How I Got Here || GOT7

29: How he learned about my past

"The night I talked briefly about the abuse, you asked me why I didn't go to the police." I started telling him my story as we settled in the cozy swing chair that hung on the balcony. He didn't reply but rather stared at me attentively. "The thing is, that man is a very wealthy man and his wealth bought him lots of connections, but everything had its limits. That is why mom moved here after she got divorced. The culture and the language barrier were huge obstacles for that man's connections. Then her meeting Uncle Jinhee and marrying him made her impossible to reach." I explained and waited for him to react but he still didn't, he waited for me to keep telling my story.
"The abuse started when my parents got divorced. I was almost used to coming back from school to a good beating." I laughed weakly and his eyes only switched to sorrow and sympathy. "Hannah was an orphan raised by drunken foster parents, she tried to help me escape many many times but we'd always get caught and I'd be imprisoned at home healing my wounds." I was fighting back the tears at that point.
"At the age of 17, that man's business was going through a rough patch. So he came up with this great idea of marrying me off to a 60 year old millionaire." I cringed at the memory and saw the shock and disgust in Jaebeom's eyes. "Apparently it was okay to marry at the age of 17 so long as you have a parent's consent." I let out a disgusted sarcastic laugh. "Of course, at that time I had given up on life and tried to end my own but was always brought back to life forcefully to a harsher beating." I sighed and wiped away a stray tear.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me everything now. I know it must be hard for you." He held my hand to comfort me but I just shook my head. I had to let it out of my system. I had to tell him everything.

"One day, a random college student with an Australian accent approached me. Told me that he could help get out of that hellhole." I paused.

"Ian hyung." I nodded. "How did he..?"

"He is uncle Jinhee's nephew. Apparently uncle Jinhee's connections are stronger than that asshole so they heard about him marrying me off." I explained before taking a deep breath. "Of course, I couldn't leave Hannah behind so, I asked him to help us both. An arranged flight through a private airline to keep that man from finding me was crucial, necessary and thankfully within uncle Jinhee's abilities." He nodded as he listened attentively. "Once I got here, I couldn't meet my mother right away because it was just too risky. I had to stay here in the cabin until I legalized my existence, I had become a legal citizen and even changed my last name because legally, I was uncle Jinhee's adopted daughter. Again, legally, I was not obligated to go back to that man. But he had a different opinion. Once, he was notified about the change of custody and my adoption, he went wild. He sent a search party to Seoul and even attacked uncle Jinhee's house." I felt nervous and hesitant about the next part. "Somehow he knew about Christian helping me, and next thing I know, Ian was hospitalized after a car attempted to push him over a mountain ledge as he was leaving from this cabin going back to his home."

"Holy shit." He said under his breath as he fisted the cushion.

"I had to keep my distance from everyone as I stayed in this deserted cabin. Hannah was stuck here with me too." I looked around the cabin and out to the back yard. "Thankfully, uncle Jinhee was connected enough to get rid of those men and their contacts back in the US."I sighed as a shiver rushed through my body. "Now, he found me again. I guess he'll never let go."

"But why don't you go to court? If your stepfather is as connected as you say he is, you can do that." I let out a weak laugh.

"What will be my case? Technically he did not lay a finger on me after I'd been adopted. Plus, the difference in jurisdictions between the two countries will make it hard to put him behind bars. That is probably why he keeps sending his men instead of coming to me himself." I looked at him with knowing eyes. Knowing that I would be taunted and haunted for all my life without being able to do anything about it. Knowing that that man was doing his best to show me that my life is not mine. It's his. As long as he lives and breathes. He sensed the tension and decided to distract me.

"What about Matthew and Ashley, how do you know them." I smiled at the memories of them frequently visiting me at the cabin

"Ian introduced us. They were our Hangul teachers. Back then, Matt was just a trainee. So he was more available than he is now." He nodded and sighed. He looked distraught, stressed and angry. "You can't do anything to change my life Jaebeom." I smiled weakly. "I was naive to think that I could lead a normal life. Stupid to think I was lucky to actually share mutual feelings with my celebrity crush." I attempted to laugh to lighten up the mood but he looked more hurt than anything.

"You think this is a joke?" I rolled my eyes, sighed and leaned back on the headrest.

"Of course not. It's depressing." I answered truthfully looking up at the sky. "But what's the point of being sad all the time?" I sighed.

"I'm not gonna leave your side because of that man. I doubt anyone would. You mean more to us than you could even imagine." He said annoyingly and I couldn't look at him. I kept my gaze fixed on the clear sky. "Look at me." He grabbed both my shoulder and sat me up to face him. "You better believe that you are not alone. Not this time. Not during this messed situation." I was about to speak but he interrupted me. "No. You're not gonna win this argument." I sighed. I let him believe he won but I knew the risks, they were idols. They had a lot more to lose.

Almost a week had passed since the boys knew about my tragic past. I had missed Jaebeom's birthday because I was stuck in that cabin. I hated not being around him. I wanted to celebrate that day with him, give him his gift that I'd hoped he'd like. But I couldn't.
Everyone was back to their own routines. The boys had schedules to attend to, Hannah was safely staying at Bangtan's residence. Jungkook refused to let her stay at our old apartment after she explained everything about our past. He even spoke to BigHit's management to clarify the situation and increase security around their house. I was thankful she had her own 7 men to look after her, I loved how they took care of her, protected her and loved her as if she was their 8th member.
Ian had left me a note on the fridge saying the surveillance cams were on and two patrol cars were on standby. It was the first day I had to stay alone at the cabin since that incident. I didn't know that I wasn't ready for that until I was making myself a quick breakfast, chopping veggies when a wet cloth was pressed on both my mouth and nose. I held my breath as I stepped on the man's foot, elbowed his abdomen and turned to him with the knife in my hand ready to use it.

He was faster than I was..
The last thing I remembered was being on the floor, with a striking pain in my chest and a warm liquid wetting my hand. Four other men barged in before my vision went black.

Was that the end of that beautiful dream? Was I finally going to wake up to my horrible nightmare? Was it all just a delusion? A way to cope with the fact that I was still 17 and being married off to some wrinkled pedophile?