FLAME - EPISODE 3

Authoress pov

“This is the news that is reaching our station”,the TV presenter began.

“One of the biggest empire Korea has ever seen LEE EMPIRE will be inaugurating its new CEO and its none other than Korea most eligible bachelor Lee Jim-in. He will be taking over from his grandfather on his twenty-fifth birthday and so in that light he will be staying permanently in Korea and will finish his last year in the prestigious Jin College”,the Tv presenter ended her word and a picture of Jim-in is showed fully on the screen.

“The rumors are true”,one of the ladies who was watching the news from Jin college squealed in delight and as if the students are been controlled,they all began screaming,squealing and gushing at the news they all heard.

“Our oppa is coming here!”

“Ohh!I’ll start caring about my appearance!”

“I’ll go and get my nails and face done”

“I need a skin bleach”

“I don’t have any class on that day but I’ll come”

“I won’t miss Monday for the world”

Different expression from the students of Jin college once they realized that Jim-in will be finishing his last year of studying business administration in their school.

LEE JIM-IN

I am at Park Taeyhung home with So ji-hoo and I just finished watching the news that was released from the Lee network. One of the Lee companies.

Its my dad handiwork!

He did that so it won’t be possible for me to escape. He doesn’t want me to leave and the only way to do that is to let the world know that I am attending Jin college and so if no one sees me there it will be easier to find out. He doesn’t know that I dont have any plan of leaving anyways since I have my close friends beside me. I really missed them!

“The old man really has a lot of tricks running through his head”,Ji-hoo chuckled and leaned back on the sofa while I lay in the S shaped sofa.

Park Tae is the quiet one amongst us. He only talks when necessary.

“How is the bullying in Jin college?”,I asked out of curiosity.

“Ohh! Its escalating everyday and the poor amongst us is having it hard as they bear all the pain”,Ji-hoo said in an amused tone while Tae just stared at us,obviously listening.

JUNG AERA

PREVIOUSLY…

When I walked into my home,the sight of my mom sitting and glaring at the door welcomed me. I gulped in with fear.

“What is it by the time?”,her voice came out dangerously cold.

“6pm”,I shivered.

“What time did I tell you to come home?”,she asked another question.

“5pm”,I shivered again in fear.

“So what is your excuse?”,,she asked as she shot death glared at me.
Each question coming out with an entirely different and more colder tone making me get the message that I AM DOOMED!

“Umma”,I stuttered and decided to still talk.

I explained everything to her and she sighed.

It made my erratically beating heart to lower its rate,making me having a tiny hope that I am saved.

“A rich lady came to your Godforsaken laundry mart?”,she sneered.

I nodded quickly.

“She forgot her black card and pass card at your laundry mart?”,her voice coming out more like my explanation was a joke.

“And you didn’t get anything in return?”,she continued her torrent of question while I kept nodding my head asserting that she is correct.

She scoffed and walked up to where I am standing.

It was then it dawned on me that she thought I am lying and that I made the story up.

“Umma…

Befire I can finish my statement a slap lands on my face causing the bag of clothes I am holding to fall to the floor.

“Do you take me for a fool?”,she raved and kicked me making me sprawl on the floor.

“Umma”,I cried out in pain.

“You want to know what I’d really do to you if you disobeyed right?”,she kicked me again and rushed into her room.

I cried in fright as I knew that nothing good will come out of it once my mother steps out of the room. Luckily the door to the main entrance opened and Ara walked in with a small bag slung over her shoulder in a lazy manner.

“Ara”,I crawled to where she stood as I can’t stand straight with the pain in my lower abdomen.

She frowned once she lowered her eyes and she saw I was the one.

“Please,help me beg umma”,I pleaded with her.

Right now she is the only one who can save me because mother listens to her more than me.

“Why?”,her frown deepened as she took a step away from me.

“She thinks I disobeyed her and I didn’t”,the tears spilled the more out of my eyes.

“Did you cook dinner?”.

That was the question Ara could think of to ask me while I even pleaded.

“I came late”,I told her.

She threw her bag to me and because I didn’t expect her to do that,I couldn’t dodge it and it met me and my head hit the ground,not to hard though but hard enough to make one vision spin.

“You expect me to plead for you? You didn’t even prepare dinner”,she raved and bent to slap me.

Mother came out and smiled at Ara and then Ara began to throw tantrums.

“Mother,I am very hungry and I am coming back to meet no food at home. This isn’t fair!”.

“Aera even asked me to go to the kitchen and prepare my own meal that as I can see she is suffering right now because of me”.

I opened my mouth to say something but shut it back. One thing I have learnt is that I can never counter Ara word and it will always be her word against mine with mother.

“I just came back from a tiring class with a strict professor and now I didn’t meet any food”,she sobbed.

“You see what you caused?”,my mom glared at me.

She hugged and pacified Ara and gave her money to eat at the tasty restaurant close by and also promised to prepare her favorite dish for her tomorrow.

The show of affection made my heart ache.

This is all I ever wanted…to be loved! To have a feel of familial love and warmth! I have never,ever gotten that!

Ara left and smirked at me.

“Pray to any gods to keep you alive after I am done with you”,mother fumed and brought out a whip which according to her she bought for me whenever I misbehave excessively.

For Christ’s sake! I am twenty one and still treated as a child!

This is against the law but who am I to complain.

The first whip landed on me and I screamed in pain and that’s how my punishment for the night began.

PRESENTLY……

“Mother! Look what I found in Aera’s room”,that’s Ara’s voice coming from my room.

I frowned as I mopped the floor. What is she looking for in my room?

“Aera,come here! Now!”,my mother voice came out dangerously.

I rushed to my ‘room’. It shouldn’t even be called a room because it was originally a store room which was converted to a room for me.

“Mother”,I announced my presence.

“Who gave you this money?”,she stared at me.

I bit my lips until I tasted my blood. Why was I so careless to leave it on the only bedside stool in my room. I didn’t realize that I left it there after I got whipped yesterday,with my aching body that I slept off after much crying.

“Its the lady I helped yesterday”,I answered.

“You are still sticking to that story”,my mom exaggeratedly rolled her eyes at me.

“But umma I am not lying”,I said.

“Are you trying to say that I am a fool who can’t make a good judgment”.

I kept quiet.

“Since you decided to keep the truth away from me on how you got this money…take it”,she handed it to me and told me to buy the two things she mentioned with the money. She needs it to prepare Ara favorite dish.

I wanted to object but held it in. My body is still aching from all the beatings and kicking of yesterday and I don’t think my soul can keep up with another round this morning.

I already planned the money and decided to only spend it whenever mother refuses to give me food but now all my plans will be futile.

I left for nearest market.

I wore my only faded and torn hoodie to at least cover my face that still has traces of the hell I went through yester-night.

I quickly bought what she sent me and I was even running home to avoid her wrath today. As I was running a white saloon car was also passing my way and sped into the porthole and splashed water on my dress.

Just great!,I rolled my eyes.

The door opened and a lady stepped out to apologize.

“So sorry”.

Her voice is familiar but with that pink sunglass I can’t really tell if she is the one…I can’t risk an embarrassment!

“Its you!”,her voice came with pure delight.

She removed her sunglass and it turned out to be the lady I helped yesterday and also got into trouble for. Not that I regret helping the lady!

“I went to where she worked and I was told you called in sick,what happened?”,she asked with a worried tone and even tried to touch my forehead but I took a step back.

“Yes..I am sick”,I said with a hushed tone.

How can I let her touch my injured face with her smooth and clear hand. Its not like I will carry my bruised body and battered face to work.

“Come in,let me take you to your home”,she offered.

“No”,I declined hastily.

She frowned but still insisted and at the end I had to enter. It would at least save up time for me and maybe,just maybe,I can escape another hell.