio,

especially within the confines of his office, was something she never expected Even though it had happened in his private lounge, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she had lost her mind, sensing she was becoming bolder in her actions.

Unsure of how to face Elio, Candice swiftly ended the call. A heaviness settled over her mood. Reflecting on the values instilled in her since youth, she chastised herself for succumbing to impulsivity

Why had she yielded so readily to sleep with a man? Even though that man was Elio, her crush, shouldn't she have shown more restraint?

Every encounter with Elio seemed to strip away her self-control and discernment, leaving her utterly vulnerable to her emotions. She loathed herself for this vulnerability.

Just then, Candice's phone buzzed. She picked it up and read Elio's message. "Why did you run away? I'll see you on the first floor. Let's have lunch."

Candice hesitated for a few seconds before typing back. "It's fine. I'm not hungry. Go ahead without me."

Almost instantly, Elio's reply came. "You still haven't answered my question. Why did you run away?"