Stuck in you

When Jack arrived in the hospital, Celine's injured hand had just been bandaged up by the nurse. Celine had been wailing like a banshee for the past half hour, and Rona stayed by her side the entire time. Rona was the first one to notice Jack. She poked Celine's shoulder and pointed at him. Celine kept her head down when she realized that it was him.

Celine didn't want Jack to see her like this, much less interact with him. She tried to hide her face by leaning her head on Rona's shoulder, but it was ultimately useless.

Upon seeing Celine, Jack pursed his lips and sat next to her.

Rona nudged on Celine's shoulder to push her closer to Jack but Celine avoided her. Celine did not want to pay him any attention, nor did she even want to turn her head towards him. She didn't want him to see her like this. Her cheeks had become swollen.

"Turn around and let me see your face," said Jack.

But Celine bit her lips and didn't move.

"Look at her face! Look at what they did to her," Rona shouted. She carefully raised Celine's injured hand and showed it to Jack. "Look at her hand. Because you weren't there to protect her, this happened!

The doctor said that her hand had been dislocated. It will take weeks or even months for her hand to completely heal. Look at what Rachel did to her!"

Hearing Rona's complaints, Jack remained calm and said patiently, "Please let me see your face."

Jack had not been so kind to her for a long time. When she heard him speak so gently, she felt that some of her burdens had been eased, but she didn't want him to know she felt relieved. Instead she gnashed her teeth and shouted at Jack. "Look at me! This is all because of Rachel!"

Jack had not seen it clearly earlier, but now that he had gotten a second look, he was shocked at how swollen her face was. "Did she slap you?" he asked.

"Who else would dare to hit Celine like this?" Rona intervened. "She even threatened that she would break her hand!"

Jack looked at Rona. She was in disbelief that he seemed like he still wouldn't believe them.

Jack wore a grim expression on his face. "I'll talk to her. But before that, I want to know what happened between the two of you."

Celine was happy to hear to first half of his sentence, but she was disappointed to hear the rest of it. "Why can't you just believe me, Jack?"

"Listen, I believe you, okay? I just want to know the whole story behind this."

Celine wiped her tears and told him her side of the story. "I ran into Rachel and her friend in a cafe. I just went down there to get a cup of coffee, but Rachel's friend suddenly walked up to me and slapped me out of the blue." She tried to sound as pitiful and sincere as she could be, hoping that Jack would buy it.

well-versed in the art of lying as she thought she was. She didn't know the right timing and execution of her lies. Jack wasn't

and cars, and they started a rhythmic beating as they fell down. It was like the sky

to close her windows. It was starting to get dark. The

simultaneously. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, until the light from the houses

a glass of warm milk in her hand, and gazed at the drops of rain. The rainy night was a comfort that she had been longing for

come to bother you anymore," he said. "But there might be a little trouble with Jack. If he dares to give you a hard time, you can tell him to come directly to me. I won't let him

how much Jonathan was doing for her. "Okay,

put it into words. She realized that this was the first time

If Jack confronted her, she wouldn't

her alone, she thought that she

saying that, she

little girl. It was no wonder

too much. You are my daughter-in-law, I consider you my own child," he

Dad. Thank you,"

tell you what I'm going to do. If anyone dares to

is all my fault. I did nothing to deal with this fiasco between Jack and Celine because you never tried to ask me for help. If you have any more grievances, feel free to talk

the end of his sentence,

would do anything for her as

a sly old man. Rachel knew that there was

started pouring even heavier as it got

from the distance, lighting up Rachel's dark room. When she turned on the light, she

in darkness, and Rachel couldn't make out his expression. She already knew why he

him. She knew this would happen, given

Jack didn't say anything right away.

with such complex emotions written

staring at each other and waiting for the other to say something. Rachel was still holding the cup of warm water in

take the

the windows. It was followed

closer towards her. He looked at her

She clenched the cup in her hand and tried to remain calm. When she looked up to meet his eyes, she saw the deep look in his eyes. It was like an abyss that would pull