novelraw Chapter 384: Karin and Alexander’s past
Chapter 384: Karin and Alexander’s past
The two youngsters successfully struck a deal and had a great time playing together. Despite Karin falling from a tree while trying to collect bird eggs, injuring her leg and getting a scolding from her parents, they remained joyful.
After dinner, they gathered again, climbed a tree, and sat side by side on a branch to watch the sunset. The lingering glow of the sunset draped over the children, and a flurry of blossoms fell with the breeze, creating a heart-stirringly beautiful scene.
Time flew by, and the inseparable pair entered their school days.
Perhaps it was fate, but not only were they placed in the same class, they also shared a desk.
Unlike other children of their age, where boys would typically pull girls’ hair or scare them with beetles and frogs, this pair was the opposite.
Alexander was introverted with excellent academic performance, a favorite among teachers, and consistently held the top position in his grade, serving as the class president.
Karin, on the other hand, was the complete opposite, with fighting and getting beaten as part of her daily routine. At school, she was the one doing the beating, while at home, she was on the receiving end.
Like most boys and girls during their school years, a rift seemed inevitable.
Their conversations dwindled, they no longer held hands after school, and even maintained a distance to avoid the dreaded rumors of early romance. A border line drawn with chalk appeared on their desk.
Alexander’s pencil case no longer held an eraser for Karin, and the milk and banana he shared with her in the morning ceased. They seemed to drift apart, increasingly finding each other disagreeable, until one day in the fourth grade.
The crying from next door kept Alexander up all night. Karin’s mother had passed away, reportedly from a serious illness. The image of her pale face and Karin’s cries haunted Alexander’s dreams.
The next day, Alexander brought a box of milk and a banana, but Karin didn’t come to school. The teacher said she had taken a couple of days off due to a family death.
Back in the yard, Alexander stood in front of the neighbor’s door for a long time, unable to muster the courage to knock.
On the fourth day, a somewhat red-eyed Karin entered the classroom. Alexander quickly offered the milk and banana he had kept for two days, only for Karin to angrily knock them to the ground.
"I don’t need your pity!" she exclaimed, her anger and grief making her feel the world was filled with malice. She didn’t want to return to her dreadful home, nor did she want anyone’s charity.
Alexander was somewhat at a loss, slightly angry, but any resentment melted away as he looked into Karin’s tear-stained eyes.
On the fifth and sixth days, Alexander continued to bring milk and bananas for Karin, but she refused to accept them and stopped talking to him or anyone else.
"Karin! You broke your promise! You said you would protect me!" Alexander, injured, confronted Karin on the tenth day.
"Who bullied you?" Karin stood up fiercely.
"Sam!" Alexander replied.
Without a word, Karin grabbed a baseball bat and stormed out. Later that afternoon, Karin’s father was called to the office.
That evening, angry shouts and Karin’s cries of pain echoed from next door. This beating was worse than any before.
Alexander rushed to their house, pounding on the door, but it was locked, and all he could hear were Karin’s cries of pain.
"Karin’s dad has gone too far!" Alexander angrily said, looking at the red welts on Karin’s arm. "You’re his daughter, what kind of father does that?"
"He’s not my dad!" Karin shook his head firmly, his eyes filled with fear and hatred. "He killed my mom!"
"Your dad killed your mom?" Alexander was shocked.
"Yes! I saw it with my own eyes! He wanted money from mom, and when she refused, he pushed her head into a water basin. He killed her!" Karin spoke with hatred. "I want revenge! I must avenge my mom! I will kill him!"
"I’ll help you!" Alexander, not fully understanding the concept of murder, readily offered his help.
"Thank you, Alexander!" Karin gratefully looked at the boy beside her.
"You’re my future wife, who else would I help! I’ll protect you from now on!" Alexander said with a smile.
"Stop it!" Karin, now aware of shyness, responded without hesitation, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face.
Alexander, unsure how to comfort her, hesitated, then put his arm around her shoulder and let her rest her head on his shoulder.
The setting sun still shone through the yellowing leaves, casting a warm light on them.
Talk of murder was just a vent for their anger; the young children couldn’t possibly carry it out. However, this incident brought them closer, no longer concerned about what other children thought.
Over time, both seemed to mature. Karin’s father became increasingly temperamental, neglecting his appearance and frequently drunk. His treatment of Karin worsened.
Alexander sabotaged the door lock when Karin’s father was away, rushing over whenever he heard angry shouts to shield Karin. Karin’s father could only walk away, leaving his stick or belt behind.
Regardless of whether life was sweet or sorrowful, time relentlessly moved forward. Soon, they reached the end of their high school years.
Karin’s family situation worsened as her father, who had lost his job due to his alcoholism, quickly squandered their savings.
In the trash at Karin’s house, Alexander and Karin discovered the cause: disposable syringes and burnt foil, indicating drug use.
During the summer, Alexander’s parents enrolled him in numerous extra classes, a luxury Karin’s family could not afford, especially as her father was considering selling their house.
Fortunately, the situation was about to change. After enduring so much, Karin stopped getting into fights and started focusing on her studies. While not as academically gifted as Alexander, she was on track to attend a decent university.
They planned to attend college far away, leaving their troubled past behind. Alexander even persuaded his parents to pay Karin’s tuition if her father refused.
One evening, after a day of extra classes, Alexander hurried home to review the day’s material with Karin. If he was late, it would delay their study until after midnight, risking Karin’s father’s temper. But before he could enter his house, he heard a scream.
It was Karin.
Alexander rushed to Karin’s house, finding the door locked again. He desperately tried to open it, pleading and kicking the door as he heard Karin’s agonized screams, worse than ever.
Her father’s furious shouts accompanied the sounds of a belt striking flesh: "I told you not to marry! A beating will teach you! Marrying you off to Maris, a wealthy merchant, is a stroke of luck!
If it weren’t for Maris’s preference for young virgins, you wouldn’t have this chance. He’s agreed to clear all my debts and supply me with goods for a year! You ungrateful girl, I’ll beat you to death!"
With a powerful kick, Alexander finally broke open the door. The scene inside broke his heart. Karin was suspended by her wrists from a beam, her father lashing her with a belt, her clothes torn, skin ripped open, and blood staining her garments.
"Get out! You’re meddling in my business," Karin’s father yelled. "Those childhood marriage promises were jokes. Do you think you can afford a dowry? Stay away from my daughter! She’s to marry Maris. Do you know who he is? Do you think you can mess with him?"
Without a second thought, Alexander charged forward and kicked Karin’s father in the abdomen, sending him flying back several meters.
Ignoring her father’s threats, Alexander untied Karin and helped her towards the door.
Her father, clutching his stomach, continued to shout, insisting that the childhood promises were meaningless and warning Alexander to stay away from Karin, destined for another man.
Alexander turned sharply, his eyes ablaze with anger and a fierce light.
Karin’s father was taken aback, instinctively not daring to approach. Instead, he yelled, "Alexander, if you dare take my daughter away, believe me, I’ll report you for kidnapping to the police! This is a family matter; it’s none of your business!"
"Call the police?" Alexander scoffed, "Go ahead! Let them check the needle marks on your arms, investigate how your wife really died!"
At this, Karin’s father’s stream of curses ceased abruptly. In the following period, he seemed frightened and stopped his abusive behavior towards Karin, suddenly turning amiable and dropping the matter of marrying her off to Maris.
Both Karin and Alexander knew that this change was likely temporary and that a person’s true nature is hard to alter.
On this particular day, Karin and Alexander celebrated their eighteenth birthdays together. They quietly took a day off and spent their birthday in a private room of a nearby restaurant, marking their passage into adulthood.
During this intimate celebration, Karin chose to give Alexander her first intimate experience, deepening their emotional bond and marking a significant step in their relationship.