Chapter 4: Lingering Shadows of Temptation

Raymond sat alone in his room, lost in thought. Wrapped only in a towel, his muscular torso was still glistening with water droplets from his shower.

The disturbing photos and video of the woman who looked just like Rahma flashed through his mind, intermingling with vivid images of Aunt Melly and Indri.

Without realizing it, Raymond let out a heavy sigh. Since the days they were dating up until their marriage, he had never once betrayed Rahma’s trust. But now… temptation wasn't knocking from the outside—it was right inside his own home!

Rahma, his wife, had started out just like him—a humble residential real estate agent.

They had fallen in love during their sophomore year of college, dating through graduation until they finally tied the knot. Back on campus, everyone had considered them the ideal couple.

“We’re building our life from scratch, sweetie. I know we’ll make it big someday, just like everyone else,” Rahma had said back then. They had both agreed to hold off on having children until they were financially stable.

However, over the past year and a half, Rahma’s career had taken a meteoric leap forward.

Thanks to his wife’s skyrocketing success, they had moved out of their cramped rented house and into a lovely Type 45 home in an upscale, middle-class neighborhood. A sleek compact SUV now occupied their garage—Rahma’s daily ride to the office.

As her status rose, Rahma’s appearance underwent a drastic transformation. She frequented high-end salons regularly, and the former campus beauty was now looking more and more like a glamorous socialite.

Raymond, on the other hand… after four years as a salesman, was completely stuck. The Chinese-made cars he sold were tough to pitch, unable to compete with the well-established Japanese and European brands dominating the market.

As a result, far from earning bonuses, he couldn't even afford to upgrade his old motorcycle!

Yet Raymond possessed immense pride. He was too embarrassed to ask his wife for money just to buy a new bike or car.

Still, the harder he tried to clear his head, the more relentless the temptations burned into his mind. Aunt Melly’s full bust and Indri’s enticing curves lingered vividly, making him acutely aware of a heat rising between his thighs without him even touching himself.

“Damn it all… This is what happens when you’re starved of intimacy for so long. Argh… You idiot, why are you daydreaming about Aunt Melly and Indri?!” he cursed inwardly.

Raymond quickly pulled himself together and got dressed, applying his favorite deodorant and cologne—the exact scent that used to drive Rahma wild and usually ended in long, breathless sighs.

That evening, the atmosphere in Raymond and Rahma’s house was noticeably different.

With her stepmother and stepsister visiting, Rahma spent the night chatting and laughing with them in the family room. Raymond stayed out in the living room, idly watching TV while occasionally overhearing their conversation.

Rahma had returned home earlier than usual, arriving by 8:10 PM out of courtesy for her guests.

Accidentally, Raymond caught his name being thrown around in their playful banter.

“Oh my gosh, it’s huge, girl… But Ray’s got serious self-control! Right when he’s about to finish, he stops and puts protection on first!” Indri burst into loud laughter.

Hearing this from the other room, Raymond could only shake his head in disbelief. “Talking about its size out loud… What is wrong with Rahma?” he grumbled to himself.

However, Rahma fell silent when Aunt Melly gently warned her stepdaughter not to look down on Raymond just because her own career was booming.

“Your husband is handsome, Rahma, so watch out! You’d better keep him well-satisfied, or that big bird of his might fly into someone else's cage,” Indri teased with a booming laugh. Rahma could only offer a faint, awkward smile at her sister's teasing.

Later, the four of them sat down for dinner with takeout Rahma had ordered from a restaurant—since her promotion, cooking had become a rarity.

Raymond felt awkward, especially when Rahma announced that she was flying to Kalimantan tomorrow to accompany her boss to inspect a massive shopping mall development project in Banjarmasin.

“Oh boy… Indri, you’d better buy earplugs! There’s going to be a localized earthquake tonight!” Aunt Melly cracked, sending Indri and Rahma into fits of laughter. Raymond’s face turned bright red like a boiled lobster.

Fortunately, he was saved from the embarrassing dinner table when his phone rang. Rahma glanced at his screen—it was a call from his branch manager.

“Honey, Mom, Sis… Excuse me, I need to take this call from my branch manager,” Raymond said hastily, stepping away as Rahma nodded.

Raymond walked out onto the front porch, where his manager instructed him to prepare for a crucial 9:00 AM meeting tomorrow. Their high-profile client was threatening to cancel an order of one hundred vehicles over a flimsy excuse.

“If this deal falls through, we’re completely finished,” the branch manager barked before hanging up.

As Raymond turned to head back inside, he froze. Out in the distance, a mysterious figure seemed to be watching his house from afar. In a flash, the shadow vanished into the night.

Shaken, Raymond tried not to dwell on it too much. His mind was already overloaded with a pile of compounding problems.

And the heaviest burden of all… was the irresistible temptation of Aunt Melly and Indri.

The next morning…

Raymond woke up early to get ready for work. Rahma was already gone, having been picked up at 4:00 AM—once again by a luxury vehicle—heading straight to Soekarno-Hatta Airport for her 6:30 AM flight to Kalimantan.

Instead of making love or giving Raymond his long-overdue intimacy last night, Rahma had gone straight to sleep, claiming she had to rest up for her early morning flight.

TO BE CONTINUED