Living in a Troubled Life

mikmws

Chapter 8

As soon as I enter my room, someone grabbed my arm tightly. Out

of instinct, I slapped the one who’s grabbing my arm only to find
out that the one grabbing me is Toper.

“Toper?! What are you-“

I was about to ask him why he’s in my room but he cut me off.

“Tell me what happened to your arm,” he said.

I became confused. “What do you mean?” I asked.

He grabbed my arm once again and started tightening his hold.

This made me flinch way harder.

“Tell me when to stop-“

“STOP! Please!” I cried. I didn’t let him finish his statement

because I couldn’t take the pain any longer.

“I haven’t even closed my fist yet on your arm,” he said before

releasing my arm. I felt relieved.

“I know but my muscles are sore.”

“How come you have sore muscles?”

I was trying to think of an excuse, a believable one since Toper

is the type of guy who doubts everything when suddenly Oxus
entered my room.

“What’s the commotion all about? I heard you screaming, Pree,” he

said between his breaths.

My eyes widened. Oh no.

As I looked at Toper, I just noticed he’s holding and almost

crumpling an empty envelope. He’s staring at me as if he’s
scrutinizing my soul. Scary.

“What’s going on in here?” Oxus asked.

I smiled and was ready to say that it’s nothing serious but Toper
didn’t let me say anything.

“Aren’t you going to answer my question, Pree? I’m asking how you
got sore muscles,” he chimed.

With that, Oxus widened his eyes and immediately hold both of my
shoulders, causing me to flinch and scream in pain.

He immediately released me and asked if I’m fine, to which I

nodded.

“What happened?” he asked afterward. “I didn’t know you were in

pain, I’m sorry,” he added.
“Are you going to answer my question or not?” Toper intervened.
Both Oxus and I looked at him.

“I… I slipped when I was mopping the floor in the dining. I

bumped on the sink at a weird angle so both of my arms are sore,”
I said. Hopefully, they’ll buy my excuse in this.

“So is this an act?”

Toper showed me the photograph kept inside the envelope he’s

holding.

I froze.

The photo showed Aunt Lyn beating me. This was when I
unintentionally made her coffee sweeter than usual. Several
photos were shown to me, and I was about to grab them when Oxus
grabbed them first.

Oh no.

This is bad. Troper shouldn’t be in my room in the first place.

Aria usually enters my room to give me the photos she obtained
whenever Aunt Lyn beats me. I don’t know what her reason is, but
I got accustomed to this that I put those photos in a box hidden
in my closet. It seems like I collect my photos of being beaten,
right? Well, I couldn’t throw them away, either. If I did,
there’s a chance that Oxus and Toper would find those, since
they’re the ones assigned to segregate the trashes.

I couldn’t burn them also, not when they’re around because it

will only spark their curiosity. In addition, Aunt Lyn doesn’t
allow me to use the burn anything since I almost cause a fire
when I was younger.
He stared blankly at the photos before looking at me. He stares
like a madman ready to devour anything.

I bit my lip and looked down.

“You shouldn’t be in my room in the first place, Toper,” I said,

almost whispering but he was able to hear it loud and clear.

“If I didn’t go to your room to give you something I bought for

you, then I wouldn’t know that mom did something terrible to
you,” he answered calmly. I looked up at him, concern is written
on his face.

“Tell us, Pree. Why did mom beat you? And who the hell captured
this?” Oxus asked.

“I-It’s my fault. I deserved that punishment,” I answered, bowing

my head to avoid their gazes.

“So mom really did this to you. The hell,” Oxus claimed.

“Why did you say you deserved it? Why, Pree? What did you do to
have that punishment?” Toper asked.

I shook my head. I don’t want to tell them. Then I realized that

I shouldn’t have said that I was punished at that time. I should
have made an excuse instead!

Stupid Pree!

“It’s nothing serious, please, don’t mind me… I just had

sensitive muscles,” I said.
“And the picture?” Toper asks while looking at me intently. I
could feel both of their gazes upon me.

I looked at him in the eyes. “Pictures could be a result of

photoshops. Please don’t believe in what you can see in the
picture.”

Toper smirked. “So much for keeping what really happened,” he

said.

Oxus grabbed the photos inside the envelope and looked at them
fiercely. He crumpled some of the photos and started walking past
me.

He’s going to Aunt Lyn’s room!

No! This can’t be!

I’m doomed if Aunt Lyn will know that Toper and Oxus had seen the
photos!

I ran towards him and stopped him with all my might.

“Stop, Oxus! I’m begging you, please don’t try to take the
matters unto your hands!” I told him while using all my strength
to stop him from making any step further.

My muscles are all wanting to explode anytime and as much as I

wanted to relax them, I can’t with the current situation going
on.
Thanks to the adrenaline rush, I could somehow suppress the pain
I am feeling.

“Don’t take matters into my hands? Are you kidding me, Pree?”
Oxus answered, looking at me side-eyed. “We wanted to know what
exactly happened in this photo but you didn’t want to tell us.
Why do you think I wouldn’t take this matter?” he added.

Think, Pree. Think!

“B-Because,” I paused, thinking what would be a plausible excuse.

“Because it’s a photoshopped photo! Aria might want to show me
her editing skills that’s why she sent me those photos!”

“Don’t make me laugh with your lame excuse. Let me go or else I’d
be forced to make you release me,” Oxus warned.

My eyes widened. Never have I ever heard Oxus threatened me like

that! I looked at Toper to ask for some help from him but I
immediately looked away when I saw him.

He was smirking but his eyes looked like he’s about to kill
someone. His aura screams danger by the time I looked at him. His
was no different from Oxus’ aura right now.

Their auras both scream danger and this is the scariest day of my
life.