[EDITING] Stay With Me | Lai Guanlin

∆21

No one's POV

The next morning, they washed dishes together after having breakfast. Guanlin did not mention anything about the kiss, and that's how Yunhee felt relieved. One of the thungs she likes about him is because he would avoid making her feel uncomfortable.

"Hey, uyu," he called, his hands still wiping the plates dry.

"Yeah?" she replied, eyes still on the dishes.

"You're nervous, aren't you?"

"Nervous of what?"

"To spill the beans. To tell everything to your mom."

His words caused her hands to stop working. She turned her gaze towards him. "How do you know?"

He flashed a warm smile to her. "It's all written on your face. And if I were in your shoes, of course I would be nervous too."

She lightly sighed before looking at the dishes again.

"It's okay, Yunhee. You'll be fine. I'll be with you. We'll do this together. Okay?"

She smiled in reply. "Thank you, Guanlin."

_/_/_/  _ \_\_\_

Guanlin's POV

"Yah."

"What?" I smiled.

"Do you really have to put my name in your essay?" Yunhee asked, her index finger pointing towards the paper where I wrote my essay.

I shrugged my shoulder. "I couldn't think of any other name, though. And by the way your name sounds the best."

"Is that a pick up line?" She asked, showing her 'meh' face.

I nodded. "It is."

"Lame," she commented, earning me to hold my chest. "Ouch! Guanlin is hurt!"

She burst out laughing. "Serve you right."

I laughed at her response.

Ding! Dong!

The sudden bell ringing caused both of us to stop laughing. Yunhee looked at me with nervousness plastered on her face. I gave a signal that everything is going to be fine, before getting up and went to the front door.

I opened the door wide, revealing a woman who I assumed to be Yunhee's mother since they looked kind of the same. She came with a man, his husband, maybe.

"Yes, madam? What can I help you?" I went towards them and asked politely.

Before Mrs Kim could say anything, the man interrupted, "Cut the crap. Just let us bring our daughter back to home."

I looked at the man, trying my best to not give him a disgusted gaze. Well I almost tell his doings towards Yunhee to Mrs Kim.

"I'm sorry, young man. But Sohye told me that our daughter, Yunhee is here. Can you call her out? She needs to go home," Mrs Kim said.

"I'm not going home." Yunhee came and stood beside me, her eyes filled with disgusted and fear towards his stepfather.

"Pardon?" Mrs Kim seemed startled by her words. Her gaze changed to a sharp one.

"You heard me, mom. I'm not coming with you," she boldly repeated, though her voice sounded a bit shaky.

"What do you mean you're not going home? You're coming with us!" Mrs Kim said, looking all furious.

"No, mom! I'm not!"

"Why? Is it because this boy?" Mrs Kim pointed to me. "Tell me, Kim Yunhee! You're leaving home just because of a boy? I never taught you to be such a slut!"

Yunhee and I both were shocked by her statement. I could see Yunhee clenched her fists, tears already forming in the corner of her eyes.

Luckily mom and noona is not at home.

"I am not a slut! You literally know nothing, mom! You never know anything about me because you never care! I'm not going home just to get my life ruined by this disgusting husband of yours!"

Pang!

I was beyond shocked to see Mrs Kim slapped Yunhee real hard on her cheek.

"Madam.."

"Shut up!" Mrs Kim stopped me from saying anything. I could see her husband smirked. "Watch your mouth! I never taught you to be such a rude! How can you say that your own father?"

Yunhee flashed a smirk, with blood flowing from the corner of her lips. "No, mom! This man isn't my father! He never has been and he never will! My father passed away when I was 12, and you stopped caring about me since then. So why bother care now?"

Before Yunhee got slapped again, I quickly pulled her behind me. "No, please. Please don't hit her again, madam. You need to know the truth."

Mrs Kim turned her gaze to me. "What truth?"

I directed my gaze to her husband. "The true colours of your husband."

I saw the man seemed a bit nervous. "Wh-What do you mean, you little?"

"Let's go to your house now."

_/_/_/  _  \_\_\_

Yunhee switched on her laptop and connected the hidden camera to that laptop. She then clicked the recording from that night, where Mrs Kim's husband tried to rape her.

Mrs Kim gasped in shook, whilst her husband face became pale.

"Yet you're still trusting him, mommy?"

Mrs Kim looked at Yunhee, before turning her gaze towards her husband. "You, piece of shit..!" The man tried to hold her hand, saying, "I can explain, please.."

"Shut up! I don't believe you and I don't even need your freaking fake explanation! Enough! We're divorcing!" She strictly said, pulling her hand away. Disgusted.

"Yunhee.." Mrs Kim stepped towards her daughter, her eyes filled with guilty. "I'm sorry."

Yunhee flinched when her mother tried to hold her hand. Her tears fell down to her cheeks. "Thank you, mommy.. Thank you for not believing this daughter of yours. Thank you for trusting your beloved husband more than me. Thank you for hitting me.."

With that, she then pulled my hand. "Let's get going."

_/_/_/  _  \_\_\_

I fastened my pace, running after Yunhee. We arrived at a park, and she sat down on a bench. She bit her lower lip, trying her best to not sobbing. Though her cheeks were all wet by tears.

I softly sighed, before sitting down right next to her. Without hesitation, I pulled her into my embrace. "Let it all out, Yunhee. Don't hold yourself. Just cry as much as you want. You have my shoulder for you to cry on," I said, trying to calm her broken heart.

And she didn't refused. Her hands wrapped tightly around my waist as she bawled her eyes out. Hiccups could even be heard when she sobbed.

It broke my heart to see her being like this.

"It's pathetic, Guanlin..." She said between her sobs. "It's pathetic how my family's condition is.."

I stroked the back of her head. "Shh... It'll be fine sooner, Yunhee.."

"I miss my dad..."

"I miss the old mommy..."

"It's going to be fine, Yunhee. Trust me. I'll always be with you."

I tightened the hug, and planted a soft peck on her forehead.

"I love you."