Chapter 110

Esther walked mechanically to the shower head in the bathroom, letting cold water pour down from above. She repeatedly applied shower gel to her body and vigorously rubbed every inch of her skin. She knew very well that the woman in the video was not her, but for everyone else, the woman in the video was her. Esther felt as if her body had been smeared with eternal, irreparable filth. She squatted under the shower, scrubbing with all her might, as if only by doing so could she make her body clean and pure. Bradley heard the rushing sound of water from the bathroom and walked to the door with some concern, intending to knock, but he silently withdrew his hand. Half an hour passed. The sound of water continued running inside the bathroom. Bradley lightly knocked on the door and called her name, "Esther." No response came from the bathroom. Bradley knocked forcefully several times on the glass door of the bathroom. "Esther?" Still, there was no answer. Without reason, Bradley be