The Long Fall

ten

"No! I don't want to!" I screamed as the guards grabbed hold of me, separating me from Kai.

The two of us went to talk to the CEO of our company together, and they decided to force me to get an abortion and then kick me from the company. Kai was screaming, begging for them to let me go, threatening to quit himself if they hurt me, but it was of no use.

"Please, I don't want to do this." I sobbed, the doctor giving me a sympathetic expression.

"Don't worry, it will be over soon. I'll make sure you stay and recover for the night before you leave." She told me, rubbing my hand a bit before sticking the needle within my skin.

Once the guards left for a moment, she handed me a note. After she closed the door and gave me a little bit of privacy, I opened it.

Don't worry. I gave you a false abortion. It will hurt a bit, but the child will be fine. You'll be a healthy mother when the time arrives for the child to be born.

I smiled and held the paper close to my chest for a moment before ripping it up and tossing it into the trash can. I couldn't leave evidence for the company to threaten me or Kai with.

A couple of days later, they deemed it successful and sent me back to Qingdao to live a normal life. I was barred from South Korea, making it harder to enter for any reason that I could attempt to create. Kai and I had our phone numbers changed forcibly, and now we had no way to contact one another.

I found myself at the home I was raised in, knocking on the door of the woman I called my mother when my true mother never cared for me. I broke down when she answered, the woman catching me before I fell to the ground.

When I woke up, I was in my bed, the one I'd slept in for so many years. I groaned, my whole body sore from the wear and tear of childbearing. Tao helped me sit up before sitting back down on his bed, looking at me with pain in his eyes.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked, grabbing the water from the bedside table.

"It was three days. Ma made sure to take care of you until I was able to come home." He answered, looking to the floor for a moment. "Why, why didn't you tell me you are pregnant?"

"It's not yours, why tell you?" I replied, sighing a bit. "I wasn't sure if I'd keep it, so I didn't want anyone's hopes up."

"You'd never get an abortion, I know you too well." He told me, earning a soft glare from me. "Sheng'er, Kai told me what was happening. Just before his phone got turned off, he called me and told me to promise that I'll keep you safe."

"How do I know to trust you with those words?" I asked, crossing my arms slightly. He pulled out his phone, showing me the texts from Kai.

Hyung, she's being taken away from me.

Hyung, she's going to go home.

Hyung, please protect her, since I can't anymore.

Hyung, I know we don't always see eye to eye but please, for Saengie.

I gave him his phone back, tears flowing from my eyes. The way he texted, it could only be Kai. No one can replicate his words.

"Sheng'er, I promise I won't do anything that you wouldn't like me to. I'll simply keep you and the child safe." Tao softly said, coming over and rubbing my head a little. "You can come live with me since my house is bigger than this apartment."

"What about Aunty?" I questioned, looking up at him. He smiled and wiped my eyes, kissing my forehead.

"She wants me to take you. Ma said she's getting too old for another child in the house." He answered, chuckling a bit. "My house is large enough for him to run around, and I even have a pool to help keep you calm."

"What about your fans? What would they think of a girl living with you?" I asked, making him smile.

"They'd prefer I get married as soon as possible and have little Tao's all over the place." He replied, making me blush a bit. "If they say anything about it, I'll just marry you. But there shouldn't be an issue."

A few days later, he led me to his house. I was very obvious with my pregnancy, unable to hide it for a moment as I waddled behind him. I could hear the cameras shuttering, and I knew it'd be in the news later this week. Tao simply smiled and held my hand, guiding me to the elevator and then pressing the button to go up.

"There are paparazzi, did you hear them?" I asked, earning a nod.

"There always is. Usually, they're quiet, but today was a little more dramatic for the news outlets." He answered, sighing a bit. "I just hope they aren't mean to you because of it."

When we got up to the floor his house was on, I winced and held my stomach. Every other day, since the shot was injected, I had sharp pains that could make me fall to the floor. Tao quickly grabbed me, carrying me into his house and laying me down on the couch.

"Are you alright?" He asked, holding my hands with a worried expression. I nodded once the pain ceased.

"The doctor didn't finish the abortion, but she still started it," I explained, taking a deep breath to recover a bit. "She said the child will be fine, but I'll have pain for a while."

"I can't believe they'd force that on you." He muttered, looking at me with concern. "Let me know if anything hurts, I'll take care of it as best as I can."