Author's note: hey guys! this is my first update in forever. I haven't forgotten to write or update, i just have a lot on my plate. I am not going to make any promises so just enjoy this as it goes. thank you for reading and don't forget to vote.

Chapter 5

That night I went to visit my mother and found that she had been admitted to the hospital. She has lung cancer and has been enduring it for months instead of going for the surgery. I am so mad at her but what could she have done. She wanted to save money for my college and she felt that she was nothing but bad luck to me. She had such good intentions, so how could I possibly be mad at her.

No, I was more mad at myself for failing to notice when she coughed strangely over the phone, when she refused to let me sleep over. Seeing my haggard mother lying on the bed made me feel like such a bastard because the truth was I didn't want to know how she was doing. I was so caught up in my own problems, my own struggle that I just didn't want to see anything else that would add to it. I am such scum, I can't stand myself.

But now that I know, I am forcing her to have the surgery. It's a lot of money though, money I have no idea where to get. Borrowing it occurred briefly to me, but no there was no one I knew who could give me that much money. My father was my only option. Although it tears me apart to rely on him, I've got no other choice.

So after getting my mother home from the hospital, I went to see my father. I found him in the living room looking as if he was waiting for me, but that can't be right. The man didn't care whether I was at home or not.

"Where have you been," he said the minute I stood in front of him. He was sitting on the couch, his figure straight and stiff. He looked nothing like me, with hair cropped low in missionary style, on a leaner tall frame. I looked more like my mother.

"I went to see my mother," I answered.

"I hope I don't need to remind you of our deal. You live in this house and I foot the bill for your schooling."

"My mother is sick I had to stay with her." I had stayed for three days without going to school. She was having so much pain that it was difficult for her to even care for herself.

"Sick?" I wanted to think that there was some worry in his voice but I wasn't that stupid. "What's wrong with her? How can she fall sick so easily?"

"She has cancer," I blurted out.

"Cancer?" he looked aghast, for a brief moment. "How—that woman got cancer along with everything else. Is it bad luck or something."

I thought about my mother also thinking the same thing. She refused to go for surgery because she thought she was nothing but bad luck to me. She thought she only brings me suffering.

"Dad, I need your help. I can't afford the surgery."

He looked at me, distracted from his thoughts. "That's unusual, Arthit. I never thought you of all people would come to me for help."

I kept silent, affecting a not too bothered look but inside I grind my teeth and held back from clenching my hands. "It's not as if I have anyone who would help us. My mother has no relatives."

"She is really unlucky that woman."

I bite my lip and shook my anger to the back of my head. No, no need pointing out he was one of the unlucky things that happened to her.

"So, what do I get if I helped you?"

It's not like I was expecting the man to care about my mother, the woman he raped. It wasn't like I thought he would have some affection for me, his son and he would not bother trying strike a deal. I was expecting it.

"In the future, I will pay you back, double."

He chuckled. "That's the most childish I have ever heard you speak, Arthit. Why should I wait that long? And there is no guarantee you will amount to much after I let you continue on without my funding once you graduate from high school."

I showed no sign of surprise. I didn't know that my father was aware of my plan to ditch his 'support' the minute I graduated.

"Don't look so shocked." I glared at him, but he continued with a smile. "I have always known what you and your mother think of me, but no son of mine is going to go off somewhere and be a nobody. If you agree to my terms then not only will I foot the bill for your mother, I will make sure she never lacks for anything for the rest of her life."

"In exchange for what, my soul? "

"If that's what you want to call it. Paula is a good girl, but I can't see her being ready to run my business. I'm sure she has her own plans. Therefore, I need you, my only son. For the rest of your life, at least until I see that you are unfit, or get another son, you will live as I tell you."

"No, that's never going to happen! I want to be free from you and from this family. If I never see your faces again it would be too soon. I don't want you to control my life. Never." I was so angry; my fist clenched painfully, my neck tense with my shout. This was far from what I expected but deep inside I was asking myself why I was surprised.

"Not even for your mother? You said she has cancer and you have nowhere else to look. "

"My mother doesn't want or need a penny from you but because of her, I am willing to come here and beg you for the money. I will work hard in the future and pay it all back."

"What about ten years." He acted like he didn't hear me. "I only need ten years of your life. It's nothing. You will gain a lot in the future and still have the time to pursue other things after."

"You don't understand, I don't want you to have even one word say over my life. Never."

I walked off without looking back. He let me, perhaps seeing that he couldn't convince me or maybe seeing that I would have no other choice but to come back to him. I closed my eyes and walked out of the room and into my bedroom. I stopped short of slamming the door and just pushed it to close. After which I sagged against it and covered my face with my hands, breathing heavily. The anger slowly ebbed away, leaving me weak and helpless. What was I going to do? As a student, can I ask for a loan? I don't even have an account. What am I supposed to do?

A frustrated moan escaped me as I walked unseeingly to my bed and sat down. I felt something under me and looked at the bed. There were papers scattered everywhere, pages and pages of a book I had spent my hard earned money to buy. Someone had come into my room, took the most expensive of my textbook and tore the pages out. Some of the pages were shredded and squeezed on the floor.

I was in disbelief... for all of one minute then rage like I have never felt overcame me. "Paula," I growled, grabbed all the pages I could get and stalked out of my room. Hers was on the other side of the building, upstairs. I didn't see my father in the living room when I went by but I was in a haze of anger and couldn't be sure.

"Paula!" I kicked her door open, the sound sharp and loud with the cracking of wood. "Did you do this?"

She was on her bed, her legs bent, and an ear phone in one ear while she read a book. She raised her eyes slowly, almost unbothered. "Have you lost your mind, P'Arthit?"

"Paula, if you did this I am not going to forgive you again. This is the last straw."

"So," she sat up and I could see that she was wearing only lingerie and it exposed her body inappropriately. Sister or not, it was a sight I wasn't comfortable seeing. I looked away. "What are you going to do to me?"

I didn't answer. "Why did you do this to my book. Why did you enter my room? Until when am I going to endure your behavior, Paula?"

I didn't know she had gotten close to me. "I know right, until when are you going to keep thinking that you have anything. Everything you have now belongs to me."

"You are driving me insane Paula!" I screamed at her and started when she grabbed me around the neck, her hands wrapped around my neck so tightly.

"Is that so? Then do something P'Arthit. Smack me or something. You look so angry, almost feral." I caught the fingers caressing my face and squeezed.

"Will you stop it," I gritted out. The sexual harassment has been escalating for a while now. I didn't know what to do, but mostly I just wanted to keep it a secret. I have two years on Paula, I should be able to handle her, but I have no clue what to do. It's driving me nuts. I realized I shouldn't have confronted her but it was too late.

"ow, that hurts P'Arthit." I hastily let go and tried to shrug her off but she gripped on my like a vice.

"Let go," I said. She giggled and said, "Make me." then she hopped and wrapped her legs around my waist.

I struggled to free myself, letting go of the papers so that I could use both arms, but once I tore one arm away and went for the other, the free one latches back on.

"Stop this, Paula."

"Carry me to my bed like this, P'Arthit."

I sighed bitterly, then walked with her wrapped around me like a snake and tried to dump her weight on the bed, but she dragged me with her. I was now on top of her. "Let go now, seriously. I don't want to have to hurt you."

"Go ahead. I will scream and everyone will surely come. They would see you like this, who do you think will suffer most."

"This isn't right, we are brother and sister. Don't do this."

"Do you think my mother sees you as my brother. Otherwise why do you think she believes me? "

I have no idea what she meant by that. "What are you trying to say."

"I'm saying, no one trusts anyone these days. Brother, uncle, father. They are all men after all."

I gaped and said nothing in reply for a moment. I can't understand what goes on in Paula's head. The only thing I know is she was hell-bent on tormenting me but it was always for a reason. Once she had it, whatever it was, she would let me be.

"What do you want."

"remember how I told you to introduce me to your new friend and you said no?"

Because of that? Why was she so curious about Kongpob. "He is not my friend and... he is leaving the school soon. "

"You like him." She released me and I thankfully got as far from her as I could get. "Don't lie to me," she said when I gave her a mutinous look.

"Yes, I do, so what." My heart skipped and started to race at that admission. I never thought I would admit that out loud.

"How much do you like him?" I didn't answer. "Do you like him enough to kiss him?"

I flushed and looked away. "It's none of your business, damn it."

"Introduce me."

"For god's sake why," I said with a frustrated sigh.

"So I can steal him from you," she giggled. "I will buy you the book back."

"I want the latest edition then." I said while thinking about how she was her father's daughter. Manipulative bunch the both of them.

"deal." Her smile was disgustingly happy; I couldn't look at it and walked away from her. If it was Kongpob she wanted to meet then so be it.