THE EMPTY ROOM | Study Group

CHAPTER 5: THE CONVERSATION

He is supposedly going to hit her once again when her mother manages to escape from the guard's hold, and she runs towards her daughter to cover her and block his husband's way. When his husband realized his wife was there, he stopped his actions and gritted his teeth in anger as if he was left with no choice. The guards were about to walk towards them but he stopped them when Yebin's mother pulled her into a hug to cover her. Yunho looked at his wife and daughter being so miserable on the ground.

"You ruined my reputation before. I'm not going to let you again." His father remarked while still being in her mother's embrace.

"You are a disgrace to this family!"  His words lingered inside her head as he slowly turned his back to them, about to leave the place, followed by the guards behind him. That's one of the weekly routines she had experienced on his hand. She was almost beaten up to death just because he considered her a disgrace. Someone that he doesn't consider deserving to be his daughter. Someone he doesn't consider existing. As if she just lives to impress and do the things that will make up his reputation. Living with his surname was the worst life she had experienced.

She wished that wouldn't be this painful.

Her tears continued to stream while her eyes focused on his back, walking away despite having a blurry view; she was sure the silhouette was him. The devil itself never changes a bit, even his back looks so familiar to her. She spoke once again while her voice cracked, her eyes looking at him glaring with tears still visible in her eyes.

"If I was your son, would you not hurt me like this?" She asked as her mother hugged her tightly to stop her from speaking and adding fuel to the fire even more. Her mother whispered begging to stop her daughter from being hurt once again.

"What?" He asks, staring at his daughter, wanting to hear it. He walked towards her with his empty face but there was still rage in his eyes.

"Yebin stop! Let's just —"

"If I was your son will It make you proud? Will you treat me like your child and not just someone who disgracefully carries your surname? Will it—" Her voice was interrupted by him making her clenched her fist. Not in rage, but in pain.

"Yes. Can you?" He answered.

"Yunho!"

"Then he must be lucky. He doesn't have to experience your cruelty."

Yunho went quiet while staring at the tears suddenly falling from her eyes. It was the first time he had seen those in a year after what happened in the past.  Yebin pulled apart from her mother's embrace and stood up on the ground running towards the stairs and to her room, slamming the door behind her with her mother trying to call her name.

Yebin, inside her room, fell on the floor and still couldn't process everything. At the end of the day, those tough people were the easiest to break. It's all on her mind that she can defeat her father when she honestly can't in the first place. After she left her, both parents didn't stop yelling downstairs; their voices were still visible behind the door.

"You need to stop hurting her! Why are you even doing this to her—"

"To teach her a lesson. " He firmly responded.

"Lesson?! What lesson?! All her life, you treat her like a sandbag every time she makes mistakes. Every time you're so disappointed with her! I don't understand why you have to do that at all! " There's a minute of silence after she finishes her sentence.

"Because she's a disgrace."

"You're the disgrace in this family!" Yebin's mother screamed pushing his husband's chest, throwing a small punch on his shoulder. "You are the one who should be ashamed for being a cruel father to her. And you don't even realize it. How could you?!"