It was a stormy night. Hayoung could tell just by looking at the harsh winds and the heavy rainfall, not to forget the sudden flash which appeared a few times. It wasn’t the storm outside which caused her to stay awake. It was the ruckus that was happening in the living room which kept her on her toes. Her brother had accompanied her in her bedroom lest she might get hurt in the process. Although she was practically a grown adult, she still feared that something bad was going to happen to her mother if her parents were to continue arguing like this.

“You think we’ll be able to live comfortably if you continue with your gambling activities?! You’re just making things worse, Hojun-ah!” She heard her mother exclaimed.

“I’m trying to make a living for the family!” Mr. Lee interjected.

“Then find a proper job! Not gambling all day! At this rate, we might just live in poverty!” Mrs. Lee retorted angrily.

“Then what about you?! Do you think being a cleaner is sufficient for us?! DO YOU?!” The shouting never failed to cease as Hayoung covered her ears, hoping that the dispute would soon be over. Hoya also wrapped his arms around her protectively, not wanting to let her be disturbed by the fight outside.

“Will Mom be okay?” The 20-year-old asked her brother.

“Of course she will. It’s just another little argument, you don’t have to worry much.” Hoya then rested his chin atop her head as he caressed her hair gently, hoping that the anxiousness within her would soon fade away. Shortly after, the siblings were startled by the sound of the door which was banged open. Their mother had come in with a big luggage by her side before she kneeled down to embrace her children who were sitting on the floor.

“I’m sorry I wouldn’t be able to protect you after this. I just couldn’t take it anymore with your father.” She spoke as she tried to restrain her sobs. She then placed her hands on Hoya’s shoulders before she gave him a reminder.

“While I’m gone, I want you to take care of your sister very well. If she’s in danger, don’t hesitate to fight back on those who hurt her but as much as possible, don’t use your fists. It won’t do you any good.” Mrs. Lee said firmly before she faced to her daughter.

“And you Hayoung, don’t be afraid of your father. You’re much stronger than what you think. Fight back if you can. Don’t let him use you.” Mrs. Lee then hugged her children again for the last time before she kissed them on their foreheads.

“You know I love you so much right? I’ll be leaving now.” Mrs. Lee then quickly left the house. When Hayoung had finally registered in her mind what was going on, she immediately chased after her with Hoya followed suit. Despite the rainstorm, Hayoung continued running as the distance between her and Mrs. Lee grew shorter. Hayoung also tried crying out for her, but the sound of the raindrops falling was much louder than her feeble cries. As Mrs. Lee was crossing the streets, a lorry was approaching her way and Hayoung was astounded while she shouted as loud as she could.

“Mom, look out!” Before Mrs. Lee could even react, the lorry failed to brake on time due to the slippery road as it rammed on Mrs. Lee’s body before the vehicle was also crashed towards a large tree. Hayoung didn’t waste a second more as she got down her knees beside her mother’s body which was covered in blood before Hoya came shortly after.

“Mom, wake up!” Hayoung held on to Mrs. Lee’s hand as the woman smiled faintly at her daughter before she closed back her eyes. Hayoung didn’t bother to wipe the tears away since her body was already drenched in the rain. While Hayoung was crying her eyes out when she couldn’t feel her mother’s pulse anymore, Hoya clenched his hand in fury. He was about to get up when Hayoung suddenly stopped him.

“Where are you going?” Her face was streaked with tears as she questioned.

“I’m going to make sure Dad will pay for this!” Hayoung stopped him again.

“No! Just don’t! Remember what Mom said? ‘Don’t use your fists.’ Let’s just take care of Mom first. Please, I beg you.” Hayoung knew her brother was in a rage currently but she didn’t want Hoya to regret his actions later on. Eventually, the siblings brought their mother to the hospital even though they knew she couldn’t be saved anymore.

“Hayoung? Lee Hayoung?” Only when the said lady felt his moist lips on her cheeks did she realised that her husband was embracing her in a back hug. Hayoung just patted his hands which were in front of her stomach as she continued to stare at the precipitation falling in the city. Up till now, her pregnancy remained a secret because she couldn’t seem to find the right time to talk about and didn’t have the courage to do so.

“What are you thinking about?” Woohyun asked as he rested his jaw on her left shoulder.

“The rain… It reminds me of my mother.” She stated with a solemn expression.

“Should we visit her next time? I ought to pay my respects to her.” She agreed with a nod. For now, all she could think of was her father’s return and the possibility of getting herself harmed again by the same person she had been avoiding all these while. Not only would she need to protect herself this time round, she also had to ensure that the safety of her foetus was being taken care of.

She knew she couldn’t escape from him for too long, and she knew she had to prepare her body, mind and soul for the upcoming confrontation.