Chapter 2 Tears Compressed Back Inward

Then came the sound of the bathroom door locking. Anna didn't think much, she got on the bed and looked at the ceiling, then glanced at the closed bathroom door with faint sounds of running water. She curled up anxiously, taking a deep breath. Sharing a room with a stranger of the opposite sex was something she questioned and needed to think about.

Anna slept restlessly, tossing and turning, her hands clinging tightly to the bedsheet, her legs tightly drawn. Celine walked out, his body still carrying the moisture, his bathrobe revealing a broad and firm chest, his wet hair slowly sliding down his face, then down to his broad chest. He glanced briefly at Anna, then reached out to turn off the bedside lamp, walked to the main door and turned off the lights. He also needed to sleep, as he was exhausted today. Celine lay on the sofa, gradually falling asleep.

Anna didn't sleep well, tossing and turning, her limbs flailing, her mouth mumbling incoherently. Celine was awakened by the discomfort, he rubbed his hair irritably, looked at the clock on his wrist, it was still very dark outside at five in the morning. He got up, brushed his teeth and changed into slightly damp clothes from yesterday, then before leaving, he left a note for Anna on a piece of paper, and after some thought, he also took out some bills and placed them under that note. He placed the bedside lamp in a corner before stepping out.

Perhaps this girl needed help, and he didn't dwell too much on erasing memories of her. Maybe this encounter was just passing by.

Anna's heart skipped half a beat as soon as she saw the money and the note under the bedside lamp.

"Try to live because this life is worth it."

A few simple words made Anna's eyes turn red, she clutched her chest, pouring out all the pent-up emotions with tears streaming down her face. She cried out in pain, tears pouring down, feeling that life had been so unfair to her, too many pains accumulated, and a precious stranger had come to comfort her, saving her wounded soul. She tightly held the money in her hand, crying out in despair.

A new day had begun, and everything would be okay, right?

Anna's house was very poor, with only a small bed that was almost falling apart. The four bed legs could only support one person lying down, and the worn-out mattress sank in some places. Anna lay on that bed, closed her eyes for a moment, and carefully placed her hand on the pocket of her pants where the money from the stranger man was. He had helped her, and Anna hoped to meet him again at least once so that she could sincerely say thank you.

The old wooden door was also not secure, so every time she came home, Anna would use a short iron bar to block the door. She was afraid that someone would suddenly break in, but no matter how careful she was, unavoidable things still happened.

"Open the door."

The sound of the door being forcefully pounded by the palm of a hand came from outside the wooden door.

"Open the door, you dog!" The man's voice was unclear because he was drunk, and his slurred speech began to curse. "I told you, can you hear me? You wretched woman, open the door."

Anna curled up on the bed, her eyes wide open, looking at the banging door with fear. She trembled with her hands, knowing who the man outside the door was. It was the person who had sown misery, poverty, and destitution for her and her mother.

She hoped he would leave, but no, he angrily banged on the door. Anna knew she couldn't escape, because if he kicked the door hard, it would be thrown open.

She took the iron bar used to secure the door and the man outside forcefully pushed the door open without saying a word, then raised his hand and slapped her hard. His voice growled, "You wretched girl, how dare you keep me waiting."

Anna covered her face, not daring to resist. The man was controlled by alcohol with his own strength, and if she resisted, it would be like seeking her own death. She spoke softly, "What brings you here, father?"

Make's face was fierce, and the veins on his forehead bulged. "This is my house. Can you stop me from coming back? I want to sell it."

Hearing the words like a lightning strike by her ear, Anna gritted her teeth and said, "Dad, you can't sell this house."

"Why not? Whether I want to sell it or not is my business, what right do you have? Your mother didn't contribute anything, and neither did you, useless brat."

Anna could endure all the terrible things, but when it came to her mother, she couldn't. It was the most forbidden thing for him to insult her useless mother. Anna's face turned red as she questioned loudly, "What did my mother do wrong? This house was bought by her through hardship. What have you done? Have you fulfilled your responsibilities as a father since I was born? Do you claim this is your house? Do you have any legal documents? Have you contributed a single penny here? You have no right to sell, no right..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she was forcefully grabbed by her delicate and weak neck by a strong force. Hurry's eyes were filled with anger: "Oh, today you dare to argue with me, huh? You're brave, do you believe I can kill you? Your mother's house is mine, understand?"

Anna gasped, "You can kill me, do it..."

It wasn't that he was threatening her, but his fingers were tightening around her neck, and their two red faces were facing each other. Hurry pushed her into the corner of the wall, and Anna's legs gave way. He approached her with one hand gripping her neck and the other grabbing her hair from behind. The pain was unbearable, please let it end. Anna didn't want to live anymore. If he killed her, he would go to jail, and her mother wouldn't have to suffer his torment anymore.

In Anna's mind, there was a desperate plea, begging him to kill her. Kill her!

In fact, Hurry only wanted to intimidate his disobedient daughter who dared to defy him a little, and he didn't intend to harm his own daughter. He felt the faint breath of his daughter under his palm, and slowly released his grip. Anna gasped for breath, tears streaming down her face but without any sound. She hid all this pain in her heart. She didn't dare to resist strongly because he was her father, and despite not being a nurturing father, he was still her father. But...

"Why didn't you kill me? You gave birth to me just to torture me like this? Why didn't you kill me to end it all?"

The girl whispered hopelessly, her sympathy for him rising within her, as he angrily stood up and kicked the nearby chair, falling to the ground without saying a word before leaving.

The house was eerily quiet, and she was all alone, crying on the cold, desolate floor, but her current feelings couldn't compare to Anna's. She hated, she feared, she wanted to escape reality, even death seemed like an option. The idea of suicide haunted her, making her feel like she didn't belong in this world anymore. She thought of a knife, cutting her wrist in one swift motion to end it all.

Thoughts turned into action as she abruptly got up and went to the cramped kitchen. Anna was meticulous, and even though the house was in shambles, she couldn't find a speck of dust, only old but neatly arranged items, no signs of dirt. The knife was placed on the dish rack. Anna took a deep breath, but her hand trembled, she was scared, scared of pain. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to gather courage, but couldn't bring herself to do it. She threw the knife aside and sat down on the floor, hugging herself and sobbing uncontrollably.

She didn't even have the courage to die!

She clutched the wad of money in her pocket tightly against her thigh, thinking of the stranger she had met.

"Life is worth it, life is worth it..."

The words from the note echoed in her mind, and Anna silently decided that before giving up on everything, she would visit her mother and have a nice meal with her and grandma. She had money, she still had money.