Chapter 32 Failed To Protect

KK stood alone in the big study room; KK looked at Grandfather Suwannarat. His lips trembled; his hands clasped together tightly. He suppressed his pride and sighed. After confirming that his pride had left his body, he opened his mouth slowly and pleaded, "Please help me."

Grandfather Suwannarat looked at KK and said, "Give me a good reason why I should help you. If your reason is not good enough, please don't waste my time."

KK said, "I stand before you as your grandson. Is this enough of a good reason for you to help me once."

Grandfather Suwannarat scoffed, "Grandson? You only remember when you are in trouble that you have a grandfather who is still alive. When there are no obstacles in your life, you don't even think of me as your elder and always talk back." He is panting. "Are you sure you are my grandson?" He looked at KK. He gritted his teeth and spit out anger from gaps between his teeth, "My grandson is a full man, not half male and half female."

KK knew he was in trouble, and he probably wouldn't have been able to get past this hurdle without the help of Grandfather Suwannarat. He said with a trembling voice, "If grandpa can help me this time, I will never ask you to help me again."

Grandfather Suwannarat said, "I have already said that when you get married and have grandchildren for me, I will put you back on my will and continue to support you."

KK said, "You know very well that I cannot change who I am."

Grandfather Suwannarat angrily said, "You know that one day, the disease in your body will cause you to live a life of drug addiction. Did you see the news?" He stood up and supported himself with his cane. He walked slowly towards KK. "If I let you do whatever you want, I won't have the courage to face Jiro San in the afterlife." He sighed and walked back to his desk. "If you listened to me and married your fiancé, this would never have happened. You would never have fallen into your delusional abyss."

KK said, "She broke the engagement, not me."

Grandfather Suwannarat said, "Have you ever wondered why she broke off the engagement?"

KK said, "She said we were too different and not suitable for each other."

Grandfather Suwannarat said madly, "Nonsense, the real reason she broke up the engagement is because you are not a complete man. Just because you are an adult and able to stand in front of me doesn't mean you don't need to follow our family traditions. Parents choose their children's partners for them. Parents know what's best for their children. These are the family rules that every Suwannarat must follow."

KK looked at Grandfather Suwannarat and asked, "What about the happiness of their children?" Grandfather Suwannarat walked towards KK. "Isn't that important?"

Grandfather Suwannarat said angrily, "You dare to talk back at this time. You came to me for help, and you talked back. You are such a poisonous child. Has anyone taught you when to seal your mouth when the elders are talking?" He raised his cane and began hitting KK's back and buttocks. He vented his anger. "I am ashamed...I am ashamed standing beside you. I'm ashamed that you are a Suwannarat. I raised you...I raised...I put all my efforts and hopes into you for Jiro San's sake. Now you think you can walk freely and dare not take responsibility according to the family rules. I don't even know who you are. You are no longer my grandson. I don't even know who you are anymore. When I look at you, all I see is a weirdo looking back at me."

Grandfather Suwannarat stopped hitting KK and walked slowly back to the chair and sat down. He picked up the envelope. He threw the envelope to KK, the envelope hit KK's chest and the envelope fell to the floor.

KK asked, "What is this?"

"Since you are not in my will, here is a contract. Let us deal with your problems as I deal with other business transactions. Inside is a contract. I will help you pay off your debts, but you will have to marry your fiancé. If you agree and sign, then I will call the Bho family, whether the daughter of the Bho family wants it or not, the wedding will take place before the end of the month."

KK clenched the yellow envelope in his hand. He looked at Grandfather Suwannarat and asked, "What if I don't?"

Grandfather Suwannarat said, "Then you deal with your own problems."

KK looked at the envelope and knew that although he had swallowed his pride, he couldn't betray himself. If he agrees with what Grandfather Suwannarat thinks, then it's not fair to him or to Aom who never loved him. He still believes that if he is going to marry a person, that person must love him as much as he loves that person. He took a deep breath and looked at Grandfather Suwannarat. He said, "Today, as your grandson, will you help me?"

Grandfather Suwannarat looked at KK angrily, "Do as I say, I'll help you, if not, solve your own problems yourself."

KK put the envelope on Grandfather Suwannarat's desk. He took three steps back and said, "I came to you today as a grandson, begging you for help, but I turned out to be a weirdo in your eyes." He raised his head and faced Grandfather Suwannarat. "From now on, I will never ask you for help again. Even if I become a street beggar, I will never knock on your front door."

Grandfather Suwannarat said angrily, "Good."

KK walked to the front door, but before it opened, he suddenly remembered that he had asked Grandmother Suwannarat why she never held Grandfather Suwannarat's hand.

(Memory)

Sitting beside Grandmother Suwannarat. KK started feeding her. He asked, "Grandma, as long as I can remember, you have never held Grandpa's hand. I see my other grandparents holding hands all the time. I wonder why you and Grandpa never hold hands. You don't like holding hands with others?"

"Because they weren't too embarrassed to express their love to each other," Grandmother Suwannarat said with a smile. She sighed. "I'm tired now. Let's talk tomorrow."

(Memory End)

KK turned around and asked, "Even on her deathbed, she wouldn't hold your hand. Have you ever wondered why grandmother never held your hand?"

In a fit of rage, Grandfather Suwannarat stood up abruptly and slammed his left hand down at the table. He shouted, "Get out! Go die! You poisonous child! You weirdo!"

Mrs. Cole kissed Mr. Cole on the lips and said, "Call me as soon as you get back to Sydney. Sorry...I have to make sure KK does a better job before I go home." She cried. "If I ran away with you after college, KK's father would have been you. I wouldn't have to leave him as a toddler, maybe... maybe his life wouldn't end like this."

Mr. Cole took Mrs. Cole in his arms and he said, "Everything will be fine in the future."

Mrs. Cole sobbed, "I hate myself...I'm mad at myself...for bringing him into this world and I'm not there to hold him when he's most afraid. When someone yells at him, I'm not there to fight his battle with him. When someone treats him badly, I'm not there to defend him. When he cries calling for me, I can't comfort him with a hug." She sobbed. "I'm a bad mother. I'm not there to protect him when he needs someone. As a mother, I failed to protect him. God is punishing me for not fulfilling my duty as a mother."

Mr. Cole kissed Mrs. Cole forehead. "Yumi, you are a great mother. I want you to know that. No one blames you, not even KK. Now that everything has happened and we can't change it now, all we can do is help KK as much as we can. We will get through this together as a family."

Mrs. Cole's phone rang, and she hurriedly answered it. She said, "Hello."

Mr. Suwannarat said, "KK didn't meet me at the bank this morning."

Mrs. Cole asked madly, "What do you mean?"

Mr. Suwannarat, "We're here waiting for KK, but he's not here. He didn't answer the phone either." He stopped. "I thought you were taking him to Australia."

Mrs. Cole muttered, "Where is he? Where is he?" Her heart sank. She quickly hung up on Mr. Suwannarat called KK, but no one answered. "I'm sorry...I can't send you to the airport...I have to find my son. Maybe...maybe right now, he's scared. He needs someone to hold him. I'm going to find my son...what if he decides to..."

Mr. Cole sighed and said, "Let's go look for him."

Mrs. and Mr. Cole came to KK's house. Mrs. Cole let herself in. She saw the house in a mess. She rushed into KK's room and found that the pistol her father had given to KK was also missing.

Mrs. Cole fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. She sobbed and screamed, "No...! Hinata...! No...!"