BEAUTY IN DISGUISE - CHAPTER 113&114
★★★★★
NEXT MORNING, THE HANS MANSION**
Echo woke up with a throbbing headache and struggled to sit up on her bed.
“Gosh!, My head!” She squinted, holding it with her two hands.
“How did I even get home last night?” She wondered.
Mrs Han came in with a bowl of warm hangover soup.
“eomma” Echo pouted.
She sat beside her and hugged her.
“It’s fine, sorry” she said, patting her back.
“Mum” she groaned again.
“It’s ok, did someone say something about it again?” Mrs Han said.
“Yes, but it’s true anyways, I ki||ed him” she replied.
“No you didn’t, it was all a coincidence” Mrs Han replied and Echo broke the hug.
“How did I get home last night?” She asked.
“Reece brought you” Mrs Han replied.
Echo remembered hugging and pecking someone last night, thinking it was her late dad.
“It was him” she muttered with a dry smile.
“Who?” Mrs Han asked.
“Mummy’s boy” Echo smiled.
*****
THE ALEJANDRO’S MANSION**
Reece fell on the couch and his mind went to last night when he took Echo to her house.
FLASHBACK, LAST NIGHT**
Reece had to struggle as he took Echo out of his car.
She’s wobbling on her sneakers and saying gibberish, struggling with him as he took her in.
They’re in front of her house.
She got drunk in the party earlier and slept off in his arms after saying the words he’s still yet to understand.
He finally succeeded in taking her to the door, he rang the doorbell.
Mrs Han opened the door and looks surprised to see them.
“Echo!, Reece!, Gosh she’s totally wasted” she said and tried to take her from him but she’s staggering so much.
“Dad I’m sorry” she muttered again and Mrs Han understood immediately.
Someone must have said something about her past.
Reece heaped her on his back and took her upstairs to her room.
He placed her on the bed and covered her before going back downstairs with Mrs Han.
“I’ll be on my way ma’am” he said immediately.
“I know she’d have said some words that sounds like gibberish, like she ki||ed her dad” she replied and he got more curious.
Mrs Han sat with a sad smile.
“Echo was once a kleptomaniac” she said and Reece eyes widened.
He sat in front of her slowly.
“Kleptomaniac?, How did she…
“I dunno how she developed the monstrous disorder….she started by stealing my jewelries, not like she’ll sell it or use it, she’ll just drop it in her room and when I start searching for it, she’ll open up that she mistakenly took it, that went on till she stole cash from one of her classmates and she was disgraced in school, she has vowed never to go to school anymore but I had to coax her, she resumed school but it won’t stop, she steals pen, notebooks, phones, even hairpins, things that are of no use to her” Mrs Han explained in tears.
“Her dad and I…we were ridiculed and we turned to laughing stocks for everyone that time…we were in Busan back then, her brother Asbel tried everything he could for her but it still persisted , she kept disgracing us with the disorder till one day….”
She shed more tears at this point.
“Her dad came home with two bags of cash meant for a huge contract in the company, the two bags disappeared before daybreak and no one suspected her cos she wasn’t at home, she didn’t come home that night…her dad was already crying, thinking it’s finished, we contacted the police and told them about it but nothing could be done, unknown to us, Echo sneaked in that night, she took the money and… dropped it anywhere, she didn’t even remember where she dropped it, her dad was driving and thinking about the huge lost so he lost concentration and jammed a truck, his car blew up and he got burnt with the car, Echo confessed about it that same day and she was arrested, she was jailed for six months in juvenile” Mrs Han cried as she explained.
Reece is already in tears too but he quickly wiped it when she was about to look her way.
“Miraculously, her maniac is gone when she came out of jail, I dunno how it happened but it ended there, but she’s still guilty, she believes she ki||ed her dad, that’s why we relocated from Busan to here Reece” Mrs Han completed the story.
She bursted into hysterical tears immediately and Reece stood and went to her.
He hugged her lightly.
“It’s fine, she’ll be fine, I’ll help her” he assured, patting her gently.
END OF FLASHBACK**
Reece sighed and stood from the couch.
He checked the time and gasped.
“9:30!”
He ran upstairs to prepare for school.
******
MAYBELLINE COLLEGE**
After the first class, Polly got her phone and left the class.
She went to the back of the block and dialled the attorney’s number.
Luckily he picked fast.
“Attorney Klein?” She said.
“Yes?”
“It’s Pollyanna Kang” she replied.
“Oh Polly, how’re you?”
“Is the request for appeal regarding my twin sister successful?” She asked impatiently.
“I tried my best and trust me…”
Polly held her breath.
“It was successful, I was just about to call you” he replied and Polly smiled.
“It was?, Yes!, So when is the date?” She asked.
“It’ll be set tommorow and she’ll be on probation till the set date will come, try to talk her into not cause trouble before then so the appeal won’t be cancelled” he said.
“I’ll do that, I’ll call you tomorrow to know the date set for the appeal” she replied.
“Sure, take care” he replied and she hung up.
She smiled widely afterwards.
Their twentieth birthday is coming and she badly wants to celebrate it with her.
She turned to go back to class but saw Twinkle behind.
“You scared me!” She held her chest.
“I came to say sorry about last night” he said.
“I’m not angry” she replied and made to go but he held her.
“But I’ll be angry if you do this” she said, looking at the arm hes holding.
He quickly let her go.
“I’m sorry Pollyanna, I was just…
“I don’t like you Twinkle” she said flatly.
“Why?, I’m not handsome?” He replied.
“I don’t judge faces and even if I were to, you’re handsome” she replied.
“Then?”
“I just don’t feel attracted to you, right from day one at the station” she said.
“Polly” he said hurtfully.
“Follow another girl but definitely not me”
“I came here cos of you seriously” he said.
“You shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry” she said and left him there.
He tried not to cry but the tears came out.
Polly came across Travis who’s just coming out of the library.
“Bookworm” she teased.
“Whoa!, You talked to me first, that’s strange” he smiled, looking at the hairpin in her hair.
She took in her lower lip slightly.
He came closer and pushed the hairpin more tightly into her hair.
“It might just fall off” he said.
“Thanks, mum gave it to me, thanks for finding it too” she replied and they started looking at each other, staring endlessly and smiling till some students ran past them.
? She was once a kleptomaniac?
? Echo I can’t believe it!
? That’s a shameful disorder!
Travis and Polly exchanged glances before rushing to the main block where students are already standing in groups, looking at their phones.
They both did the same and saw the news.
**ECHO HAN WAS ONCE A KLEPTOMANIAC WHO ki||ED HER DAD AND WENT TO JAIL**
“What the hell..” Polly said and made to rush into the class but Echo came out with tears in her eyes.
? Were you really a kleptomaniac?
? Did you really ki|| your dad?
? You’re wicked.
? You even went to jail once
? I can’t believe this!
? How could you ki|| your dad!
The questions came in folds and Jules is obviously the ringleader of the questionnaires.
Echo kept looking around at the girls who are questioning her.
The scene of how her father’s car blew up in the accident that year came to her head and she cried more profusely.
“I’m a murderer” she said to herself, guilt enveloping her completely.
“So you can cry too, never knew” Jules laughed.
Reece stepped in and pushed Jules, she fell to the ground and everyone shifted back as Jules looked up defiantly.
“How could you push me” she glared.
“Posting about her past on the group was petty, slut, she didn’t ki|| her dad” he said and pulled Echo’s hand away from the scene.
He took her to the park and helped her into the car, he got in too.
He started wiping her tears gently but she kept crying.
He hugged her and she cried on his shoulder.
“You didn’t ki|| your father, it wasn’t you Echo” he said.
******
GSH**
Clara finally woke up and Mr Blackstone sat in front of her.
“Dad” she said drowsily.
“Let’s go back abroad immediately, we can go to Britain this time around” he said.
“No,I came all the way here for Mr and Miss Korea which is just a week and some days away so I’m staying till I win” she replied.
Mr Blackstone started crying.
“I don’t want to lose you Clara, you’re my only hope, please”
“It was just a movie with Genny, I know now” she said and he quickly looked up.
“Huh?, You’re out of your illusion?” He said shockingly.
“I am, but I still love Genny” she replied.
******
A WEEK LATER ( A DAY TO KOREA’S GOT TALENT)**
Reece went to Echo’s place as usual just like he has been doing since Jules revealed her past
She has refused to come to school since then and she has refused to come out of her room except at night, he hasn’t seen her face since then and none of her friends has seen her too.
“She’s still not coming out?” Reece asked.
“She’s not” Mrs Han replied.
Reece went to her room and stayed by the door.
“Echo!’ he knocked.
“Are you planning to die in there?” He said.
“Everyone is worried about you, aren’t you concerned?”
“Tommorow is the D-Day and Jules is performing too, don’t you wanna beat the great JJ?” He said.
“Echo!, You’re stronger than this $h|t you’re doing…. come out or I’ll break down this door!”
“Echo!!” He yelled.
“If you don’t come out, I’ll announce to ANJELLS that you’re my girlfriend and I mean it!” He said and waited but she still didn’t come.
“Ok Echo please…. please ok?, Just come out and…
The door opened and she came to view , her room looks like a pig house with nylons of biscuits and cookies everywhere then kegs of juices, she has pizza in her hand, eating with a smile.
“What the F*” Mrs Han said.
Echo hugged Reece.
“You think I’d stay indoors for days without eating?, I still wanna live” she said and Reece smiled, hugging her back.
“And you got me worried on nothing?, I’m gonna ki|| you!” Mrs Han said, coming after them.
Reece pulled Echo into the room and locked the door.
“You both should grow old in there ok!” Mrs Han said .
“I love you mum!” Echo shouted and hugged Reece again.
“Thanks for comforting me, never knew you’re full of sense, your words made me get over it faster” she said.
“Have you been practicing?” He asked.
She looked at him.
“Trust me”
She stood on her toes and kissed him lightly.
“Can you kiss well?” she asked and he drew her closer.
“Should we make it official?” He asked.
“If you wish” she replied.
“You don’t?”
“I think I’ve always wished, was just so blind” she replied and he smiled.
He leaned in and was about to kiss her when the door opened and Mrs Han came in.
Thanks to spare key.
“You’ll rather be in a mutual relationship with Corona virus remember?” She said and Echo gasped.
“That was…
“Reece you should…
“Mum please!!” She shouted and Mrs Han smiled before leaving the room.
Echo pushed Reece to the wall and without blinking, she kissed him softly.
******
NEXT DAY, KBS HALL, 2PM**
Close to twenty participants has performed already.
The magicians, dancers, rhythmic gymnasts, singers, fast eaters, height climbers, flexible gymnasts, …
A whole lot of them.
The big gigantic hall is full of choking crowd and the screams coming from them at each performance is enough to deafen.
The girls are all in attendance but none of the guys attended, then Echo.
“So she won’t dance after all her practice” Quincy said sadly.
“I can’t believe this, it’s all cos of Jules revelation, that mad ?îtçh” Polly glared emptily.
“Seriously all the performances look like nonsense to me since Echo won’t be performing” Trinidad said.
“Same here” Izzy and Bae chorused.
“Echo Han from Golden Era academy!” The MC suddenly called and loud screams dominated the whole place.
She seems to have a lot of fans who’re waiting to watch her.
? The girl who danced at the festival some months ago!
? The one who behaves like a tomboy!
? I love her so much!
? I came here for her!
Jules smiled, watching the commenters.
“She won’t dare come after I shamed her” she said to herself.
The screams started dying down when Echo didn’t show up on stage.
“Echo Han?” The MC called again.
“In her absence, well…
? She’s here!!!!!
? She came!!!!
Echo appeared from backstage and the MC moved away from the stage.
Jules stood unbelievably.
“How could she” she whispered shockingly.
The screams got revived again and Echo finally came to view.
“That’s my girl!” Quincy said loudly.
“No, she’s mine” Reece suddenly sat beside her.
“You came?” Quincy asked surprisingly.
“Of course, my girl is dancing” he winked.
Echo’s dance concept is cobwebs.
She’s wearing a net trousers on net crop top so her singlet is visible and her shorts.
Her song started and she started her business.
She started twisting and whining for the first minutes and everyone screamed.
Her body is so flexible and soft and the way her bellybutton moves at each twist is even seductive.
“d@mn” Reece smiled crazily.
“Never knew she’s ?ëx¥ like this seriously” Bae said.
“Same here, she’s hot” Polly replied.
Jules almost couldn’t contain her anger as Echo’s screams kept getting louder and louder.
She obviously got the loudest screams she has ever heard since it began.
A pole appeared on stage, thanks to the creativity of the director of the academy.
Echo did a crazy pole dance and Reece felt his mouth running dry.
She’s something else, a crazy dancer.
She started climbing the pole slowly and everyone started standing as she climbed.
? Echo Han!
? Echo Han!!
? ECHO!!!!!!
They screamed her name as she climbed.
Few inches to the top, thick ropes that actually looks tiny on the dark stage wrapped on her wrist and she let go of the pole, shocking everyone.
She was about to land on the ground when another pole appeared on the other side and ropes wrapped on her other wrist from it.
She widened her arms and legs in the middle.
The net she’s wearing spread with the ropes, making her look like a spider in a cobweb.
If screams could bring down a building, the building will surely come down.
The judges and director at the front looks speechless too.
“I love you Echo!!!” Quincy and the girls screamed.
Reece smiled as the stage lights went off and when it came on again, Echo is gone.
“Jules Jolly!” The MC announced and loud screams started again as Jules went on stage proudly.
The dance she practiced is vampire concept but she decided to do something similar to Echo’s.
Pole dance.
The lights came on and her clothes is gone already, she’s left in only a bikini.
The pole appeared and she finished her dance steps on ground before she started climbing.
The pole kept getting taller as she climbed but she won’t stop climbing.
Her screams are getting louder and louder, that geared her up so she climbed farther and farther.
“She’s going too far” Reece said and as if planned, Jules hand slipped on the pole and she started falling, making everyone gasp.
“I knew it!” Polly said, standing up with the others.
Before the rescue team could get to the poll, Jules fell already and her head got seriously injured.
Her blood ran down the stage as she lay down unconscious.
TBC.