AN: I will use POV from now on for this story. Please enjoy reading and if you have time do leave a comment or any feedback would be much appreciated! :

Chapter III

I screamed but the voice did not come. In my mind I was being burned alive, the fires dancing around me. There was nowhere to run and no one to help me. I was just a little girl barely, just turned three but I was already burned in hell, not only by the flames created by the woman who gave birth to me but the nightmares of the family I was born with. I didn't know why I survived, I should have died with the flames. I should have died years ago. And I should have died when that bullet hit me but no. LIfe failed me again. I knew I was in the hospital, this could not be heaven if I still feel pain. This could not be hell if I'm seeing someone smiling at me with kind eyes. No, this is not hell.

"She's awake." That voice completely woke me up. It's like he's telling me that there's is still hope. Like I was born again. 

"Thanks to you," I heard another voice. Another male voice. He laughed a little before saying. "You really are a miracle."

"Hyung, I think your patient slept again." The first man said, I could tell he was near me as his voice is much sharper and clearer. 

"I don't think she could even remember this tomorrow," This must be the doctor, the voice sounds young. I wanted to open my eyes to see his face. "It's a miracle she's alive. She lost a lot of blood but thanks to you she will have another life."

Another life. What is that supposed to mean? Am I alive for another reason? I felt the doctor beside me, maybe checking my vitals or something. Another movement and I felt a hand touched my cheek with so much tenderness. I had forgotten what it's like to be touched that way. 

"Why did you do it?" 

That wonderful touch left my face and even though I was not cold earlier, I feel cold now. I want that hand to touch me again. I tried to open my eyes but I was too weak.

"I don't know, I just well... her face was just too sad and I couldn't let her die." The other man answered.

"You better not save everyone you see in this hospital or mom would lock you up." They stayed for a few minutes without talking and then the doctor said they needed to go because he has to do his rounds. 

The other man touched my hand this time and whispered "don't give up." And then he was gone. 

-

When I fully regained my consciousness three days after that incident. I learned that the gunman was never caught or identified. Onew visits me everyday maybe out of guilt or by his father's request. The media had a blast on our story. Everything was blown out of proportion. Rumors became facts and whatever tale my father told them to make me look like a hero was welcomed with open arms. Key was always with Onew when he visits. There's something about Key that makes me uneasy, I don't know why. It's like he's acting like he wants to be my friend but would totally hurt me once I became one. Onew would not speak more than five sentences. It always starts with "how are you?" or "are you feeling better?" and ends with "I'll see you tomorrow". I don't think he even cares if I response or not. 

Was he grateful I saved him? I don't think so. 

"So you will be discharged tomorrow." Key informed me while he sat on the chair beside my bed. Onew never sits down. He would walk around the room making me dizzy but I never tell him off. 'Guess where you'll be staying?" Key tried to sound excited but I knew he was faking it. "You'll be going to the Lee's summer house, maybe stay there for a week or two."

"Why?" Onew looked at me for the first time since he entered my room. This was the first time I said anything to them since I woke up.

"It's the safest place for now. And the media would have a hard time following you. Though I think your father likes all the attention." Key is always blunt which I sometimes appreciate. "Don't worry, you won't be alone. Someone will be there with you."

"Who?"

"Let's just say you will know when you get there," Key said letting me know that this subject is close. I am still weak but the doctors say I was okay. I could already stand and walk on my own. The bullet hit me from the back and they had to operate right away. The operation was successful and the bullet was removed but I lost a lot of blood and that's when I almost died. 

"Kibum, why don't you go out first." I heard Onew say, I didn't dare look at him. I knew that he knows something is up with my father and the marriage deal is still on. I learned from Key that Onew tried all means to avoid the marriage.

"Don't stay for too long, your father wants to see you." Key reminded him and waved goodbye to me. I watched him go and tried to ignore the other man who now occupies the chair beside my bed. For the first time since the incident I was alone with this man they say I saved.

"I won't be here tomorrow to get you," Onew began choosing to look at my hand instead of my face. "Your father insisted on this. He will you to our summer house. It's not that far by car. Your father wanted a helicopter to get you but the doctor said you'd be okay to travel by car." I don't know why he's telling me this. I don't even care if I just walk out of the hospital. "I will be away for a couple of days. Key would be with me so he won't be visiting you as well. The summer house is fully equipped to accommodate you until the wedding."

There it is the word that I've been dreading to hear. I knew it would still happen. 

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked him turning my face to look at him but his gaze remained where they are.

His right hand goes to comb his already tidy hair. I noticed the he often does this when he's having a hard time or when he's searching for words to say.

"You don't have to tell me lies." For some reason this made him look at me. I met his eyes not wanting to lose. We stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Why did you do it?" I knew what he was asking but I chose not to answer him. "Why did you save me?" I couldn't help myself, it was not funny but I found myself laughing like crazy. My stomach hurts but I could not stop myself. Onew looked at me with a puzzled face but did not say anything while I continued to laugh. I met his eyes again and saw the hate reflected on them and I stopped laughing.

"I did not save you, I'm not stupid enough to do that." I can't believe I'm sharing this to someone let alone the man I'm supposed to marry. He already thinks I'm weird and crazy now he'd think I'm suicidal. But that doesn't mean he's wrong. "I wanted to die." I thought he would not react but his face changed, now the frown is replaced by shock.

"Believe me or not when that first gunshot was fired I knew they were not aiming for me. I knew they were meant for you. So I did something that I myself chose. Not to save you, I would have done it even if it was not you. I did it to die. But some stupid luck brought me back to life." It amazes me how my words changes the emotions in his face. Now I see anger in them. "Wae? You thought I was your angel? I'm not that girl and I will never be one. There's only one way to stop this marriage. And that is if one of us dies."

He was gone in just a few seconds. I don't know what he was expecting, I will not be another someone in his life.

-

Just like what Key said I was discharged the day after. My father came in with cameras and flashes. He smiled like I was his most precious daughter that I thought his face would crack. He even held my hand and I tried not to push him away. I would have not reacted on this but somehow there's a voice telling me to rebel to stand up for once. But I was stopped when I saw another face. My mother came in with flowers in her hands. There was a smile plastered on her face that did not reach her eyes. 

They said a few words to the camera addressing me but never once looking at me. We were escorted out of the hospital and to a waiting vehicle complete with bodyguards. The media were all over us and I could see my father enjoying every bit of it. I forced myself to endure it but it was all too much for me that I vomited right before I was about to go in the car. If I was a bystander the scene would have looked funny to me. My mother almost jumped three feet from me and almost screamed if it not had been my father who quickly covered the situation with fake concern. Once inside the vehicle my mother did not stop ranting about what happened. After only 5 minutes I already developed a headache. 

It was all too much that I screamed and that resulted to a slap on my face courtesy of my dearest mother. I was weak and I was not prepared for the assualt but when my brain recovered it was like something in me screamed revenge that  I trashed in the car. I grabbed, kicked, and punched whatever I could reach. The car was stopped and I heard someone say. "Calm her!" A few seconds after that my world turned black.

-

"What happened to her face?" A new voice woke me up from my slumber. 

"She uhm, she kind a lost it when we were going here and we had to sedate her," another answered. I could not tell how many are around me and I refuse to open my eyes. Why do I always have to wake up? Can I not sleep forever?

A chair was dragged and I felt that voice come near me. "You still did not answer my question." A healthy pause before the other one spoke.

"Her mother slapped her. And that's when she went crazy." 

Crazy? Yeah I was crazy. I wonder if I'm in the summer house or is this a mental hospital. I felt the needle on my arm. When will they stop sticking things into me? "Is she crazy or something?" That voice again which I find irritating but it kept my interest. Who is she? 

"That's not a very nice thing to say Soojung," a familiar voice said. I'm sure it was Onew's mother. "Why are you here?"

"You told me to stay here." 

"I told you to stay in this house but not particularly inside her room." Onew's mother answeredt then she asked the nurse how I was doing. I learned that I have been asleep for more than 24 hours. "We need to change her dress." That statement force me to stop pretending that I was still sleeping. 

"Oh look she's awake!" the girl name Soojung exclaimed. I don't like her but it seems she was glad I was awake. Though I'm not sure why because we do not even know each other. It was Mrs. Lee's face that I saw first. For a moment, I think she was really worried. 

"Did you enjoy the show your family staged?" She said not even allowing me to fully steady myself. I felt the other girl stiffen beside me and I knew these two women are set to make my life more miserable.

"But her wounds are actually real," Soojung stated not taking her eyes off me. She came close and touched my face. I flinched not because it hurt but because I don't like anyone touching me, anyone except maybe that guy whose eyes are like an angel. If I ever see an angel I think he'd have those kind eyes. "See, they're real mom." This girl did not even care if her touched hurt. 

"Of course they're real Soojung," Mrs. Lee said and came near my bed. "Unfortunately," she added. "We cannot postpone the wedding. We just have to cover your visible wounds. I already chose your dress." I chose not to say anything. Mrs. Lee looks kind but I think she's gonna be another nightmare if I don't cooperate.

Soojung faced Mrs. Lee which turned out to be her mother. So this is Onew's younger sister. "I want to be there." crossing her arms and making this statement but her mother did not even blink. "It's my only brother's wedding! How can I not attend it?" She looks like a little girl who's having a tantrum. She clearly grew up getting her way into everything.

"The answer is still no. Don't make me repeat why." Mrs. Lee said and turned to me again. "You'll eat dinner here but I want you out and about tomorrow." With that she turned to leave but not before her daughter spoke again.

"She's the reason Onew is still alive and you treat her like this?" Soojung said not really caring about me it was more of to spite her mother. 

Mrs Lee answered without looking back at her daughter. "She was also the reason why he was shot at. I don't think Onew is lucky to be alive. I feel like this is only the beginning and more terrible things would happen to my son. All because of this girl."

This girl. Great! Another person who loathes me. Another mother who wants me dead and out of their lives. Mrs. Lee walked out of the room with the nurse following her. "You know what, I almost feel sorry for you." Looking at me with a smile on her face. "But mom's right, you ruined my precious brother's life. I don't even care what my parents feel. But I do care about how Onew feels. He really is madly deeply in love with Seohyun that he'd defy our parents just to be with her. He did every thing right just so he'd be good enough for her. He almost succeeded you know, and then you came."

"You think I'd care?" I found myself saying. 

She laughed for real. Her face is pretty but it is starting to annoy me as each second pass. "I thought they said you're stupid, but I think not. Well they also said a lot of things about you. Innocent, meek, gullible, unwanted, ugly, adopted, clumsy, stupid, oh I already said that." She laughed again. "There were a lot of more, but they forgot to mention that you're tough." She leaned closer and even patted my head. "I like you." She then turned around and left me alone.

And they say my family is weird.

-

I counted the days that I stayed in the summer house. Mrs. Lee would appear now and then with different people. Discussing things about the wedding but she never consulted me. Not that I'd want or need to say anything. She's a kind of person who always wants to be in control and I think the only one she can't is her own daughter. Soojung bothers me a lot. She doesn't even care if I listen to her. She talks a lot. I don't even understand most of the things that comes out of . Sometimes she speaks in other languages. Chinese, Japanese, and sometimes French. I found out a few things about their family. Things that I don't even want to know but she keeps on talking and sometimes my brain catches what she says.

"Onew loves to swim, that's actually how she met Seohyun." She continued to tell me that Seohyun is quite the helpless little princess. Onew saved her from drowning. Great, she's telling me their love story.

"Don't you have other things to do?" I stopped her before she continues her story.

Sipping her money coffee she looks at me with interest. "If I do, I wouldn't be here." She only eats fruits in the morning. She shares her beauty secrets but I was not interested enough to remember. "You'll be my sister-in-law in two days." 

"Like I needed a reminder," I mumbled. Just like what Onew said he never visited, not like I wanted to see him. 

Soojung is now finished eating and asks for a glass of water, a young maid came and brought her iced water. "You still look awful." She commented with disgust on her lovely face. 

"No one looks as pretty as you in the morning." This made her laugh. 

"Well thank you," she said as if I told her something she never heard before. "Do you want to know a secret?" Of course she doesn't wait for my answer. "Onew came last night." A satisfied smirk is written on her face. Now she got my attention. "I overheard them fighting. My mom is not the best person right now. She wants this wedding over with. I think the media is having a festival about our families and about dad's reputation and my mom hates that." I looked away and pretended to look at the beautiful garden in front of me. "He cried." Again, this got my attention but I did not look back at her. "The last time I saw Onew cry was at my grandmother's funeral. He was 9." 

So what if he cried? Anyone could cry.

"Where are you going?" She asked when I suddenly stood up. 

"I'm done eating, I'd like to go to my room."

"Okay," she said also standing up. "I'm quite glad you'd be leaving in a few days. Well, I liked having you around because I have someone to talk to but you're not so great in the evening." This stopped me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I turned to find a look of pity on her face but it didn't last long.

"Your screams wake up the whole household. I thought someone was being tortured but it was only you. We couldn't even wake you the first time it happened. The nurse said to let you be. You have a nightmare every night. What happened that made you dream of it every night? You don't actually say anything. You just scream and scream. Well except for that one night." Soojung loves to tell stories. She knows how to keep me interested. 

"Whatever," I said. 

"Who is Jiyoung?" She asked and I froze. Did I scream my dead brother's name? I don't even remember having a nightmare about him. "Come on, I told you things that I never tell anyone. Why don't you share your secrets too."

I'm done hiding. I'm done pretending. If I was saved and given a new life. I will live it the way I want. 

"You really want to know?" Soojung nods, excitement written on her face. "Jiyoung is... was my brother."

"Oh..." She had the decency to looked sorry for a moment. "What happened to him?"

"And here I thought you had my whole life investigated." 

"My parents did, I only got tidbits of it." At least she was honest so I decided to tell her.

"Jiyoung died when I was 16."

"That was the time you were sent away." So she does know something about my life. 

"Yes."

"Why did he uhm die?"

"My brother died because of me."

Soojung looked puzzled but I could also see the pity in her eyes. That look again. I hate that look. 

"Did he save you or something?"

"No, I killed him."

-

New characters but won't be revealed soon. Of course you already know Krystal is part of this story as Onew's sister. 

I miss writing and I feel kinda lost somehow. So I hope you can leave comments and thanks for subscribing! Love lots to xxgreen27 x mymamylia  x Oebmoon