Chapter 11 What now?

• Smack.
• Before she could finish, Thelma was slapped in the face. The raised red marks of a handprint appeared instantaneously after impact.
• The woman was stunned. She stayed motionless out of shock.
• Did he just hit me?
• No one had ever raised a hand against Thelma before. The action completely threw her in a loop. Her face was flushed with tears running down her cheeks.
• Thelma screamed, "How…how dare you!"
• She yelled as anger dissipated into a rage. She struggled desperately to escape.
• Endure it. You have to endure it. Even if she thrashes, curses me, breaks my neck — endure it.
• However, the truth of the matter is people can be paradoxical. Everything in hand has an exception.
• There are things that are regarded as sacred.
• Personally, insults against my grandfather cross that boundary.
• It is something I do not take lightly.
• As a child, my own maternal parents choose a life of gambling over their own son. My grandfather was the person who raised me. He was the sole person who made me the person I could be today.
• Anyone who insulted my grandfather was met with my fist. Usually, this resulted in a broken jaw and a few missing teeth.
• My grandfather's name is sacred. I will not have his name tarnished by any man, including someone such as Thelma.
• She can struggle but it is no use. Just the mere fact that I am a man, she could not overpower me.
• He grabbed both of Thelma's wrists and pinned them above her head.
• I leaned forward and pressed my body against her. I could feel her slender figure thrashing against mine.
• Thelma was attractive, no doubt about that.
• My pulse quickened.
• "Let me go..." Thelma's voice was hoarse from yelling.
• "Apologize," I growled. It's come to the point beyond salvaging amends.
• Thelma said stubbornly, "No, I won't…"
• My heart pounded. I turned Thelma over and decided to pin her on the bed.
• With his right hand, he slapped Thelma's butt.
• "You absolute bastard! What do you think you're doing?!"
• "Apologize."
• "No. I won't..."
• Smack
• Another hit on her butt.
• I'll just have to slap the stubbornness out of her.
• My throat was parched from the action.
• For some reason, my body was heating up. There was this fire I can't qualm inside.
• I'm familiar with this feeling…
• Thelma is beautiful.
• Her body, the soft skin, and that dress…It's maddening.
• Day by day, I've slept in the same confines as Thelma. I've observed her routines, and rituals, down to her selection of pajamas. I've grown fond of the sound of water when she was in the shower.
• This aching feeling, I can't handle it.
• Seeing Thelma this close to me, it's driving me crazy. She's fuelling this uncontrolled heat in me.
• I'm not entirely feral. I'm sane and can be reasoned with.
• "Thelma, apologize right now. You can't take my grandfather's name in vain. Apologize, and we can move past this…"
• With a rasped voice, I repeated myself once more.
• "You don't deserve a single apology from me, you b@stard. I take this runs in the family. It makes sense your grandfather should be the same breed of animal as you."
• Huff…
• With that, those words destroyed my last trace of reasoning with this woman. I wanted her to understand what real terror could look like.
• I turned her torso so that she could gaze into me. At that moment, Thelma saw how terrifying I could be.
• There was real fear in her eyes as the situation dawned upon her.
• Thelma regretted taunting that man.
• "Hey, Reuben! Stop it," Thelma screamed. "Let me go!"
• Her voice fell on deaf ears. The fire spread in my throat.
• Thelma wore a horrified expression as she continued her struggle. "Reuben…stop what you are doing. I'm warning you. Stop messing around."
• Bang
• I grabbed hold of her jacket and tugged open her shirt with sheer force. Her buttons popped open to reveal the skin underneath.
• What now? You need to be taught a lesson!