The rage peaked from the demon that roared before her.
"WANG JIEMI!"
"Get off me," Amber grunted, but inside she was reeling, confusion tight in her frame. What was going on? What had they been talking about? Why did they exchange bodies? Was JieMi okay? She inspected her body, eyes dancing to the dark fabric, praying in her head that the wet spot wasn't blood.
The next blow to her face made her bite her cheek and rust spilled over her tongue. The blood bubbled and frothed from her lips, and she spat it out horrified at the sight of crimson violent red glistening on the asphalt. Ha-Eun…Ha-Eun was beating him. Her hands reached for his phone, fingers hastily digging into the emergency button she'd installed for him just for this.
A call.
"Stop it," she said but flinched as Ha-Eun grew closer. "Get away from me." Her body trembled, eyes going wet at the memories that slammed into her head, its fingers curling over her throat.
They'd cornered her too. Them with their bright green skin. She'd screamed and screamed but no one came to help her when they ripped the flowers from her hair, her only connection to her soulmates. It'd hurt so bad she thought she would die. And there had been nothing she could do but accept the fire, and burn alive. She—
"You think I like doing this to you?" Ha-Eun growled. "YOU PISSED ME OFF AGAIN, MOTHERFUCKER!" She snapped; teeth barred so far, she looked like a wild dog panting for the kill. "You're cheating on me, aren't you? WHY THE FUCK DO YOU QUESTION THE BABY? STOP TALKING ABOUT FUCKING TESTS! THE BABY IS FUCKING YOURS, YOU IDIOT!"
The baby…They had been talking about the baby... Amber's head spun at her words, but Ha-Eun's next blow pushed her back and she fell to her floor and on her ass again with a heavy thump. Ha-Eun let lose a laugh that chilled Amber to the core, and her head flashed with the scene of her past—the laughter of her tormentor, ripped lilacs in her hands.
"I gave you everything. EVERYTHING! I MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE TODAY! I FUCKING TOOK YOU INTO MY WINGS! I LET YOU USE MY POPULARITY! YOU'RE ONLY WHERE YOU ARE BECAUSE OF ME YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!"
"That's not true…" How could Ha-Eun say that? How could he let her say that?
Ha-Eun raised a brow at him. "Don't fucking kid yourself. I know what you did, you slept with someone didn't you? The ones at the top? You got your award that way, didn't you?" Ha-Eun rolled her eyes and snorted, an ugly sound that grunted from her lips, heavy and wretched. "I fucking knew it."
What was she talking about?
"I don't even know why the fuck you want to fuck Amber. She's not going to give you a fucking thing. She's a poor, ugly bitch with no power. She's useless to you! WAKE THE FUCK UP!" Ha-Eun snarled, lips curling into one of disgust. "She's just another FUCKING SLUT!"
She kicked her then, a heavy slam of her feet into the raw bruises on his skin and the pain that flashed through her system was electrifying. It shocked Amber, the palpitating sting of burning pain, forcing her out of her state of shock. The anger that followed burned away the fear that flowed in her body. Amber stood, dusting her ass as she tried desperately to calm her racing heart. She had enough of this shit. This bitch was out of her fucking mind.
"I worked my way up to the top."
"FUCKING BULLSHIT!" Ha-Eun spat out. "You used me too. YOU FUCKING GAVE YOURSELF TO ME SO THAT I COULD BRING YOU TO THE TOP! I gave you gifts! I gave you your fucking allowance! I helped you! You are mine! YOU ARE ALWAYS MINE!"
Was JieMi groomed? He didn't talk about this…To Ha-Eun what was JieMi? A toy to be bought? A pet that had outgrown its owner? What was he to her? Did she even love him? Was it always a one-sided love?
"Then let me do a paternity test! If you're so damn sure that the kid is yours then—"
"IT IS YOURS!" Ha-Eun shrieked. "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SO DAMN INTO THE TEST—"
"YOU'RE NOT MY SOULMATE!" Amber screamed back; her eyes filled with rage for JieMi. "YOU WERE NEVER MY SOULMATE! AND YOU KNOW THAT! We can't have children. It's fucking difficult and yet, you claim to have my kids. I want a fucking test! Is that too hard? Is that too fucking hard?"
The paleness in Ha-Eun's face was all the evidence she needed to back up her claims.
"You've been cheating on me," she growled. "Who have you been with? Who are you sleeping with? How long has it been going on? How long have you been lying to me? TELL ME! TELL ME NOW!"
Ha-Eun seemed stunned at her words, but then she cackled. "You're not afraid, are you? I'll expose you and your fucking group. I'm going to bring you all down!" Her voice quivered despite the blackmail; the tremble laced within the anger in her voice.
"With your lies?" Amber scoffed, her courage growing the more she spoke. "They won't fucking believe you. My fans know me, they know us. They won't believe your words. You can spread my fucking nudes. You can tell everyone I raped you. But you know what? You know you fucking groomed me from the very start, you made me your bitch when I was at my lowest. You took me in and then you used me since I was 16. YOU were the one who ABUSED ME."
"Y-you're never going to—"
"LOOK AT ME!" She roared, so angry that her eyes went blurry from the emotions that wracked her frame. "You were the one who pointed the knife to your belly not me. You're the one who touched me. You were the one who hit me, you were the one who bruised me. YOU HURT ME! I DIDN'T FUCKING TOUCH YOU. You can try to lie you can try to tell the world all your fucking bullshit. But fuck you Ha-Eun, fuck you! I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ANYMORE!"
"JieMi…JieMi please."
"I have had enough of your shit! I have had enough! So tell me! TELL ME RIGHT NOW BEFORE I LEAVE WHY THE FUCK DID YOU BETRAY ME! WHO WERE YOU FUCKING BEHIND MY FUCKING BACK! WHOSE FUCKING CHILDREN ARE THEY?" She was panting when she finished, and the silence that resulted rang in the air.
"JieMi…" Ha-Eun began to sob, her voice pitiful and small, but Amber wasn't lured by her sweetness.
"TELL ME!"
"He was my soulmate!" She cried, breaking down on the ground in a pathetic heap. "I couldn't help the Soul Yearning. I couldn't help it. You know I love you. I do. I love you so much, please JieMi. PLEASE." She knelt on the floor, holding her belly. "JieMi, please."
"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU GO TO HIM IF HE WERE YOUR SOULMATE? HE'S MADE FOR YOU!"
"HE'S A FUCKING NOBODY!" She screamed. "HE'S A HOMELESS LOSER ON THE STREET!" Her words bit into Amber's chest and her eyes went round as she stared at Ha-Eun. "WE FUCKING MET ON THE STREETS! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW DIRTY I FELT! HOW DISGUSTING IT WAS TO FIND OUT THAT THE ONE DESTINED FOR ME WAS LIKE THIS!"
"He's still your soulmate—"
"ALL HE FUCKING CARED ABOUT WERE MY FUCKING TITS! ALL HE WANTED WAS TO FUCK ME AND THEN TAKE MY MONEY! HE USED ME!" Ha-Eun was crying, her head buried in her hands. And Amber couldn't help but feel pity for her plight, her chest tight with understanding. "He threatened my career, and I hated him. I hated him so much even though my body wanted him. And I tried not to. I tried, but it was too hard, too hard. He was nothing like you! You're everything to me JieMi, please—"
"Then why did you abuse me?" Amber spluttered, but inside her heart twisted just a little for Ha-Eun. "Why did you threaten me?"