cliff • kpop au

five.

I didn't want to believe that Mom wanted to slither her way back into my life. I didn't want to believe that my Dad was willing to let her. But alas, I was faced with the awful truth.

After my Dad told me the news and I ran up to my room, I plopped down on my bed and immediately started to cry.

That woman humiliated me, beat me, terrorized me up until I was 14, and then decided to leave, as if that could make up for the torment.

And now all of a sudden, she's back? And she wants me to attend her wedding?? Is she stupid??

Dad and I were perfectly fine without her. He was able to fill both voids, become a Mother and a Father for me, while that vile woman wandered off, met another man, and forgot about us.

In a way, I'm glad she did. Or else I would've been even more miserable than I was when she still lived with us.

I guess now she has a new spouse to drag to hell with her. I wonder where she dug him up from.

I started to think about all of the times she dragged me away from others to slap me to the ground, or the way she yelled at me and used words so hurtful that I felt like shriveling up and dying in front of her. You would think that a parent would never do this to their child, would protect their child at all costs.

Well, my Mom wasn't a parent. She definitely wasn't a Mother. She wasn't even human.

She was the devil.

THE NEXT DAY, SCHOOL

The eraser of my pencil tapped restlessly against my notebook as I stared blankly up at the chalkboard, my biology teacher scribbling nonsense while he rambled on about organisms and what not.

I would usually pay attention because it was fun watching all of the girls drool over our young and handsome teacher Mr. Lee, and biology was actually kinda interesting, but I just couldn't focus.

I kept thinking about my Mom.

I shuddered at the thought of seeing her in person again, and even though I'm older now, I felt like a little kid, scared of the shadows lurking on the walls and behind the closet door.

Would she look the same? Still have that evil glint in her eyes? Or will she still be putting on that fake persona in front of others, as if she actually treated me like her daughter.

I didn't want to find out.

"Chaeyoung!"

I flinched when I heard my name being called out loud, and I looked up towards Mr. Lee, who had his eyebrow raised in skepticism.

"Were you paying attention? Or were you nodding off again in my class?"

"Y-yes Mr. Lee! I-I mean no! I'm sorry I--"

"Recite the formula I just explained to the class."

Shit.

"I...well..um..."

"Well get on with it! We certainly don't have all day Ms. Park! Your spacing out has become a problem Missy, and if that happens again I'll--"

"Excuse me!"

I heard a voice call out, and I looked back to see Taeyong with his hand raised, talking to the teacher.

"Yes Taeyong? I was in the middle of talking to one of your peers."

"I know but...well the formula you explained -- or at least attempted to explain -- was kind of difficult so I doubt anyone in here really got it. You don't do a good job of explaining things. Plus, some people in here just think you're too pretty to be a teacher, maybe a stripper would do you better?"