356: Chapter 356

Chapter 356

[Warning: Upsetting Content.]2

Kate took a deep breath as she saw the wound.

It was terrible, and the bruise looked so big since Mai had a small figure. Kate was visibly wincing when she saw the bruise.

Seeing the pity in Kate's eyes, Mai was uncomfortable, so she quickly covered her stomach again and said, "Don't worry about this. It's just a normal wound. It'll get better."

"Mai…" Kate was speechless after realizing Mai was much more stubborn than she thought. She also had resistance to pain since Kate would definitely pass out after that kind of punch, even if she weren't pregnant. 

She also had one question lingering in her mind, "Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why would you go so far just to help me?" Kate asked. "You could've died just from helping me. You should've saved yourself!"

Kate didn't like this feeling of vulnerability in front of someone. She felt this in front of Henry and thought she would form any meaningful connection only with Henry.

But she also didn't expect to feel such a strong bond with Mai. 

"Mai, you're too reckless…" Kate said.

"If I didn't get involved, you would be captured," Mai said. She reached Kate's hands and held them gently. "Besides, you should understand I'm doing this based on my free will. I admire you so much, so I want to protect you."

"Admiration doesn't mean risking your life for me, Mai," Kate muttered. "I wouldn't forgive myself if you got killed because of me."

"And I wouldn't forgive myself if you get killed," Mai retorted. "Besides, my admiration is not the only reason."

Mai smiled at Kate, who looked so distressed over her wound, and said, "I don't know if you remember this, but you told me that if you can make a choice, you'd want me to be your little sister instead."

Of course, Kate remembered that vividly, and what she said was true.

Mai was truly a good young woman. She was around Erin's age, but they were very different in personality. 

Erin was a total hellhole bitch that Kate wished to drown under the sea if she had time to go to Greenland again.

Meanwhile, Mai was a good young woman who worked hard to get the work she wanted and was honest. She appreciated Kate's help and admired her.

It might sound a little selfish, but getting admiration from Mai made her feel good. 

So, she wanted to protect and cultivate Mai's talent even more.

After a long-awaited response, Kate finally nodded. 

"Aha, I wish you'd forget about it instead. It's embarrassing because I was so happy when you said you want me to be your sister," Mai said. "I feel like I could do everything after you said that."

"But that's not enough for you to go so far just to protect me," Kate insisted. "I'm glad and thankful that you helped me, Mai. But you're risking your life for me!"

"Besides, you should've just called someone to save me and run away. So you can start your life normally without implicating yourself in this horrible situation!" Kate yelled frustratedly. 

Mai went silent after that. She took a deep breath as she prepared herself to reveal the traumatic past event that she tried to bury deep inside.

Because she had nowhere and nobody she could trust and talk to.

But now that Kate saw her as the little sister she wished for, Mai decided to put all her trust in Kate.

'As it should've been since the day she accepted me in the office despite the HR's rejection,' Mai thought.

"I still want to save you no matter what because you remind me of my sister, who passed away when I was only ten," Mai said. She looked down, staring at Kate's hand, and rubbed it gently. "She died after trying to protect me from a monster."

"… a monster?"

"My stepfather," Mai replied. "My mom remarried after my dad died, and my stepfather was an asshole who would beat me and my older sister. He'd also starve us and even went as far as trying to molest me."

"My mother was a coward in love. She didn't do anything even if my stepfather hit us in front of her eyes. She's more scared of losing her new lover than her daughters."

"So that night, when that monster was so drunk, he went into our bedroom and tried to touch us…" Mai began to clench Kate's hand as she told the traumatic event that ruined her life. 

Kate knew that she needed strength, so she reciprocated and intertwined their fingers instead, holding Mai's hand tightly to make sure that Mai knew Kate was there for her. 

"I cried when he tried to touch me, and my sis rescued me. She fought against that big man and told me to run away."

"I was… only ten. I didn't know any better. So I ran away…" Mai said. Her heart was hurting, and she was holding her tears. "I went to the neighbor and begged them to call the police, but it was too late. My big sister was killed."

"That man was sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter, but he died after the first year in prison. They said the prisoners ganged up on him after they knew what he did."

"I was still grieving, but my mother went crazy after that. She kept screaming at me, crying and cursing, saying that her husband shouldn't have died if not because of me calling the cops."

Mai scoffed, "It's so ridiculous. Because she didn't even cry for her daughter's death, but she cried for that trash man's life."

"My mom became mentally unstable after that, and I was sent to live with my distant relative until I was eighteen."

"I'm doing much better now, thanks to you giving me a good job. I should've forgotten what happened in the past, but I can't—"Mai looked up with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can't forget how my sister sacrificed herself to protect me from that monster."

"If I could turn back time, I would've sacrificed myself instead," Mai said. "But I can't return to the past. So I can only lament about it every day."

"That was… until I met you, Kate," Mai said with utmost sincerity. "I see my late sister in you."

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