You were walking home from school, when suddenly someone tap your shoulder from behind.
"Shafiq?" You stare at him.
"Termenung je dari tadi. Dah kenapa?" He ask.
"It's nothing" you showed him a smile.
"You sure? You seem like there something in your mind?" He ask with a hint of concern.
"It's nothing. Btw, after this you're going to work?" You ask and he gave a nod as a reply.
"My little sister need something to be bought for school so I need the extra money to buy it for her." He explain.
"She's really lucky to have you as her big brother" you smile.
"Jealous ke?" He teasingly nudge your side.
You role your eyes at him and slightly push him that almost made him lose his balance. You had great time talking with Shafiq until you came home. As soon as you open your house door, a loud thump echoed your house.
"Where have you been?!" Your mother shout.
"School. Today have extra class so I have to stay back for few hours" you explain but then got a slap on your left cheek.
"Alasan!!" Your mother said angrily.
"You should have just come home and clean the house. It's mess!!" She continued scolding you.
"I don't have any choices. You don't even work so why not clean the house for awhile until I come home?" You said but got a slap again on your left cheek.
"Melawan!! Kau makin kurang ajar, ya!!" She said and grip tightly on your hair.
"Stop giving me excuses and clean the damn house!!" She yell and push you until you drop to the floor.
She stomp toward her bedroom and slam the door hard. You grip tightly on your uniform skirt and rub away your tears.
"Why..." You ask your self and stood up to clean the house.
Hours pass by, you have done all the house chores and even cooks for the family. You heard your step father car and immediately run toward the front door. You opened the door to let your step father enter, he glance at you and throw his office bag and blazer at you.
"Wash that and put my bag at my bedroom." He said and you immediately did what he told you to do.
"Honey, you're home?" His wife greet him with a loving tone.
"Hmm" he reply and gave a kiss on her forehead that made you disgustingly roll your eyes.
Now you were sitting on the floor, eating your dinner while your parent was sitting at the dining table. Later on, the front door opened to present your step younger brother.
"Mommy, why is this dog even eating here?" Your step brother sneered.
"Never mind her. How have my baby boy been?" Your mother cooed at her favourite child.
"Not greet. All my friend have the latest phone and I want to change mine!" He annoyingly said and throw his bag at you.
"Tomorrow, I will bring you to the mall to go buy it. Okay, my baby?" Your mother pamper him.
"Thank you mommy" he smile proudly while giving you a disgusting stare.
You were feeling so injustice with your family but what can you do. If they could, they would have throw you away long time ago. You were just a useless child and a maid in their eyes. The next day, you were about to go to school.
"Mom, can I have pocket money today?" You ask politely.
"Huh?! What nonsense are you asking? I don't have anymore money for you. This money is to buy my baby new phone" she sneers and roll her eyes at you.
"Father, I'm sorry but I can I have pocket money today?" You carefully ask your stepfather.
"Tch! So annoying. Here!" He throw 10 ringgit along with few sen that hit your face.
"Thank you father" you bowed at him and squat down to pick up the money.
When you were about to pick the money, your step father step on your hand and walk away without guilt. There were tears at the corner of your eyes due to the pain on your hand. You quickly rub it away for you to avoid getting a scold from them.
While you were walking to your school, someone tap your shoulder.
"Hey, y/n" he greet you but soon his expression turn into concern after seeing your face.
"What happens to you?!" He ask and cupped both of your cheeks.
"Huh? Why is there something on my face?" You ask and touch your face.
"Let go!" He pull you to somewhere, opposite to where your school is.
"Where are you taking me, Shafiq?. The road to our school is the other way" you said.
"Just follow me!" He raise his voice and that made you quiet down.
"I'm sorry..I didn't meant to raise my voice at you but please just follow me where I'm taking you, okay?" He apologize and you gave him a nod as a reply.
He nicely tell you to sat down on the empty bench and wait for him there.
"Where are you going?" You ask while holding onto the hem of his uniform sleeve.
"To get something to treat your wound" he said and quickly went to the nearest pharmacy.
"Wound?" You ask yourself.
Soon after, he comeback with a place is full with ointment and plaster.
"Here, let me treat you" he said and start to clean your wound with his now wet handkerchief before applying the ointment on your wound.
"Ow!" You hiss in pain.
"Stay still" he said and lightly blow your wound for it to feel less painful.
"How did you even got these wound?" He ask with concern.
"And how come you didn't even real is enough forehead were bleeding?!" He said that made you surprise.
"Is it that bad?" You ask, ignoring his first question.
"Thankfully, the cut isn't that big" he shook his head and put the plaster on your forehead.
"Now tell me know how did you get these wound?" He ask.
"I...I feel down" you lied.
"You're not lying to me right?" He ask because he know when you're telling a lie.
"No..of course not. We should go now or else we will get into trouble" you said and stood up.
Shafiq was about to stood up but his eyes landed on your hand that had a bad bruises on it. He pull your bruise hand to take a closer look at it.
"Who did this to you?!" He ask with worried.
"No one. I told you that I fell" you quickly pulled your hand from his grasp and hide it in your uniform pocket.
"What kind of fall made your hand bruise that badly?!" He said.
"It nothing to get so worried about, Shafiq. I'm fine, lets just go. Please! Or else we will get into trouble" you plead.
"Y/n, please tell me the truth" he ask with pleading face.
"There is nothing I need to tell. I just fell. Now, let's go" you desperately ask him to quickly go to school with you.
"Fine" he said.
After school ended, you quickly walk home because your mother told you to get home ASAP to clean the house before she come home.
"Y/n, we need to talk" Shafiq hold onto your wrist.
"Later. I need to go home as soon as possible" you said.
"Why are you so in a hurry to go home? Is there something going on?" He ask.
"Nothing is going on. Stop butting in other people life! It's none of your business" you raise your voice at him but soon felt guilty after seeing his hurt expression.
"No..Shafiq, I didn't meant it like that" you try to apologize.
"Don't be. I get it. I will get out from your life now. Bye" he said before leaving there.
"No..please...don't leave..please, help me..Shafiq" you whisper under your breath.
You finally reach home but saw your step father car parking there indicating that the whole family is home.
"Shit" your curse yourself and slowly open the front door.
Out of no where, your hair got pull and your body was thrower on the floor.
"Where the hell you been?! The house is still a mess, dinner haven't been cook?! My baby is hungry and the laundry is pilling with dirty clothes. Where have you been?!" Your mother scolded you.
"I'm sorry" you said.
"Sorry won't cut it!! And this morning I got a call from your school that you got to school late?! What the hell have you been doing, huh?! Are you taking drunk?! Are you playing around during school time?!" Your mother accused you.
"No! I would never do that" you defend yourself.
"I bet she's playing around with that Shafiq guy at school" your step brother said that made your mother and step father stare at you
"Who is this Shafiq?" Your step father ask your step brother.
"A guy that she always walk to school with and they are even in the same class so it's not impossible for her to be playing a round with him" your step brother lies the last part.
"I gave you a roof, fed you and even let you go to school but this is how you repay me?! By playing around with a guy!!!" Your mother angrily said and slap you.
She then push you hard on the floor and kick you at the stomach but soon got stop by your step father. At first, you thought he was trying to help you be from your abusive mother but you saw he was holding his belt and glance at you with a smirk.
"A slap and kicks won't teach her. Let me bet the crap out of her so that she will be more discipline" your stepfather said and slash his belt at you.
"Please stop..ow..ow..please...please help me" you desperately cried for help while listening to your mother and step brother amusingly laughing at your misery.
After a few minute, the front door opened by policemen. Both your parent was in shock including your step brother.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Your parent said and got held by the police officers.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Your step brother cried for his parent.
"Y/n!!" A voice your known echoed your ears.
"Shafiq?" You weakly said his name.
"I'm here. Help is here. Please bare with us. Okay" he said with tears in his eyes to see how badly your condition is.
"I can't feel my body" you weakly said.
"I'm sorry this happened but please hang in there. I'm here now" he said while holding tightly your hand.
The paramedics quickly carried you in the ambulance and afterwards you couldn't remember a single thing.
5 years pass by. Both of your parents have been locked up for child abuse. You and your step brother got separated since he was got took in by his aunt at his father side while you were taken by your father who lived at america. He was extremely sorry for not knowing you were going through such things because your mother cut everything for him to gain access to you and he felt guilty for not even try to get custody of you. You forgive him because you know your father is a good man. After the incident, you have to follow your father to America and leave your life in Malaysia that including leaving Shafiq.
Soon after, you were at the age to go to college. You picked to go attend university at Malaysia because you kinda miss your hometown. At first your father didn't agreed because he was scared that you won't be safe there without him but you reassure him you can take care of yourself and call him if you are in any trouble.
"Are you really sure about this, honey?" He reassure about your decision to go there.
"Yes, don't worry about it too much papa. I will be okay and I will call you everyday to let you know how my day goes there" you smile.
"Please take good care of yourself there. If you want to go home, just call me and I will immediately book a flight for you" he said and pull you into a loving hug.
"I will papa. I will miss you" you said.
"Me too, honey" he said and gave a warm kiss on your forehead before you left to go to Malaysia.
After reaching at your university dorm, you saw someone who you never thought you would see there too. You quickly run toward the person and tap on his shoulder.
"Shafiq?" You said his name in years not saying it.
" y/n!" The voice you miss calling for your name.
"Shafiq!!!" You wrap your arms around him out of excitement of seeing him here.
He hug you back and how much he missed you after years not seeing nor talk to you.
"I miss you so much" he said that made you wanted to cry.
"I miss you too, Shafiq Hambali. Very very much" you said as tears start to stream down form your eyes.
"And thank you for saving me that day" you thanked him while still hugging him.
"I would do anything to protect the person I cherish the most" he said and that a made your heart warm up.
"Thank you so much" your whisper and smile happily at his words.