"All I ever wanted was a happy life but looks like it was something I couldn't afford to have."

----

The day passed on smoothly except for the fact that the managers and Jungkook could clearly make out that Violet was appearing tense, more or less uncomfortable. Even the smile she carried when she thanked everyone was very likely fake. As much as he wanted to ask what was wrong, he was pulled away like a magnet with an opposite pole, thinking she might ask him again whether he had feelings for her.

The question he didn't want to hear because he didn't know the answer himself.

Soon, it was time to bid goodbye and Yoora and Violet got into their car. Jungkook and Hyun too went to their vehicle and drove off to their respective places. The actors had been awarded a break of one week and after that, the promotions and interviews would start.

----

Yoora was swiftly driving the car. It was chilly at night and the time was somewhere around ten. Just as they were silently riding back home Violet asked the manager to stop the car.

"Yoora, stop the car."

"What? Why? Are you fine?" She enquired.

"I want to help her. " She pointed towards the aged woman who was trying to cross the road. It was a pretty busy road and they could make out she was unable to cross the road. So, Violet unbuckled the seat belt and got out of her car, not forgetting to put on the mask in order to not get recognized by people. After all, Park Violet and Jungkook's posters for the promotion of the new drama were everywhere in Seoul.

Yoora didn't say anything as she wanted to give the younger some space, she knew that Violet wasn't really in a good mood.

Through the course of dazzling bright lights and those majestic promotional posters and advertisements of her that shone on the screen on the street, Violet walked towards the lady and steadily held her wrinkled hand in hers. The lady looked at her stunned and she just smiled through her mask and spoke further.

"May I help, halmeoni?" The lady nodded and smiled along with her.

Steadily, she helped her cross the road and took her to the other end of the busy street.

"Thank you, dear." She smiled.

"But why are your hands so cold? And why are you wearing such thin clothes? It's chilly today, dear." She rubbed the younger's hands with her warm ones and slowly took out her red scarf, making her wear that.

"Oh no! I don't need-"

"It's cold, wear it." She tutted softly, in an orderly tone and the woman couldn't help but follow what she said.

"Thank you!" She smiled, touching the beautiful and warm scarf.

"It's my late daughter's scarf. Just now, it felt like she was standing beside me and so, take it with you. You reminded me of her." She smiled sadly, making Violet's eyes go wide.

"I'm sorry!" She apologized with a little bow and the elder shook her head whilst carefully putting up the scarf in place on her neck like a mother would do to her daughter.

"It's time to let go." She spoke gloomily but still smiled, and tears made their way through Violet's eyes. She just felt this sudden need for her family. Maybe, if they were here, they would've cared for her every day like this. The lady caressed her cheek with her wrinkled hands.

"Don't cry. I don't know what's wrong but everything will be alright very soon. Till then, keep that lovely smile on your face, Violet." She whispered the last sentence making the woman glance at her in aghast.

"Y-you know me?!"

"I've watched every drama of yours. It ain't tough to differentiate you even with a mask on." She proclaimed, proudly.

"Now, go back fast before they recognize you." She patted her shoulder and smiled.

She waved goodbye to the lady and returned back to her car, a broad smile plastered on her face. Yoora didn't ask her what happened that made her so happy because all she wanted was to see her happy and now, she appeared joyful. She didn't wish to disturb the moment and so they silently drove back to her house.

----

Lazily walking towards her living room she sat on the floor and rested her back on the couch. She changed into her comfy clothes - a white tee and shorts and didn't forget to keep the scarf in a safe place in her closet so that she could wear it often.

She checked the time and it was just one hour left before the deadline of twenty-four hours and till now, there was no solution in her mind for the powerful storm that could hit her. Calling the managers would make the situation even worse because they would take action and taking action meant a dead end– the video would be released and then there was no going back.

The last strand of hope she had left was to have a talk with Jungkook. Maybe, he could understand.

She poured some water for herself and took a gulp of it whilst calling Jungkook. The ring went on but soon her doorbell rang and so, she instantly cut the call to check who was there at this hour.

She opened the door only to witness her nightmare standing in front – Seo Juyoung.

"What are you doing -" She tried to close the door on his face but he didn't let her speak further and forcefully entered inside, sending creepy waves to the woman.

"Looks like you didn't really pay attention to the twenty-hour time limit. But don't worry, I know you won't obey and so, I have ways to make you obey me." He smirked and mocked her devilishly. A cold chill ran down her spine.

"Get. The. Hell. Out!" She gritted her teeth on each and every word, despised to the core looking at his creepy expressions. But he just lost it and tightly clenched her hair into his fist and a painful scream left from her mouth.

"You don't understand, do you? You stubborn bitch. Is it that tough for you to sleep with me?!" He pulled her closer to himself, not leaving her hair. She tried to retaliate but it appeared as if her body wasn't supporting her. Her legs and hands were numb and it felt like she might lose her consciousness soon.

"What the hell did y-you do?!" She asked in a feeble voice, warm embers flowing out from her eyes.

"It wasn't much of a work to drug you." He laughed like a maniac and it took her by surprise how weak she was right now, it was slowly becoming impossible for her to even move.

"Security!" She tried to yell but instead got mocked by the monster.

"Huh! It ain't that tough to bribe your security, right?" He muttered and a tight slap by him landed on her face making her fall on face, on the cold floor.

"Ahh!" She groaned in pain and tears flowed through her eyes but no one listened to her painful cries.

The psycho took the cable ties and harshly bound her hands and legs with them earning an agonising holler from her, which he cared less. Instead, he was enjoying this view of her begging him to leave her and he was even more excited to see those expressions when he would relish his inner beast on her.

This was the price she had to pay for raising her voice to protect her dignity.

"P-please!" She cried, blood oozing out from the corner of her lips considering how harsh that slap was.

He kicked her in the gut making blood come out from her mouth and then crouched on his knees near her fragile state. She somehow dragged herself backward until her back hit the wall and it was the dead end. Another harsh slap landed on her cheeks now, reddened by the atrocity, and her eyes brimmed with tears. She truly was helpless in this state.

"You know what babe, it would've been far better if my parents adopted you that day. Would've fucked you way before." He played with her hair strand and she shivered under his monstrous touch but what he said just now made her goggle eyed.

"W-what?" She stuttered, grossed out at this statement but words couldn't come out of her throat.

"Ahh... you don't know, right? That bitch Sierra stole that bracelet and destroyed his notes. If it hadn't been for her, you would've been my step-sister and Jungkook would've been Taehyung's step-brother. But guess what? Sierra became Taehyung's step-sister after that incident. Such a dramatic story right? Poor Jungkook." He spoke in a fake-concern tone whilst clenching her jaw. At this point, her whole body ached.

It felt as if the ground collapsed below her feet. Everything made sense now, Sierra was also a part of orphanage kids once at a time. This was why she appeared familiar. She planned and did everything and this was why they both are suffering till date. Also, Seo Juyoung was the son of the family that proposed to adopt Violet.

The blame went on her head just as Sierra planned and till date, Jungkook hated her for this sole reason.

All the twelve years of suffering just because of one wish– family.

She felt numb at this moment, unable to grasp the information. It felt as if the whole of her teenage and mid-twenties were a lie. She took the blame on herself hoping that maybe one day things would get better, but it only worsened.

She was living in a lie.

And now, that lie was about to eat her up.

Seo Juyoung was about to rip off her clothes and she clenched her eyes shut trying her best to break off from those boundations to save her last piece of sanity.

Suddenly, his phone rang and he got up from his position groaning in frustration, and picked up the call. Violet took this chance and dragged herself toward the couch where her phone was placed. The phone was buzzing and she saw the name- "Dumb Fuck".

Jungkook was calling her back.

Smiling through tears she somehow managed to pick up the call, with her trembling hands. Her blood oozing through her arms dropped on the phone screen.

"Is everything alright–" He asked, concerned only to hear her muffled voice as if she was on the verge of breaking. His grip on his device became tighter.

"J-Jungkook. H-help..." She spoke out in a faint whisper.

Jungkook's brows crouched in perplexion when he heard her faint voice and he was struck by shock when he heard her muffled painful moans and then everything went silent.

That was the last thing she could speak because Juyoung hit her head with a flower vase and crushed the phone screen with his toes. He mercilessly stomped the sole of his shoe on her hand that was holding the phone and a horrendous scream left from her mouth. He pulled her upwards whilst tightly grabbing her hair and pushed her onto the couch.

Blood dripped down from her forehead and by now everything was becoming blurry in front of her, still, she was trying her best to safeguard herself. Even her voice wasn't coming out, she was numb. The maniac tore off a part of her T-shirt from the shoulder and hovered above her, slowly pulling her tee upwards and her belly was visible.

"D-don't, I b-beg y-you." She begged but he didn't pay any heed to her sorrowful state. Instead, he was enjoying this scene of her all tied up. This was the revenge he planned for what she did the other day at his company.

"Wench. This is what you deserve for disrespecting me. Do you think anyone can help you? Fucking slut!" Poisonous words made their way from his mouth. He surely was a monster considering the atrocity he was making that defiant and helpless woman go through.

He was about to forcefully kiss her but a jaw-breaking punch landed on his face.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER?!" Jungkook screamed in extreme rage whilst pulling him by his collar and punched him numerous times making his mouth bleed. But that didn't stop the male from hitting him again and again. Juyoung tried to fight back but he forgot Jungkook knew boxing and more than that, the former was way too weak for him as an opposition.

The scene of Violet in such a dreadful and horrific state made his heart sink to his stomach but soon, his insides burned up in fury. His inner beast had just woken up and now, it would calm down only when he saw Juyoung's blood. His expressions turned stoic, his eyes turned reddish in anger and jaw hardened, another punch landed on the man's gut making him yell in pain which he cared less. He wanted to hear his screams.

This was the very first time he was this vexed. Out of everyone, Jungkook was always a calm man but today the view in front enraged his beast. It was, as if, this was another Jungkook cursing, yelling and mercilessly hitting the man.

How dare he raise his filthy hands on Violet?!

"Ah! Leave!" He yelled only to get kicked in the gut, and the bones of his rib cage broke. At this point, Jungkook didn't care if he became a murderer because he wanted to make this man suffer a hundred times more than the amount of pain he had given to Violet.

"You. Fucking. Bastard!" He grasped his hair in his fisted hand and hit the half-dead man's head on the wall taking a pause with each and every word of his, making his forehead bleed and those agonising moans of his didn't affect him even by an inch. The uncountable punches that had just landed on the man's gut made his knuckles bleed but he wasn't calming down until he saw a glass vase- the final weapon to end this today.

Surely, he lost his mind and he wasn't afraid to kill Juyoung.

Jungkook took the vase in his hand, his eyes ignited fire in them and he was about to smash his face with the glass vase but halted in his motion, once he heard the loud thump sound. He glanced backward and saw Violet just fell from the couch, her hand motioned him to come up to her. His eyes finally, softened and glistened with tears ready to spill anytime when he looked at her

"Ju-Jungkook..." She fell on her face and groaned in pain, choking on her words.

He instantly threw the glass vase breaking it into a million pieces and sprinted towards the woman whilst placing her head on his lap. Warm, red liquid seeped through the back of her head and his hands trembled when he touched her fragile state. His eyes widened in aghast when he saw so much blood seeping out of her forehead, to the point, even his hands were drenched in red. Tears were continuously streaming down from the corner of her eyes and even her lips were bleeding.

"V-Violet!" His voice cracked and he was unable to look at her dreadful figure.

"The notes... she... stole it..." She whispered in her feeble voice and her lips quivered but he was way too panicked to understand anything. She placed her trembling hand, covered in blood on his face and whispered. Her eyes were drowsy and barely open. She was tired, way too tired and exhausted and she knew this was her last chance to make everything alright. Her body wasn't supporting her and she didn't know if she'd be able to open her eyes again. It was utterly painful and her hope of living was slowly vanishing away.

"V-Violet d-don't close your e-eyes!" He yelled, panicking.

"Sierra... stole your... p-piano notes and... t-the... b-bracelet." Her voice came out like a faint whisper, so feeble yet it was enough to send shivers down his spine. His world came crashing down at those last words spoken by the woman appearing like a fallen angel. He couldn't clearly understand what she was trying to say because his mind was puzzled and panicked looking at the woman covered in blood from top to bottom.

She couldn't speak anything further and everything went blank in front of her eyes. Her body couldn't keep up with the extreme amount of pain it just received.

Her hand which was caressing the man's cheek, slowly fell like a broken string of pearls. It marked his face with her blood. 

He pulled her cold and pale body even closer to himself whilst crying his heart out.

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POTATO'S NOTE:
My poor girl went through a lot 🤧
Are you guys liking the story so far?