Ara sat stiffly on the old sofa, her fists clenched tightly in her lap. Her phone buzzed again and again, Ningning and Chenle's names flashing on the screen, but she didn't dare answer. Not while her parents were here. Not while the weight of them in the room pressed down on her chest.
"So," her mother said slowly, her voice filled with fake amusement, "what's your plan for the future, young lady?"
Ara kept her eyes on the floor. "I don't know," she muttered, hoping the question would end there.
Her father scoffed, leaning forward, his dark eyes narrowing. "Not good enough. You need to stop acting like a child and start facing your responsibilities. Running away doesn't solve anything."
Ara's head snapped up, her anger flashing. "I didn't run away!" she said, her voice shaking. "I escaped. There's a difference."
Her mother's smirk disappeared, replaced by a cold warning. "Watch your tone. We're your parents. You owe us respect."
Ara let out a bitter laugh that trembled with both fear and defiance. "Respect? You don't deserve it. Not after everything you've done to me."
For a moment, the room went silent, heavy with tension. Then, with a sudden, sharp motion, her father's hand struck her cheek.
Slap!
Pain exploded across her face, and she stumbled off the sofa, her vision momentarily blurred. She refused to cry, to show weakness. She forced herself to stand, her hands shaking, her chest tight with fear and anger.
"Get up," her father growled.
Ara scrambled to her feet, her legs trembling, but she didn't look back. She ran to her room, slamming the door behind her, and the second she was alone, she let herself break.
She fell onto her bed, burying her face in the pillow as sobs shook her body. Her chest ached under the weight of everything she had endured. The walls of her room felt like they were closing in, trapping her in a nightmare she had thought she had escaped.
She had thought she was free. But happiness had only been an illusion.
Outside, Ningning paced, gripping the spare key tightly in her hand. She had called Ara more than a dozen times, sent texts, left voice messages. Nothing. Not a single reply.
Something was wrong.
Taking a deep, shaky breath, Ningning unlocked the door and stepped inside. The air felt heavy and suffocating. The curtains were drawn, and shadows hung over every corner. The house was too quiet.
"Ara?" Ningning called softly. No answer.
Her stomach twisted as she hurried toward Ara's room. Clothes were scattered across the floor. The bed was unmade. The air felt thick with tension.
Then she heard it. A faint sniffle.
Ningning followed the sound to the bathroom and pushed the door open.
Ara sat curled up on the floor, knees to her chest, eyes red and puffy from crying.
"Ara!" Ningning gasped, dropping to her knees beside her. "What happened?"
Ara looked up, and Ningning's heart broke at the hopelessness reflected in her eyes.
"They're back, Ningning," Ara whispered. "My parents... they came back."
Ningning froze. She had seen the scars Ara tried to hide, the haunted expression that would flash across her face whenever her past was mentioned. She knew what Ara meant.
"What do you mean they're back? Since when?"
"Last night," Ara said, her voice trembling. "They just showed up. Like nothing happened. Like they still own me."
Ningning wrapped her arms tightly around Ara. "You're not alone," she whispered. "We'll figure this out. I promise."
The next few days blurred together. Ningning and Chenle stayed close, keeping Ara company, helping her with schoolwork, reminding her she wasn't alone. They distracted her with laughter and small comforts, but nothing could erase the fear in her eyes or the hidden bruises she tried to conceal.
One afternoon, Ningning and Chenle sat together in the school library, frustration written across both their faces.
"We need to do something," Ningning said firmly. "Ara can't keep living like this."
Chenle nodded slowly. "I agree. But what can we do? Her parents are her legal guardians. We can't just take her away from them."
Ningning bit her lip, thinking hard. "What if we gather proof? If we record conversations, bruises, everything... then the authorities would have to act."
Chenle's eyes widened. "That could work. If we catch them in the act, we'll have a case."
Ningning exhaled and straightened her shoulders, determination flashing in her eyes. "Then we start now. We're not letting them take her back."
Chenle nodded. "We'll save her."
For the first time in days, a small flicker of hope ignited in Ningning's chest. Ara wouldn't be alone this time. They wouldn't let her face this nightmare again.
This wasn't over. Not yet.
