Beauty and the Beast [𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐤] - Vincenzo

2

5 years ago...

"Excuse me, Ms. Wang Daiyu?"

A guy spoke from behind. Daiyu turned around and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You dropped your passport," the guy said again, handing it to her. She took it and smiled.

"Thank you... Mr. Jang Henry?" she said, glancing at his ID. He smiled and bowed politely before walking away with his things.

“I think I’ve seen him somewhere…” she mumbled.

Everything snapped.

Her stepdad grabbed her by the hair and dragged her home as if he were hauling a corpse. Everyone around them stared.

Once inside, he threw her to the ground. She hit the floor hard.

He started beating her—pulling her hair, cursing, and hitting her over and over.

Her aunt just watched, thinking she deserved it. She ignored the whole scene.

Seungjeon felt like she couldn’t breathe. She cried, begging him to stop.

Her stepdad looked down at her without the slightest trace of empathy.

“That’s right. Bitches like you are worthless,” he spat, then walked away.

Taking advantage of the moment, she crawled to her room. Her limbs were bruised, and each movement sent waves of pain through her body. Still, she forced herself to climb onto the bed.

Even though she felt weak, she pulled the blanket over herself and cried.

“Fuck them.”

She sobbed into the pillow.

“I’m so tired. So... fucking tired.”

Eventually, she cried herself to sleep.

A day later.

It was 7 p.m. All day, Seungjeon hadn’t moved. She hadn’t eaten. She barely used her phone, sleeping most of the time.

Her body felt numb from the beating. Her skin was pale. Her lips had lost color. Cold sweat clung to her.

She knew something was wrong.

Even amid the pain, her eyes drifted to the umbrella.

The ticking sound—it was louder now.

No longer faint, it rang clearer, and it gave her a bad feeling.

But she couldn’t move. So she closed her eyes, hoping sleep would take her again.

She turned her gaze to the window, staring at the darkening sky.

She didn’t know what she was hoping for—just something. Anything.

Her eyes blinked slowly. She felt herself drifting off again...

“…Pssstttt…”

“Hey.”

“Are you awake yet?”

“Wow, you’re one real sleepyhead.”

“Heyyy.”

“Pssstt, Seungjeon…”

“Aish.”

“Wake up…”

“Oh—yeah, open your eyes! Hurry!”

Seungjeon heard the whispers from beside her bed. She opened her eyes and pulled the blanket down—