Suddenly, my head began to hurt.If Colin hadn't come in time during the incident, I would've been completely destroyed.I had a stubborn nature. I knew I wouldn't have been able to live with the disgrace, so I could only choose death.The instigator of all this was Lilac, who was kneeling in front of my hospital bed while looking aggrieved.I didn't need to look for evidence. My intuition told me it was her, and I couldn't be wrong.No one else would do such a vicious thing, nor did anyone else have grievances with me enough to commit such an act.Seeing her appear, the hatred and anger in my heart were hot like lava. The fear of being overwhelmed during that incident and the fury from being harmed repeatedly were threatening to erupt all at once. I wished I could tear Lilac to pieces to quell the hatred in my heart.Perhaps my expression was too ferocious, so the usually bold Lilac instinctively dodged backward. She tried to grab Felix's hand, only for him to ruthlessly brus
At this point, Lilac was still trying to shirk responsibility. She did not once consider the damage her actions had caused me.How could she not understand that if those men had succeeded, I would never have been able to see the light of day again?"You're a vile and shameless person, Lilac!" I was speechless in the face of her actions.Felix took the phone, pulled her arms off of him, and played the recording.The conversation likely took place outdoors, given the sound of wind and a street vendor's distant cries. It seemed to take place in a less bustling residential area. Lilac had indeed gone to great lengths to plot against me.The recording wasn't long. It was just under ten minutes. Lilac had paid two thousand dollars for those scoundrels to bag and beat me up however they liked, as long as they didn't kill me.Those thugs were thrilled at the prospect of getting paid to beat someone up. They promised Lilac to do a thorough job.There was no mention of rape anywhere in
I felt at ease entrusting Colin with the matter.He was the person I trusted the most.Before he left that day, he arranged for a caregiver to look after me. He insisted that if I got hurt while in her care, he would make her pay. The caregiver, a woman in her 40s, was intimidated by Colin's stern warning. She was reluctant to take on the job but also didn't want to miss out on the high salary. That was why she suppressed her dissatisfaction and accepted the role.Colin was gone for almost three hours.During that time, he sent me several messages, telling me not to worry and to just wait for him. He said that he would be back soon with pumpkin soup.Indeed, he returned close to noon. Not only did he come with pumpkin soup but also a bunch of light purple daisies, which he placed beside my bed.After two days in the hospital, the doctor said my wound was healing well. I could finally be discharged. I was advised to watch my diet and return to the hospital in three days to remov
I looked up to see a fleeting glimpse of distress and reluctance in Felix's eyes."So, are you going to move aside?" Colin's demeanor became more imposing. His gaze was cold as he stared at Felix.Something flickered across Felix's eyes, and he silently stepped aside.When I passed by him, I didn't intend to say much to him. However, I decided it was necessary to make things clear to him."Felix, what's in the past stays in the past. Let it go. As for Lilac's actions, the two of you share the blame. Without your indulgence, she wouldn't have gotten bolder each time."If what you say about liking me is true and you truly have my best interests at heart, then I ask you not to appear in front of me anymore."The world is vast. You should live your life, and I'll live mine. Let's not interfere with each other and cross paths again. That would be for the best."Colin and I walked past him without stopping.I didn't know how Felix felt about what I said, nor did I care to know what h
The Whites were the Whites, and Colin was Colin. Would it really be a mistake to generalize things based on a few instances?I pondered for a long time to find the most accurate answer.…In the afternoon the day after I was discharged, I received a call from a police officer just after 2:00 pm.They mentioned that there were some details about that night's incident that needed my clarification. They could either come to me or I could go to the police station, but it had to be a face-to-face meeting.The police station was quite close to school. It was just two streets down the road from the side gate. Plus, Colin would accompany me there.Upon arriving, Felix was there too, with Lilac standing behind him. She looked aggrieved, and her eyes were red. When she saw me coming in, she glared at me fiercely before quickly lowering her head again. She went back to pretending to be a weak woman.I really couldn't understand her thought process.A normal person would be weeping and exp
Lilac kept playing the family card.Colin insisted that I should settle this by seeking legal action. He told me not to show any mercy toward Lilac or I would continue to suffer in the future.But Lilac was crying so badly. She mentioned that her mother was old and her regretful father was serving jail time.My heart grew soft, and I told her I could spare her if she wrote a letter of confession. Additionally, I reserved the right to persecute her in the future. If she committed another crime in the future, I could press charges altogether.Afraid that I would use the letter of confession to blackmail her into doing my bidding, Lilac refused to write it.I sneered.The letter of confession was my ultimatum. I refused to fold no matter how hard she begged me.This was my bottom line.She had to choose either one of the options—be persecuted or write a letter of confession.Surely, she was smart enough to pick the best option.Lilac resigned. She wrote a remorseful letter of co
Dad answered the door. When he saw Colin and I standing next to each other by the entrance, there was only one word to describe his look—flabbergasted.His jaw almost fell on the ground as if he had just made a groundbreaking discovery. For once, he forsook the gentility he wore as a teacher and ran toward the kitchen so wildly that his slippers shot across the room. He dragged Mom out.Mom was holding a cleaning rag in one hand and a bottle of dishwashing liquid in another. She, too, was rendered speechless by what she saw. Her mouth was agape. Were it not for the pair of glasses, her eyes would have popped out of their sockets.Seeing the extent of their confusion upon seeing me with another man and understanding how disastrous the consequences could be, I put down everything and explained it to them.Perhaps I was being too straightforward. Colin stood beside me expectantly while my parents were squirming with embarrassment.I was befuddled. Couldn't they just give me a simple
I nudged Colin with my elbow. "Quit being so tense. You're not in the military."He looked around to observe his surroundings. Only when he made sure that we were alone in the living room did he let out a sigh of relief. Relaxing, he wiped away the sweat on his face. "This is worse than serving the military."I laughed out loud, unable to contain myself when I thought of his nervousness. And very uncharacteristically of him, he blushed. His face and neck were crimson, which made me laugh even harder. So much so that my parents popped their heads out of the kitchen to check on me.Colin gritted his teeth and locked his arm around my neck. Then, he dragged me into my room and put me down firmly on the couch so that I couldn't move. "It's your turn now. Tell me that I'm officially your boyfriend."Colin was very warm. Trapped between his arms, I felt like I was in a sauna. My heartbeat went out of control. "But Colin, isn't it too premature to make it official?"I nibbled on my finge