Chapter 4

　　John 's voice came through, filled with

　　fury.

　　Then, he kicked me in the stomach.

　　I glared at him viciously, still not

　　letting go.

　　The hatred in my eyes made him pause for a

　　moment, but Sharon's cries for help brought him back.

　　He continued to kick me forcefully,

　　shouting, "Let go, Vivian."

　　The pain in my lower abdomen merged once

　　again with memories from my childhood.

　　Fear and helplessness enveloped me, and I

　　released my grip, blood flowing from the corner of my mouth.

　　I hugged my head with both hands, curling

　　my body into a ball, and kept shouting,

　　“Don't hit me... I'm sorry, I'll never do it again.”

　　Sharon's eyes welled up with tears as she

　　glared at me fiercely.

　　She stepped forward to kick me again but

　　was held back by John .

　　The furrowed brows of John made Sharon

　　hesitate.

　　John 's gaze towards me had a hint of

　　regret and heartache.

　　Just as he was about to come towards me,

　　Sharon quickly grabbed him, letting out a cry of pain:

　　“Ah, it hurts!”

　　“John, my leg hurts! I have a race the day after tomorrow!”

　　Without any hesitation, John  carried Sharon upstairs.

　　Before leaving, he still shouted at me, “Vivian, you

　　better watch yourself. Reflect on your actions in there.”

　　He slammed the door shut.

　　And I remained immersed in the dark scenes

　　from my childhood.

　　Tears streamed down repeatedly, as if I

　　could still feel the pain of the sticks hitting my body back then.

　　It wasn't until the cold floor brought me

　　back to my senses.

　　My eyes were dazed, and my eye sockets dry.

　　Mechanically, I took out my phone and

　　checked the date.

　　My lips forced a smile, revealing a grin.

　　There were still 48 hours left.

　　John , I'm about to leave you.

　　The next morning.

　　John 

　　let me out.

　　He looked down at me condescendingly.

　　“Vivian, you need to apologize to Sharon.”

　　I sat on the floor, leaning against the

　　bed, ignoring him.

　　“Did you hear me, Vivian? If you don't apologize, I'll kick you out.”

　　John 's voice rose again, the veins on his

　　forehead bulging, his gaze towards me cold and ruthless.

　　Indeed, the one you love always knows how

　　to hurt you.

　　I've long had no home.

　　What if I'm kicked out?

　　I don't care anymore.

　　I looked up at him coldly and spat at him, “In your

　　dreams.”

　　After speaking, I could no longer hold

　　myself up and fainted.

　　I was taken to the hospital, and when I

　　woke up, only a caretaker was with me.

　　John and Sharon had gone abroad to

　　participate in a racing competition.

　　I looked down at the time; there were still

　　12 hours left.

　　“Mom, do me a favor.”

　　After sending the message, I ate a few

　　bites of food.

　　I asked the caretaker to take me for a walk

　　nearby.

　　When we passed the Bay Bridge, I said I

　　wanted to see the scenery there.

　　Taking advantage of her inattention, I

　　jumped off.

　　Closing my eyes, the moment I touched the

　　river water, I whispered to myself:

　　“John , goodbye.”