Pete
When I woke it was actually 2 in the afternoon and I wasn't alone. Kara was sitting on the chair facing me, doing something on her phone.
Considering I had finally fallen asleep at 6ish that morning, I was surprised that I woke as early as 2. I still felt exhausted and I had aches and pains from my many hits yesterday that bothered me.
"Kara?"
"Oh! Pete! I didn't want to wake you so I let you sleep late. Are you hungry?"
"Yes I am." I look around for Namia and look back at her.
"Is Namia gone?" I notice her face sort of falls into disappointed lines and I hurry to add: "I'm sort of afraid of her. She hits me."
Now Kara looks extremely worried and shushes me. I fall silent and look down.
"She doesn't mean anything by it Pete. She's not a mean person. It's just that she was abused so she doesn't really know another way to respond."
My mind is blown by this. I understand the words that she says but I don't quite grasp the meaning. How could Namia have been abused? Why would she be abused? Sorry. You must think I'm an idiot but I do know that people can be abused. What I mean is, we may live miles apart but we, as in my social circle, can't keep secrets for shit. I know everything that happens in Dali's home and vice versa until Mom divorced Dad and we pulled away from them. I also know these girls the same way. What possible abuse can she be talking about? Getting a limit on her credit card?
This may seem harsh to you but I remember when Dale thought he was being abused because his parents decided giving him a trip to Paris was like a reward for getting his girlfriend pregnant and forcing her to have an abortion. There was nothing rewarding about that situation so he was forced to work instead.
"I need to use the facilities," I say as I try to digest this situation. My chain is long enough to allow me to bathe, and use the toilet. Unlike Namia, Kara leaves me with the excuse that she is going for food.
I actually use the toilet, brush my teeth and take a shower before she comes back with a mixture of breakfast and lunch things. I only tell her thank you and eat as much of it as I possibly can. I have to keep my strength up. Once I'm finished, I settle myself and watch Kara carefully. She is back on her phone again and this time she seems to be texting furiously. I close my eyes and try to think.
What would Ae be doing now? Is he frantic? He must be searching for me. Will he even get sufficient clues to find me? Did he call my dad? Are they working together? What about my Mom? I hope she's ok. I think she cried a lot.
"Pete? I need to ask you something."
"Hum? What is it?"
"How many houses does Ae own?"
"Like all or just the ones he intends to keep?"
"All please."
"Oh well he owns about 17 house spots. I only know about 5 of them. These are the 5 he intends to keep. That's the apartment we partially live in now, the land with the relic on it close to my house, a spot in Japan and 2 adjacent plots on this island but only one has a house on it."
"And those are the ones you know the location of."
"Yes. The others he bought to refurbish and resell. 2 are on the market right now because he's finished with them I think. He uses the company website to post his sales so you can check there." Kara nodded and asked for the web address. Pete easily gave it. She looked on the sight and found the listing as well as one other. It was a diy project offer but Ae hinted that there were other options for land to purchase. He just didn't say what they were.
After some thinking, she began typing away again before finally putting her phone down and looking at me with a smile. I felt a flash of dread run down my back.
"So. What do you want to do? We have games and the TV works." Is she for real. I want to leave this fucking place and never see her again. Is that an option? I'll take that door. Yes please.
"Actually can you tell me what you meant by Namia being abused. I mean I would ask her but I'm not sure that she would answer and I don't want to hurt her by dragging up old wounds."
"Oh Pete! You see, this is why we choose you. Your so considerate. Why are you even with that guy anyway. He seems like he treats you horribly."
"Tell me about Namia and I'll tell you about Ae."
"Do you remember when we were all 11 and Namia had that accident?"
"Yes. The one that damaged her face and her memory."
"Well. The real Namia died. The person we now know as Namia is actually her cousin Hana. You remember that Namia and Felix were supposed to be married and that he would inherit the family company because she was the only child her mother could have?"
"But that isn't necessary anymore because she died when Nam_ Hana was 14 and Elem remarried within a year, complete with son and everything."
"Yes. Well that was because May couldn't deal with the lies and the cover up. Elam had sent the company into a huge debt. Tying Namie to Felix is what got them back on their feet because that marriage contract netted them a huge sum of money. When Namia died, Fredrick told Elam to come up with a solution or pay them back everything in one go."
"I see." That repayment would have finished Elam. Totally and utterly destroyed him at that time.
"So they went to Elam's brother and made promises to him and took Hana. She already looked so much like Namia and they were the same age, born a couple months apart. Sam already had seven other children with his wife."
So they turned Hana into Namia and tied her to Felix instead. The Felix i know know is a monster. Someone I avoid at all cost. Even his father disassociates himself from Felix. I am sure this whole situation has something to do with his radical change.
"When she was 16, Felix found out. No one knew it but Felix actually did love Namia. He freaked out and started tormenting Hana. It got so far that one day he raped her. She got pregnant more than once and was forced to have several abortions. She can no longer have children."
I stared. I tried to remember Namia/Hana when I was 16. I remember attending an event with Dali. Namia looked sick and withdrawn. She had been skittish and I remember Dali and Kara constantly blocking her from Felix and some of the other more mature boys. I even gave her a ride home and she thanked me so much, with tears in her eyes. I only remember that one incident because that was the only time I saw her. After that I went to visit father and then I had to focus because I was entering senior year. I didn't really go to any functions or events senior year so I don't remember what she was like then.
"Although her not having children is actually her uncle's fault. After the accident and everything happened, he started having an affair with Helen. When May found out and killed herself, he bought his new woman and children into the house. They treated her like trash and when Helen found out about the abortions, she called Namie a whore and said if she didn't want children then she might as well tie her tubes. She made the appointment at some private facility and they did it without Namie's consent."
"You have got to be fucking with me." I breath out. Who the fuck does shit like that?! How is that even a reality?!
"Nope. It's the entire truth. I swear to God!"
"Kara. That's not abuse. That's torture. That's hell on earth. I can't imagine anyone doing that to me and Ae would never let it happen. Ae isn't like you think. He seems stern and cold but that's because he's a very sturdy and structured person. He has some talent and he uses it because he's got good hands. Otherwise, if I say jump, Ae will ask me how high and for how long. I would do the same for him."
"He's never hurt you?"
"Not once. Even when we get mad at each other, he still takes good care of me. The last time we had a fight about something stupid. But, before the fight he had promised me he would take me on a picnic and bike ride. So there I was sulking at my house and Ae shows up to do exactly what he promised even though I was having a cold war with him. He's my ideal. He always takes good care of me."
Kara nods with a smile and keeps asking me questions. I pretend like I've let my guard down and I answer her openly and freely. I even tell her that Ae and I don't really care about each other's properties. I explain that I have quite a few and have not told Ae about any of them outside of a couple I own close to the city and a place in Chang Mai.
"You really don't talk about things like that?"
"No. Ae and I know the places we want to make our home. Ae's apartment is very soon going to because a huge work studio for him. We originally were thinking to just stay at my house but if we want to walk around naked, we can't really do that either. We looked at places on the market and places we own that suits our vision. That's why I know he had about 17 different location but I only know about 5 of them. Same for me. We discussed the places we felt suited us and decided to turn the relic into a home, build a get away place on Ae's island spot. We're doing a time share with Chang Mai and then we might work on a couple of other places depending."
"You really love Ae don't you Pete." Kara suddenly said sadly. I just looked at her because that should have been obvious from the start.
"I'm sorry we took you away from that. I realize we really weren't fair to you but there's nothing we can do about that now. It's too late."
"Why?! Why is it too late?!" I can't help it. Her words evoke a feeling of panic.
"Because..." I turned and looked at a very displeased Namia... Hana. Her face was so pissed that I know right away Ae had done something. "We need you to make our happiness complete."
"What do you mean by that?" Just say what you need to say without being so cryptic!
"Where is Ae, Pete?" She suddenly asks me, giving me whiplash.
"Ae? What does he have to do with anything?" I demand.
NamHana and Kara shared a look. I looked back and forth at them, trying to understand what the hell they were talking about.
"Ae and everyone associated with the both of you seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Where are they?"
Huh? Disappeared how? Was this a scare tactic?
"What do you mean they disappeared?" I tried to sound utterly lost. "Disappeared how? Like abducted or like they packed their things and moved?"
Ae was smart. He was all about facing his enemy. He once told me, you get your attacker to come directly to you quicker if they have no distractions. However, even I wasn't sure who he had done it so quickly or where he put them.
"A combination of both. They seemed to have hastily packed some things and went poof. Do you know where they went?"
"No. I don't understand this. P'Nut is supposed to be having a baby soon. Are you sure they are not just at the hospital? It might be early for her but not by much. I can't really remember when she's due."
"How can you not remember when she's due?" Kara seemed surprised.
"We don't see each other that often and I already got her baby stuff. I'm more interested in kids when they can walk and talk. The baby ones scare me. They are too soft and fragile." I admit it easily. This is something Ae also knows about me. He can easily handle a new born. I feel awkward and uncertain around them.
"That's ok. We don't need you to do much in that regard anyway."
"Huh?" Namia shakes her head at me then reaches out and hands me something.
I look at the cloth in her hand and instantly recognize a shirt I gave Ae from a fan event we had at the hotel. I snatch it from her and hold it protectively. She doesn't react but instead takes Kara's hand and looks at me with flinty eyes. I know right away that if I don't do what she wants, she will punish me in some way.
"I don't care how you do it but, make sure that you ejaculate into this cup." She hands me one. "The good doctor is waiting for your sample. Since it's just us girls around, I got this shirt for you from your precious Ae to help you along. That should do the trick right?"
She pulls Kara away and I am left in shock. She wants me to jerk into a cup.
"No way! I'm not doing it! I refuse!" I scream at her back.
"Then we'll get it another way. Do you really want my hands on you Pete? Because that's your other option." I hunch over in defense and stare at her with wide eyes. Something tells me that I already know what the end goal is here and as of right now, I can't seem to see my way around it.
I shudder and take a deep breath of the scent of the shirt, seeking comfort. Instead of calming me though, it just makes me more agitated.
Ae really needs to find me soon before she puts her plan into action.