“Wouldn’t we know if we could be a real married couple… if we did it?”

At that single remark from her friend, Shirley faltered.

After all, she was already struggling with the question of whether she and Damian, her fated fiancé since birth, could ever truly become a ‘real married couple’ rather than just friends.

“Of course, we’ll become husband and wife.”

Her kind and gentle fiancé would always say frustratingly naive things, completely unaware of her inner turmoil.

“Then break off the engagement.”

Her family gave her the chance to decide.

“So, you’re saying your fiancé doesn’t feel like a man to you?”

This man, who she didn’t even know, pierced through Shirley’s hesitations with startling clarity.

***

One sweltering summer night, while she lay asleep in her room, someone came to her.

“Let’s do something fun, Shirley.”

Creak.

The bed dipped as someone sat down on one side.

“Something fun…?”

“Yeah, something fun.”

Was it just her imagination, or was his voice filled with an intense heat?

“And what would that be?”

“You’ll like it, Shirley. I’m sure of it.”

The hand that slid along her pale leg, illuminated by the moonlight, carried an unmistakable danger.

“Wouldn’t we know if we could be a real married couple… if we did it?”

“What?”

“Whether we can or can’t, we’ll find out once we spend the night together.”

The voice whispering in her ear sent a shiver through Shirley’s body.

“Show me that pretty thing.”