You are not leaving!

School President's office-

Slapping his palm on the desk, Kai yelled in anger. "What do you think you were doing back there!"

"Just trying to make amends."

"With what? Why do you always have to be the one making compromises!"

"Kai-"

"No, Emma! Not this time! I can't let you do this. I won't!"

Looking straight into his eyes, Emma questioned. "You can't honestly believe that what we're doing right now is right."

"..." Kai clenched his fist tightly. He desperately wanted to punch the table in front of him, but he held back for Emma's sake. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her. "I don't care if this is right or not. All I know is that your home is like a prison. Your father is the jailer, and every single day he tries to put you in remand!"

Emma pursed her lips. She knew deep down that Kai was speaking the truth, but she couldn't hold back her emotions. "No one truly understands how much I'm suffering. Only I know how hard this is for me. I can't bear this guilt anymore, Kai. You're the only person I trust. You've seen me at my worst. How could you not-"

"Because I don't want to!" Kai shouted at the top of his lungs.

Hearing his tone, Emma felt a pang of fear and instinctively took a step back. She had never seen Kai this angry before. He had witnessed her enduring every sorrow caused by her father, Ottis Torres. Despite everything, he had never raised his voice against her father, respecting Emma's wishes. She was determined to endure all the pain as long as her father remained content, and Kai understood this. He silently supported Emma through it all, being her steadfast friend.

Emma understood how challenging it must have been for Kai to witness her suffering. She could only live outside her father's estate because of Kai's unwavering support. He empathized with her pain and had earned the right to make decisions for her. Emma didn't find fault in that. However...

"Because I don't want to!" Kai repeated, unmoved by the volume of his own voice. "I don't want to understand your family, Emma! I'll never understand them. Your brother acts oblivious to your suffering. Your father is entirely self-centered. He knows nothing beyond his own benefit. He despises you, Emma! Can't you see it?"

"Kai!" Emma shouted back, louder than ever.

"My father doesn't hate me. He loves me!" She could believe anything but this.

Her father could never harbor hatred towards her. Emma clung to this belief with unwavering conviction. Regardless of what the world might say or believe, she knew deep down that her father would never hate her. He had always loved her unconditionally. The current difficulties were merely temporary challenges. Her father was upset with her now, and thus, he was disciplining her. It was a parent's right to correct their child's mistakes.

Kai fell silent, realizing he had crossed a line. He took a deep breath to calm his anger, then scratched his brow gently. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. But except for the last statement, I stand by what I said."

Emma remained quiet, staring down at her feet. She had no words or arguments to offer. What Kai had spoken was not untrue. She felt as though she had been confined since regaining consciousness, unsure of what freedom truly tasted like.

Emma's silence fueled Kai's frustration with the situation. Without much thought, Kai tore up the form he held in his hand and tossed it into the dustbin. "I don't want to see this thing again. And we're not having this conversation again. Now go, or you'll be late getting home."

Emma bit her lower lip, her silence speaking volumes. Clenching her fist, she turned to leave. Retrieving her bag from the couch, she cast one last glance at her torn papers before departing.

She understood that her reasons weren't enough to convince Kai. In her circumstances, there was no right or wrong, and fate seemed unchangeable. She harbored no expectations.

Deep down, Emma believed she deserved the repercussions of her actions. She would never defy her father's orders. All she longed for was her father's forgiveness and unconditional acceptance as his daughter.

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