Lea POV
“Lea! Why are you so stubborn!? I want you to learn these things because you are my youngest child! Your brother Aries already has a business! Your brother Min has a fiancée and his own company! And you—you're already 27 years old and still stuck being a designer that no one even buys from!?” Dad shouted at me. I had enough of hearing his insults.
“You won’t grow from designing clothes or any of that, Lea. I just want the best for you, so take this company!” he said.
“I don’t even like your company, Dad! I don’t want it!” He was shocked by what I said, but it only made him angrier.
“And you have the nerve to refuse? When your brothers—your brothers—would love to have this company! Then again, who are you to take care of my business!? All you know is sewing!” he yelled at me.
“I don’t want to handle this company! Give it to your talented children! I’m always the disobedient one anyway, right!? Why don’t you just give it to them since they’re the smart, well-mannered ones you’re proud of!” I shouted back. I was shocked when I received a hard slap from Dad.
“You’ve got some nerve!”
“Edward! That’s enough!” Mom hugged Dad, who was still furious at me.
I slowly looked at him before leaving his office and slamming the door behind me.
General POV
That night, Lea left their house to go to her friend Bryan’s birthday party. He was celebrating at a bar, so she went to join and brought a gift for him.
“Lea Veronica Lardez is in the house!!!” Rina screamed, and everyone inside the bar cheered.
Lea POV
“You’re drunk, Rina.” She hugged me and kissed my cheek before her camera flashed.
“I’m not ready!” I laughed at her, then lightly pushed her before grabbing a drink from the table.
When I turned to look at her, she was already dancing with a guy behind me.
“You’re drunk. Can you just sit?” I asked, but she shook her head while finishing her drink.
“No, I’m not!” She almost fell, and the guy caught her—but the way he held her arm felt wrong. I immediately pulled her away and made her sit beside me.
We kept drinking until we were both completely wasted.
Rina started crying again because of her dad. She’s always been the girl who does everything just to be noticed by her father. I’m the same—that’s why we became friends. But her dad could never hurt her like mine does.
“Your cheek is red… did your dad hurt you again?” she asked. I just smiled so she wouldn’t worry.
“I just put too much blush on. Doesn’t it look balanced?” I said.
I thought she’d believe me since she was drunk, but she touched the cheek Dad slapped earlier and gently caressed it.
With that simple touch, I suddenly felt weak and started crying—not because of the slap, but because of Dad’s words. They hurt so much, like I was crushed over and over again.
“Just keep sewing and painting, okay? Look, my outfit is beautiful, right?” she said proudly, making me smile as I hugged her tightly.
“Just follow what you want. One day, when you open your eyes, people will finally see your paintings and the clothes you’ve made,” she comforted me—and it worked.
The music on the dance floor got louder, so we went to the center and started dancing.
