Chapter 4: A Turning Point

Marlee looked devastated. She let out a long sigh and said, "He was a patient at our hospital. I never even knew his name. That night I was on duty. I dozed off in the duty room and woke to him shaking me. He grabbed me and tried to force himself on me. I wanted to scream, but he clamped a hand over my mouth and threatened me with a knife. I couldn't fight back. He raped me." "Afterward, he threatened me. He said if I dared go to the police, he'd kill my whole family. He seemed unhinged, so I didn't dare go to the police. I kept telling myself it was just a nightmare, hoping I could wake up and move on. I never imagined he'd taken photos that night and would use them to threaten me. I… I really don't know what to do." As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears. I had no idea how to comfort her. I said, "You should head home for now. I'll keep your secret." "Thank you." She stepped into the elevator, then, seeing me still outside, asked, "Aren't you coming up?" "I'm going to have a cigarette downstairs," I said. Marlee nodded. "I'll wash it and return it to you tomorrow." "It's fine." She headed up, and I felt a weight settle on me. I'd planned to use what happened tonight to coax Marlee into my bed. Instead, I ended up playing the good guy for nothing. I finished my cigarette before heading back. I lay on my bed, and Marlee's image kept crowding my mind, along with the scene of her and that balding middle-aged man in the park. The line of her figure, the sway of her slender waist, her long, smooth legs, and the places I'd only fantasized about stirred through me until my body responded on its own. I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. After a while, I gave up, sat down at the computer, and hacked into her phone. Her phone was quiet. Not even that balding man had messaged her. Since there was nothing to see on the phone, I decided to hack into one of the laptops at her place. Using the same method, I connected to her computer in no time. Even though it was powered off, with the Ethernet cable still connected, I could access its files. Marlee's computer was fairly clean. The C drive just had the system files. The D drive held a few Excel spreadsheets related to her job in a folder labeled "Work." Then I opened the F drive. It held only a single new folder, and it was about 236 MB. I figured it'd be some common installers or tools. Without thinking, I clicked it open and snapped to attention. There were two items inside. One was "Novels," taking up about 233 MB. The other was a folder labeled "diary." That surprised me. Reading novels on a computer was common. Almost no one keeps a diary on their computer, though. Was this "diary" a collection of essays, or Marlee's own private diary? Curiosity needled me, and I opened it. There was just one Word file inside, named "6.16." I paused. The file name had to be a date. Today was July 4. It was just over two weeks later. I didn't hesitate. I opened the "6.16" document at once. The contents floored me. It was Marlee's private diary, and what it contained was both gripping and shocking. "Nightmare, June 16. The day a demon defiled me." "I was raped by a patient; I don't even know his name. It happened last night, June 15. I've wronged my husband, and I don't know how to face him. I didn't dare go to the police. That terrifying man threatened to kill my whole family if I reported him. Even repentance can't quiet my mind; all I can do is write it down in my diary." "He was a patient himself, yet he slipped into the hospital duty room while I slept. I woke to a stranger holding me and touching me, his hands sliding under my white coat. To my shame, my body responded. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming, so I didn't push him away, and I even felt myself responding. Honey, I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry." "Gradually, I sensed something was wrong and fully woke. My clothes were half open. I saw his big, rough hand and panicked. I struggled, but he shoved his other hand between my thighs. My limbs felt weak, and to my horror, a soft moan slipped out." "He called me vile names. I denied it in a panic. He only laughed and didn't believe a word. In that instant, I thought of my husband. Why, when I hated this stranger-a bald, heavyset man-did my body still react against my will, as if it had a mind of its own?" "I cried 'no.' He asked, Did I mean 'don't stop'? I had no answer. Then he stopped for a heartbeat, and I foolishly hoped he'd back off, afraid I might call the police. Instead he yanked his pants down." "I couldn't believe it. He was almost twice my husband's size. I clamped my legs together and sobbed. He covered my mouth and forced himself on me. I could hardly breathe, and my whole body shook." "He began to move. I tried one last time to fight, but I felt locked in place. I could only gasp for air. The assault grew more brutal, and my body reacted in ways I couldn't control. He kept hurling insults." "I wept that I wasn't what he called me. He laughed louder and grew more violent, like a beast out of a cage. He bent me over the office desk and took me from behind, pounding at me as if he meant to break me. I felt like a small boat in a storm." "The intensity made me feel I was going mad. My husband had never been like this. He's always gentle, never rough. Before this, I didn't even know sex could be this wild. With my husband, it's like he's just going through the motions, done in a couple of minutes." "The man was relentless, as if possessed, for nearly half an hour. I was drenched in sweat and lost all strength. At the end, when he couldn't go on, I came to my senses and cried out for him to stop. He pulled out and came all over my face. Then he ran, vanished into the night. I lay there on the desk and sobbed, feeling as if every cell in my body hurt."