I have a rock in my stomach and I don’t know where it came from.

That’s not true. I know exactly where I got it. I’m nervous as hell, waiting for Karl to come into the office. My head is buzzing, swirling with Jacob’s plan and the potential blowback I might have to deal with. In the end, this could make me look as bad as him, if not even worse. I’m risking a lot for him.

And I have no issues with it. I’d risk a lot more, if I could. I knew what yesterday was about. I could see it written all over his face from the second he ambushed me outside of my apartment.

He feels guilty, but he shouldn’t. I know what I’m getting myself into. I know that I’m taking a risk, helping him like this, but I can’t help it. I keep seeing him as the man that used to be my teacher, but he’s so much more than that now. He’s a boss and a good person. All of his employees love him, and everyone else speaks highly of him at Quest. The only people that seem to have any issues with Jacob are those that have something to gain by opposing him.

Truth is, I don’t know what I have to gain from any of this, except maybe him. And maybe he’s the best thing of all.

But I do have a lot to lose. I could ruin my reputation, destroy my career. I could be torching my whole future, all because I knew this man so long ago and had such a powerful crush on him.

I’ve gotten to know him. I believe in him, more than just physically. It’s become something more, and I think yesterday proved that to me.

After the park, we went back to his apartment and we slept together twice. The first time, it was gentle and loving and incredible because of that. The second time it was dirty and dark and dangerous, the way I like it, and that’s the dichotomy of our relationship. We have both of those things, those intense feelings, but also the very taboo nature of things.

None of it matters anymore. The only thing I’m concentrating on is this next moment, and the moment after that, and hopefully we’ll get through this. Hopefully he’s right, and I have to believe in that.

I’d be doing this no matter what. All of the gifts yesterday, they were nice, but they weren’t necessary. I’d do this if he just asked. That’s all he had to do.

I spot Karl open his office door and slide into it. I take a deep breath and decide not to waste a single second. I march right over, knock, and enter without him answering.

He looks up from his desk, a frown on his face. “Surprised to see you here,” he says.

“Why?” I ask, shutting the door behind me.

“I thought you’d be with Jacob. Since apparently he can simply call you out of work whenever he wants.”

I nod and look at the carpet. “That’s what I want to talk about.”

I have to be careful. I can’t play this up too much or else he’ll see through me. Karl isn’t stupid, but I hope he’s as greedy as Jacob thinks he is. Otherwise, I think he might laugh in my face.

“Go ahead,” he says, looking bored.

“You know we’ve been doing… things,” I say to him, and the blush that jumps to my cheeks is real. “Inappropriate things for the workplace.”

He perks up at this. I know he has bugs in his own office recording everything I say right now. “You’re admitting that?”

“Yes,” I say before looking up to meet his gaze. “But it’s not what you think.”

“What do I think?” he asks softly.

“He’s been making me do things…” I trail off. “This is really difficult.”

Suddenly, his whole demeanor changes. “Sit down, Sofia,” he says softly. “If there’s something inappropriate going on, you can tell me. We can handle this together.”

I notice that he’s not offering to bring HR into this, which is really what he should be doing immediately. I sit down and fold my hands in my lap.

“What’s going on?” he asks me.

“He’s been making me… do things for him,” I say. “He says I have to do it or else he’ll fire me.”

“Like what?” he asks.

“Disgusting things. I don’t want to say.” I can’t meet his gaze, I feel so embarrassed and awkward, but I’m pushing forward.

“It’s okay, you’re safe here,” he says, and it makes me want to vomit. “What is he doing to you?”

“He makes me wear his clothes,” I blurt out. “He says I look good dressed as a boy. And he makes me steal office supplies so that we can use them.”

“Use them?” he asks.

“He’s sadistic,” I say, looking up and meeting Karl’s gaze. “I don’t know what to do. He’s making me put things inside of me while I sit around at work.”

For a second, I think he wavers. I think the absurdity of that is just too much, but the moment passes, and he nods. “I’m glad you came to me, Sofia,” he says. “I think I can help you.”

The rest of the meeting is a blur. It doesn’t really matter, though. He makes me promise that I’ll tell more people so that he can help me get rid of Jacob. Instead of filing reports to HR, he talks about getting revenge, and he says he can help me. He goes on and on about how he knew Jacob was a bad person and now we can destroy him together.

I feel sick, but not because Jacob actually did any of that stuff. Although maybe I’d like it if he did. That’s beside the point. I’m sick because Karl is so willing to use a woman who’s potentially being blackmailed and abused by her employer just to further his own career.

It’s disgusting, but Jacob was right. Karl can’t see beyond his own paranoid plans. He thinks he can do this himself, and he’s not going to go through the proper channels.

Which is going to be his downfall.