I'M Not Your Girl
The Painful Past

Clara's life was long before it was taken by Felix.

"AKKHHHH!!!!" clara shouted as the belt was shaken on her body.

"Basic useless child! What are you doing out there, huh?! How much money is enough for me to drink beer, you idiot?!" Clara closed her eyes as her father shouted right in front of her face.

"I'm sorry Clara, Dad. Clara couldn't get much money for Dad. Clara promised, tomorrow Clara will get a lot of money for Dad." Clara endured the pain on her body that was struck by her father. Some parts of his skin were bleeding freshly from the father's belt.

"Not much of a reason, stupid boy! You know, I regretted picking you up back then! You know, I'll just throw you in the river if it's no use to me!" the words were so hard on Clara's heart. But somehow, he got used to it.

"If you're sorry, why not just throw me away?! Why do you have to take care of me?! You think I like living like this?! Got a dad who likes to gamble, gets drunk, acts like an asshole?!" The father, David, stared intently at Clara.

"How dare you speak like that! The kid doesn't know it's lucky, here you are!" David pulls his adopted daughter's hand out of the house in the cold of the night. Clara grimaced as her hand was firmly gripped by the father.

"Dad, where are you taking me?" The father did not answer and his body was pushed out of the house.

"Don't go back to this house before making money for me!" David closed the door violently making Clara close her eyes. Tears flowed from his eyes, his body ached from the father's punch. Clara stood up and left her father's house aimlessly.

The rain began to pour down on Clara's body until she lost consciousness.

Clara opened her eyes and tried to adjust her still blurred vision.

"Clara, thank God you're sober." A familiar sound greeted his hearing.

"Where am I?" tanyanya.

"You're in the hospital, Clara. Thank God I was quick to help you. Your wounds have also been treated by doctors." Clara is about to get up however, being held back by the girl who is her co-worker.

"Don't move much, Clara. You need to rest a lot." Clara nodded and closed her eyes.

"I want to ask you a question, Clara. What the hell happened to you?" Clara looked at her co-worker named Stella with a hard-to-read look.

"What do you mean?" ask Clara.

"Your body was scarred, you passed out on the street soaking wet. Luckily, I met you and called an ambulance last night. If not, I can't imagine what your next condition will be." Clara let out her breath remembering when she was kicked out of the house by her father.

"I'm fine. Last night, a motorbike passed by and hit me. Luckily, I dodged it and produced blisters like this." Stella frowned. He felt that Clara was not telling him the truth.

"While I haven't known you for a long time, you're not good at lying to me." Clara heard it.

"Tell me, something has happened to you. Am I right, Clara?" Clara was silent to hear it. In fact, they have not known for long. But, why was Stella so sensitive to him?

"I've been telling you the truth, Stella. What do you want me to be honest with you again?" Stella was made speechless by Clara's words. He was worried about Clara's plight last night. Her face was pale, wounds were still wet, and clothes were soaked when Stella found Clara on the street.

"Thank you for worrying about me. I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm a strong girl, you know?" Stella nodded.

"Hm, I know that. It's just, your situation last night was scary. You're hurt by a psychopath, Clara." Clara was shocked to hear it. Well, his father did go too far in hitting him. In fact, his father once hit him in the face. Luckily, she wore makeup to disguise the bruise so that it was unknown to everyone.

"Calm down, Stella. Sometimes you think too far. Better clear your mind and pray for me to stay healthy. Okay?" Stella sighed. Maybe Clara was right. He thought too far and not everything he thought happened.

"Thank you, you've been worried about me. Oh, yeah, don't you work?" Stella shakes.

"I'm truant to take care of you." Clara pouted hearing that.

"Next time, don't skip like that. You also have to meet your sister's needs, don't you? Working there, getting fired and looking for a job now is hard." Stella sighed.

"You're like my mother. All right, I'll work now. Call me if you need anything, okay?" Clara nodded.

"Hn, I'll call you later. Uh." Stella waved her hand and walked out of the hospital.

"Here you look!" Clara was shocked and frightened at the voice of her father.

"Dad, where did you know I was here?" ask Clara stammering.

"That's not important. Now, let's go home 'cause you have to make a lot of money for me. I want to gamble tonight." Clara looked at her father.

"Until when, Dad? Until when do you want to gamble? Is Dad not tired? Just yesterday Dad's debt paid off because of Dad's defeat, now you want to play again?" David grieving.

"Not much to say, stupid. Dad did this too so we wouldn't live hard anymore. If you win that gambling game, the money you get will be more and more, understand?" Clara shakes.

"Khe, I'm tired of hearing that. I talk like that every day. But reality? Our lives remain like this. Besides, I got the money for Dad himself, not for me." David who heard that snorted.

"Don't have much to say and go home right now. The doctor gave you permission to go home today." David pulled Clara's hand so hard that a ring came out of her mouth. The wound that had just been treated returned to bleed from the grip of the father.

"Not to be spoiled. Your wounds are nothing compared to Dad." Clara just shut up and resignedly followed her father's steps.

Upon their arrival at home, Clara was taken into her room and pushed into a mattress.

"My mood is good today. Someone lent me money to gamble earlier. Tomorrow, you have to work to replace Dad's loan money. Rest." David leaves Clara staring down at the floor.

A tired breath came out of Clara's mouth. He no longer understood what his father was doing. David was like there was no burden at all in spending money on gambling, getting drunk and even borrowing money to do the same. Meanwhile, Clara had to bear all the debt that her father had placed on her.

'If only, a handsome prince came to pick me up and get me out of this difficult situation.'

TB