Chapt. 16 - Little Bunny

“Do you know, Little Bunny? Your clingy attitude, your strange behavior, even the annoying stuff, had broke down the defenses I’ve built up over my entire life.” –Mike–

***

Angie woke up in the morning, remembering nothing except herself lying in bed with a blanket wrapped around her body. The last thing on her mind was Mike.

She covered her mouth, recalling her foolish behavior from the night before. She had leaned against Mike’s chest, letting out a heart-wrenching cry for a long time until she tired and no longer remembered anything else. Was that what she had needed all along—a shoulder to lean on?

All this time, Angie had never shown weakness in front of her mother and Jimmy, her older brother. So, many people assumed she was a brave little girl. But the truth was, in the dark and at heights, she could scream loudly out of fear.

Mike’s presence, indirectly, became like a support, even though he was unfeeling and his mind was only on business and organization. Yet last night, the man remained still and let Angie cry on his chest until she was satisfied.

Today was much better for Angie, but it still felt empty.

“Are you still going to cry? Remember what I said the other day—to survive in this family, you have to be like my mother,” Mike said, trying to disturb Angie’s empty thoughts.

What was that man doing in her room if it was just to be annoying?

“Are you still going to ignore me? Have I done something wrong that you dare to disregard me, huh?”

“Get out,” Angie said bluntly.

“What?”

“Get out of my room.” Angie didn’t need anything right now. Consider her heartbroken. All the misfortunes had happened at the same time since she met Mike, and it was weighing her down.

Not seeing Mike would be much better for her.

“You dare to kick me out?”

Angie didn’t say much; she got out of bed, pushed Mike out of the room, and locked the door. She leaned against the door, her body slowly sliding to the floor with her eyes closed. She repeatedly squeezed her hair, making her head throb.

How could she continue her studies if one course she should have been able to complete in just two months had to fail simply because of her dismissal from the company, which would reduce her grade and even force her to retake the same course?

Her chest and stomach churned with anger, but she didn’t know whom to vent it on. Would suicide be painful? Thinking about it, Angie’s mind returned to the incident on the bridge, where Mike had intended to kill her.

“I should have died then. Marrying him didn’t solve the problem. Yes, he was a mix of a nightmare and bitter reality.” Angie sighed in frustration, banging her head against the door.

She stood up, stumbled toward the window, and opened it wide.

“Would jumping from here be painful? Would I die instantly? If it left me disabled, I’d only be a greater burden to Mom and Jimmy.”

Angie clenched her fists tightly, pounding the window frame with all her strength. All her thoughts were in vain. It would only end in suffering far worse than what she was experiencing now. But how could she escape either one—the suffering of life, or Mike?

***

“Honey, I’m outside your apartment. Are you not home? If not, I’ll leave everything I brought at the door.”

“Ah, no, Ma. I’ll be right out.”

Angie hurriedly got up and cleaned her face, which hadn’t been touched by water or any skincare products for the past two days. She was now the daughter-in-law of the Genosie family. Whether she liked it or not, she had to take care of herself, and one of those things was her appearance.

She opened the door and greeted Vivian, who was smiling brightly at the doorway. Seeing her mother-in-law’s smile automatically healed Angie’s wounded heart.

They loved her so much and were like a second family to her. How could she possibly forget that? If she died, not only would her family be sad, but Mike's family would feel the same way.

"Oh, my God. Angie, sweetie, what happened to—okay, can we talk?" said Vivian, shocked to see Angie's puffy face, which she couldn't even cover with concealer. “Am I bothering you? I just miss you all. Mike said you were taking a break, so he asked me to come.”

Always Mike. What was with that man? Was he starting to care about her?

Angie invited Vivian to sit comfortably while she prepared a meal for her.

They chatted comfortably, making Angie feel valued and forget the pain she had been feeling for the past few days, which had even made her consider ending her life.

How else could she pay for tuition fees if she didn’t even have a job? She couldn’t expect Jimmy to handle it. That man already had too many burdens, having to pay for his mother’s medical expenses.

“I came here to tell you that Mike has settled things with the people who fired you unfairly.” Angie was startled by her mother-in-law’s words. She was about to respond, but Vivian spoke again. “You don’t need to worry about tuition or anything else. We promised you, didn’t we, that we’d take care of everything?”

The woman stroked Angie’s head, causing her eyes to well up with tears.

“You’re a member of the Genosie family now. The only daughter-in-law and a source of comfort for me and Mike’s father. Hmm… maybe for Mike too, though that stubborn boy refuses to admit it. So, we’ll do our best to give you as much happiness as you need.”

***

“What did you do to Jordan?” Angie demanded as Mike was about to enter the apartment. Mike gave a faint smile because Angie was no longer locked in her room. It meant his mother’s efforts had paid off, though he didn’t know what the two women had discussed.

“Whoa... this little rabbit finally came out of hiding. Aren’t you afraid of a wolf like me coming?” Mike teased, making Angie pout instead of laughing. That wasn’t Mike’s intention—he wasn’t trying to cheer Angie up.

It was all just a formality. It was all for his own benefit.

“I’m not afraid even if you were a snake, a lion, or a proboscis monkey.”

“Hey! How dare you call me a proboscis monkey!” Mike carelessly placed his bag and coat aside, then approached Angie, who had been standing still. She knew what Mike was about to do—his signature move—but Angie had promised herself not to show any fear toward the man.

“Ah... you’re not afraid, it seems. Does that mean you’re ready for our wedding night, Little Bunny?”

“Dream on, Mike Genosie!”

Mike nodded, his trademark smirk in place. He took another step, leaving only a few inches between them. Angie remained unfazed. One more step, this time much longer, and she nearly stumbled. But Mike swiftly grabbed her waist, bringing them into close contact.

“Do you still have any courage left this time, hm?”

Angie blinked nervously. She wouldn’t challenge Mike, because no matter how strong she was, there was another side to him that surely desired release, and Angie wasn’t ready for that.

Now, she faced various possibilities: admit defeat, run away, and lock herself in her room, or surrender to whatever Mike would do to her.