Ficorpio
Chapter 1
My girlfriend went out for her nightly run and somehow came home without her underwear.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It wasn’t as if the wind could have blown them off.
Something was wrong the moment Sophie returned.
She folded her arms tightly across her chest and hurried straight into the bathroom without saying a word.
Usually, as soon as she finished showering, she’d call for me to throw her clothes in the wash. Tonight, for the first time, she didn’t.
That alone was enough to make me suspicious.
Without letting on, I started looking around. What I discovered left me stunned.
She hadn’t been wearing any underwear when she came home.
I checked the washing machine, the bathroom, the bedroom, the balcony…
Nothing.
I even searched the trash can.
How was that possible?
I was one hundred percent certain Sophie had been wearing underwear when she left the apartment.
In that instant, the blood in my veins turned to ice.
A month ago, Sophie suddenly got into night running.
I worked late often and couldn’t spend as much time with her as I wanted. I was glad she’d found a healthy hobby, so whenever she wanted expensive running gear, I paid for it without hesitation.
The sports bra she’d worn when she left that evening was one I’d bought her not long ago.
But what kind of running could make someone lose a bra?
A terrible suspicion began to take shape in my mind.
I didn’t dare follow it any further.
Sophie was lying in bed, scrolling through her phone. I moved closer and slipped a hand beneath the neckline of her shirt, but she slapped it away.
“What are you doing? I’m exhausted today. I’m not in the mood. Is that all you ever think about? Seriously, you’re disgusting.”
Then she turned her back to me.
A clear, deliberate rejection.
My face darkened.
I was disgusting?
Wanting to sleep with my own girlfriend made me disgusting?
Then what the hell happened on that run that made her underwear disappear?
I clenched my teeth and forced myself not to confront her on the spot.
That night, I didn’t sleep at all.
My girlfriend belonged to a night running club.
I’d heard plenty of stories about how messy those groups could get. Had she hooked up with one of the other runners?
Once Sophie fell asleep, I went through the club’s member list and checked every man in it.
But she wasn’t connected with any of them outside the group.
I forced myself to be patient and secretly followed her for the next few nights. Still, I didn’t see anyone suspicious.
Then one evening, I left work early and waited near the entrance to our apartment complex.
Sophie appeared at around eight.
Instead of starting her run, she strolled along, glancing from side to side. She was clearly waiting for someone.
I quickly pulled on my hat and face mask, then followed her.
Chapter 2
She stopped in a secluded spot. A moment later, her face lit up, and she waved enthusiastically at someone in the distance.
I stared in that direction, my hands curling into fists.
The second that bastard showed himself, I didn’t care who he was. I was going to charge over there and beat the hell out of him.
But when I finally saw who was coming, I froze.
It was a man.
And I knew him.
Richard Vance, Sophie’s supervisor, was in his early fifties.
Sophie had mentioned before that he enjoyed running too and often competed in marathons.
They greeted each other and set off side by side.
Everything looked perfectly innocent.
Disappointment washed over me, followed by a flicker of relief.
Maybe I’d gotten it all wrong. Maybe I really had misunderstood Sophie.
Then, in the very next second, the sight before me hit like a bolt of lightning.
They had barely taken two steps before they moved closer together. Richard reached over and gave Sophie’s ass a hard squeeze.
Blushing coyly, Sophie melted against him.
Never in a million years would I have guessed that my girlfriend’s lover was her own boss.
A man nearly thirty years older than her, for God’s sake.
I had no idea how I made it home.
Sophie’s tablet was still lying on the couch. My emotions in turmoil, I found her private chat with Richard Vance and opened it.
The more I read, the colder I felt.
Every message drove the betrayal deeper.
“That underwear was really expensive, you know.”
“So what if we threw it away? I bought you two new pieces. You can wear them for me next time.”
“What? How do you know my size?”
“Don’t be silly. After all the times I’ve had my hands on you, how could I not know?”
“You’re awful. Tell me, though. Who has the better body, me or your wife?”
“That flat-chested woman can’t compare to you. No man could resist a body like yours.”
“Is that why you’re always calling me into your office?”
“We hardly ever get enough time alone there, and you’re too scared to make a sound. It’s no fun. Doing it somewhere else is much more exciting.”
“Oh, stop. You’re embarrassing me…”
My limbs went numb. It felt as if I’d been plunged into freezing water.
Their chat was filled with even more obscene messages.
I couldn’t believe it. Sophie had always presented herself as sweet, innocent, and well behaved, yet with an older man, there seemed to be no limit to the filthy things she could say.
They had even talked about me.
“Daniel treats me well, and he’s generous with his money. But once you’ve been with someone long enough, the excitement wears off.”
Chapter 3
“What would some inexperienced kid know about keeping a woman satisfied? Just dump him.”
“Hehe. Then divorce that worn-out wife of yours. If you dare leave her, I’ll break up with Daniel.”
“Be a good girl. What we have now works just fine.”
Seeing him call her “good girl” nearly made me throw up.
So that was all I was to Sophie: an ATM she had grown tired of but could still make use of?
Sophie’s boss was Richard Vance. He had an excellent reputation at work and was widely respected.
From what I’d heard, he and his wife had been happily married for years, and they had a daughter in college. He had a successful career, a loving family, and a life everyone envied.
Who would have guessed that beneath his respectable facade, the old bastard was nothing but a predator?
The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.
Fuck.
A beating would be letting him off easy.
I wouldn’t stop until I exposed that hypocrite for what he truly was and left his reputation in ruins.
I photographed every one of their explicit messages.
I had barely finished when Sophie came home.
She was humming to herself and seemed to be in an excellent mood.
“You got off work early today?”
I studied her carefully. Her long hair hung loose over her shoulders, and she wore a skintight black outfit that accentuated every curve. She had even put on a full face of makeup.
I’d been too careless not to notice sooner.
Did she look like someone who had dressed for an innocent evening run?
I forced a smile.
“I wanted to come home early and spend some time with you.”
Sophie nodded without giving it much thought, then went to take a shower.
The moment she disappeared into the bathroom, my smile vanished.
I didn’t sleep that night either.
The next day, I arrived at Sophie’s workplace early and waited for her to finish.
She walked out with several coworkers and looked startled when she saw me.
“What are you doing here?”
I smiled. “I came to pick you up, babe. We’re going to look at apartments.”
“Apartments?”
“Of course. We’re getting married, and if you’re going to be my wife, I need to give you enough security to feel protected. I want to buy an apartment before the wedding and put it in your name. I’ve already looked at several developments. I’m just waiting for you to choose one.”
Every word sounded utterly sincere.
Sophie’s eyes widened.
Her coworkers recovered first, erupting around her in excited cries.
“Oh my God, Sophie! Your boyfriend is incredible!”
“Men like him actually exist?”
“I’m so jealous!”
As they teased and congratulated her, Sophie’s disbelief slowly transformed into delight.
I knew Sophie well.