I knocked on the door of the President Director's office, my heart pounding hard inside my chest.
Knock… knock…
"Come in," Hendrik's deep voice called from inside.
I slowly pushed the door open. As soon as I stepped in, I saw my boss staring seriously at his laptop screen. But the moment he noticed me, he lifted his gaze and gave me a faint smile.
"Please, have a seat."
I nodded softly and sat down in front of his desk. For some reason, the atmosphere in that room suddenly felt suffocating. Hendrik then closed his laptop and looked straight at me, as if he had something important to say.
"Lanny… you've been working with me for quite a long time. There's something I want to talk to you about."
My heart instantly raced. My face turned pale in an instant.
Why did Mr. Hendrik call me here? Did I do something wrong? I wondered nervously.
But the next sentence that came out of his mouth made my entire body freeze.
"Lanny… I want you to become my second wife. Would you be willing?"
My eyes widened in shock. For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong.
"Your second wife?" My voice trembled. "But… you're already married. Why would you want to marry me?"
Hendrik lowered his head, and the look in his eyes suddenly turned gloomy.
"My wife… has been fighting bone cancer for the past four years. During all that time, she has only been lying weakly in bed."
My chest tightened.
A wave of sympathy slowly crept into my heart. But at the same time, a small voice inside me strongly refused.
No… no way! I don't want to become anyone's second wife!
I swallowed hard, trying to calm myself.
"But… why me, Sir?" I asked again, my voice shaking.
Hendrik stared at me intently. His gaze made it hard for me to breathe.
"The truth is… I've liked you since the very first day you started working here."
Thump!
It felt as if my heart stopped beating for a second.
What?! My boss… likes me?
I was speechless. My mind went blank. My heart and thoughts were in complete turmoil, and I didn't know what to say.
Before I could even process everything, Hendrik continued in a calm voice that somehow felt even more suffocating.
"If you agree… I'll pay off your father's debt."
What?!
I froze.
How could he possibly know about my father's debt? It was a family problem I had never told anyone about at work.
My fingers trembled as I tightly gripped the edge of my skirt.
"H-How do you know all of that?" I asked in a low voice, almost whispering.
A faint smile appeared on Hendrik's lips. He rose from his chair and slowly walked toward me.
"I had someone investigate," he replied casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
I held my breath when he stopped right in front of me. His hand reached for mine, making my body tense. His touch felt warm, yet at the same time, it stirred an unfamiliar fear deep inside my chest.
Before I could react, his fingers slowly moved upward, touching more than they should have.
Instinctively, I pulled my hand away and pushed his hand aside.
"I'm sorry, Sir…" I said softly, trying to remain polite even though fear and anger were rising inside me.
Hendrik looked at me for a moment. I thought he would get angry.
But he didn't.
Instead, he pulled his hand back and gave me a faint smile, as if he understood my refusal.
"Think about it carefully," he said calmly. "Now… go back to work."
I stood up, my legs feeling weak. After giving him a brief nod, I hurried out of the room.
The moment the door closed behind me, I let out a long breath. My heart was still pounding wildly.
Every word Hendrik had said kept echoing in my mind.
Become my second wife… I've liked you for a long time… I'll pay off your father's debt…
I returned to my desk, but I could no longer focus on my work. Hendrik's gaze, his touch, and his outrageous proposal made my head spin.
What should I do?
If I refused, I could protect my dignity.
But if I accepted… my father's debt would disappear.
I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to calm myself. But suddenly, my phone rang sharply on top of my desk.
The name Father flashed across the screen.
For some reason, a terrible feeling immediately washed over me.
With trembling hands, I quickly answered the call.
"Hello, Dad?"
On the other end, my father's voice sounded panicked and rushed.
"Lanny… come home quickly! Someone is here demanding payment for my debt!"
My whole body instantly went weak.
The phone nearly slipped from my hand.
Today truly felt like a nightmare. I had just been cornered by my boss with a crazy proposal… and now my father's debt had come crashing down on me again.
From the other side of the phone, my father's voice grew even more frantic.
"Lanny… Lanny! Can you hear me? They're yelling at the house! Come home now!"
I froze in my seat.
My breathing turned shallow.
Now it wasn't just my heart that was in chaos… my family was in danger too.
And for the first time in my life, I began to fear…
that maybe… Hendrik's offer was the only way out.