Substitute Woman

“Nathan, you’d better get over here fast! Someone dosed Kyle with an aphrodisiac and now she’s going crazy, screaming she needs to see you! Looks like she really needs a man to help her ‘detox’!”

Veins popped on Nathan’s forehead as he growled coldly, “Find out who drugged her and break their hand. Dare to touch my people? They must be tired of living.”

He strode quickly toward the door, glancing at Wendy and saying offhandedly, “I’ve been drinking and can’t drive. You take me.”

When they arrived at the bar, Kyle’s face was flushed unnaturally red. The moment she saw Nathan, she slithered over to him like a water snake, clinging to him.

She kept writhing, hands roaming all over his body. Everyone nearby looked toward Wendy, standing just behind Nathan, their expressions awkward.

Nathan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, a hint of desire flickering in his eyes.

Suddenly, he scooped Kyle into his arms and stuffed her into the car, then told Wendy to drive them home.

As soon as they entered the house, Kyle immediately began stripping off her clothes one piece at a time, gasping that she was hot, lifting her face toward Nathan, begging for a kiss.

Wendy stood still for a moment before speaking up, her voice calm, “I’ll step outside for some air. Take good care of her.”

She walked out the door and sat down weakly on the steps, choosing to torture herself by listening to the sounds inside.

Inside, Nathan’s voice came out hoarse. “You little troublemaker, who told you to go drinking at a bar? Now that you’ve been drugged, you come running to me?”

“Nathan, I want you… Please, help me, okay? Touch me, my body’s so hot…”

The sound of their breathless kissing grew more intense.

Outside, Wendy sat motionless at the door until she suddenly heard the crash of glass falling to the ground.

Then came Nathan’s quieter voice as if he’d finally snapped out of it. “Alright, I’ll get you some cold water to cool off. You need to calm down… Wendy will be back soon, we can’t do this here…”

The door suddenly swung open and Wendy found herself face-to-face with Nathan.

He blurted out, “Why are you sitting out here?”

Frowning, he added, “You don’t trust me with Kyle? Nothing happened between us, alright? Go inside and give her a cold shower. I’ll step out for a bit.”

Wendy staggered to her feet. Kyle, still inside, glared at her with eyes full of hatred, completely lucid, not at all like someone under the influence.

Then, in a sickeningly sweet voice, she said, “Nathan, it’s not like we haven’t slept together before. I’ve already been drugged, why not be my antidote one more time? Wendy won’t mind, will she?”

Nathan's expression shifted subtly. He instinctively glanced at Wendy to gauge her reaction, only to see her face calm and composed as if she didn't care at all about his past with Kyle.

For a moment, he felt suffocated.

Feigning a casual tone, he chuckled and said, “Yeah, Wendy, I’ll be Kyle’s antidote. You surely won’t mind, right?”

Though Wendy had mentally prepared herself, hearing Nathan say those words aloud still made her sway slightly. But she quickly regained her composure.

With a gentle and understanding smile, she replied, “Of course I won’t. You two grew up together, done everything together and clearly can still do anything. Just being her antidote once more? Why would I care?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Nathan’s face darkened like a storm. He stared hard at her, trying to read her expression, then nearly growled through clenched teeth. “Wendy, you said that.”

He strode over and shoved Wendy out the door, slamming it shut with a loud bang. The force of it stirred a fine layer of dust from the doorframe, settling it onto her face.

She finally couldn’t hold back anymore. The tears she had been bottling up came pouring down in heavy drops.

How could she possibly not care? After so many years together, thousands of days and nights entangled with each other, in countless late nights, she had fallen asleep in Nathan’s arms. They had become so entwined in each other’s lives as if they were already one.