7.

The young woman stood underneath the showerhead while rivers of hot water warmed her skin. Tears flowed relentlessly down her face. She was disgusted. Her body felt dirty. She hoped that the water would be able to wash away this dreadful feeling. She hoped that it would be able to make her “clean” again. So far it didn’t. It didn’t. She still felt dirty and the colored bruise that was forming on her wrist was mocking her. It was mocking her. She ran a finger over it, salty tears mixing with warm water, what did I ever do to deserve this?

Emma then scrubbed her skin until it was raw. She just wanted to get the scent of the man off of her. She just wanted to get as clean as she possibly could. She just wanted to forget. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t. His touches still burned her skin. His face still haunted her mind. It still did. They still did.

You’re stronger than this Emma,

You are.

The said woman sniffled and took a deep breath, trying to calm down her erratic heartbeat.

It’s okay,

You’re okay,

You’re safe,

You are.

(You are.)

Her mind wandered to the man who came to her rescue, her very own “knight in shining armor”. A smile formed on her lips at the thought, if it weren’t for him –She then shook her head not wanting to think about it. She was safe now and that was all that mattered.

Right?

But why was it so hard for her to forget?

Why?

Emma scowled at the ceiling, why do you hate me so much?

Why?

First you take away my parents and now this,

I was almost , you know,

Do you hear that? Do you?

I was almost !

I was almost and I couldn’t, I couldn’t do anything to defend myself,

I couldn’t do , (I couldn’t do .)

Resigned she sank to her knees and sobbed, I’m so useless, I’m utterly and completely useless.

She in a few heavy breaths, no,

Stop,

Stop crying,

You’re fine remember, (was she?)

He wasn’t able to do a thing, (he wasn’t)

You’re still innocent,

You’re still pure, a bitter chuckle escaped her lips at that, Am I?

Am I really?

“Is father in his office?”

A blush colored the secretary’s cheek at the sight of the handsome young male, “Y-Yes Mr. Kim,”

Her stutter made Kai smirk, he always had this effect on women. The wink he then sent her made her swoon in place. Kai scoffed before making his way to his father’s office, women were so easy.

“Son I haven’t seen you in a while,”

The old man (who still looked good despite his age) greeted him with a warm smile.

Sitting down, Kai shrugged, a smile present on his face, “I’ve been busy,”

His father pouted, “Too busy to see your old man?”

The young man chuckled, “Are you trying to be cute right now?”

“Is it working?” the elder asked with sparkling eyes.

Kai chuckled, “Not really, no,”

His father pursed his lips in thought, “I suppose it only works when women do it,” he then paused, a dreamy look coming over his face, “Mei-Li does it exceptionally well then again I’m a er for anything that she does,”

His son raised an eyebrow in response, “Mei-Li?”

The old man smiled, “my new wife,”

Kai rolled his eyes, what is it now, wife number five?

“When did you get married?”

He was used to his father’s “spur of the moment” marriages, “yesterday,”

The young man nodded his head, I’d give them three months.

Ever since his birth mother had left, his father began dating around wanting to fill in the void that her absence had created. Kai never truly liked those women or more precisely his father’s short-term wives since (other than the fact that they we