By midnight, I have cleared up most of the articles and videos. I have deleted the harsh commenters' profiles and my pictures. If anyone posts something about me again, I will be the first one to know. I will remove it before it makes further noise.
The doorbell rings. It must be the reporters again. I wonder if they ever sleep. They are swarming at my door like bees. I can't even open my door to get my ramen. Since yesterday, I have been eating the expired instant noodles.
I lay myself down on the bed and logs into the chatroom.
***
Blessed_Noodles has logged in.
Lady_Virgin has changed her user name to Lady_NotVirgin
I_Hack_You: She got some.
PaperWig: @Lady_NotVirgin How was your first time? How many times did you do it?
White_Whiskers: How was the wedding?
Lady_NotVirgin: 5 times @PaperWig It was awesome. Doing it is better than writing it.
I_Hack_U: I guess, you will write better after getting the practical experience.
Lady_NotVirgin: Definitely. I am already working on one.
White_Whiskers: Share the steamy details.
Blessed_Noodles: Steamy Details +1
Lady_NotVirgin: Hohoho... You have to wait for that. I am leaving now. My husband is back.
I_Hack_You: BACK FOR ACTIONS!!!
Blessed_Noodles: Have fun.
PaperWig: I want a girlfriend.
Lady_NotVirgin has logged out.
White_Whiskers: My girlfriend and I broke up around two weeks ago.
I_Hack_You: @White_Whiskers You had one?
White_Whiskers: Yes, I did. She met her online. She was from K City. I live in T City. I visited her a few times, but we broke up in the end.
Blessed_Noodles: I have a boyfriend too.
White_Whiskers: Who?
Blessed_Noodles: He is 2D.
PaperWig: You are an otaku, aren't you? @Blessed_Noodles
Blessed_Noodles: No, I just love one manga character. Sakurano Kazu from Shoujo High (Love Is Drug).
I_Hack_You: 2D wife is best. By the way, did you hear? Someone hacked the social media and the tabloid sites that posted about Kamiyama family's shameful acts.
White_Whiskers: Oh, I know that one. Kamiyama Hitomi's daughter was from my school.
Blessed_Noodles: What?
White_Whiskers: We went to the same elementary school. She was my junior.
PaperWig: She's quite hateful in the video.
I_Hack_You: Everyone called her a leech for living off her relatives.
Blessed_Noodles: She isn't a leech.
I_Hack_You: Do you know her personally?
Blessed_Noodles: No, we aren't even from the same city.
White_Whiskers: Actually, she was a bright girl before that happened. Because of her mother's actions, she was isolated by her classmates. When the news died, she changed permanently.
PaperWig: It must have left a psychological trauma like the news said.
I_Hack_You: I wonder who hacked those sites. Kamiyama family must have paid someone.
Blessed_Noodles has logged out.
***
They are gossiping. People cannot resist the lure of pointless speculation about someone else's life. I wonder what is it that they find interesting. Someone else's life is just a story for them. But for that someone, it is a reality. One can't know other's pain by guessing.
Suddenly, I hear a loud noise. I come out of my bedroom and find my door broken. A tall man is standing at the door.
"Who are you?" I pick up the nearest item that I could find. It is a broom. I point it at him. "Are you trying to break in?"
"Takeuchi Rie, you have some courage." He looks at me with his dark eyes. His voice is eerily cold. The floor creaks when he steps inside the house. I step back with a broom in my hand, slightly trembling. I should have gotten a stronger door and better locks.
"It's you." I know him. Why is he here? He blocks the broom when I try to hit him. A Kamiyama is never welcomed in my house.
"Why are you here?" I pull the broom, but he doesn't let go.
He scowls at me. "Takeuchi Rie, what do you want?"
"What the hell!" I let go of my broom. What are my chances of winning if I fight him? I do a realistic evaluation of my strength. He has to bend his neck slightly to look at me. I feel like a rabbit in front of the tiger.
Forget fighting. I should be fleeing.
"I don't know what you are talking about." I step sideways. "Leave or I will call the cops."
"You will call the cops on me? They can't help you." He laughs arrogantly and grabs my wrist. "I should send you to the cops for going to the reporters and soil Kamiyama family's name."
"I don't know what you are talking about." I try to free my wrist. His hold is too tight. "I didn't go anywhere. They appeared right in front of my door.
"Takeuchi Rie, you shouldn't have told them anything." He lets go of my wrist and steps closer to me. "You are a vicious woman."
"You are a horrible man." I slap his face. Who he is to walk into my territory and insult me on my face?
I regret this instantly when I see his expression. He clenches his jaw hard and purses his lips in a straight line. He glares at me and takes a step. I take a backward step. We keep moving until I hit the wall.
I squeeze my eyes shut when I see the punch coming. I jump when it lands only a few inches away from my face.
"You will regret this."