GOLDEN RULE

I am Not a Bad Person

I woke up next to Ela. Slowly opening my eyes, I looked at the clock and it showed 7 o'clock. I went downstairs to check on Ateş. He was lying on the couch with one foot hanging down. I looked at his face.

At first, I really disliked him. I even felt hatred towards him. But now I could trust him. Instead of annoyance, I felt something else towards him.

I liked that he could keep up with me.

"Aselya," he suddenly said. I slowly opened my eyes.

"A... Ateş," I said, feeling flustered as if caught red-handed.

He burst into a beautiful laughter, showing his pearl-like teeth. I shook my head to snap out of it.

"What the hell?" I said, furrowing my eyebrows. I was struggling to hold back my laughter.

"What are you doing, watching me or something?"

"What would I watch, I was just going to wake you up," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"You were going to wake me up by watching me, I guess..." he said cheekily.

"Aselya," my father said from behind me. His voice sounded tired, exhausted, and hoarse.

I turned to face him and sent him a deadly glare.

"Don't," he said in the same tone.

"How was your night? Could you sleep well, my dear?" I said sarcastically.

"Aselya, I apologize... We apologize... Please forgive us," he pleaded.

"My dear... So now I'm your dear, huh! Where were you before?" I shouted.

My mother had also woken up, slowly opening her eyes. After gathering herself, she said,

"What do you think you're doing, girl? Let us down immediately!"

"Shut up!!!" I yelled at her, and they both flinched.

I removed the chairs I had placed under their feet so they wouldn't suffocate. They were both struggling in front of me. I put the chair back under their feet. They were trying to catch their breath. My mother spoke up first,

"What's gotten into you? You've turned into a monster!" she said, and I paused for a moment.

"I didn't turn into a monster, you turned me into one," I said, suppressing every word with pain.

My father immediately jumped in when I said, "No one will touch that boy again!"

"We understand, my daughter, we apologize. We apologize, please forgive us," he pleaded.

Taking a knife, I cut the ropes in their hands. They were instantly free from the ropes around their necks. Before they got off the chair,

"This will be my first and last act of kindness towards you. Next time, I won't listen to 'mother' or 'father.' Behave yourselves if you want to stay on your feet!" I said and turned my back.

"So you call this kindness!" my mother said. I turned around immediately.

"What did you say?" I said, pointing the knife at her and taking a few steps towards her. She was backing away.

"I didn't say anything, there's nothing..." she said anxiously.

"Good!" I said, turning back and going to Ela. She was still asleep. As I started talking to her while she was asleep,

"I am not a bad person, I never wanted to be."

I paused for a while and watched Ela.

"My life is not good anymore, I am not good. I am no longer myself."