chapter fifteen

I wake up at the sound of chair scrapping against the tile. It’s hurting my ears. My eyes slowly adjust to the dim light in the room. My guess is uncle taking me to old warehouse somewhere in suburban. Easy to predict, right?The man has no creativity at all. Or probably if he has, it’s because his lack of money and access. The prick!

I notice that he has untied my hands which are now lying limp on my lap. My wrists have cuts over here and there though.

“Do you have some water?” Since my mouth feels like swallowing hot charcoal and so dry, I force myself to ask.

My uncle laughs. “Still act like the spoiled princess as you used to be.”

God, not this again. What is wrong with him? “I asked politely. And I you’d rather let me die of dehydration, go ahead. It’s your choice anyway.”

He glares at me. For a moment, I thought he is going to hurl the chair in his hand in my direction. Thank God, he didn’t do it. I watch him from the dirty couch as he rummages inside his traveling bag and pulls out a bottle of mineral water. I mumble thank when I take the bottle from him. At least the seal is still intact when I open it. I gulp down the whole bottle.

“So, where’s Aunt Yi?” It’s impossible to keep my mouth shut when he’s being nice enough not to tie my hands.

Uncle’s face is clouded for a moment before he let out hoarse laugh. “She left.”

“When?” Did she really? I mean Aunt Yi loves – or used to love – my uncle deeply. What happens with them? I thought they are still together.

“A year after you were taken by the social worker.”

For a moment, I feel little empathy for this man. “Why did she do that?”

He laughs harshly that I cringe in my seat. My uncle can be really creepy sometime, especially if he loses his self-control. I always thought that he has a personality problem. A bipolar probably? Who knows? It’s so hard to decipher his swinging mood.

“She left me because of you, .” He glares a hole between my eyes. “She felt guilty for her lack of care when you still lived with us. She said her love for me was driving her nuts.”

My jaw must be gaping wide at his confession. No way! He must be imagining thing. The two of them, they were the very spawns of Satan. They made me work in my own house to pay for my meal. They said nasty things about me, shouting, cursing all the time. They stole everything my parents left for me. And the highlight of my cruel childhood was they gave me to the debt collector since they couldn’t pay their debt. Story of my life.

“Then why am I here?”

“Either you’re playing dumb or are you really stupid, huh?” He sneers down at me.  “That boyfriend of yours, Jung Yunho, will pay big for you.”

I gape again. “Why would you think that?”

He let out a snort that makes him sound like a horse. “You’ve got him wrapped tight in your little fingers. He’ll be willing to do anything to have you again.”

Dread fathers in the pit of my stomach. I won’t let him hurt Yunho or anyone for that matter. It’s between him and me. “Don’t involve him. I can work for you.”

“ yourself out, you mean?”

Son of a !

I close my eyes and work to even my breathing again. Don’t take the bait Yuri. “I have college degree. I can work in big company and make money for you.”

Even hearing myself speaking that out makes my inside clenched. I’ve tried so hard to get free myself from his tight grip only to be back again? God must be joking me!But I must do this. “Listen, I have saving. You can use it to . . . well pay half of your debt.”

I hope my guess is right. A man as poor as him can’t be having huge amount of debt, can he?

He turns to me with hands on his bulging waist. “I’m talking about millions with your boyfriend here.”

Color drains from my face. Fear slowly changes into years of resentment. He’s not going to use me again to get what he wants.Who the hell does he think he is? There’s no use to wish that I could change him into the man before my parents’ d