In 2004, he used my body to pay off his gambling debts.
I didn’t blame him.
I only remembered that clean-cut nineteen-year-old boy back in 1997, and the purity in his eyes when he handed me a White Rabbit Milk Candy.
Later, he became successful.
He replaced the faded fake around my neck with a heavy gold chain.
He used a three-carat diamond ring to buy my silence regarding the women he kept on the side.
Later, when a business partner groped my thigh, he simply turned his head away to light a cigarette. “It’s not like you’re losing a limb.”
I dragged my suitcase into the rain and never looked back.
After that, I went on blind dates, got married, and spent my days in a cubicle, studying for certifications and working overtime.
He eventually found me, looking like a gambler who had lost everything, his eyes terrifyingly bloodshot. “Since you’re willing to marry just anyone from a blind date… then, why couldn’t that person be me?”
I smiled.
Elder Brother, I never wanted any of those things.
I only wanted that summer in 1997, before that piece of candy had even melted in my palm.
I have become my own shore; no one can push me into the sea ever again.
