My heart raced, and I felt myself unraveling. “Fuck you, Karik…” I whispered, my face contorted in bliss.
Just when I was about to come, someone knocked on my door. The interruption startled me, completely shattering the tension already building up inside me.
I withdrew my hands from my pants, afraid of getting caught. Embarrassed, I lay on my side, pretending to be asleep, hoping whoever was outside hadn’t heard my moans.
They knocked again.
I didn’t answer.
A moment later, they figured that I wasn’t awake yet and left, their footsteps receding. It was Agata. I was sure of that.
I let out a quiet sigh, a mix of relief and anger rising within me. A part of me was glad she respected my privacy and walked away. If she’d stepped in regardless, she would’ve smelled the scent of my arousal in the air.
The other part of me was frustrated because I didn’t get to finish properly. Her timing sucked in the worst way possible, leaving me hanging and angry.
Shame on you,I cussed myself after the reality of what I’d done dawned on me.
I lay on my back again, hands in my hair, overwhelmed by guilt and disappointment.
Do better next time.
***
Later that day, I decided staying in my room wasn’t helping my situation at all. Instead, it was making it worse. I thought avoidance would fix the problem. It didn’t. It just ended up creating space for my head to fill.
Dressed in a short, flowered gown, I stepped out to get some fresh air. Maybe a little stroll around the house would help clear my head.
I was walking through the garden outside, enjoying the company of nature, when I heard someone sobbing. At first, I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me. Then I heard it again, this time, more clearly.
My eyes squinted slightly, and I began following the sound. After a short while, I reached a clearing and found Agata seated on a bench with her head lowered. She was the one sobbing. Her shoulders were shaking subtly, her hands trembling on her lap.
The sight broke something in me, and I launched forward, calling out to her. “Agata?”
Startled, she flinched, rising to her feet with tears in her eyes. She wiped them away immediately, her jaw set, avoiding my gaze.
“Ma’am.” She sniffled, struggling to pull herself together. “What’re you…what are you doing here?”
I halted before her, concerned. “Agata, what’s going on? Why are you crying?”
She shook her head. “I’m not—I’m not crying. There’s just something in my eyes.”
I reached out and took her hands, trying to meet her gaze. “Look at me.”
She hesitated before lifting her head. Pain was etched there, the kind that made your lips tremble.
“Who hurt you?” I asked her, my voice soft and gentle.
She swallowed hard. “Nobody.”
Bullshit.
“Talk to me, Agata. Was it one of the guards—one of the maids? Did someone say something to you?”
She kept her head bowed.
“Hey, look at me.” I raised her chin. “Tell me who hurt you.”
She blinked back her tears, her red eyes refusing to meet mine. “It’smyfault. I should’ve been more careful. He doesn’t like silly mistakes,” she said, her voice still a bit shaky.