Page 188 of My Ruthless Neighbor

Fisting my fingers, I run to him and bump my head on his thigh as hard as possible. Then I pound my fists into his leg and push my way between them. “Stay away from her.”

Mom gasps and tries to pull me back but I don’t stop. I keep hitting the man who is nothing less of a monster.

He draws back his hand and slaps me hard across the face, making me fall on the floor.

Mom screams and starts toward me but Dad pulls her back with a hand in her hair. With blurred vision, I see him slapping her then everything goes black.

A guttural sob tears through my throat.

“Shh…” Archer holds me tight in his arms. I don’t know when he turned and how we both ended up on the floor with me on his lap but all I know is that he is here. I can do this. I can be brave.

“When I regained consciousness, our house was on fire and she was lying on the floor, her eyes unseeing. He’d killed my mother, Archer. She could’ve been alive if it weren’t for me. I was the only one thing that shackled her with that man. She was in that abusive marriage only because of me. She died because of me.”

“No, no. Don’t say that.” His face contorts in pain. With a hand to the back of my head, he hugs me to his chest. “It’s not your fault.”

I let it all out, my breath-robbing sobs muffled as I break in his arms.

That day my own father had left me and my mom to die. He didn’t bother checking if we were alive and set the house on fire so he could blame our death to fire.

With my mom’s death, I was truly an orphan. That murderer was nothing to me. My mom was my everything. She was my dad, my mom, my friend, my sister. My whole world.

I had spent some days hating her because she left me alone in this world where only bad people exists.

When I was placed in the foster home, I cried and begged God to take me to my mom. But all I got was agony. Both mentally and physically.

After a certain period of time, the beatings I received from the Samsons started feeling child’s play in front of the pain I was carrying in my heart. So much pain.

I was naïve to think that suffering from this much pain could end my existence but God wasn’t that merciful.

Then Raleigh and Damian entered my life and gave me a reason to live.

There will always be hollowness within me. My life will always be incomplete without my mother but I will keep on living a happy life. Because she sacrificed hers for mine.

I’ll keep on wearing bright colors because that’s her legacy. Something which gave her happiness. And in turn, made me happy.

When my sobs subside, I speak in a dead voice. “My father was arrested that same day. And a few years later, he took his life in prison.”

Pulling back, I take his face in my hands. “The only reason I told you this is so you can see how I have learned to forgive myself. I don’t know what happened with you, but if I can deserve all this, so can you.” I murmur then kiss his forehead as fresh tears stream down my face. He crushes me in his arms.

We stay like this for a long time before he gets up and carries me to the bathroom. He runs me a bath and looks after me like an attentive partner.

Later, he makes love to me. Slow and sensual like never before and helps me forget my sorrows.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

“Well?” Archer asks as I chew thoughtfully.

Swallowing, I lean against the seat while he continues to wait for my answer. I make a show of taking a long breath then releasing it, looking here and there. Then finally at him.

“I love it.” I grin.

He releases a breath then rolls his eyes. “Brat.”

“I heard that!” I pout, folding my arms over my chest.

We are in a Korean BBQ restaurant—Quarters—in Koreatown. This is my first time here.

Archer frequents this place with his star employees. It feels good to be a part of his inner circle.

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