Swapped by fate

Chapter 2

Nami's Pov

"Nami! Why are you moving so damn slow?!" Mom's voice echoed through the house, sharp with impatience.

I grabbed my bag as quickly as I could and rushed downstairs, my heart pounding in my chest. As soon as I reached the bottom step, I saw her standing there, arms crossed, her eyes flashing with frustration.

"What took you so long? You're supposed to be making breakfast!" she snapped, her tone cutting.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I was getting ready for-"

"For what? School?" she interrupted, her voice dripping with disdain. "You think school's going to change anything? We don't have the luxury for you to waste time like that. You need to focus on what matters here."

Just then, my stepfather walked in, his expression sour. "Where's breakfast?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing as he looked around.

I rushed to the kitchen, my hands trembling as I tried to get everything ready. But in my haste, a plate slipped from my hands and shattered on the floor.

"You clumsy bitch!" my stepfather roared, storming towards me. Without hesitation, he picked up a piece of the broken plate and slashed it across my hand.

I cried out, tears streaming down my face as I clutched my bleeding hand. But he wasn't done. He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me into the living room.

"Please, stop! I'm sorry!" I screamed, trying to break free.

"You're worthless!" he spat, shoving me to the ground and delivering a hard punch to my stomach. I doubled over, gasping for air. "I don't even know why your mom kept you!"

He stormed out, leaving me crumpled on the floor, struggling to catch my breath. I looked up at my mom, hoping for some sign of compassion, but she just stood there, watching me with a mixture of anger and something else-something I couldn't quite read.

"Mom..." I whispered, my voice barely audible.

She exhaled a cloud of smoke and looked away. "This is your fault, Nami. Clean up this mess before he comes back. You know how he gets... but..." Her voice softened for just a moment. "You shouldn't push his buttons like that."

She turned and started to walk upstairs, but then she paused, glancing back at me. "If you ever find a way out of this... take it. You don't have to end up like me." Her voice was barely more than a whisper, and then she was gone, leaving me alone with my pain.

Her words stung, but they also left me with a flicker of something I hadn't felt in a long time-hope. I slowly picked up the broken pieces of the plate, my hand throbbing with pain. Once I'd cleaned up, I quickly bandaged my hand, wiped away my tears, and left the house.

As I walked through the neighborhood, I could feel the eyes of the neighbors on me. They all knew what happened behind closed doors, but they never did anything to help. Their pitying looks only made me feel more isolated.

Since my dad died, everything had fallen apart. Mom turned to drugs, and her anger was always directed at me. When she brought that man into our home, things only got worse. He was violent and cruel, and she just let it happen. Sometimes, though, I could see a flicker of regret in her eyes, like she knew what she was doing was wrong, but couldn't stop.

When I finally arrived at the university, I headed straight to the restroom to clean myself up. I tried to hide the bruises and wipe away the blood, but there was only so much I could do.

"Nami Yun?" Stacy's voice called from the entrance. She was one of the richest students here, and she had always been kind to me. "What happened to your face?!"

"It's nothing," I said quickly, trying to avoid her gaze.

"Nothing? Your stepfather did this, didn't he? That bastard needs to be in jail," she said, her eyes filling with angry tears.

"No. If he goes to jail, he'll take my mom down with him. I can't lose her too."

"You can't stay there, Nami. Come live with me. You're like a sister to me," Stacy said, pulling me into a tight hug.

Stacy had always been my best friend. She helped me in ways she didn't even realize. I tutored her in exchange for meals, and she sometimes paid for the things I needed for school.

"Let's go to the clinic. You need to get that cut treated," she insisted, dragging me along before I could protest.

The school nurse cleaned and bandaged my hand, asking about other injuries. Stacy watched closely, her worry evident in every glance.

"I'm okay, Stacy," I tried to reassure her, but she wasn't convinced.

"You're not okay! Can't you see that?" she

snapped, frustration lacing her voice.

I managed a weak smile. Stacy's phone rang, and she stepped outside to take the call.

The nurse looked at me with concern. "Nami, you come here often with new bruises and cuts. Don't you want this to end? You don't have to suffer like this."

"It's my fault. I'm the one who messed up," I murmured, looking away.

The nurse sighed but didn't push further. "If you ever need a safe place, my door is always open. You're not alone."

I nodded, appreciating her kindness even though I knew I couldn't take her up on the offer. After leaving the clinic, I realized I'd forgotten to buy supplies for my next class.

"Great," I muttered under my breath, heading out of the campus gate to the nearest store.

I bought the colored paper my group had assigned me to bring, making sure it was the cheapest option. As I walked back, a man in a tuxedo approached me.

"Excuse me, are you from class 4C?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.

"Uh, yes. Why?" I asked, feeling a bit uneasy..

"It's her," he said, and suddenly two other men, also in tuxedos, appeared.

Panic surged through me, and I turned to run, but they were too quick. One of them clamped a hand over my mouth, muffling my screams. I struggled against them, but it was no use. They shoved me into a car, and I felt a cloth pressed to my face. The scent of chemicals filled my nose, and everything started to fade.

As I slipped into unconsciousness, I heard one of them say, "We've found Kato Lara."

To be continued...