TRIGGER WARNING: Implied rape and force by the end.
- Pete -
I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom with difficulty. I was aching to the point where it almost didn't hurt anymore. How long do I have to spend my life like this? I was physically and mentally tired. I was living like I wasn't human.
By now, the major clan must be thinking I was dead already. Boss Kinn, did you really forget about me? As for the young master, wasn't he feeling strange without me? Suddenly, I felt a little insecure. But if I looked at it from another angle, maybe he was looking for ways to help me. Porsche, Pol, Arm--they'd never forget me. Maybe everyone was doing something right now. Hurry up and help me. I don't know how much longer I could endure this.
Frail and fragile like I've never been before. I felt so much self-pity. I'm going to die!
I took a shower, washing my eyes and whole face. Good thing the bastard had some toiletries in the bathroom. It's just that I didn't know what I can and can't use. Or hey... Maybe I shouldn't shower at all. Make myself dirty so Vegas wouldn't dare to come near me. But I was terribly disgusted from the stains on my body. Just the thought of what Vegas was doing to me made me want to hurry up and wash it all off. That method wouldn't work. A person like me definitely couldn't stand my own condition like this.
I walked out of the bathroom and turned up the air conditioner to raise the temperature. I couldn't wear my shirt so it was so cold. I could only wear and put on some sweatpants that I randomly found inside his wardrobe. Fortunately, his height and body size were not much different from me. I didn't want to touch his stuff, but I had no choice!
After that, I went to eat the breakfast that Nop brought in. When I saw the things on the plate, I let out a big sigh. Sausages, fried eggs, and bread. Why the hell do they make me keep eating these? But that's just how it was in a rich man's house.
Except for the young master, that one eats weirdly. Tankhun would eat a lot, but sometimes he would choose not to eat, then sometimes he eats everything in front of him. I thought about him, and I really missed him. I would rather live with his childish insanity than to suffer from this kind of torture.
What was the difference between being at the second family's house and the main family's house? It's the word home.
The major clan was filled with high expectations and being a stronghold. But everyone respected each other and lived together with understanding. There were still controversies, but they all rose up and the family was held together in the love of the three brothers. It was a family with Boss Korn's nurturing and him keeping everything as beautiful as possible. It was a family with love, kindness, and caring for everyone in the house, making the major clan's home as strong as a big tree.
Meanwhile the minor clan was as hot as fire. Everyone tried to heal by themselves. It was like a plant that was about to run out of water. Despite the love the two brothers had for each other, it wasn't enough to make the home as beautiful as they wanted. I had been following Vegas for a week. I knew that he rarely came home. Macau, too. At first, I was surprised. But when I got here, I finally saw the cracks that appeared in their family's foundation.
I finished the food on the plate. I got up from the sofa and turned to look at the dark blue bedsheets that were folded near me. I felt deeply hurt that I had to see the second family being like this. But no, I gotta close my eyes and endure it. Go back to being angry with him again. I felt lost now.
Vegas, I'm not going to question how you grew up to be like this because I know you had these problems since you were a child.
I casually laid the sheets on the bed and took care of the pillow covers and blankets for a while. The idiot then entered the room. I quickly stopped everything I was doing and walked straight to him.
"Nop..."
"I came here to get the tray," Nop said without bothering to go near me, but I continued to follow him until the chain began to tighten.
"Nop, please help me." Even though I knew in my heart that the chances of him helping me were small, I wanted to try my best.
"I brought an air freshener as well. Vegas is a perfectionist. He doesn't like the smell of food in his bedroom. Oh... And you made the bed like that. Be careful, he might slap you again. This looks like a mess. Everything in the room must be perfect." That was all he said and immediately closed the door to my face.
"What the hell?!" I cursed angrily. I went back to the foot of the bed. I looked at the bed linens that was placed neatly by the corner. "I feel like it's going to wrinkle. Damn! Do I have to iron these now? Fuck!" I exclaimed as I sat down on the bed and questioned him in my mind.
What am I doing here?! Vegas, that bastard! What's good about his life?! He was only good-looking, but everything else was awful! I kept thinking and looking around the room where everything was kept. Keep it organized and tidy, huh? If I didn't, it'll probably make Vegas erupt again. He must really be a perfectionist. If he saw something he didn't like, he'd probably go insane like a crazy person. Huh, it must be like that.
So I managed to go and re-arrange all the books on the shelves. I took everything from its place and put them all in disarray. And the clothes inside the wardrobe, I'm going to tear them all apart until nothing's left. Just wait and see!
I stared at my masterpiece with a proud smile. His room! It was all a mess. The clothes in the closet were spilling out, all colors mixed in together. The bed linens were all crumpled. Wait and see, he's going to come back and go insane. Haha! He'll make a grumpy face and the blood vessels in his brain will burst. After that, he'll go rampant. After the rampage, he'll...
Shit! What the hell am I doing?! Why would I want him to be upset? I'm the one who's going to get doomed. Damn! You're stupid, Pete! Geez!
20 minutes later, I had went and finally put everything back in its place. Dammit! Now I was twice as tired. All I had to do was follow him so he'd get bored. If he was upset, he'd want to beat up Pete. Don't play his game!
The whole day I spent every minute tidying the room for him! If there was a ruler so I could measure how precise everything would be, I'd use it this minute! I lay on bed in exhaustion. Making it all messy was easy. Why was it so hard to clean it all up?
Screech~ The sound of the bedroom door being opened. I was startled, then I sat up and leaned my head against the bed's headboard.
"No... I'll send you some of my files tonight... You don't have to come, I'm a little busy. Let's meet tomorrow. Yeah," Vegas talked to his phone and casually placed a tray of food on the sofa. I started to look left and right, my body's movement were automatic. I was so paranoid that it couldn't be controlled.
"Sigh, I have to take the exam. The report has to be submitted. Bye." After he hung up, Vegas cursed out loud.
"..." I remained silent, staring fearfully at his actions.
"Come and eat this food. I'll feed it to you," the bastard Vegas looked at me. That just made my spine tingle instantly.
"..." I sat still, not daring to move. Every part of my body tensed up until they were almost cramping.
"I said, eat!" Vegas repeated his words, raising his voice.
I followed my plan in my head. I didn't argue, didn't resist, didn't speak or demand anything. It was easy to do. Even though I looked somewhat reluctant, I tried to make my face look normal as possible.
"..." I sat down on the sofa and turned my head to him so he could feed me. Fish steak with vegetable salad. Oh, why was it always like this?! I've been here for a long time. My figure is slimmer now for sure. Each meal I had was like a serving for ants!
"Behave like that. Good," said Vegas in a flat tone as he constantly brought the food to my mouth. I ate the food without caring about it.
Afterwards, the bastard Vegas went to grab a towel and headed straight to the bathroom. Seeing that, I was relieved and I let out a huge sigh. Well, today was easier. Otherwise, I would surely die.
I placed the dish on the table and didn't forget to spray the air freshener. I'll do whatever it takes to not make him upset. I was lazy, hurt, and tired! The bastard Vegas came out and wore his clothes, drying his hair with the towel. I was on the bed with his gaze also on me. I pretended I didn't notice and kept reading. I found a book and got it from Vegas' room to read so I could ease my boredom! Most of the books were obnoxiously in English. I couldn't read them. The book I was reading was about the philosophy of life. After reading it, I had a lot of determination, damn!
"Do you like reading books?"
"No," I bluntly replied. I really didn't like reading at all, but was there anything else in this room for me to do? I now understand what it's like for prisoners.
Vegas headed out of the room and walked back in with a laptop. He arranged a few books on the sofa table and then turned on his laptop. I didn't know what he was typing.
"Pete, come over here," Vegas called me, so I put down the book and naively walked towards him.
"..." I stood up and raised an eyebrow as if asking what was going on.
"You're acting weird. Did you eat something poisonous? Are you sick?" said Vegas, pulling my arm down to make me sit next to him on the sofa, placing his hand on my forehead. Shit! I'm nervous.
"It's not hot. You're so obedient today," Vegas frowned, looking at me in amazement.
"..." I pretended to look at the table instead.
"No mouth today? Why aren't you saying anything?" Vegas looked up at me in disbelief. He stared at me like I was a weirdo. So I looked back and gave him a small smile.
"Um, what's up?" Even though I wanted to scream at him, I wouldn't dare to say it. I couldn't speak or else he'd hit me again.
"What's wrong with you, Pete?!"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." My voice got a little higher so I adjusted it to sound as normal as possible.
"Okay, I'll let it be. I'm exhausted today. I came back and I have to do another report. Can you help me?" My face paled as soon as he finished speaking. This freak! What kind of help did he mean? He was being too vague.
"H-how?"
"Can you type in a computer?"
"I've been learning!" I jumped up suddenly, surprised.
I pursed my lips tightly because I accidentally opened my mouth. Dammit! If I yelled at him again, oh god! I was so confused. But I was relieved that he asked for help--real help--and not what I was thinking.
"Oh. Well, can you help me type this out? The one I highlighted. Type it in." I gritted my teeth as I thought to myself. Why don't you ask your younger brother for help? Why does it have to be me? But I have to do it...
"Sure, okay," I said hoarsely. Vegas still had a surprised face. But when I saw the laptop placed in front of me, my eyes immediately lit up. I could sneakily use my Facebook and chat someone for help.
"Huh, you don't have to make your eyes sparkle like that. It's not connected to the internet. Stop thinking about it." I sighed deeply. This lion knows everything. I sat down on the floor to make myself levelled with the laptop so I could type on it and leaned my back against the sofa.
I sat with Vegas, typing with difficulty because it was all in English. Fuck! If I typed it wrong, he might lash out on me. I had to survive first.
"I'm not good at English. I'll check it again later... It might be wrong." I tilted my head and looked up at Vegas who was staring at me.
Our eyes met for a moment. I didn't know why he was looking at me, but it made me pause for a moment. I quickly turned around and continued typing. Pete, concentrate and focus on the file in front of you as much as possible.
Vegas had been really busy these days. I saw that he had read a lot of books and had to make time to highlight the words I would type. It wasn't enough! I could see him talking to his friends on the phone almost every ten minutes. It felt the same back with Boss Kinn and Boss Kim when they were busy during exams.
Also when Khun had to take an exam, Arm, Pol, and I had to take turns reading aloud for him in the morning, noon, and evening. Even during his bedtime, meals, or when he's taking a shower, I had to yell the contents of his books line by line to make him remember everything in his brain. When I went to work for the major clan, he was already acting like a four-year-old. Otherwise, he would have been a lot smarter.
"Did you do that?" I was startled in surprise when Vegas leaned closer to me and used my finger to press the keyboard, scrolling through the screen. I caught a glimpse of Vegas which made my heart began to pulsate. A familiar smell wafted to my nose, automatically forming fear in me.
"Is this correct?" I tilted my head slightly to distance myself a little from Vegas. He nodded in response and then pulled away from me.
"Yes..." Vegas replied in a normal tone. He turned his attention back to the book in his hand.
Shit! Why am I so nervous today? It was almost as if I was talking to the normal Vegas who I met before in my daily life. But now, I wasn't used to it at all. It felt weird and uncomfortable.
After a while, everything was shrouded in silence. The only sounds were from me typing on the keyboard and the sound of book pages being flipped by Vegas. I only focused and concentrated on the screen. I kept repeating the words to avoid making mistakes. I worked as hard as I could because now, I was pretty relieved that Vegas wasn't as cruel and rampant as he used to. But then...
Suddenly, Vegas' slender finger approached me and gently stroked the corner of my mouth. I was slightly taken aback by his behavior before I turned to look at him who was lying on the sofa. His eyes stared at me with intensity.
"Does it hurt?" Vegas asked me softly. His finger continued to circle around the corners of my mouth and towards the sides of my cheeks. I wanted to yell at him that it hurts. The wound on the corner of my mouth still stung. And on my cheek, there was still a faint trace of his palm.
"No." I didn't dare to say too much because I didn't know what I might say.
"After this, don't be stubborn anymore. When you're good, you'll be fine... And you won't have to get hurt." Vegas pulled his hand away from my face and placed it back against the back of his head. He returned his gaze to continue staring at his book, and I was shocked!
Damn! I'm not used to this. I'm not familiar with the person he was showing to me. The hell?! Spit out the devil inside you, Vegas! But wait! Never mind, don't spit it. Eat it, swallow it, let it die, and don't let it come out again. Amen!
I went back to focusing on my work, feeling lost, dazed, and confused for a while. But I still tried to remember my goal. Wait and see. If he tells me to go left, I'll go left. Tell me to go right and I'll go right! I'll endure it! He'll be surprised until he'll have no fun at all, that idiot.
I turned my attention back to the words and typed it in. But the longer it got, the hungrier I was. There wasn't a single grain of rice in my stomach, dammit! Should I go tell Vegas? Would he feel pity for me? I'll ask if it's okay. Maybe I'll ask if there's anything to eat in the house? It was already late at night so, wasn't he hungry? Would that even work? Argh! Let's just do it.
I quarreled with my thoughts for a while before gathering the courage to turn to him and open my mouth to ask for something to eat.
"Zzz..." Vegas fell asleep. His book was now on his chest and his eyes were closed. He breathed in and out, and a loud snore resounded.
He must be tired. Good! I only had two lines left to type and I'll go to bed, too. Sigh~ I was relieved for one more day. I survived today! I quickly finished typing Vegas' report and folded down the laptop screen. I went to bed and snuggled under the blanket. It was so cold! The bedroom almost felt like a coffin from how cold it was. I turned to turn off the bedside light.
But... Is Vegas going to be cold? I glanced at him to see him lying in the same position without moving. He was just wearing his black satin pajamas and nothing else was covering him. Good! I hope he freezes to death! Should I lower the temperature even more? Should I make it so cold he would die?
In the end, I turned off the light and laid myself down comfortably. I closed my eyes, and I was prepared to relax and ignore him!
"Mom... Mom... Don't leave. Mom, I don't want to be alone."
I opened my eyes and turned on the bedside light again when I heard Vegas talking in his sleep. From what I know, he was speaking his true thoughts and feelings. He sounded so lonely and needed someone to protect him. I understood that feeling; people who demanded for attention and craved for love.
But don't think that I'll take pity or sympathy for him! I completely hate him! Maybe I should walk over and whisper in his ear and say, 'This is dad'? Oh, no, no, no. I'm starting to think like Tankhun now.
I thought for a long time before I got out of bed again. This time, I'll act like a good person! If I put a blanket to cover him, maybe he'll be grateful once he wakes up? Maybe he'll stop yelling at me. Because in this room, there was only me with him. Maybe he'll appreciate me for that. Hmm... I'm really worried about how he'd feel. But he might see how good I am and then he'll say, 'I can release the chain for you. You're so nice, go back to your normal life and follow it!'
That's right! You're a good person, Pete! Keep on going!
I went to grab a blanket from the closet and managed to cover up Vegas' body with it. Hehe, I'm really nice. I should better go to sleep now. I lied down again and turned off the lights once more. Good night to myself who didn't have to worry about anything for today! That was really great!
... ... ...
The next morning, I lived my life as usual. When I woke up, Vegas was nowhere to be found. I carried the neatly folded blankets and placed them on the bed. He must have went to his exam. It was good that I didn't wake up to see his face. Disappointingly annoying! Then I spent my life walking in circles, showering, sitting on the bed, and figuring out how to pry the chain out of my wrist. I haven't given up on this yet. This bastard chain, I want to break it up or rub it off with soap. What brand is this?! It's so hard to get off!
"Nop..." I stared at the plate of food that he brought me, causing me to roll my eyes. The food they gave me was still the same; sausages, fried eggs, and bread.
"You should stop asking me to help you, Pete."
"No. It's the food. Is there anything else? What do you usually eat?"
"Just plain curry and rice. Why?"
"I will eat that instead! I don't want this bread or salad, or whatever it is. I feel like I'm turning into a potato."
"No. Boss Vegas ordered it."
"What did he order you to do? Make me eat only vegetables that are grass with cream, butter, and grease?"
"Just eat it, don't complain too much!" The bastard loudly yelled at me face and then slammed the door shut behind him.
"Hey! Asshole! I'm not eating!" Dammit! I was joking, though. I ate it all. Oh my god... I can't believe the food in this house. I wanted to eat something spicy so I wouldn't have to tolerate the greasy things here.
I spent all day trying to find a way out and fell asleep. Walking around, back and forth. I did some exercise. Oh, I'm bored! Now I wanted to watch some series and sing karaoke. I miss Khun so much. I'm going to die from boredom!
Later in the evening, the idiot brought me food again. I made a face as if I wanted to die immediately that moment.
"Spaghetti and carbonara. Ooh... Where do you think I'm in? Italy?"
The idiot couldn't bear listening to my complaints and quickly left the room. Back in the major clan's house, we had lots of choices. But in this house, they had to follow Kan. I had to eat what's given to me. Cheese and butter. I'm Southern! I wanted something that's healthy to eat and will fill my stomach! They can at least fry an omelet, that idiot!
I was a bit annoyed because what I was eating wasn't enough. Even before, my meal used to be composed of noodles and bread only. How could I not be hungry? There was also a time when he brought two meals for a day. I usually ate every morning, noon, and evening. How could I live?! He must be finding something light for me to eat so that my body would recover slowly and I wouldn't have the strength to fight him. You're too smart at this!
Smash! I flinched again in surprise. What in the world happened? Then I heard the voices of Boss Vegas and Boss Kan, but it was hard to understand. It seemed like they were arguing a little far from where I was. This father-son duo are fighting again! The heck?! Vegas must be stressed for sure! He must be in a bad mood today, I'm unlucky again! I had to think, what's my plan now? Pete, do something!
Screech~ I haven't been able to figure it out or come up with any plans in my head at all. Vegas walked into the room in a frenzy. Is this really my fate now? Can someone change my surname to 'death'? Why am I dying often these days?
I took a deep breath and turned to face him. The bastard Vegas was so angry that he was throwing things to the ground without holding back.
"DAMN IT! That bastard!"
I stood still in the middle of the room, staring at his frightening actions. He pulled off the rug with his hand and ripped it apart. His eyes were furious, looking at everything with anger. His expression was uncontrollable. The mark on his face that came from his father's palm and just faded yesterday had become more evident again today.
"What are you looking at?"
Of course, I was the only living thing in the room. He turned to look at me, wide-eyed. I tried to control myself, trying not to reveal too much of my fear or nervousness. But I had no idea how well I could do it. 'Cause when Vegas walked closer and closer to me, my heart began throbbing as if it was about to break out.
"I will punish you if you keep looking at me like that." Vegas' hand was about to grab me. But I hurriedly took one step forward and stood in front of him, gently reaching out to touch the red mark on his face.
"Does it hurt?" I asked, my voice low, and Vegas paused. His furious eyes immediately flickered.
"..." I stared into his eyes. Despite how much fear there was in my heart and how I wanted to curse him, I couldn't bully him even more. I felt a little sympathy for how he always had a problem with his father every time he got back home. I carefully stroked his cheek with my palm, my voice softly resounding.
"It's alright. You... You're hurt, aren't you?"
"..." Vegas remained silent for a while. Our eyes stared at each other's, then he moved his hand to hold my palm and gently pushed it aside. His eyes looked much weaker than before. He turned around and punched the wall, venting out the rest of his anger.
"Damn it! That fucking bastard!"
"Vegas, calm down." I walked over and grabbed his arm to stop him from hitting the wall because his knuckles were starting to turn red and bruised.
"Fuck!" Vegas slapped my hand away and angrily sat down on the sofa. "What the hell did I do wrong?! Has he ever thought of listening to me?!" I watched Vegas burst out his feelings again. There were many things in his heart that couldn't be completely explained by actions and were now coming out through his words.
"..." I stood still and listened, letting Vegas tremble in frustration.
"Whenever the business fails, it's my fault. It's going to fail. It's going to be ruined because I've done something wrong. If I don't want to do something, he'll force me to do it. When I don't do it, he'll say that I'm useless and ungrateful for not helping my family! When it goes well, he'll still throw blame at me! I really hate him!"
"He has high hopes for you. You're the eldest son," I said in a normal tone. Vegas looked up at me before turning away and speaking in anger again.
"High hopes... Why? Am I just the eldest son? Has he ever talked to me like I'm his son? 'How was my exam?' 'Where did I go?' 'Am I tired?' 'How was my day?' Has he ever talked to me like that? No. He never did that when I was young until I grew up. You know why? Because he has never seen me as a son!" Vegas said, his face still clearly furious and his eyes turning red. He tightly clenched both of his hands until veins were showing.
Despite how much I hated him, I felt deeply sorry for him. We all needed love and acceptance from our family. We want to make them proud of us. And most importantly, a family must have warmth, protection, care, and encouragement. But from how Vegas spoke, he never experienced any of those things.
"But you're still here. You still have Macau... And Macau loves you very much, Vegas."
"I don't want my younger brother to grow up like me. And right now, I must be the only refuge in his life."
Why are the people in this house growing up with this kind of loneliness? Even those who had to rely on themselves to bear the pain alone, why was it just the two of them?
"I don't know your father's problem with you. But I believe that deep down in his heart, he doesn't hate you."
"He doesn't hate me...? That's not true," said Vegas, his voice trembling. "What would a person like you know? I never received love from my father. My mother passed away when I was a child. Kuto came to be my nanny, but Dad fired him and he left me too. I feel like I'm alone in this world."
Vegas clenched his jaw. He looked pained every time he thought of his father. It must've been so difficult for a child to grow up without a mother, have an apathetic father, become close to a nanny then being left by him from a young age. He suffered so much and now, he must be feeling so much self-pity.
"I don't have a mother. My mother passed away when I was a kid, too. As for my father, I don't even know who he is. Is he still alive? And how could he leave me and my Mom like that? I don't even have the right to ask such questions. At least your parents raised you. Until now, I still don't know my father and the image of my mother in my memory is so blurry that it's almost unrecognizable. Plus, I don't have any brothers or sisters. When I was young, my friends used to joke that I was a child with no parents. But I didn't care. In this world, I still have my grandparents who love me, and I love them back. You also have Macau who loves you very much. And I know you love Macau, too."
All of a sudden, I was talking about my own family. It felt strange, as if I wanted the two of us to understand each other.
"..." Vegas was silent like he was contemplating about what I said before he turned to me and asked. "Did you grow up with your grandparents?"
"Yes, it was very difficult. Our poor house isn't as comfortable as yours at all. I worked to earn money so I could send myself to school and then come to Bangkok. I had to do so many things just to graduate from high school. There are a lot of people who have it much harder than you, Vegas," I said, staring at him, wanting to convey a feeling that he wasn't the only one who had to deal with hardships in life. There are many others who have it much more difficult.
"But you... Are you happy?"
"Of course, I'm happy for myself. I want to live properly. We should look at the bright side of everything so we don't get hurt, that's all."
"Huh, that must be nice. Being happy with the little things."
"Life is just like that."
"Haha, you've read too many philosophy books," said Vegas as he rose from his seat and walked to the bathroom.
"Well, your room is full of them! Have you even read one of them?" I said with a low voice.
As soon as the bathroom door closed, I let out a huge sigh of relief. Ahh! I weakly sank down on the sofa. Fucking hell! It's like I stopped breathing and died for a while, then suddenly waking up with a huge breath of oxygen. Inside, I was afraid that I would lose it but I had to make my face still in order to look as normal as possible. I was grateful for Khun's series that made me who I am today. We watched actors from morning until night, so I completely absorbed all their excellent performances. My heart was about to explode!
The bastard Vegas took a shower, washed his face, changed into his pajamas, and sat on the sofa with his stack of books. I did the same thing as yesterday, helping him type his report for school.
I didn't know if I was reading it correctly but I kept on typing, ignoring Vegas who was staring at me the whole time. I had no idea why he was doing that, but I pretended to act normal as if I didn't notice him looking at me. I didn't want to turn around and look at him. I'm paranoid!
I began to stiffen. I swallowed down my saliva when I felt a tingling sensation in my spine as Vegas' hand gently caressed and patted my hair.
"You're a good person, Pete..."
When Vegas said those words, I could only think of one thing in my brain. He's surely going to release the chain for me because he sees my goodness and virtue. I turned to him with my heart swelling in hope.
"So, what's next?"
"Nothing else," Vegas shook his head and pulled his hand from my hair.
"Huh... Aren't you grateful?" I didn't know why, but the excitement I felt made me rant like that.
"What?" Vegas frowned. "Huh, you're just as crazy as my eldest cousin. He's starting to rub off you," said Vegas, jokingly. Now it was just a normal version of Vegas. Not an act, a giant, nor a devil.
"Oh..." I showed him a disappointed expression, knowing I might not get the answer as I hoped.
"Huh, wait." Vegas used his other hand to touch my head, making me face back at him like before. I followed him with ease.
"What?"
"Why are you so tame now?" Vegas lightly brushed the strands of hair away from my face.
"Not a dog," I said softly.
"You are a dog... Heh," Vegas came closer, smiling sarcastically. He saw that I was about to be completely annoyed. Don't play his game, Pete! He's provoking me to be angry. You're a good person, Pete. A good person!
"Well, I don't care what I am," I gritted my teeth helplessly. The bastard raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"You... Where did you learn to make a pouting face now?" Vegas looked at me strangely before smiling.
Did I even make a face? I was just frowning and biting my lower lip to keep myself from cursing. I was just suppressing my real thoughts! Does he understand? Huh! Gosh! I really want to talk back at him but I had to keep it in my heart. I had to follow the rules!
"..." Vegas lightly shook his head. Then he laid on his back on the sofa again.
"Hey... Is my eldest cousin good to you?" Vegas asked, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
"The young master? Tankhun is nice to me." Parentheses, except when he's acting like a spoiled brat.
"See, you love your little kid and Kinn so much."
"Kim, I love him too. But that one is hard to find."
"Then why do you love them that much?" Vegas sighed. I stared at him in disbelief, wondering what's up with him now.
"Well... The major clan has done many things for my family. Even for the people of the whole island, my hometown."
"Is your home an island?"
"Yeah, a small island in the south. At first, a capitalist came there and took over the whole island. The villagers' businesses got banned by the capitalists. Then they had their own people move there. But that was a long time ago when I was a kid. Until Boss Korn came to concession for the island, and he allowed the villagers there to earn a living as they did before. He kept buying from their businesses as well, never pushing the price. Anyone who didn't have a job, Boss Korn offered them work in his company. People over there love Boss Korn. I remember telling myself since childhood that if I grow up, I will go to work with people who are kind like him. I came to Bangkok to work for a while and decided to go find him. When I saw the company as a child, I never had the courage to walk in.
I roamed around for almost a year, until I finally dared to walk in and apply for a job for him. When he found out that my grandparents were from the island, he accepted me without any preconditions. When Grandma or Grandpa was sick, Boss Korn's people took care of them all the time. So I took care of the main family as well. When Grandpa and Grandma comes to visit me, they're always welcomed even by Tankhun. I never thought that I was just an employee. Even my Grandma loves Khun more than me. When we went on a trip to the island, my grandparents took turns in caring for him," I said, smiling as I remembered the old days.
The day when my grandmother was taken to the hospital because of an illness, Tankhun took care of everything. I could never forget that day. The day he was worried about me like his own relative. But damn! Should I really bring back the past and just sit here smiling right now?
I glanced at Vegas because I completely forgot that he might get angry since I was talking about the major clan. Shit! I shouldn't talk about that at all. I might get hit again. I couldn't even talk about the festival.
"You don't think that's a lie, do you?" Vegas said, tilting his head.
"Why would my grandparents lie to me?"
"Well... Uncle and my dad are brothers. Maybe they're not that different. They seem good in front but behind their masks, they might be so messed up," said Vegas as he thought.
Boss Korn had a bad side, but there was always a reason behind his actions. I think that's just normal for all humans.
"You're too pessimistic."
"And you're being too optimistic."
"That's what I think anyway."
"So what do you think of me?" Vegas stared at me blankly. So I spoke without thinking.
"Hey, you bastard..." Fuck! What did I say? I swallowed down all the curse words I had in mind and hurriedly spoke again. "Um... You actually have a reason for what you did, I guess."
I wanted to slap myself a hundred times. Damn it! I shouldn't be shy at all! The bastard Vegas' lips twitched into a wicked grin, glancing at me from top to bottom as if he was thinking of something.
"Yeah, I have a reason for everything I do... I want to do it now." Vegas placed his palms on the back of my neck and slowly pulled my hand towards him.
"What are you going to do?" I said nervously, determining whether I should resist him or just do what he wanted to do so I would survive.
"I want to do it... It's because of you, I-i'm starting to..." I closed my eyes, slowly and gently leaning my head against Vegas' hand.
No, fucking hell! What are you doing, Pete?! No! I felt his warm breath come closer and closer to my face until...
Croak~ Croak~ My stomach growled. Vegas instantly pulled away, shaking.
"Are you hungry?" said Vegas, stammering. I hurriedly pulled his hand away from the back of my neck and nodded. Thank heavens for saving my life! My true gluttony saved me from a precarious situation.
"Well, is there anything to eat in the house?" I quickly changed the subject and turned my attention to my stomach instead.
"Didn't you eat a while ago?" Vegas sat up and looked at me, confused.
"I did! But your food here is nothing. Sausages, fried eggs, spaghetti, it doesn't fill my stomach. I want to eat rice." Well, I've been ranting about this because it's been stifling me for days.
"This is a high-class house. There's only Western food for breakfast, haha," the bastard laughed softly.
"I'm hungry," I said, frowning.
"Be patient! It'll be morning in a few hours."
"I don't want to eat bread. And I don't want salad either," I was so hungry that I said everything in my mind.
"Huh, just be patient. Dad's new wife changed the menu for the cook. I can't get other food that easily. I'd rather wriggle and die." Even though his lips were in a smile, his eyes didn't look very pleased. I saw the change in his expression and thought that I should stop pushing it. It didn't matter so I decided to do it, pretending to continue with my work, trying to keep my hunger alone.
"Argh... Dammit!" Vegas got silent for a moment. Suddenly he sighed heavily, got up from the sofa, put on his slippers, and walked out of the room.
What's wrong with this bitch?! What mood is he on? He still hasn't come back to the room, he must be reincarnating into a new body. I'm tired!
The bastard Vegas had been gone for a while. I quickly finished typing his report, hoping to complete it before he came in so I could pretend to be asleep! I was too lazy to put up with his mood swings. But before I could type in the final chapter that was highlighted, Vegas opened the door and a fragrant smell kicked in my senses.
"Got it from the kitchen," said Vegas as he placed down a bowl of noodles with soup that was about to overflow. I looked at the water scattering in a frenzy.
"Is this mine?" I pointed a finger at myself.
"Yes! This was the only thing I found. The rice has been hidden somewhere by the maids, I couldn't find it," said Vegas, slumping down on the sofa. Then he picked up his book and casually opened it.
"Then why is there so much water?" I curiously asked. The bowl had too much water in it! The hell?! It flooded until it nearly overflowed.
"Don't worry too much. At least I'm being nice to you," Vegas put the book down grimly and fiercely stared at me. I was even angrier than before.
"Did you cook it yourself?"
"I just poured hot water."
"And what about the others?"
"My house doesn't have bodyguards wandering around and standing in front of rooms like in the major clan's house. They're all guarding outside. I'm too lazy to call one of them," Vegas opened the book again and read it, covering his face from my sight.
"So you didn't even look at the hot water?" I murmured obliviously as I scooped up the soup and tasted it. "Hmm, minced pork flavor, too. It's been watered down, there's nothing left. It's like drinking water I use for washing feet..."
I hurriedly shut my mouth close. You bastard, Pete! Take it back, take it back! What am I going to do with my stubbornness? This must be a disease I got from Porsche. I didn't dare to turn around to look at him. I stayed still, not daring to even move. Maybe he's about to get angry and throw the bowl of noodles over my head! I really hate my mouth.
"Argh! Too much trouble!" Vegas got up from the sofa again. Then he immediately took the bowl of noodles and walked out of the room.
Oh my god! No matter how bad the taste was, couldn't I have just suppressed my opinions? It's your fault, Pete. You should just stay hungry, idiot!
Vegas had been gone for a long time. How long would it take for him to splash the noodles to my face? In the meantime, I snorted and madly cursed myself in my mind. I was ready to accept the consequences caused by the karma from what I did.
Screech~ Vegas slid the door open and entered the room. I didn't even dare to turn to face him. But the fragrance that wafted smelled heavier. After a while, a bowl of noodles, which had half of the water reduced, was placed on the table in front of me.
"I hope this satisfies you," said Vegas, and continued to read the book without turning to look at me.
This time, I didn't dare to ask questions about it. Dammit, Pete! I was finally getting successful with my plan. From the fact that I slept soundly wrapped in a blanket last night, now I had seen the results. This method really works too. Keep going, Pete, and you'll have a way to survive.
I scooped the noodles and soup in the bowl and brought it to my mouth. I chewed and smiled at my ingenuity. Sigh... I really can't believe that I could see the light today, which was the boiled instant noodles for me. He must be grateful for what I've done today. Damn! That's nice.
I finished eating, and then Vegas put the bowl outside afterwards. As if that wasn't enough, he sprayed perfume to freshen up the room again. I've been working for a long time. Soon, when I turned around, I saw that he fell asleep on the sofa again. So I went to brush my teeth and wash my face, preparing for bed because I finally finished my part. I didn't hesitate to open the closet and covered myself with the same blanket. Should I put on two blankets today? You'll see the results soon, hehe. But I won't say it and let me tease him. Always sleeping more comfortably than me!
It was another morning when Vegas left the room very early. But today, I saw him get back quickly and walked around the room. I pretended to lie still as if I hadn't woken up. Better wait for him to leave. Then I slowly got up from the bed, lazily facing him. I had to keep my face still. I still felt a little soreness. It's uncomfortable!
Today, as usual, I took a shower, fixed the bed, and figured out how to unscrew the chain from my wrist. Life was nothing more than repeating the same thing over and over again. When the idiot brought the food, I had to eat relentlessly. It was also the same food. Bread, mushroom soup, and vegetable salad. My muscles will weaken if I eat like this every meal. Sigh... What can I do? Even though I was like a prisoner waiting for execution day, I should have the right to eat something that I like!
After eating, I got up and went to search for sharp objects. Even if there was no hope, people must still try to know how sweet the taste of success is. It's late afternoon now. I lay face down on the floor and reached as far as I could to rummage under the bed. In case I hit the jackpot, I might find some scissors, knives, or any hard stuff. I'll keep on searching for it and never give up.
Screech~ The sound of the sliding glass door made me freeze and tilt my head to look in surprise.
"What the hell are you doing?" The bastard Vegas asked. Oh! Why did he come home now? It was still afternoon!
"Uh..." I hesitated a bit before using my two hands to slowly push myself up and down.
"Push-ups?" Vegas raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"Well, I'm stuck in here. I only eat and sleep. My muscles are getting weak," I continued to keep my eyes open as I did push-ups.
"Huh, that's good," Vegas said, uncaring, and went to open the closet and changed from his student uniform to casual clothes.
"Why are you back so soon?" I asked curiously. I didn't really care. It's just that he usually comes back late at night.
"I only have an exam this morning. I finished it then returned. What's your problem?"
"Huff..." Now the time I had when my body and thoughts are free got shorter every day.
"Hey," Vegas finished changing and walked towards me, sitting down next to me. I kept doing my push-ups, pretending not to care about him. "My friend is going to come and write a report in my office. If you make any noise or do something you shouldn't do... You'll! Get! Hit!" Vegas repeated the words and pressed his hand on my back so hard that my face almost hit the ground.
"Ow!" I turned around to look at him, wide-eyed.
He spoke as if I couldn't hear him. Can't that bastard just talk to me normally?! I already know! Huh? Wait, his friend will come here? Hmm... That's interesting, too. If his friend finds out that I'm in his room like this, chained and physically traumatized, maybe they'll report him to the police for rape and kidnapping. You'll be in jail for sure, Vegas!
He walked out and sat on his desk chair. I got off the floor and sat on the bed, trying to figure out what to do with his friend. The inside of the glass door is hard to see from the outside. The sound in here is also hard to hear from there.
"How are you? You left as soon as the exam was over."
Two of Vegas' friends opened the door. I got excited from joy of seeing some new human faces! This must be my chance of survival.
"Hey, Jay told me something. Are you hiding someone in your room? You keep fussing about wanting us to go home early." One of his friends walked in and was about to head to the bedroom. YES! Come in, I'm here!
"STOP! Aren't you going to write the report? If you're not doing it, then leave," Vegas said with a harsh voice. His two friends immediately calmed down and hurriedly walked towards him.
"Geez! Always so harsh." Huh, even with his friends, this powerful idiot still gives out orders to them without exception. People like him will never prosper. His friend was about to see me!
I walked around in the room for a while. Afterwards, I suddenly glanced at the tray with the plate of food that I've just finished eating. I came up with a plan...
Pleng! I knocked the tray down to the ground and a loud noise was heard from it. And of course, Vegas and his friends had an immediate reaction.
"What was that sound?"
"..." The outside seemed chaotic for a moment and then they fell silent. I was hoping that soon, someone will have to open the door for sure. Inside my mind, I was counting down the time. I was praying that it would be his friend. Please, be his friend...
Screech~ The sound of the door opening and closing. I flinched, startled, and panicked as I heard the plate smash to the ground.
"Pete, you son of a bitch!"
Shit! I glanced at the newcomer in the room from the corner of my eyes. There was no sign of any of his friends. He stood on his feet, an angry glare directed towards me. I immediately swallowed the saliva down my throat.
"Oh, no. It was an accident, I didn't do anything." I crouched down and picked up the scraps of the dish, feeling like I couldn't breathe properly at all.
My plan, if it fails now, I'm dead!
"What a shallow plan. Did you really think that would save you from here?" said Vegas in a deep voice. He was furious.
"I didn't," I lied, warding off the guilt. His friends didn't even wonder what got broken. I didn't even think he would come in and see me!
"Don't let it happen again!" Vegas pointed at me, blaming me. "And clean this up!"
"I know!" I angrily said. The bastard Vegas glared at me one more time before immediately turning and walking out of the room. I thought he was going to hit me even more, so I was relieved!
But then, my plan was ruined. I had to come up with another one again. What am I going to do?! Or should I change it. Quit the crazy thoughts in my brain. But everyone must understand, people just want a way to survive, no matter how stupid it seems. I had to try it. And even if it didn't work at all, at least I know I tried until the very end.
After I finished collecting the shards of the plate, I went to wash my hands. Then I also washed my face to wake me up. I swallowed hard and told myself that I had to find a way to escape from here! When I was done, I walked out of the bathroom door. And all of a sudden...
"AHH!" Both him and I turned to face each other in shock. It was one of the friends of Vegas in his student uniform, wide-eyed, glancing at me from head to toe.
"W-who are you?"
"Help... Help me." I didn't let this opportunity slip away and hurriedly walked towards him, immediately crying for help.
"Hey, Thew! Thew!" He called for his other friend. I looked outside and saw Vegas wasn't in the office as a man named Thew walked in.
"Help me," I frowned. I approached him and shook his arm.
"What are you doing?!" Vegas opened the door to the room and hurriedly rushed to pull his friend away from me.
"What the hell is this, Vegas?!" his friends asked in shock.
"What the hell are you guys doing here?!" Vegas yelled at his friends.
"I wanted to go to the bathroom," said his friend Jay.
I was thinking now that my chances of survival were greater than ever. So I huddled up to his friend and cried non-stop for help.
"Help me, please." His friend looked at me blankly, as if he was thinking of something. Suddenly, his eyes changed and he turned to look at Vegas.
"Hmm... Vegas... I was wondering why you always rushed home recently. Usually, you would go to my condo and almost lived there." The person named Thew raised his hand and walked around, looking at my body with unpredictable eyes.
"Oh, it's none of your business. Let's get out of here." Vegas tried to push the two of his friends back out of the room.
"Help me..." I turned to look at his other friend. The three of them stared blankly at each other as if his friends wanted to tell something to Vegas.
"Can we use him...?" The person named Jay's skeptical eyes turned to hunger as he stared at me. "If he'll make us feel good, we'll keep our mouths shut."
As soon as that sentence slipped out of his lips, my heart jumped. My plan for survival turned into another dead end again. I faced my fear and began to take a step back.
"He's handsome and he's got a nice body! Goddamn! You're mean, Vegas, you couldn't even share him for us..." Thew walked towards me.
I felt so inferior now. And I didn't know why I went to hide behind Vegas and didn't dare to make eye contact with his friends at all.
"..." Vegas turned his head to look at me nervously. I held out my hand to grip the hem of his shirt tightly and looked at him in horror. "Huh... Fine. Whatever." Vegas turned to talk to his friend and gave a wicked grin.
"You sure?" his friend asked, raising his eyebrow and his expression changing.
"No, no, no," I shook my head. I tightened my grip on his shirt, tighter than before. I knew what he meant now. And I was so scared that I couldn't hide my feelings.
"Can we really have him?" his friend asked again.
"Hell no! GET OUT!" Vegas' voice turned harsher and pushed his friends out of the room. His friend laughed and shouted out loud.
"Stupid bastard! Well, I can go back and make an excuse for the other guys."
My knees collapsed and I sat on the bed, gasping for breath in shock. I couldn't believe this bastard Vegas would have friends like that. That's the reason why they can mold him to be the fucked-up man he was now. It wasn't strange at all that he'd taken himself into a shitty environment like that. I wasn't surprised anymore.
"Hey... Do you want someone else to help?" Vegas walked back in and put his hand on my shoulder with full strength before pressing his hard and squeezing it tightly.
"..." Even though I was hurt, I bowed my head and accepted all the karma that would happen. I felt a mix of fear and disappointment for myself.
"You're here... You want me to be brutal, don't you? Do you like it? Huh?!" Vegas pushed my body flat on the bed and immediately straddled me.
"Vegas... Let me go." My torso started to tremble. My eyes stared at him pleadingly for him to sympathize for me.
"Huh, you really can't seem to remember, don't you?" Vegas stretched out both of his arms.
"Vegas... I don't want this," I shook my head, and I forced my body to struggle again.
"If you don't take me, I'll let them fuck you. Those are your choices!" Vegas came closer to me, almost touching me.
"Vegas!"
"Stop squirming, Pete! You'll get hurt again. This time, I will make you hurt more than ever. You gotta stop fighting!"
Terrified by his threat, I stopped struggling and bit my lower lip hard, holding back my trembling voice that was filled with paranoia inside. My brain slowly analyzed the whole situation. However, there was no way to survive. Or do I have to let him invade my body like before? Maybe it would reduce the pain a bit. This is a time when I have to bow my head and just accept my fate.
"Let me go." Although it was a meaningless request for him, I asked him to speak and do something sympathetic.
"You choose. Will you take me or take them instead?" Vegas said, like he was giving me an ultimatum.
I thought and closed my eyes tightly. He pressed on my body even harder. My whole world was turning dark again, and I couldn't even see any light. Until finally, I had to surrender myself to him.
"You... Just you."
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Hi guys, sorry this chapter took a little longer! This chapter took almost 10K words because of how long it was (and also I procrastinated lmao). But at least it's less violent than the previous chapters, thank god. But Vegas is still an asshole >:(
I'm excited to translate the next ones, too. Especially some of my favorite scenes hehe. Have a great day, everyone! <3
- GWEN