Chapter Four: Forgive Me, or Don’t
1040 Words
I didn’t know if I should be mad at Dad… or feel sympathy for him—for putting his whole family in such danger and not being able to save us when we needed him most.
My whole world felt shattered all over again.
How could I blame this boy—this stranger in front of me—for doing what he did, when my own father had taken something from him first?
Tears rolled down my cheeks again. But this time, they weren’t just for my pain—they were for his too. For both of us.
The silence between us stretched longer than it should have. The air was thick with emotions we couldn’t say. My heart pounded so loud in my chest I feared he might hear it. I looked up into the eyes of the same person who had taken everything from me.
But now, I could see it clearly—Junior was just as broken. The pain in his eyes was real. His anger wasn't without a cause.
Still, I spoke.
“Excuse me… sir…” I stammered. My voice cracked from the dryness in my throat. My lips quivered. I barely recognized the sound of my own voice. “I know you’re hurting. But so am I.”
He said nothing. Just stared at me, his gaze unreadable.
“I’m sorry for what my father did,” I said, choking back a sob. “I really am. And I… I forgive you for what you did to my family. If you can forgive me too.”
For a moment, everything felt still. The room, the air, even time—it all froze.
Then… he laughed.
A bitter, cold laugh. The kind that had no joy in it.
“What does a little girl like you know about forgiveness?” he said with a scoff. “And why would I ever want the forgiveness of a little girl?”
The words hit like sharp stones being hurled at my chest.
I swallowed hard, blinking rapidly to fight the tears threatening to fall again. I turned around without another word and walked toward the door.
I expected him to grab me. To yell. To do something to stop me. But instead…
He just stood there.
Watching.
Silently.
I walked out of the room and found myself in a huge hallway, and then into the breathtaking living room. It was even more beautiful in the daylight—the large crystal chandelier glistened above, casting rainbows on the shiny marble floor. The curtains swayed gently from the breeze coming in through slightly open windows, and the scent of expensive candles filled the air.
Everything looked like something from a luxury magazine, but I felt nothing but emptiness inside.
I took small steps toward the front door. My hand trembled as I reached for the handle. My heart beat faster with each step.
I didn’t even know where I would go. I had no home to return to, no family waiting outside. But anywhere felt better than here—this mansion filled with pain, silence, and memories I didn’t want.
Just as I touched the cold handle, I heard a voice from behind me.
“Wait.”
I froze.
I turned slowly to see the older man from earlier—he stepped out of the kitchen holding a small cloth in one hand. His appearance was calm now, unlike the strict man I remembered from before.
“Why should I wait?” I asked, not hiding the hurt in my voice. “You people brought me here against my will. I even tried to make peace—and it didn’t matter. I don’t even know what you plan to do to me.”
My eyes welled up. My fists clenched at my side.
He looked at me and sighed deeply, like someone carrying too much on his shoulders.
“Don’t cry, little girl,” he said gently. “I’m sorry for how I treated you before. Truly, I am. Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Mr. George. I work as a butler… for Li Junior and his late father.”
My lips parted slightly in surprise, but I didn’t speak.
“I know this must be so confusing for you,” he continued. “Junior… he wasn’t always like this. He used to be such a good boy. Lively. Kind. But after his father’s murder, something inside him broke. He became distant. Angry. Cold. Revenge became his only reason for breathing.”
He looked down at his shoes, as if ashamed. Then he glanced back up at me.
“But then you came. And for him to spare you, when he could have easily ordered worse… it means something. Whether he knows it yet or not, there’s something about you that unsettles him. Challenges him.”
I stared, unsure how to feel.
“You may be the light that pulls him out of the darkness,” Mr. George said softly, placing a hand on his chest. “I believe that.”
I stood still for a long while. His words spun in my head like a storm.
I could walk out that door now and disappear into the unknown. But where would I even go? I had no answers. No safe place. No one left in this world.
But if I stayed—maybe I’d have food… shelter… someone to watch over me, even if it was in this strange, painful place.
“Okay,” I whispered at last. “I’ll stay.”
Mr. George’s face softened with relief. “Good,” he said. “Come, let me get you something to eat. You need it.”
He guided me back upstairs to the room and brought me a hot meal. It smelled amazing—like home. While I ate, he sat nearby and told me little stories. He even joked a bit, making me smile faintly. Something about his warmth reminded me of my dad before everything turned upside down.
That night, I lay in bed, full and comforted, with Mr. George quietly humming to himself in the corner.
I
drifted off into sleep… not healed, not happy… but just a little less broken than before.
- Writer
