Never trust a stranger

A week ago, I received a box from an unknown sender again. Inside it was an old cell phone where it suddenly rang and someone was calling. I answered it immediately and put it close to my ear.

“Who is this and what do you need from me?” I asked, but he took a long time to respond, I could only hear his heavy breathing. “I know you are the one sending me this box. Why are you helping me and how did you meet Clara?” I added, but again I heard silence from him, and he suddenly hung up on me. Until my cellphone vibrated, and I received a text message from him.

“Let's meet at 107 Savante Ramos St. at I Bean coffee shop, at seven sharp in the evening.” The message he sent me.

I tried to trace his IP address, but I had a hard time finding him because he was using an old cellphone, and it looked like he just threw it away somewhere.

As stated in the message, I went to the said place at the right time. I sat near the window and was far from the eyes of the people there. While I was waiting for him, I was suddenly approached by a female crew member. She placed a cup of hot coffee on my table, which made me look up at her.

“Wait a minute, miss. I haven't ordered anything yet, so-” I stopped speaking when she suddenly sat down in front of me and pulled out an old cell phone from her pocket. Therefore, I was surprised, and she grinned at the same time.

“You're right. I'm the one who sent you the box, and I'm also the one who sent you here.” She said as she sipped ice coffee from her glass.

So, she's a woman, and she's the same person I saw the other day wearing a black raincoat? But what is her purpose with me, and why did she expose herself to me?

“Foremost, I want to introduce myself to you. I am Luna Hannah Santiago, or just call me by my name, Luna. Clara and I met because of an entertainment company. You probably received the three photos of the man that I send to you, aren't I?” She said at the same time she placed a photo of three men on the table while I looked at her in wonder.

The three men in the photo she showed me were the men I also saw with Clara in a picture. I realized some details from them, but I can't be certain how much of it is true and which of it is false.

“The three of them own and run the entertainment company we auditioned for, and their company is known as JAR, which stands for Jon, Adrian, Raven. The three of them are J.A.R.” She added as she pointed to the three men in the picture.

“He is Jon Axel Smith, the CFO or the Chief financial officer. He manages the finance team. He is the daughter of major general Howard Smith and his mother is a member of the WEO or women empowerment organization. And this one on the right side is Raven Ralph David, the COO or Chief operating officer of the JAR company. He is the son of the richest businessman Anthony David, while his mother runs a well-known shopping mall in the country. And finally, Adrian Kyle Marfild, the CEO or Chief executive officer of the company. His father is a national assemblyman who is currently running for the next president of the country. His mother died due to suicide of depression, but many also say that she did not die by suicide. However, her case was kept quiet and closed for more than twenty years and until now, no one knows what caused her death.” She explained while I quietly listened to her and observed the faces of the three men in the photo.

“Then what do you want from me? Why are you telling me all this, and what do the three of them have to do with Clara's death?” I asked, but she didn't answer right away, instead, she turned around us and brought her face closer to me.

“Have you watched the video?” She whispered at the same time I frowned, and I couldn't understand what video she was referring to me. Then suddenly I thought about Clara's video that I watched in the ads.

So, is that the video she was referring to me? What does she know about that video?

“You know to yourself that Clara is not the one in the video, and she would never think of making such a lewd video.” In addition, I became even more curious and came a little closer to her.

“Then are you saying you know what happened to her?” I asked, but she refused to answer me.

“I will help you solve the truth behind her death, and I will also help you get revenge on them.” She said, and she was referring to the three men in the photo.

“How can I be certain I can trust you?” I asked as she placed a photo of a woman on the table.

“Just like you, I also lost an important person in my life. She is Aira, my younger sister. She was also auditioned for the JAR company. When she first introduced me to that company, I sense something bad was happening there. Their three bosses are also suspicious of me, as I only saw them once. They have cold stares in their eyes, and they think highly of themselves. At first, they only ignored Aira every time they passed by in front of her when she greets them. But one day the wind suddenly changed. I noticed that Aira and the three of them were meeting often outside the company, but I just ignored it because I know my sister is friendly and kind. However, for two months, something strange seemed to be happening to her. I could hardly talk to her anymore, and she was always locked inside her room. I had a hard time talking to her and convincing her what her problem is. She always pushed me away and sent me out of her room. Until one day I realized that she was no longer in her room. I looked for her everywhere and I also reported her missing to the police, but they did nothing to find my sister. Until one day I only heard about the girl who jumped from the sixteenth floor in the news where I found out that it was Aira who jumped from the JAR company building. However, I believe that it was not suicide that happened to her, but someone forced her to do that. And I believe that those three have something to do with what happened to Aira. Like you, I also want to know the truth behind her death. I will make sure that he repents until the last stage of her life.” My head was bowed as I listened to her. I did not expect that she had a deep reason why she was helping me. I did not expect that, despite my search for what happened to Clara, I will meet someone who will understand my situation.

“I want to find the culprit not only because I wish to avenge Clara, but because I don't want others to repeat the cruelty they did to her and the others they victimized. But if you were telling me the truth that the three of them are behind it, I will never forgive them. I will help you find justice for your sister, but you must also help me teach these three guys a big lesson.” I said as I looked at the three photos in front of me.

“Then I will tell you my plan.” She said at the same time she placed a business card in front of me. “Let's meet there tomorrow at five o'clock in the afternoon and I will explain to you everything that I know as well as my plan to bring down the JAR company.” After she said that, she got up and left.

I was left sitting there staring at her business card. I tried to look for her around me, but she wasn't there anymore, so I got up and went home.

The next day, as we both discussed, I went to the address indicated on her business card. I realized that it was a nightclub where many people could be seen dancing, and drinking, and someone was dancing in the middle with a pole.

All the girls around were wearing short skirts and thin blouses while wearing high heels. I'm not used to going to these kinds of places, so I just keep bowing and avoiding people there.

I sat for a while at the bar, where suddenly a foreign man approached me and sat next to me. I didn't look at him and kept my head down. When he suddenly offered me a drink, I immediately refused because I don't drink much alcohol and I also have a low tolerance when it comes to alcohol. I heard him smirk, and he ordered orange juice from the bartender, then he brought the glass closer to me. Therefore, I turned to him with a look of astonishment on my face.

He is undeniably handsome, and he seems like a good person, so I accepted what he offered me and drank the orange juice. While he was talking to me, it was as if my vision was slowly spinning and blurring. I tried to stand up, but I almost fell, but he quickly catches me by my waist.

“Are you okay? Do you want me to help you?” he asked, but I refused what he offered me, and I pushed him away from me. I forced myself to step out of this place, even though I was no longer walking straight. Until I was stunned when my head bumped into a man's chest.

“Are you alright miss?” he asked me, so I slowly looked up at him and that's when I lost consciousness.

When I came to my senses, I realized I was in a dark room with a red candle lit on the side table. I tried to get up, but my whole body felt so heavy, and I couldn't move it.

I could only see flickers, and I was unable to hear any noise around me apart from my heavy breathing. After a while, the door opened and a mysterious man entered. He came to me with a smile as he took off his upper clothes until he gradually took off every covering on his body.

Then he climbed onto the bed and crawled closer to me. I tried to stomp my feet, but they were numb, and I couldn't feel them.

“Help… help me!”

I wanted to scream out loud, but no voice came out of my mouth. I'm like a toy that obeys his every whim.

Furthermore, I can feel the warmth of his body, every touch of his lips on different parts of my body, as well as his mischievous hands that keep touching my thighs and waist. Until he completely undressed me and managed to fulfill the need for his masculinity while I was stunned by the ceiling with tears dripping from the corner of my eyes. Then all of a sudden, my mind went blank and my vision went dark.

When I regained consciousness, I realized that I was alone in the room and on the bed. I could barely get up because of what happened. I don't know what to think and do, but I hate myself now. After a while, the door opened, so I got up and covered my body with a blanket.

“You're awake,” Luna told me. I frowned and looked at her intently.

“What did you do to me? I know you were the mastermind behind what happened to me last night.” I asked. 

She came to me and threw some photos on the bed. I immediately picked up a photo from there and was very surprised to find out that I was the one in the photo while a mysterious man was next to me who was naked. Therefore, I looked up at her again without realizing that my eyes were filled with tears.

“You are a liar.” I strongly said to her that makes her laugh.

“You're right, I did deceive you about that matter, but I also need to make sure if I can trust you or if should I entrust you with all my plans.” She said with an insulting smile on her lips.

“So is this one of what you planned?” I asked as I clenched my fists.

“Let's say it is, and I'll use it to blackmail you if you ever abandon everything and betray me. Just always remember that I'm holding your life now and the moment you make a mistake, expect it to be the end of your life. Don't try my patience, Charmaine, because I won't hesitate to tell the world about these photos of yours.” She replied that surprised me even more.

So at first, she didn't intend to help me but to use me to achieve her plans.