Sham knew that she loved him. But it happened every time he tried to touch her. Those voices. “Nuisance. Clumsy child. Try to smile, at least.” Those were the words she’d grown up listening to. Her childhood mantra.

He said: “Beautiful”, between appreciating breaths. Her body responded, ecstatic. Her mind said: “Liar!”

And so she froze. He thought she didn’t like him anymore. Or worse still, as today’s encounter revealed: “It’s another man, isn’t it?” a biting disgust in his words.

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