“My uncle once asked me, ‘Are you a virgin?’ when I was already 27 years old. From that moment, I started to be afraid of him. And a few days later, when he took me to a hotel outside the city, he leaned close to my ear by the pool and whispered, ‘After the pool, come up to my room…’”

“Emily, are you a virgin?”

For a few seconds, I honestly thought I had misheard him.

“What?”

Swimming Pools

Richard looked away.

“I’m asking whether you’ve ever had a serious relationship.”

I stared at him.

“What does that have to do with you?”

He immediately changed the subject.

But I couldn’t forget the question.

From that day on, every time he called me, I felt uneasy.

Then, a few days later, Richard called me on Saturday morning.

Plan Family Trips

“Emily, are you free today?”

“I think so.”

“Come with me. I booked a place outside the city. There’s a pool there too. We could relax for a while.”

I hesitated.

We had never gone somewhere like that alone before.

After my father died, Richard often tried to get me out of the house because he knew how withdrawn I had become.

So eventually, I agreed.