SINFULLY YOURS

Chapter 3: Chapter 3. A Friend In Defense

Chapter 3. A Friend In Defense

Rosa Lin’s POV

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of my knuckles rattling against the entrance to the Lee mansion echoed around the space where I stood the next day. I brought my hand down and clenched my fist, my heart pounding hard in my chest.

I looked behind me to see Mia resting against her luxury car in the far stretches of the estate, looking at me, smiling, and waving as though she was trying to console me.

It’s going to be fine, I told myself. It is so going to be fine.

I turned back to the door just as the lock clicked and the door swung open. I looked up to see none other than Mac. He was tapping against his phone, but the moment he looked up and saw me, the smile on his face died.

"Well, well, well, look who finally showed up," he said and rested his hand against the entrance, looking at me with a frown, his eyes sizing me up and down.

I closed my eyes and looked down, suddenly hating this unexpected visit. I really wished I could disappear right now.

"I’m here to collect my parents’ accessories," I said, staring at the ground.

"Of course I know," he said. "My mom called to inform you about it. Seems like your level-headedness and your pride made you forget the most important thing you weren’t supposed to forget," he said.

I didn’t reply to him. I looked up at him. "Are you going to let me in or not?" I asked.

If he heard anything, I don’t know. He just stood there watching me with a smirk on his face. I could tell he was doing this on purpose to wind me up, to annoy me further. I ignored him and pushed my way through, brushing past him.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me back. "That’s not respectful, is it?" he said, gripping my wrist. "You can’t just barge into someone else’s apartment like you own it. You’re no longer a resident here, remember?" he said, glaring at me.

I ground my teeth together, my heart pounding so fast in my chest. Calm down, Rosa. Do not lose it, I told myself and turned to look at him with a glare. He smirked at me.

"Who’s by the door, Mac?" I heard Mrs. Lee’s voice, and then suddenly she showed up in the hallway and froze when she saw me. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh," she said. "You came." She scoffed. "Didn’t expect you to actually arrive this late if they were so important to you," she said.

I didn’t reply. I just avoided her gaze and looked to the side, feeling all the heavy, pending heat pulling at the pit of my belly. I hated this confrontation right now.

"What are you doing gripping her like that at the entrance, Mac? Let her go. I can’t stand her presence here anymore," his mom said.

Mac let me go, but not without shoving me aside. I turned back to look at him. He dusted his hands as though my skin was irritating and then walked away. They both left me at the front hallway.

I closed my eyes and breathed out. It’s fine. It’s going to be fine, I told myself. I walked in and found myself in the luxurious living room.

Mrs. Lee sat back against the sofa, picking up her tablet and typing something briskly on it. Mr. Lee sat opposite her as well, doing something with his laptop, his focus rapt and attentive.

I stood at the center of the living room as Mac walked over towards the dining table and rubbed his palms together. "Oh, spicy breakfast!" he said with a grin and then sat down to eat.

It was then that Mr. Lee felt my presence and tilted his head up to look at me. I expected to see that bright ecstasy I usually saw on his face all the while I had been living with them, but his face looked dark and cold. His eyes looked at me, raking from my head down to my legs. Then he turned back to his laptop.

"Oh, you came," he said calmly, without any ounce of joy in his voice.

I felt a prickling heat at my chest at that and frowned, wondering what was going wrong. That was so odd. If there was anyone I wanted to believe I could stand with in their family, it was Mr. Lee. Now he was acting even colder than his wife.

"Your parents’ accessories are in your previous room. You can just head up there and get them," he said casually and resumed typing on his laptop.

I swallowed hard and breathed out. I guess I was no longer accepted in this family. I didn’t think twice about it. I slowly walked past them and climbed up the staircase, heading towards the room that was previously my room.

When I stepped in, the place had been cleaned—squeaky clean, like it was arranged to ensure that nobody had been here before. Everything had been dusted neatly. The previous duvet had been changed, refurbished like they were preparing for someone else.

Well, I thought, I guess they didn’t hesitate to wipe out any trace of my memory right here. That was so quick. I had left the previous day, and then the next day—done, just like that.

I shook my head and looked towards the reading table to see the accessory box where my parents’ stuff was. I opened it and checked all the items one by one to ensure everything was safe—the only physical inheritance I had from them. I breathed out and closed it before lifting it up and then heading back downstairs. I didn’t need to spend any more time here longer than I should, right?

I managed to walk down the stairs, trying to bear the weight of the heavy box with both of my hands, checking my steps in front so I wouldn’t stumble over and fall.

By the time I got to the bottom floor, I stood looking at Mr. and Mrs. Lee, who were still seated on the sofa. I bowed, feeling short of words, and not knowing what to say at this point. Yeah, this was so freaking awkward. I shook my head, thinking it was better not to say anything.

I walked ahead and began to make my way over towards the entrance. Just as I was about to step into the hallway that led to the door—

"Why did you do it?" I heard Mr. Lee’s voice, making me freeze, my hand on the doorknob.

I frowned. I adjusted the box in my hands and slowly tilted my head to look back. He wasn’t looking at me. His focus was still on his laptop, fingers laced together, with a deep frown etched on his face.

I swallowed. What was he asking me about? I looked around, my heart pounding in my chest, before turning to look back at him.

"I believe I asked a question," he repeated, his voice cold.

I swallowed. "I... I don’t... I don’t know what to answer to that," I said.

I heard Mrs. Lee scoff at the other side of the sofa. "Of course she wouldn’t," she muttered. "Never knew we were raising such a dirty, stupid girl under our roof," she said, the anger clear in her voice.

I... I didn’t understand what the hell was going on right now. They were both looking at me as if I were the villain. They didn’t talk to their son. They didn’t even caution him or ask him what or how it really happened. They really believed and expected that I would just throw myself at him and what, gang-rape him or something? I’m a lady, for heaven’s sake. No wonder he is so spoiled.

I swallowed hard, not knowing what to say right now. I had to get out of here. I turned around and grabbed the doorknob, ready to twist it.

"So you’re just going to walk out on us?" Mr. Lee’s voice boomed, forcing me to freeze.

When I turned, he had already gotten up, walking over towards me with evident anger on his face.

"Seriously?" he said. "Get back and sit down here right now!" he ordered.

I gulped. Oh my God, what the hell is going on?

"Sir," I said, "look, I understand, okay? I’ve wronged your family. I’ve done something really, really bad. I almost tarnished your reputation, which is why I’ve done the right thing by leaving, okay? So please, just... don’t let this be harder than it is. Just let me go," I said.

"If you do not know how to talk to your elders, I suggest you do not even deserve to have a single inheritance. Hand over the box," he said instantly.

I was completely dumbfounded. He was even worse than his wife right now. I didn’t understand what was going on. My lips shook as I looked at him, confused.

"I said, hand over the box," he demanded.

At that exact moment, the front door opened, and we all looked to see Mia standing there with a frown on her face. "What’s going on here?" she snapped.

Mr. Lee tilted his head to the side. "Oh, I can see you are still here. I expected that you would have ditched your friend after hearing the atrocity she committed," Mr. Lee said.

I saw Mia step forward, about to step into the room, but I grabbed her shoulder. "Mia," I said quickly. "No."

She glared at me. I shook my head. "Please don’t," I whispered.

"Rosa, no," she countered, giving me a wide stare.

"Let’s just go."

"You are not going anywhere until you listen to my instructions!" Mr. Lee said.

I heard Mrs. Lee snicker behind him.

"She is not listening to anything," Mia said. She grabbed my hand and pulled me away, shutting the door with a loud thud and dragging me out of the mansion.

I managed to catch up with her steps, the box feeling heavy in my hands. We froze at the entrance of the estate, and she turned to look at me.

"What is wrong with you?" she snapped.

I blinked and looked at her, wondering why she was now diverting the anger towards me. "What do you mean?"

"Why the hell are you so soft? Can’t you for once stand up for yourself and just speak your mind? Why do you have to succumb to everything they say?"

At her words, I breathed out and stared at the box in my hands, avoiding her gaze. She huffed and turned around, brushing her fingers against her temples.

"I can’t deal with this shit right now," she said. "Let’s just go," she declared and stormed off.

I watched her leave and then looked back at the Lee mansion before turning to follow her. I exhaled and quickly caught up.

We stepped into the car, and I dropped the box in the back seat. Clicking my seatbelt together, I turned to look at her to see her glaring ahead, gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles were turning white. Yep, that was the anger of Mia Chen.

I swallowed and placed my hand over her palm. She stiffened.

"I’m sorry, okay? Come on, don’t be so hard on me. At least it’s over now. We don’t have to worry about them. I’m never going to see them again. I’m never going to have anything to do with them again," I said.

She still didn’t reply. Her hands were trembling with rage. I pouted and poked her belly. She didn’t move. She tilted her head towards my side, her eyelids squeezed into sharp slits of displeasure. I increased my pout, batting my eyelids at her.

"Don’t play that shit with me," she said and turned away, obviously trying to hide the smile my actions were pulling onto her face.

I chuckled and began to nudge her, holding her hand. "Please don’t be hard on me, okay? Let’s just forget about it. Let’s think of something nice to do," I said.

She hesitated, then she shook her head. " It’s not fair the way they are treating you." She muttered.

"I know."

She turned to me. "Do you? Because if you do, you would stand up for yourself."

I sighed and sat back. "But I can’t argue or fight them."

"Why not? You don’t owe them anything?" She snapped.

I looked at her with a frown. " Jeez, when did you get this vicious, Mia?"

She scoffed and looked ahead.

"They are being unfair with you. I am mostly disappointed with Mrs. Lee as a woman. They have spoiled their son so much. Can’t believe they are not even scolding him. He took advantage of your feelings and vulnerability and turned the entire school against you. That’s fucking absurd...."

She sighed and moved to start the vehicle. "They are very lucky you stopped me from stepping in there."

"What would you have done?" I asked.

She turned to look at me. "Oh, you don’t want to know," she said.

Startled, I watched as she started the vehicle and drove out of the estate.

"How about I take you over to the villa so I can show you where you’re going to be working from now on?"

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