SAKI
I remained silent. I lay on the bed, secretly enduring the pain in my body. It hurt to move.
I could feel Grie’s arm draped over my bare skin. I knew he had been awake for a while, choosing to stay quiet just like me.
“Why?” My voice came out hoarse as I stared blankly at nothing. “Why did you do this, Grie? What did I ever do to you?”
I felt like crying again—but I held myself back. My voice was already raw from all the screaming and sobbing last night. What else could I do? That was all I could manage. He was too strong, and there was no way I could escape him.
He shifted slightly. His hold on me tightened, and I felt his lips brush against the back of my ear.
What else was I expecting? I knew he wouldn’t answer.
I fell silent again. After a while, he suddenly pulled away from me. I felt the bed sink as he sat up.
“Fix yourself,” he said coldly.
Then I heard the door open and shut.
When I turned to look at where he had been, he was already gone.
Slowly, I sat up and let the blanket fall from my body. I tried to stand, but my legs nearly gave out. I barely managed to hold onto the edge of the bed to keep myself from falling.
That was when I saw it—blood staining the sheets.
I stared at myself in the mirror when I entered the bathroom. My skin was marked—red from my neck down to my chest, covered in kiss marks. Everything hurt. The pain between my legs was unbearable. Parts of my body ached too, bruises forming where I had struggled against him even though I knew I didn’t stand a chance.
I lowered my head and stared at my feet.
I turned on the shower and let the cold water drench me completely.
Just like how I felt inside—cold.
I didn’t know why, but I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. My mind was blank, as if it was nothing but air inside my head.
When I finished, I dressed myself right away. I moved like a machine, following instructions I wasn’t even aware of.
Once I was done, I left Grie’s room. Even though my whole body hurt, I forced myself to walk, to act as if nothing had happened. I even chose clothes that covered every inch of my skin.
As soon as I got downstairs, I was greeted by loud voices—Augustus and the others.
“I know you’re the craziest one among us, but I didn’t think you’d actually prove it,” I heard Caleb say.
I glanced at them. They were sitting together in a circular couch—one that looked custom-made just for them.
“Shut up before I stab you,” Augustus muttered irritably.
“Dude, too much violence. You just got out of prison,” Fox said.
I sighed. I was about to walk past them, hoping they wouldn’t notice me, but then my older brother, Caleb, called out to me.
I cursed under my breath.
“Hey, where are you going?” Fox asked.
I turned to look at them, forcing a small smile. They were all here—even Grie, who was staring straight at me.
I swallowed hard and quickly looked away from his intense gaze.
“Ah… just going outside to get some air,” I said.
I was about to turn away again when Soren suddenly called my name.
"Saki!"
I turned around once more, only to find Soren standing right in front of me.
Her brows were furrowed. She reached out and gently took my wrist, lifting my hand slightly. Then she looked me up and down.
“What are you doing?” I asked, confused.
“Who touched you?” she asked in a quiet voice.
Huh?
I was startled and looked straight into her blue eyes.
"What?" I pretended not to understand her question.
I stole a glance at Grie, who was still staring at me—his gaze piercing right through my soul. A cigarette was resting between his lips, and it seemed like he had noticed that Soren was questioning me.
"I said, who touched you?" Her voice was sharp. "You can't even walk properly, like someone took you by force."
It wasn’t a question.
And her expression—I couldn’t read it.
It looked like Soren knew.
My stomach dropped when I saw the anger on her beautiful face.
She turned away from me and marched straight toward Grie, who was casually exhaling smoke.
"Since when did you become a rap*st?!" Soren shouted before throwing a punch straight at Grie’s face.
Everything stopped.
Everyone froze in place.
It was as if an angel had passed by because suddenly, the whole room fell dead silent.
"The hell is wrong with you?" Grie growled irritably, rubbing his jaw where Soren had hit him.
Then, his gaze shifted to me.
Dark. Unreadable. Heavy.
I wanted to tell them everything—to break down, to scream, to beg them to take my side.
But my body wouldn't move.
Nothing came out of my mouth.
I just stood there—staring back at Grie.
I knew. I knew they wouldn’t tolerate this. They were all insane, but I knew they wouldn't just let this slide.
And yet… I felt hurt.
"Kuya!" Soren shouted again. "You son of a bitch!" She grabbed Grie by the collar and yanked him violently, forcing his attention back to her. "Since when did you learn to force yourself on a woman?! You’re disgusting!"
Grie’s voice was eerily calm when he responded. "Why?" He met her glare head-on. "Did she say that?" Every word was sharp, deliberate.
"The way she walks and those bruises are more than enough, you damn animal!"
Bruises?
I glanced down at my wrist.
So that’s why she held me by the wrist earlier…
The faint outline of handprints was visible on my skin, the marks of a grip so tight that it left an imprint.
"Is that true, Grie?" The one who had been silent all this time—Kuya River—finally spoke. His voice was cold, deadly. "I’ll kill you if what Soren is saying is true."
"What the hell is happening?" Caleb muttered, turning to me. "Saki, did Kuya do this to you?" He let out a frustrated sigh. "Seriously, what the heckis wrong with this family? Like, what the actual hell?!"
I didn’t answer.
I stayed silent.
But I knew… I knew they already understood my response—it was a yes.
A tear escaped from my eye. I quickly looked away.
"I just want to go home," I whispered.
But before I could say anything more, Grie suddenly appeared in front of me, grabbing my hand and dragging me back upstairs—back to his room.
"Grie, stop it!" I yelled, yanking my hand away from his grip.
He slammed the door shut behind us before turning to face me.
I hit him—hard—against his chest.
"What the hell is your problem?!" I screamed at him, my breathing heavy from trying to hold back my sobs. "I wanna go home! I want to see my sister! What else do you want from me?!"
And just like that—I broke down again.
"I won’t tell anyone… Just let me go home…" I hiccupped through my words. "You don’t want me to be happy, right? F-Fine. I’ll break up with Ginger if that’s what it takes to make you feel at peace..."
…If you even have a conscience.
I hit his chest again—harder.
I was furious. Hurt.
He didn't even flinch. His face remained unreadable.
"Damn it, say something!" I screamed again, my voice now hoarse. "Why are you doing this to me?! Why can’t you just let yourself be happy?!"
Then suddenly—he held my shoulders.
Gently.
And in his eyes—I saw something I had never seen before.
Not even back when we were still together.
"… I still love you," he muttered under his breath.
I froze.
Stared at him, stunned.
His breathing was ragged, and his gaze was locked onto mine.
"Do you really think I could ever be happy?"
His face drew closer—so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my lips.
Then, in a whisper, he said—
"I will never be happy, Saki."
And just like that—he let go of me.
He walked out of the room, leaving me alone.
Alone—in silence.
****