Chapter 12: Wanting answers

"Friday was in three days. I was going to meet Min Jun for the third time, and I was scared and nervous. I know I have met him twice, but this time it is different. We are going on a date. I do not have to impress him; it's not a normal date. It is a business date. I shouldn't be so nervous. You have to impress your client on a business date, right? My thoughts were throwing me into a state of panic. I groaned and went to my bed. Sleeping was my only escape from my thoughts, and I just had to take the easy way out.

"Min Jun," I yelled. "What?" he asked me with an angry face. "Why are you so upset?" I asked him. He looked at me like I just said something stupid. "Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked him. "You really do not know. You really don't understand what you did wrong?" he asked me, getting angrier. He was yelling, and I was on the verge of tears. I had no idea what I was doing wrong. "You know what? This is pointless. If you do not know what you did, then I suggest you forget about it," he said and left me standing in the middle of the park. I looked around at all the stares; it just made me want the ground to bury me. "What did I do wrong?" I muttered. I ran away from the stares and left the park, wishing that Dad hadn't heard about what happened that day. He already had his suspicions about Min Jun.

I got into my car and sighed. "Can I please be left alone?" I asked the driver. He got out of the car to give me space. I calmed my racing heart and unlocked my phone. I scrolled through the internet to make sure there was nothing about me. I kept refreshing my page until my driver knocked on the window. "Miss, Miss," he said. Was I taking too much time? Was I outside for too long? Did Dad want me home already? I grunted and turned to the window. I groaned when he knocked again. "Miss, dinner is ready," he said.

I stared at him confused, shook my head, and opened my eyes. I was on my bed, in my room, and staring at one of the helpers. "Miss Mei," she said, and I smiled. "I will be down in a minute," I grumbled in a grumpy voice. "Okay," she said and finally left the room. I grabbed a pillow and yelled into it. I was still haunted by my dream. I stared at my ceiling, took a deep breath, and decided to go and get something to eat.

"Hello, Dad," I said as soon as I sat down. A maid placed meals on my plate. I grabbed her hand and made her stop. "Thank you," I said to her. She nodded and walked away. "Dad, my next appointment is on Friday," I said and stuffed food in my mouth. "That is no way to eat at the table, table manners, young lady," Dad said. "Are you going to see the doctor?" Mom asked me. "Yes, I will," I said and watched the look on Mom's face elevate into happiness. I have been problematic since I found out about this illness. I need to give my mom a break. "Thank you," she said. "It's for me, Mom," I said and smiled at Dad.

"Dad, I want something," I said. He ignored me and kept eating. "Apa," I whined. "No," he said. "You don't know what I want to say," I said. "I know you want to ask for something impossible," he replied. "I am going on a date this Friday. I will go to my doctor's appointment, but I want to go alone," I requested. "No, you are not going to your appointment alone. I do not trust you," he said. "Your dad is right, Mei. You need all the support you can get," she said.

I know my parents are right. I am dying, and I need all the love and support to get through all the painful chemotherapy. But I wanted to live, just for a little while. I needed to feel something else, something different from what my parents had shown me all my life. I needed to experience the world, and I didn't want them to hold me back. "Please let me do this," I said. I looked at Dad's face; he wasn't going to come to terms with my decisions. "Fine," I blurted out. I could see the hint of satisfaction on Dad's face. Did he think I was giving up? "Fine, I will go to any appointments on Saturday, the date maybe, but no doctor's appointment," I concluded.

I reached for the fruit basket, grabbed a lone berry, ate it, and grabbed the whole bunch. I stood up and turned to leave the table. "Mei," Mom and Dad called out, but...