Chapter 5

I returned home to find my husband still sound asleep.

Unable to calm my restless mind, I decided to take a shower.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw Liam Anderson sitting in the living room.

His expression was dark and troubled.

The memory of what happened at the KTV still made me uneasy.

But as the elder, I felt I should approach him with concern.

“Liam, you’re back. Is everything alright?”

His face grew even darker when he saw me.

He suddenly grabbed my wrist.

The gesture startled me.

I thought he might be trying to revisit what happened between us.

I quickly tried to pull away.

“Don’t… not like this. Your uncle is still asleep in the bedroom.”

He paused at my words, then offered a bitter smile.

“Aunt, you’ve got it wrong. That’s not what I meant.”

I felt embarrassed. I had misunderstood his intention.

But something still felt off.

“Liam, what’s going on? You look upset.”

I wondered if my early return had caused some problem for him.

He released my hand and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“It’s bad, Aunt. Really bad.”

My heart sank. Something was terribly wrong.

I pressed him for details.

He explained that someone had taken photos at the KTV.

One of his classmates had shown him the pictures before he came home.

They were photos of me on the table, surrounded by men taking advantage.

Liam had immediately demanded the classmate delete them.

But the guy refused—he said I had to come see him personally.

The implication was clear.

“Aunt, don’t worry. I’ll handle this. If he won’t delete them, I’ll steal his phone. Or fight him if I have to.”

His voice grew more intense, almost reckless.

I was touched that he wanted to protect me.

But I couldn’t let him risk himself for my sake.

“I’ll go with you,” I said firmly. “Let’s see what he wants. If he refuses, we’ll call the police.”

“No! We can’t involve the police!”

His reaction surprised me.

Seeing my confusion, he quickly explained, “If we push him, he might post those photos online. Or send them to Uncle. Then no one would believe us, even if we told the truth.”

I understood then. He was trying to protect my reputation.

“Alright,” I nodded. “No police. But I need to know what he wants.”

Probably money. Or me.

If it was money, maybe we could manage.

But if it was me… I would never agree.

Giving in would only lead to endless blackmail.

If things went wrong, I decided I would call the police behind Liam’s back.

I’d rather face shame than drag him down with me.