Chapter 2
The Truck Driver's Request to Keep Her Forever!
The suffocating weight beside her made Nam-Ob struggle to pry open her heavy eyelids. A dim gloom surrounded her, and the pressure pressing down on her body sent waves of panic through her chest. Her wide eyes blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the lingering haze. Fragmented memories of what had happened before slowly flickered back into her mind, though faint and blurred.
Lallana—also known as Paeng-Ram, the stepdaughter of Aunt Radee, her stepmother—suddenly decided to travel down south, right to the province where Lalita was working. To make matters worse, she even reached out, asking Lalita to play tour guide for her. Lalita refused without a second thought; ever since her father's passing, she had lived alone, cutting ties for three long years.
Yet, Lallana wouldn't give up. She kept pestering until Lalita's heart wavered, and in the end—more out of irritation than anything else—she reluctantly agreed to accompany her. Little did she know that this one decision would bring nothing but disaster into her life!
Her memory blurred—she remembered sitting beside Lallana, listening to music. She had only sipped on soda, exchanging a few words now and then. Then the dizziness crept in, forcing her to excuse herself to the restroom. After that, everything went blank.
In a haze of half-sleep and half-consciousness, fragments of reality slipped away. Confusion clouded her mind, making it impossible to piece together what had happened… Only the vague sensation remained—that someone had lifted her up and carried her into a vehicle.
"Ouch… my head hurts so much."
She groaned in agony, pressing a hand against her temple, eyes squeezed shut. The more she tried to think, the sharper the pain became.
The sound of steady breathing beside her made the young woman turn her face. A faint glow seeped in from the approaching dawn—just enough light to reveal the figure lying next to her. Her round eyes flew wide open in shock, and in the next instant she let out a piercing scream, panic flooding her chest.
If this was a dream, then surely it was the most terrifying nightmare imaginable.
"Ahhh!!!"
"Whoa—hey! What's wrong with you!?"
The large man jolted upright, eyes wide in alarm, staring at the woman he had just spent the night embracing. Shock flickered across his face, mixed with suspicion—was she possessed or something, screaming her lungs out in the middle of the car like this?
"You! Who the hell are you? What did you do to me!?"
She barked the question at him, voice trembling with rage, completely forgetting the fact that she was alone with a strange man in such a dangerous situation.
"Naked like this, you think we just cuddled all night?"
Thawin shot back without hesitation, his words sharp and merciless, as his gaze deliberately raked over the petite, bare body lying exposed in front of him.
The petite figure curled up beneath the blanket, trembling all over. Her fear was so raw that Thawin could feel it radiating off her. His sharp eyes narrowed with suspicion, unable to fully grasp the situation. Was she putting on an act—playing the helpless victim to win his sympathy, hoping to raise her own price?
If that was what she wanted, all she had to do was say it. He would have been more than willing to pay.
His sharp eyes lingered on her sweet face, barely a foot away, betraying an undeniable satisfaction. Every line of her body, her features, her skin—all clearly pleased him. If she wanted someone to take responsibility for her, he was more than ready to oblige. Rough fingers brushed back his tousled hair as he spoke the offer he thought made the most sense.
"You're new at this, huh? Last night's service… I'm more than satisfied. How much do you want per month? I'll take care of you."
"…!?"
Her full lips parted in shock, her gaze nearly devouring him. Rage surged through her body and mind. Those sharp, commanding eyes of his—he was still lying in the car like a laborer, and here he was, offering to support a woman?
"Take care of yourself first, then come back and offer to take care of someone else. Stay away from me!"
Her sharp glare and biting words made Thawin's brow twitch. His stern face darkened with displeasure.
"Why? You think I can't handle it? How about trying to be a truck driver's wife?"
He spoke harshly, leaning in deliberately to intimidate her.
"Don't come any closer!"
Lalita quickly turned her face away, filled with disgust.
"I've done more than that already. So why act disgusted now? Last night, you were crying and begging for it."
Smack!
"You bastard! Stay away from me!"
Because of Thawin's teasing words, Lalita could not suppress her emotions. She lashed out in anger, slapping him hard across the face, without the slightest regard for her own safety. Had she encountered a truly vicious and cruel man instead, her little life might not have survived his abuse right there.
His strong jaw clenched, tongue pressing against his cheek, breathing heavily as he tried to control himself from acting out on the woman before him. His sharp eyes darkened with a frightening intensity as he looked back at her sweet face.
"Why didn't you tell me you liked a slap and a kiss from the start?"
His words left her slightly dazed, and before she could even react, his firm lips shot forward, crashing onto hers without warning. Lalita struggled awkwardly in his strong embrace, her small nape held firmly so she couldn't move away. Thawin greedily claimed the sweetness of her lips, ruthless and ungentle, until he finally tasted the slight bitterness from the splitting of her lips. Only then did he pull away, satisfied that his lesson on the little body had been accomplished.
His rough hands held her pale face firmly, staring into her round eyes filled with tears, and the body trembling from fear. His sharp gaze was full of satisfaction, leaving nothing hidden, before his hoarse voice threatened the small figure.
"If you dare slap me again, I guarantee you'll be begging for your life, just wait and see."
He released her sweet face, then stood up to grab his pants, moving to the driver's seat and opening the door to step outside, lighting a cigarette to calm his raging temper by the roadside.
Lalita's body remained frozen with fear, slowly realizing that she was facing a stranger who had taken her virginity without her knowing. She felt lucky that he hadn't harmed her otherwise. Panic began to grip her mind, making her feel a mix of hatred and fear that sent shivers down her spine.
The young woman forced herself to suppress her fear. She got up, put on her clothes, slung a small bag over her shoulder, and tiptoed to sit in the driver's seat. Through the window, she saw the hulking man, wearing only worn-out pants, standing with his back turned while smoking by the roadside. Not far away, there was a large gas station. She planned to sneak over there to seek help from someone nearby.
Lalita did exactly as she had planned. She slowly opened the door on the side where the young man was standing and quietly slipped out. Seeing that he hadn't noticed, she started running as fast as she could toward the gas station. But as if misfortune had followed her, the screech of tires pierced the air, and a black Benz came speeding, blocking her way. The young woman squeezed her eyes shut, her body frozen stiff, heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst from her chest, sweat pouring in panic. Then she heard the car door open. Her big eyes opened, and she saw two men stepping out from the front side of the car, one of them running to open the back door for their boss to step out.
"Where do you think you're running off to, Na-Ob? Didn't expect you to be so… spirited."
The deep, smooth voice of the middle-aged man in his forties spoke softly, yet his eyes and face were filled with simmering irritation.
Lalita's wide eyes looked at the man in front of her, confused and mixed with curiosity—how did he know her?
"Who are you?"