22 Years Later
"Ms. Sophia!! Ms. Sophia…!!!"
"Aaaaah, what?! Liora, I told you not to talk to me like that!" Sophia groaned, barely opening her eyes to glare at Liora before burying herself back into the sofa cushions, clearly intending to drift back to sleep.
"You're still in the same clothes you wore to work yesterday, right? Did you at least eat last night? Heeyy, Ms. Sophia, get up!!!!" No matter how much Liora shook her or shouted, Sophia refused to stir. Liora, pondering a way to wake the sleeping woman, felt a mischievous smile tug at her lips as she remembered the one method that never failed.
"I suppose you haven't received the news today, Mr. Adams-"
"Mr. Adams?!!"
As if struck by lightning, Sophia bolted upright on the sofa, eyes wide with panic. She looked around frantically, grabbed her bag and coat, and was about to sprint toward the door when Liora caught her arm, halting her escape.
"Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute. Are you going to wear that outfit now? At least put on a fresh face. And then, breakfast?"
"I'll eat there. I'm going, bye!" Sophia gasped, pulling away and rushing toward the door. However, she stopped abruptly at the threshold and turned back to look at Liora.
"Oh, you should definitely eat before you go to uni. Don't work too hard. And remember to take an umbrella so you don't get wet if it rains."
When Liora nodded obediently, Sophia turned to leave again, only to glance back one last time.
"And most importantly, don't call me Ms. Sophia. Am I a stranger to you?" Sophia raised an eyebrow playfully, making Liora laugh.
"Okay, go now. I can practically see Mr. Adams's face hovering over you."
Hearing Mr. Adams's name again, Sophia immediately threw the door open and dashed out without even closing it behind her. Liora laughed at how terrified Sophia was of her boss, though she felt a pang of sympathy for her as well. Sophia, a reporter for MYG News, worked tirelessly day and night to uncover special, exclusive information just to please Mr. Adams, hoping for a promotion.
Liora sighed, closed the door, and went to the kitchen to eat the breakfast she had prepared, just as Sophia had instructed. As soon as she finished eating, her phone began to ring. Checking the caller ID, a warm smile rose to Liora's lips; she knew exactly who it was.
"Hello, Dad."
"Lio, have you eaten? Are you leaving now?"
"Yes, Dad. Just finished eating. I have to go now."
"Hmm. Remember not to work too hard, okay? Be sure to take your inhaler. If you feel any discomfort at all, call Sophia and tell her."
"Okay, Dad. I've memorized it by now. I asked Sophia about it a while ago. But rather than calling her, I'll just walk home. Everything will be fine when she comes back," Liora said with a reassuring smile.
"No kidding, Lio. Sophia is busy. But she looks out for you. Oh my, that kid is working too hard."
Liora remained silent. She often thought she was a nuisance to everyone, though she wasn't. Born prematurely, Liora had been physically frail since birth, with a tendency to fall ill from even the slightest triggers. However, Liora, who desperately wanted to live without being a burden, didn't want anyone to worry. That was why she often tried to hide her pain and endure it alone.
"That's not it, Lio... do you really have to do that part-time job you're doing? Listen, Lio. I earn a little money from my farm. We can both live somehow on that. So why are you working so hard, daughter?"
Liora bit her lower lip and looked down.
That was the very reason. Liora needed money to pay half the rent for the apartment she shared with Sophia, despite her university fees, food expenses, and Sophia's protests. She worked at a hotel in the evenings specifically because she couldn't bear to watch her father struggle.
"But Dad, I can't watch you suffer like this all the time. Don't worry. I'm fine." Liora stammered the last few words. She was lying; she wasn't well, not well at all. Her body was weak in every way, and she felt exhausted from the part-time job. She was getting sicker than usual, but she wouldn't tell anyone. Why? The same reason as always: every time she felt weak, she tried to endure it alone.
Her dad took a deep breath before speaking again.
"I don't know, daughter. Then do what you want. But don't work too hard. I have to go to the farm now. Be careful. God bless you!"
"Be careful too, Dad. God bless you!"
Putting the phone back in her pocket, washing the dishes, and grabbing her bag, Liora left the apartment to head to university.
Liora Miller, a cute, doll-like girl born in Manchester, lived with a fragility that could be life-threatening. But while her body was weak, her mind was not. A brilliant student, she had been accepted into London University after Manchester High School, a testament to her talent. Her father, a small farmer in Manchester, and her elder sister figure, Sophia, had raised her with love.
Now twenty-two, Liora had come to London two years ago to fulfill her dream. Sophia had come with her, chasing her own dream of becoming a reporter. A week ago, Liora had started the part-time job, determined to no longer be a burden to her poor father.
Liora walked to the university, which wasn't far from the apartment, and passed through the large gates. Even though she had only walked, she felt incredibly weak. She entered the lecture hall and collapsed into her chair, dropping her bag on the table as she clutched her chest, breathing heavily.
"Here comes the walking sick ward," she heard a girl whisper to a friend.
It wasn't just that girl; everyone who knew her at uni treated her this way. No matter how weak she was, she had held the top rank of the batch for the past two years, making the other students fiercely jealous. Furthermore, the girls were envious of her divine beauty. Liora, knowledgeable, beautiful, yet weak and poor, had no friends.
However, Liora was used to this. She ignored their words, trying to forget them by focusing on her studies, which only fueled their envy further.
"Hey guys!! Want to hear some good news?! Yesterday, I secretly took a photo of Ronan while he was sitting in front of Vante Corporation!" a girl announced, holding up her phone.
"What?!"
"Where! Show me!!"
"Oh, show me too!"
Not only the girls, but even some of the boys gathered around the screen.
"Oh... he's even more handsome."
"Aaaaah, why is he so handsome?! I want him..."
"You should send this to my phone, too."
While everyone fawned over the image, Liora lifted her head from her book, looking curiously at the phone in the girl's hand.
"Haha, you're useless. It's better for a weak person like you not to think about someone like that."
As soon as Liora heard the voice that made her more miserable than anything else in the world, she looked up to see its owner approaching her.
"No handsome rich man, or even the poorest person, will like you. Because you are weak. Only that Samuel likes you. And he only likes your beautiful body. He'll use you once and throw you away," Mia sneered, poking Liora's chest with her index finger.
Mia hated Liora because Liora consistently ruined her dream of topping the batch. Her words made Liora's heart skip a beat. Seeing tears fill Liora's eyes, Mia's face broke into a triumphant smile. She leaned closer to Liora's ear.
"There's no point in throwing yourself away. Samuel only has to use you once. Isn't that right? Your weak body can't handle something like that," Mia whispered cruelly.
Mia had a crush on Samuel, the university playboy. Knowing that Samuel was infatuated with Liora's body and beauty made Mia even more jealous. With a final smirk, Mia left, leaving Liora alone with tears streaming down her cheeks.
W-Why do I live? I want to die, Liora thought to herself. But in the next moment, she remembered the hard work her helpless father had put into keeping her alive and educating her.
But I can't do it. God, why was I born like this? Why are you making me live?
There was a reason for that.
• • • • •
The bell rang, signaling the lunch break at London University. Students quickly vacated the halls, heading to their respective activities. Liora left her lecture hall and walked to the cafeteria alone. She walked with her head down, dreading what might happen.
As expected, a group of boys surrounded her. But this time, Liora was truly terrified because they began dragging her away.
"L-let me go! Where are you taking me?" She tried unsuccessfully to loosen their grip, but they dragged her with a force she had never felt before.
"Shut up," one of the boys snapped, continuing down the hall.
They stopped at a deserted classroom. He pushed Liora inside, and the five boys followed, checking to ensure no one had seen them.
"Today we can talk freely, right, my baby? Otherwise, that lecturer will separate us today too."
"I'm not your baby! And speak with respect to Ethan!" Liora shouted with all her might.
"Oh! Since when did he become this close to you, huh? Look, baby... If you talk to me like that, I'll crush your beautiful body, hmm?"
The boy's words made Liora shiver as she recalled what Mia had said earlier.
"S-sorry. I won't talk like that again. P-please let me go," Liora cried, panic setting in.
"Shh... Are you scared? No, I won't do that... today. But let's see about another day, hmm?" When the boy said this, the group laughed out loud. Liora said nothing, her sobbing only intensifying.
"I brought you here today to ask you something. If you answer me, I'll let you go, okay?"
Liora nodded innocently through her tears.
"Good girl. So tell me, what's your relationship with that lecturer, Ethan? Why does he always save you? Why doesn't he let us be free?" the boy demanded.
"Wh-what are you talking about? He's my lecturer; he's like a brother to me. That's why he saves me when you bother me. Nothing else."
"She's lying, Samuel. They're together most of the time. There's something else going on between them," one of the other boys interjected.
Samuel glared at Liora.
"Tell me the truth!! Has someone else already touched those beautiful lips? No, no, I won't let you do that again."
As Samuel leaned in to kiss her, Liora turned her head sharply to the side, weeping. Her hands were pinned against the wall, and she was too weak to fight back.
"Samuel King!!!"
A shout from the doorway seized the attention of all six of them.
"What are you doing? Why do you always bother that innocent girl like this? This time you've gone too far, Samuel. You're going to the principal. All five of you!"
"Sir, this is our problem. Sir, get out of here. We'll take care of this," Samuel retorted.
"What did you say? Take care? Did you think I'd let you 'take care' of that innocent girl? Right now! Get out! Get out!!"
Samuel, realizing he had no other choice, kicked a nearby chair in frustration, glared once more at Liora, and stormed out. The other four boys followed him.
"E-Ethan!!" Liora clutched her chest and collapsed to the floor, gasping for air.
"Liora!!" Ethan shouted, running quickly toward her.
"Liora, breathe easy. Don't worry," Ethan said, gently touching her chest to monitor her breathing. "Where's the inhaler?"
"I-In t-the p-pocket," Liora wheezed, struggling for every breath.
Ethan quickly retrieved the inhaler from her pocket, held it to her lips, and pressed the canister.
"Should we go to the hospital, Liora? Is it too hard?" Ethan asked, his voice full of worry.
"N-no, no. It's a little better now," Liora managed to say, her breathing still heavy but stabilizing. After a while, her rhythm returned to normal, but the tears returned.
"Shh... It's okay, don't be scared," Ethan soothed, patting her back gently.
"W-why, Ethan? Why? W-why am I so weak? I'm mad at myself. I'm just a weakling who can't do anything. Everyone else takes advantage of that weakness. I-I can't take it anymore, Ethan. I-I don't want to live anymore. I don't want to live this useless life anymore!!"
Liora hugged Ethan and cried loudly, letting out all her anguish.
"Trust me, Liora, you're not like that. You're not weak," Ethan whispered firmly. "Wait until the time comes, until fate resolves everything. Until then, please be patient, Liora. I'll protect you as best I can until then."