To My Youth: Love, Agatha | 양정원 (Lonely Hearts #1)

Prologue

No.

Mom left to work.

Life has always been tough. I was aware we're not rich. My parents can't buy fancy stuff and clothes for us, but they always make sure our stomachs aren't empty. They even try their best to send us to school to give us a proper education so we don't have to experience what they have been through all of our lives.

They?

No, I was wrong.

All of my life, my mother has been the one who has been providing for us. My dad? He's always at home.

He was supposed to take care of us, but he was doing the opposite.

Although he never treated us right, I never got mad at him. I always try to understand him. But I think I was wrong for doing that because he got worse than before. Especially when Mama left home to work.

"I know I did save enough money, Papa. Mama and I saved that money for my education. Where did my savings go?" he spat on me and smacked my head with his masculine hand with disgust. Maybe I sounded offensive by the way I asked him about the money. And even if I try to talk to him nicely, he will always think of my words as 'desperate' and 'pathetic'.

I stared at his feet while he was mumbling things I couldn't understand. I'm starting to feel dizzy, and my world felt turning around. My vision wasn't that clear, and my body was aching.

What's happening to me?

"You're so full of yourself, huh? So what if you saved that money? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even get that job! I made you work to save money for us, not for your college tuition fee!"

My mouth was left open, unable to speak a word. What he said was too much!

Mom never said that to me... I bet she doesn't know about his plans either. How can he be so cruel? He made me work. I obeyed his rules even if sometimes, it was already hurting us.

"Your mom left us, right? Maybe she was the one who took your money so she could treat herself and his other man! Fuck this life!" I screamed when he threw the table on the wall where it almost hit my younger sister. He threw another bottle of beer in my face and glared at me once again before hitting my head twice. His eyes darkened, before lifting me while holding my jaw.

"Stop keeping your hopes up for nothing, kid." He smacked my head twice as his grip around my jaw tightened, just enough to make me wince in pain. "Keep dreaming and never wake up bitch," he threw me on the floor before leaving the house. He even kicked me on the ground before completely setting his foot out of the scene.

How can he say those words to me? How can he badmouth my mom when she sacrificed everything for our family? She even... sacrificed her health.

My mama always chose us. How can he not do the same?

"Agatha, why are you crying?" My little sister woke up from her sleep. She crawled in my direction while gently rubbing her eyes, and her cheeks were red from her father's slap. I carried her and let her sit on my lap. My hand traveled on her rosy cheeks when she yelped in pain.

"Ouchie, Agatha,"

I sighed. Aeia is still young. She's just a child.

A four-year-old kid who had been beaten up several times for playing and scattering toys on the ground. Honestly, I pity her more than myself because I had the chance to explore and enjoy the things I had when I was her age without getting beaten up... without having the fear of doing things I want to do. She's a child, yet she's been through a lot.

I once attempted to tell the authorities about our situation... to seek help, but I got nothing. My father found out and threatened us. He said he was going to kill us, so I couldn't do more.