Chap2
A crime to be aliveSeeing Jooyeon every weeks was the only thing that made Uee strong enough to stood up every morning and live in this hell. Two months passed now and Uee started getting used to this life… until this day…
Jooyeon was already on the little room waiting for her, it was the visit day.
« What happened?! » Asked Jooyeon immediately, seeing the bruises on Uee’s face.
Uee looked down. « It’s nothing, tell me, what did you do this week? »
« Kim Uee. » Said Jooyeon. « Tell me what happened. »
« I had a fight. » Just said Uee trying to not cry in front of Jooyeon.
« Why? » Asked Jooyeon worried. « I thought you were fine and that nobody was mean to you… You told me that you were fine… »
Uee swallowed hard. « I… I lied, I didn’t wanted you to worry. But it’s nothing, they wanted to stole my food again but I told them to stop and they hit me, luckily the guardians stopped them. » Explained Uee quickly.
« I will find a way to take you out of this. I swear, I won’t let them hurt you. » Said Jooyeon. « You don’t deserve this. » Uee started crying. Jooyeon feel so powerless, she wanted to break this glass and took Uee in her arms but she couldn’t. « I’m so sorry… » Said Jooyeon.
« I’m so sorry too… » Said Uee. « I thought I would be strong enough to live here during four years, but it’s too much… Even thinking that it’s worth the new life I will live after this, I can’t it’s too hard… »
Jooyeon put her two hands on the glass, waiting for Uee put hers too. « I wish I could touch you right now… » Said Jooyeon.
« Time’s over. » Said the guardians opening the door for Uee.
Jooyeon waited for Uee to left before crying too.
***
Jooyeon didn’t came the next week, neither the week after. Uee was now crying every night in her bed. The girls were humiliating Uee at every shower, her lunch were stolen every day now, luckily the breakfast and the supper were eating in the cells. It was already hard before, but without seeing Jooyeon it was worst.
Her last strength left her, she didn’t even left her cell during the afternoon at the hours when they can go out in the yard. She just stay curled in her bed crying.
After a month without seeing Jooyeon, Uee finally had a visit. She tried to look good, she didn’t wanted Jooyeon to see her dark rings under her eyes. She brushed her hair and followed the guardian. She heard the door closing behind her and sat. Nobody was here yet. Uee started stressing a little, her legs were trembling. Then someone entered the little room and sat in front of the glass.
Uee frowned, it wasn’t Jooyeon. It was her lawyer. She took the phone.
« Hello. » She said hesitating.
« Hello Uee. » Said the man. « You are summoned tomorrow at the criminal court. » He said to her.
« Why, what is it? » She asked worried.
« It’s about your husband murder. » He said. « We have an another suspect. »
« What? » Asked Uee almost jumping out of her chair. « Jooyeon, don’t tell me it’s Jooyeon?! »
He looked down. « I know you wanted to protect her, but she called me and explained she wanted to be judged too, she confessed the crime to the police so she will be judged, and we need you because you kind of are a witness. » He explained.
« I will kill this girl… » Groaned Uee with rage.
Her lawyer bit his lips. « Be ready, we will pick up you tomorrow morning. » He said to her before leaving.
***
The next day, they took Uee out of the prison, they sat her in the court, Jooyeon was here, sitting in front of the judge. Uee’s lawyer beside her.
It started and Jooyeon confessed being the one using the knife. Uee stood up.
« No, it’s not true, don’t do that. » She cried, before some cops made her sit again.
Jooyeon looked at her in the eyes. « You know it’s true, I was the one killing him. I saw him hitting you, I couldn’t stay here and watch, so I took the knife. » Said Jooyeon again.
Uee was crying, she had her hands on her face. Jooyeon sat again, the lawyer stood up. He did his job, exposing the husband alcohol problems, and that he often hit his wife…
And before he was done, Uee stood up again. « That true, she hit him first with the knife, but I did it too. » She said. « If you don’t want me to protect you, then don’t try to protect me. » She said looking at Jooyeon in the eyes. « After this, we agreed to left the country, but I got caught. » Said Uee. « And this, is the truth. »
The judge looked at them before announcing they needed to deliberate…
3 months ago:
Jooyeon was at Uee's house, they were cooking some cakes. It was a saturday like a lot of others. They often met on week-end.
Uee put the cake in the oven and sat on the couch. Jooyeon saw a bruise on Uee's leg.
« What is it? » She asked worried.
« I just knock into the table the other day. » Explained Uee smiling.
Jooyeon frowned. « Did he hit you again? » Asked Jooyeon sitting beside her friend.
Uee shook her head. « No it’s been two months that he did nothing to me. » Explained Uee. « You know I just do everything he want and it’s okay. Don’t worry. »
Jooyeon looked down. « It’s not a life, you can’t live like that. Your husband don’t have to hit you because you don’t want to sleep with him whenever he want or cook exactly what he want…You know, you can left him. You could come to my house… » Said Jooyeon.
« You know he would come and hit the two of us till death if we do this. » Said Uee sadly.
« I will take you far away one day, I just need more money… » Explained Jooyeon.
Uee smiled at her. « I trust you, but now I just want some times with my best friend I don’t want to talk about him. He’s not here, and won’t come until late tonight. » Said Uee hugging Jooyeon. « Which movie do you want to see? » Asked Uee standing up ready to look at the dvd’s they have in the house.
Jooyeon stood up and took Uee’s hand. « Uee… » Said Jooyeon in a whisper. « I need to tell you something. » She said coming closer to the younger girl. « I…I love you. » She said.
Uee smiled. « I love you too, you stupid girl. » Laughed Uee.
« No I mean. I really love you more than the friendly way. » Added Jooyeon getting closer and kissing Uee on the lips.
At first Uee didn’t move, she was a little shocked, but finally, she started answering the kiss slowly.
They quickly pulled apart hearing a loud noise. They turned around and saw Uee’s husband frowning at them, he had broken the kitchen table.
« That’s not what you think. » Said Uee quickly, entering the kitchen and collecting all the things that were on the table before he over turn it.
Jooyeon looked down and quickly helped Uee, afraid by the tall man who looked at them with rage. « You want to humiliate me?! » He shouted knocking out the chairs. Uee and Jooyeon stood up and moved back, trying to get away from him, but they hit the kitchen counter.
Uee was trembling, Jooyeon could feel it. He was coming closer to them. The smell of the alcohol was so strong that Jooyeon felt nauseous « I will kill the two of you. » He said putting his hands around Uee neck to strangle her. Jooyeon tried to made him go away but he was too strong. Beside her, on the counter were the kitchen knifes, she took one and hit him in the stomach, once then, twice and finally thrice.
He let go of Uee who fell on the floor and turned to Jooyeon. « You ! » He said hitting her. She fell beside the broken table and he started kicking her with his feet.
Uee stood up and took the knife that Jooyeon let go when the man hit her and hit him quickly with the knife again, and again and again, he stopped moving and looked at Uee frowning. It was the first time she saw this look on his eyes. How could he be standing with all the knife wound he had in his stomach and on his side…He started approaching her slowly, looking at her in the eyes. She walked away a little. He was loosing his blood but still tried to go after Uee. Jooyeon took her last strength and caught his feet making him fell loudly. She straddled him and hit him with her firsts till he didn’t move anymore. Then she fell exhausted on the floor beside the dead body.
Uee dropped the knife and run the Jooyeon. « Are you okay?! » She asked shaking the bloody girl under her.
Jooyeon opened her eyes and nodded. « He’s…? He’s dead…? » Uee nodded. « It’s over then… » Said Jooyeon sitting. Her body was hurting, she looked at Uee, her neck was red, she could she the hands mark around Uee’s neck. « You? Are you okay? » She asked putting her hand on Uee neck, caressing the girl slowly.
Uee nodded again. « What are we going to do? » She asked looking at the mess and the dead body in her kitchen.
The judge came back with the member of the jury, he look at the two young women. « We decided that it would be three years for the two of you. » He said.
Uee looked at him with wide eyes. His lawyer smiled and bowed to the judge. The cops took the two girls. The lawyer followed them.
« Three years better than four. » He said to then. « I will try my best to made you release after one year, maybe put you on parole. » He explained. « If I gain help from some woman defence associations. »
« Thank you. » Said Jooyeon hugging him. Uee just looked down.
They put them in the truck, direction the prison…
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