Denial returned home that night, his mind numb, his body moving like an empty shell. The room felt colder than usual, every shadow whispering Sohee's name.
He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor. Hours passed before a thought began to form in his mind — a bitter truth he couldn't escape.
Sohee is gone.
There was no changing that.
But Sohee's family… they had depended on her. She had been the only one bringing money into that house. Without her, they would crumble.
Denial clenched his fists. If I can't save her… at least I can protect the people she loved.
He picked up Sohee's phone from where it lay on the table, the screen still showing a wallpaper of her smiling face. He scrolled through her contacts until he found the number.
When her mother's voice answered, he forced himself to speak, masking his tone.
"This is… Sohee's boss," he lied smoothly. "She's been extremely busy lately, so she asked me to check in on you."
He didn't mention the truth. He didn't tell her that Sohee had died because of him. That the accident had been his fault. He swallowed those words, letting them burn in his chest.
A few days later, before meeting her mother in person, Denial prepared a suitcase — neatly packed, heavy with stacks of cash.
When they met, he handed it to her.
"Aunty, if you ever need help… don't hesitate to call me. I'll do everything I can to support you," he said, keeping his eyes lowered.
She thanked him with a warm smile, not knowing that the man standing before her was the reason her daughter would never come home again.
Denial left quickly, the weight of his guilt pressing harder with every step.
After that day, he cut off all contact with the world. He stopped answering calls from the office. He stopped stepping outside.
The walls of his home became his prison.
He told himself it was better this way — the outside world was no place for a cursed creature like him. The hunger for blood still clawed at his mind, but he fought it, gritting his teeth every time the urge rose. It was his punishment, and he welcomed it.
In his mind, he was no longer Denial.
He was a monster.
And monsters belonged in the dark.
So he stayed there, locked inside, hidden away…
Waiting for a day that might never come.
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