Chapter 4

After returning to my rental, I desperately scrubbed my body.

Trying to wash away that sticky, disgusting feeling.

I didn't stop until my skin was raw, cracked, and bleeding.

When looking for bandages, my eyes were drawn to a protective charm in my nightstand drawer.

Lucas crawled up the three thousand steps, kneeling and praying every step of the way to get it for me.

I clutched the charm tightly to my chest, and my tense nerves finally relaxed temporarily.

In my dreams, I returned to the year I first met Lucas.

My mother divorced and remarried with me to my alcoholic stepfather who turned violent when drunk. My nightmare began that day.

Unable to bear the humiliation, I tried to drown myself in the river, but was saved by Lucas, who shared an equally tragic fate.

I'll never forget his determined expression.

"Hey, I saved your life, so from now on, I'm protecting you!"

"Cough, cough. My name's Lucas. What's yours?"

"Violet, nice name. Don't be afraid, I'll protect you."

"As long as we keep living, we'll find a way out eventually. Anyone who dares bully you, I'll fight them to the death!"

...

Later, he truly put his heart into keeping his promise.

At thirteen, my mother died. My stepfather told me I'd have to trade my body if I wanted him to pay for my education.

Lucas rushed in alone, using his young body to shield me from my stepfather's fists, pulling me out of that muddy home.

"Violet, come with me. I'll protect you!"

At fourteen, I was diagnosed with kidney failure. Lucas, who never believed in gods, threw himself to the floor and begged heaven to give me a chance to live.

He knelt in the church for three days and three nights just to pray for my safety.

"Violet, Violet... please open your eyes and look at me. It's me, Lucas."

"I won't let you leave me like this. I'd rather lose you in life than lose you to death."

At fifteen, facing pressure from tuition fees, Lucas skipped classes to work odd jobs, do manual labor, and collect trash others threw away, saving up seven years of tuition for me.

"Don't be afraid. You just focus on studying and boldly move forward. I'll always be behind you."

At sixteen, my stepfather lured me home with my mother's belongings to assault me. At the critical moment, Lucas came in with a knife and ended the nightmare that had haunted me for years.

He held me tightly in his arms, crying even harder than I did.

"Violet, thank god you're okay. You never have to live in fear again. Your nightmare is finally over."

"From now on, you're the freest, most carefree Violet."

The sound of my phone ringing pulled me from my dream.

The club manager's voice came through.

"Violet, it's almost evening and you're still nowhere to be seen. I'm marking you down for being absent!"

"Hurry up and get to Twilight. Some big shot specifically requested you for service!"