⠀ ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ꕮ︵︵ h̲e̲a̲l̲i̲n̲g ep.1 ⪨ ⠀ ㅤ⠀ ⠀ ㅤ⠀ ୧ episode 1 : a happy family ⃝ ⃝ ㅤdisclaimer : this series includes topics like unhealthy family relationships, romance, s3lf-h4rm, etc. please ㅤdo not interact with this story if you're uncomfortable. ㅤ ────── Lia let out a sigh as she reached her house's doorstep after a long day at school. School had always been stressful for Lia, not because she was lazy but because of the immense burden she received from her parents and her teachers. Lia had always been an obedient daughter and a sincere student, she always wanted to give her best for the people she respected the most in her life, but, was it respect or...fear? Respect comes from her heart, however, in Lia's case, the respect she gave her parents did not come from her heart but due to fear. Her parents did not beat her up brutally so 4bus1ve is not the right word to describe their relationship, perhaps, emotionally disconnected would be the right set of words. "How was school?" Mrs. Choi (Lia's mother) asked. "Good, got an A+ in all my tests!" Lia replied, anticipating a good reaction from her mother, however, she did not receive the reaction she expected, "Okay, go get some rest and get back to studying". Lia was left disheartened, she worked so hard to get a good result in all her tests just to make her parents proud but she did not even receive a smile from her beloved mother. She immediately rushed to her room and let her tears fall to ease the pain she was holding onto for so long. All she ever wanted was validation from her parents, she just wanted to see them happy, is this what she gets for asking for the happiness that every person deserves? Several insecurities and doubts crossed her mind. Why was her brother favored in everything? Why was she not loved like her brother? Is she that useless? Is she not working hard enough? "Lia! Come out right now, why have you locked the door?!" Mrs. Choi screamed, unaware of the emotional rollercoaster her unfortunate daughter was going through. Lia wiped her tears and managed to speak without a crack in her voice, "I'm coming Mom, just changing my clothes, that's all." Lia decided to distract herself by scrolling through her social media account which her parents weren't aware of. "Lia" her father spoke, as he entered her room. "Why are you not studying?" "Dad, my tests just got over, there isn't any syllabus left to cover," Lia replied with her head looking down, unable to meet her eyes with his. "So what? You can study something else." Mr. Choi answered. Lia nodded her head as she went toward her study table and opened a book to study. "Don't let me catch you on your phone again, or I will take it from you." Mr. Choi said and left the room. Lia was deeply hurt, she needed someone to hug her and tell her it was okay, that she was doing a great job. Her parents had always discarded her feelings, and yet, she continued to love them, was she asking for too much? Couldn't she be selfish for once? All she ever wanted was a happy family, her house was not "home", it did not give her comfort, is a happy family too much to ask for? ㅤ ────── to be continued <3
