Chapter 6

"Samuel was actually willing to send a beauty like you to me personally." He loosened his tie. Catherine struggled with all her might, but he held her down easily. He pinned her under him, his fingers sliding across her cheek. "Do you know how long I've been yearning for you?" "Let me go…" Catherine's voice trembled as she warned, "Don't touch me." Leonard saw her quivering and suddenly laughed. His fingers brushed against her cheek. "What about this? I'll give you a chance to call Samuel Lynch. If he answers your call, I'll let you go." Catherine was trembling as she called Samuel. She tried calling a few times, but no one answered even after more than 100 attempts. "Did you see that? Catherine, you mean nothing to him. Be with me, and I'll make you happy." Leonard pressed himself against her and forcefully tore her clothes. Just when he was about to force himself on her, Catherine snapped back to her senses and grabbed the vase on the bedside table before smashing it on his head. He grunted and collapsed. She quickly seized the chance and fled the scene. The rain was pouring at night, and Catherine stumbled her way home. She was drenched, and her body still had bruises from Leonard's attack. When she pushed open the door, she saw Natalie crying in Samuel's arms. "Are you really giving up your wife's life for me?" Samuel wiped her tears. "Yes, you matter the most to me." Natalie cried harder, and he cupped her face helplessly. "My dear, didn't I save you? Why are you still terrified?" "Anyone would've been scared if they had been kidnapped," she whimpered. Samuel smirked. "I have a way to stop you from feeling scared." "Should I give it a try?" He laughed. With that, Samuel leaned in and kissed Natalie as he pinned her to the couch. Witnessing that scene, Catherine felt as if someone had slit her chest. Then, she spun on her heels and left. In an instant, she was drenched in rainwater. She had no idea how long she had been running until she arrived in front of the familiar, old building. It was a place where she grew up with Samuel. Their families had been friends for generations, and Samuel and Catherine were childhood sweethearts. Their houses were close to one another. The rainwater dripped down her hair as she walked under the old oak tree in the backyard. She still remembered that she and Samuel had buried a time capsule under the tree when they were 18. They had promised to dig it out ten years later. "Cathy, we must be married after ten years." Samuel had smiled brightly and placed a letter into the metal box. "I wrote the future me a letter, telling him that he must love you forever." Catherine kneeled on the muddy ground and dug the spot near the root with her bare hands. Her nails broke, blood oozing out of her fingertips. Yet, she couldn't feel the pain at all. The metal box was rusted, but the letter inside was still in perfect condition. Trembling, she spread the letter and saw the young Samuel's neat handwriting on the paper. "To the 28-year-old Samuel Lynch, if you don't love Cathy, the 18-year-old me won't let you go. Remember this. She means the world to you." The droplets fell on the letter, smudging the words. Catherine held the letter against her chest and cried her heart out. She missed the young man who would shyly write her love letters and the Samuel who had promised to protect her forever. "He broke his promise… He broke it." Crying, she spoke into the air, as if the 18-year-old Samuel would hear her. She sat under the tree for a long time until the rain stopped. Then, she took the 98th love letter from her bag and set it on fire.