Jealousy | Wen Junhui [EDITING]

Chapter 51

Caleb and I immediately left our sitting position, when Mom and Dad came back still looking distressed. No more lividness was found scrawled on Dad's face, but a look of exhausted forlorness. Caleb clung onto my arm and avoided all eye contact. Finally, Dad spoke up:

"Caleb, your mother and I are still discussing your punishments, but as for now, I will take you home. Under no circumstances are you to invite anyone over or leave the penthouse, unless an emergency occurs. Do you understand?"

Caleb nodded in utter silence.

"Do you want to stay here, Tori?" Mom inquired, looking at me.

"I, um," I glanced at Caleb, who silently pleaded with my eyes to stay with him. "I'll go with Caleb."

"Alright... You're sure you don't want to stay?"

I nodded in finalization.

*~*~*~

The ride back to the apartment was dragged by a tedious silence that seemed to have no ending. Sitting next to Caleb, I rubbed his hand to comfort him.

"Why?" Dad breathed, "Why did you do it, Caleb?"

Caleb swallowed hard before finding his voice.

"I did terrible things... Things that made me angry..."

"What things, son?"

Caleb swallowed his voice and hung his sunken eyes down like a weather-beaten coat. Dad elevated his glance to the rear-view mirror that held Caleb's reflection. Caleb lifted his eyes, trailed by his head, to meet Dad's patient yet expectant gaze. I never noticed how child-like Caleb's eyes were. They were still innocent, despite what horrid things his eyes had witnessed.

"I..." Caleb sighed. "I've been sneaking into this club with my friends. They made me drink with them. I told them I didn't want to, but they made me do it anyway..."

My breath hitched when I realized that his story was almost parallel with the narration by Mr. Yoon at Masterpiece. Many things started to slowly make sense: why often came home late, his bad moods, and why he disappeared every so often. I shrunk in remorse of my treatment towards my brother, when he was already facing trauma haunting him more so.

"I couldn't stand up for myself... I-I tried, but I needed company..."

I felt my own tears brim in my eyes. Dad didn't tear his concentration away from the busy road ahead, but reached out his hand behind him, gesturing for Caleb to take it. Caleb did, but he took his time.

"What were their names, Caleb? So I can teach them a lesson," Dad added with a hint of firmness in the last sentence.

Caleb looked very reluctant to answer, as if he didn't want to reminisce those dark memories.

"They... Th-they were..."

I swallowed in anticipation, gluing my lips together to seal away any noise that could drown Caleb's papery voice.

"N-Namjoon..."

He paused.

"Seokjin... Jimin... Taehyung... Jungkook... Yoongi... Hoseok... Yan-"

Caleb paled considerably, looking drained and ill. He shook his head suddenly and violently.

"No... Please don't make me remember..." Caleb started to cry, taking ragged breaths.