I don’t remember a time when I was truly happy. 

    After my parent’s car accident, I wanted to die. How could I go on living without them? How could they leave me behind in this horrible, ugly world?

    Bad things kept happening, one after another. The trial that had taken place in court did not end in my parent’s favor. One moment they were the victims, the next they were made the criminals, leaving me with a pile of charges that had been made against them.

    I had given up so much, but received nothing in return. 

    I thought about all of this as I rinsed the glass in my hand, tears threatening to spill over.  

    Pull yourself together, Chaeyoung.

    I took a deep breath before reaching for the bottle of wine and pouring it delicately into the glass.

    The red liquid sloshed around inside and I gulped as flashes of the accident came back to me. 

    There was so much blood…

    “Hey, you!” a voice shouted, and with shaking hands I looked up to find the source. “Would you hurry it up with the drinks?”

    “Sorry for the wait,” I bowed my head in apology, before sliding the glass of wine towards the customer. 

    He gave me a hard look while his date openly sneered at me.

    “Can’t believe they hire this kind of trash here,” she spit in a shrill voice.

    “I’m sorry I took so long with your order, now would you please go enjoy your drink? I have other customers to attend to,” I said cooly.

    She huffed, grabbed her date’s glass, and threw the contents of it all over me.

    I spluttered, spitting out the bitter taste as it soaked through my clothes and my hair.

    “Ma’am, I understand that you may be upset, but with all due respect, please don’t make my job any harder than it already is. I am here to work, not get drenched in alcoholic beverages. Now, would you care for a refill?” I tried to remain civil because I knew I was in no position to mess with her. 

    “Who do you think you are?” she grabbed a random drink and chucked it straight at me. I dodged this time, but the damage had been done. There was no remaining ignorant to the fact that this girl had it out for me. 

    Oh, bring it on, I silently challenged her, willing her to take her best shot at me.

    I hurled myself at her, knocking her down to the ground, before standing up to brush myself off.

    She screamed in rage, clutching onto my leg and raking her nails down my calf. I gasped when they managed to dig deep enough to leave a few cuts and shook my leg to get her off.

    She stood up again and grabbed onto my ponytail, pulling viciously, until I hit the edge of a table. 

    I doubled over, panting heavily, while she ran at me and slapped my face.

    I grimaced in pain but refused to let her win. Just as I was about to stand up, my arms were grabbed and forced behind my back, a knife positioned at my throat.

    “Please dispose of this distraction,” the girl’s date ordered dully. “She got my lady’s dress dirty.”

    Stop, let go of me! It was her that started this! I wanted to scream. 

    I was dragged outside, all the while resisting the urge to thrash around wildly in an attempt to save myself.

    Two burly men threw me into a dark alley, and I groaned as I hit the side of a building.

    “Oh, she’s quite a looker,” they snickered at each other and I choked in disgust. If only I hadn’t been so weak from hunger and exhaustion, maybe I could’ve at least defended myself.

    “Do you think boss would mind if we had some fun with her?” one of them chuckled darkly.