"Good mor—" my heart drops at the sight of the man standing before me.

My ex's father, staring with a dark look in his eyes, through which I will never be able to perceive anything else other than pure hatred and disgust.

"Good morning, what would you like to order?" I grip the edge of the counter and clench my jaw, not breaking eye contact, but he leans closer. "You work here?"

"I do, but I'm here to take your order and—"

"Oh, so someone hired you? Really?" he sneers, filling me up with anxiety as I know that this interaction is not going to end well. "Yes, but if you're not here to order anything, leave this shop, please."

"Don't tell me what to do, boy. I want to see your boss," he requires, and to my greatest relief, I cannot give him what he wants. "He's not here today."

"Fine, when will he be here then?" he does not take my answer as a stop to his planned actions, but I try my hardest to not allow him to be into contact with him. "Our boss do not let random people disturb them for no good reason because he's got a lot of—"

"You shut the fuck up and tell me when he is present because I will not let the little motherfucker you are peacefully enjoy a life with a stable job, got it? So you answer me, or I'll come back every day at the same hour until I see him," he does not give up, willing to make my life a living hell for the things his daughter accused me of. "Leave the shop, please."

"Listen—" he cuts himself off and lays his attention on Luca as soon as he comes back, raising my anxiety higher and causing some panic inside of me.

Luca does not know, and I do not want him to, but this guy is for sure going to speak about it. I cannot breathe anymore. "Sir. I'd like to talk or see your boss, please."

Luca peeks into my direction with confusion and places the tray of donuts down. "Our boss? Why? What's the problem?"

"Your colleague right here," he points his finger at me, and I lose control of my actions. "I told you to leave the shop right now. Stop disturbing our customers. If you want to talk to me, we'll do it outside."

"I don't think I addressed you," he does not care at all, enjoying this moment that will harm me in every way. "Doesn't your boss know about his past? How come a person like him gets to have a job and be free to do whatever he likes?"

"Stop telling lies, you fucking—" the hand of Luca over my torso makes me understand to not end my sentence, my heart beating hard against my chest. "Sir, I don't know what you're talking about, but our boss made it clear that he does not accept anyone in his office unless this is for an important matter. He's rarely here, so if you don't want to order anything, please, let us work, or I will have to escort you outside myself."

"You don't know what I'm talking about? So you're just going to let a fucking abuser walk free and live a normal life?!" he raises his voice to make sure every single person here can hear him loud and clear, and I understand that talking to him is a waste of time, so I look up at Luca in a panic. "Don't listen to him, he's just lying. I swear, it's not true."

"I'm not lying, you piece of shit. You abuse and mistreat my daughter, and you think I'm not gonna do everything in my power to ruin your life?" he keeps going, humiliating me in front of everyone in this room, including my friend, who I will probably lose after this.

Luca looks at me in the eyes but does not seem to express the same feeling anymore, and he steps away. "Fine," he grabs a piece of paper from the notepad, and a pencil. "Here's his number," he writes it down, so I glance down at it but feel my entire body get overwhelmed with fright. "Luca, he's gonna tell some bullshit to the boss, don't—"

"Leave the shop now, please," he hands him the note, but before my ex's father could grab it, I try to snatch it away, and Luca moves it away to prevent me from touching it and throws me a glare, taking enough of my attention away from the man for him to be in possession of the phone number. "Your boss better fire you," he walks out of the shop, and out of rage, feeling betrayed, I push Luca away. "Why the fuck would you do that?!"

"Let's talk in the changing room right now," he believes I will follow him after what he just let happen, but I refuse. "I don't give a fuck about talking, I literally told you not—" Luca shoves me into the counter and stares into my eyes. "It wasn't the right number, so you calm down and go into the changing room, alright?" he lowers his voice to not be heard by anyone but me.

Dumbfounded, I keep my eyes fixed on him and feel some incredible relief take away some of the tension there was inside of me. I watch him walk in the backroom, then after a few seconds during which I could barely think, I finally go in the same direction

Despite the relief, the amount of stress I can still feel about him being aware of this is indescribable. I did not want him to hear about it. I do not want him to despise me the same way every body did in my life except for y/n, who is the only one that believed me.

As soon as I enter the room, Luca drops his eyes on me and crosses his arms. "Explain yourself before I assume the worst."

"Listen to me, he's lying. Alright? You can't trust him. All the things that he said about me are made up because I'm not that type of person," I do not give any details about the story I wish I could erase from my past. "Jungkook, tell me why the hell this guy called you an abuser. Why he is saying all that shit about you and his daughter? Is that the ex you talked about with me?"

"Luca...I promise this isn't true. Please, you have to believe me. Yes, his daughter is my ex. She made up some stuff about me to ruin me, but I swear, I've never done what she accused me of," I give him my word and hope for him to trust me, to not hate me and not consider me as a friend anymore.

He stares at me, and a sigh escapes him. He glances away and runs his hand over his face. "What did she accuse you of?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I fear this topic more than any other and attempt to avoid it. "Jungkook, I'm not sure what side to believe if you tell me half of the story."

"She accused me of doing some horrible stuff and went to the police to report me because she knew she wouldn't need much proof to get me in jail, but I didn't do anything. I was trying to recover from the loss of my dad, and she took advantage of that to destroy me," I speak about him with a knot in my throat, still not able to mention him without feeling some ache in my heart. "What did she accuse you of?"

"Things that I did not do, so it doesn't matter," I struggle to say the truth, and he stares at me, telling me with just a look that he wants me to be honest with him and not hide anything. "It does."

I breathe all the rage out of my lungs and break eye contact. "Abuse, mistreatment, and rape."

After this answer, he remains silent. My heart pounding, my anxiety rising so dangerously that I might have to take a pill for my panic attacks. I feel so ashamed and disgusting, and him not saying a word or reacting is only worsening.

"Jungkook," he pronounces my name to bring my focus back on him. "I want you to look me in the eyes and fucking promise me, without lying, that you've never done any of those things."

"I never did, I promise you," I do exactly what he asked me to. "Are you a hundred percent sure of that? With the alcohol problem you had, you're sure—"

"I'm sure. I've never done anything because I never got drunk with her around," I repeat with the same affirmation, despite all the doubt she managed to put into my head. "Fine. Alright. I believe you, but I better not ever get to know that you actually lied to me."

"I'm not lying, I swear, Luca," I never break eye contact so that he knows I am not trying to tell a falsehood. "And does y/n know about this?"

"I...Yeah. Just...not all the details," I lick my lips and nibble on my inner cheek, hoping for him to not tell me to talk about it with y/n. "What do you mean 'not all the details'? You hid some things from her?"

"No, I did not hide anything, but I just didn't tell everything because I hate to talk about this. I was scared to lose her if I told her what I was truly accused of. I didn't want her to believe anything that bitch said," I make it clear so that he does not misunderstand. "Well, at least she knows about it, but I can't guarantee you that if this guy comes back, I'll prevent him from seeing the boss every time because at some point, he'll get what he wants."

"Luca, everyone here's gonna know, the boss is gonna fire me, and I'll have a hard time finding another job. What the fuck am I gonna do? And it's y/n's birthday this month, I need money to buy her the gift I've been thinking of," I cannot calm down after this rush of thoughts going through my head. "Don't worry about this yet. Nothing has happened. This guy might even give up or forget. Just try to look ahead to everything and already try to apply for a new job somewhere else if this can help you. I'll be there if you need anyway, so don't panic. Okay?"

"He won't give up or forget. This asshole's been doing this same fucking thing for more than a year now. He's ruining everything I'm trying to have, and he'll keep going until I'm dead," I warn him of how dangerous and sick he is. "I won't let him. I'll be there for you, I promise. He doesn't know where you live anyway, does he?"

"He doesn't," I shake my head. "Then do not be worried about anything. Alright? Y/n will get the gift you want her to have for her birthday, and you'll have a job no matter what. I'll do my best for you."

I cannot be more thankful and grateful to have him. He is the type of friend I wish Matteo would have been instead of turning into a betrayer.

"Thank you...a lot," I show him how much this means to me, no matter the lack of words I have used, he knows this is very significant to me. "Don't thank me. Let's go back to work, and don't let this ruin your day. Okay?" he comes closer to me to head out of the room, and I nod.

•••

4:50 pm.

[ yes I'm finally done, I'm heading home rn >

I text y/n to answer her after saying goodbye to Luca who stayed in front of the shop to talk with a friend, and I make my way towards the parking lot to get to my car.

Today was mentally very exhausting, so I cannot wait to be home and sleep, no matter the distress I will probably be in for a few days.

The vibration caused by a new text bringing some soothe to my mind, I take my car keys out to unlock my vehicle and check what y/n sent me.

However, a familiar voice disturbs this peacefulness. I raise my head up at the sound of it, recognizing it, and once I lay eyes on my ex's father, my heart races out of fear.

•••

'YOUR P.O.V'

8:20 pm.

[ are you okay? You haven't answered me in so long and didn't even text me to tell me you're home. I'm gonna have to come and check up on you >

I send another text to Jungkook, worrying the more the time is passing without any news from him. He never forgets to let me know he is home, so I am dealing with a lot of anxiety since five p.m.

I drop my phone on my bed and lie down, and I cover my face with my arms. This man is giving me so much anxiety, this is so painful, but worth it anyway.

Feeling the need to make sure he is okay, I stand up and leave my room to go out and head to the bus stop. While doing so, I send a text to Matthew to calm down and ask him if he has finished the Spanish homework, and in a few seconds only, he answers me.

< yeah, of course. I totally did:D ]

[ I'm sure of it boy, sure of it:) >

< jk I actually did, are you proud of me? ]

[ did you do it without cheating? >

< :) ]

< are you proud of me? ]

[ you cheated, so no >

< I didn't! I swear ]

[ lmao I don't trust you >

I do not read the next text he sent but bring all my attention to a number calling me, and for some reason, this frightens me.

I rarely receive calls from unknown numbers, but today, right when Jungkook is not answering me, giving signs of life, I receive a call from somebody I do not know.

No matter who could be behind this number, I takw the risk and pick up. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's y/n, right?" he asks for my name in a familiar and new voice I have heard very recently, and I confirm my identity. "Yes, who are you?"

"It's Luca. I have to..." he breathes out, sounding exhausted. "Uhm. I noticed the texts you left on Jungkook's phone, and I felt like it'd be important to—"

"Jungkook? What happened?" my heart stops for a moment, and I feel the fright run through my veins.