All Chapters of The Secret in the Back Room: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Shawn, I'm heading out to pick up some inventory. Keep an eye on the shop for a bit."And Ms. Hartley from next door should be stopping by to settle her tab. The ledger's in the cabinet beside the counter. Just double-check it when she gets here."I vaguely heard my mother talking near my ear. I mumbled a few sleepy replies before drifting off again.I had been pulling all-nighters for the past few days, finishing my thesis, and I was completely wiped out. I hadn't even made it home. I just stopped by my mother's shop, found a bed in the storage room at the back, and collapsed.I had no idea how long I slept.But when I finally woke up, something felt wrong.My whole body was pinned to the bed.My arms and legs were locked down with soft rubber restraints, and I was stretched wide like a giant X. Something dark blocked my vision, as if a curtain had fallen over my head.What the hell?Panic rushed in.I struggled hard, trying to pull my hands free, but the restraints would

Chapter 2

My summer shorts were loose to begin with, and since I had put them on just to sleep, I hadn't even bothered with a belt. One quick tug, and they slid right off."Wow… Helen really picked out something good this time."Clarissa sounded excited now. She had moved right up behind me, close enough that I could feel her breath against my back every time she spoke.Inside, I was panicking and furious at the same time, but I didn't dare move. If she realized what was really going on, the embarrassment would be unbearable.What now? What was I supposed to do?Clarissa had already pulled my shorts down. My body was fully exposed right in front of her."Whoa, that's huge."Her voice carried even more excitement now.Her hands kept sliding over my hips, the warmth of her touch making my heart hammer against my ribs.Then suddenly, something warm, soft, and wet pressed against the most sensitive part of me.Was that… Clarissa's lips?My mind went completely blank.The realization hit

Chapter 3

Boom!Clarissa's words hit my brain like a bolt of lightning. For a moment, I couldn't think at all.My mind went completely blank, my body frozen stiff like a statue.What did Clarissa mean by that?Had she figured it out?How could she possibly know what I looked like down there?What the hell was going on?Before I could make sense of anything, those soft hands kept moving, slowly working up and down. Her fingernails even brushed lightly over my balls.I was a grown man. Obviously, I'd had my share of urges.I'd had girlfriends before, though things never went all the way. Most of the time, I just handled things myself.But Clarissa's hands felt nothing like my own.I clenched my teeth, trying to ignore the waves of sensation building in my body.What was wrong with me?Why did it feel like I was even more sensitive than usual today?Clarissa's breathing was getting heavier now, her warm breaths falling across my legs.Help!I screamed silently inside my head.Someo

Chapter 4

"Just getting a box of condoms."It sounded like someone had come in to buy protection. Clarissa might run the antique shop next door, but she stopped by my mother's place all the time to chat, so she knew her way around the store pretty well.I couldn't see what was happening out front. All I could hear was Clarissa rummaging through shelves, then telling the customer the price.My mind felt foggy.The air around me carried a faint, sweet scent.It was that aromatherapy oil my mother had bought recently. She had told me to light it when I slept because it could help me relax.Right now, though, the smell made it harder to think straight.A moment earlier, Clarissa's warmth had been wrapped around me. Now that I was exposed to the open air again, I felt a cool breeze brush against my skin.I shivered.Just then, I heard hurried footsteps coming from the front.It was Clarissa.It sounded like she had even locked the shop door, probably to keep anyone else from coming in.Th

Chapter 5

I had always believed there wasn't anyone who could completely resist me.Clarissa turned out to be no exception.A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes, but it vanished almost immediately. The next second, she rushed toward me.She was clearly worked up. Her hands moved over my body again and again, her clothes already slightly disheveled. And I desperately needed the comfort of a woman's touch.At that moment, the thin thread of reason in my mind had long since snapped.I couldn't care about anything else anymore. All I wanted was to release the burning desire building inside me.But just when things were about to go one step further, Clarissa suddenly stopped.I frowned in confusion."Ms. Hartley? What's wrong?"She took a deep breath and pushed me away with visible effort. Her voice came out rough from the intensity of the moment."No… we can't do this.""Why not?"I pulled her closer by the neck, my voice urgent. "You're a woman. I'm a man. Right now, we just need so

Chapter 6

What?Clarissa's words hit me so suddenly that my mind went completely blank. For a long moment, I couldn't react at all.Instinctively, I glanced at the candle beside me, then back at her."What do you mean… an aphrodisiac candle?"The words came out slow and clumsy as I repeated what she had just said.For a second, I didn't know what to think.What did she mean?Clarissa said carefully, "If you light those candles, the scent makes it really easy for people's emotions to get stirred up."She phrased it gently, but I understood immediately.And because I understood, I felt even more lost.Why would my mother do something like that?Why would she light something like that while I was sleeping?I was her son. What could she possibly gain from doing this?For a moment, I just stood there, staring at Clarissa, completely stunned."Usually, when I settle accounts with your mom, we do it on Fridays," Clarissa said slowly. "But this time, she pushed it back and told me to come

Chapter 7

That night at dinner, I brought up the candle on purpose."Mom, that candle actually works pretty well. Maybe you could get me a few more? I could take them back to school and use them there. Might help me sleep better."My mother paused slightly in the middle of eating. The expression on her face flickered for just a second before returning to normal."I only bought that one," she said. "Just use it when you're home. Don't take it to school. If your roommates ask about it, it'd be awkward to explain."As she spoke, she picked up a piece of grilled fish and placed it onto my plate, smiling warmly."Look at you. You've been staying up way too late lately. Your face looks pale. Eat more and get your strength back."The table was filled with all my favorite dishes.Normally, that would've made me happy.But tonight, I had no appetite at all.Everything tasted bland, like chewing cardboard. I just kept eating mechanically, forcing each bite down.My mother still looked the same a

Chapter 8

"But we didn't even do anything!"I shouted the words without thinking, my voice echoing through the office. I nearly flung the phone across the room before Wallace hurriedly grabbed my wrist to stop me."That's my mom's store! I was just there helping her watch the place!"My voice kept rising as I tried to explain. Wallace tried to calm me down, but the look on his face suggested there was more he wanted to say.He said carefully, "I know you're not that kind of person, and I believe you wouldn't do something like that. But the post has already spread pretty widely."My suggestion is that you don't focus on it right now. People will talk for a while, but eventually, they'll lose interest. That'll be better for you in the long run."You've also been working yourself pretty hard on your thesis. Maybe take a week off and go home to rest."So he wanted me to leave campus and let everything settle down.But why should I?"Mr. Sarratt, you have to believe me," I said desperately.

Chapter 9

When I walked into my mother's room, I immediately noticed a computer sitting on the desk. It was connected to the store's security system.The surveillance program was shut down now, but the files were still there.I started scrolling through the saved recordings.Some of the footage had already been deleted, but I still found screenshots from that day.And the person who had taken them was clearly visible.It was my mother.In that instant, it felt as if all the blood drained from my body.Why? Why would she do this?She was my mother. Why would she treat me like this?I stumbled backward, barely able to keep my balance.My back bumped into the desk behind me, and a box slid off the bookshelf and crashed to the floor.The lid popped open.Inside were old photos from my childhood.I bent down and picked one up.They were pictures of me as a kid.But underneath them, I noticed something else.My mother's diary.I opened it.After reading just a few pages, everything b

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