nine

***

"Hello again, stepmother."

The seat she was sitting in is pushed back with a screech as she stands and whirls around to face me. I could see the way her expression grew livid, burning a deep red in anger. Pushing the chair aside, she stepped forward while I also mimicked her, standing close enough to smell the lingering scent of heavy perfume. I sneezed in response and she glared at me as if I were a public disgrace.

"I thought you'd never return," she sneered, crossing her arms. "Yet here you are, standing in my house in your filthy shoes."

I stand taller and meet her gaze evenly, even as I quivered on the inside and ready to run in the opposite direction as soon as possible. "Well, I've come to bid you good bye and thank you for the wonderful accommodation and extra services," I reply icily, even though I wanted to tear her apart with cutting words. "I've had a lovely time here and I'm not coming back. Besides, it's not like I received any share of father's inheritance. I will just take what is mine and you will never hear another word from me and nor I you."

It felt good to just let out all the hostility in my body, even in the form of snarky comments. I watched as stepmother continued to glare at me unwaveringly before planting one foot firmly on the carpeted ground, "Who said you could leave? When did I ever give you permission to leave? Do you realise how much trouble I had to go through to get you back here only to find out from my brother here, that you'd left with some man. Is that your man? Ha, cowering behind you; your taste in anything is at all is appalling, just like you," she insults, pointing a finger at me, "I should whip you for your insolence. If you want to leave, just try -" 

Minseok steps in front of me before I can even reply and I can feel the waves of irritation rolling off his body as he confronts her. "Then we'll be leaving now." He takes my hand, gripping just a little too hard and pulls me along to the front door, pausing briefly to look back, "Also, just so you know, the police know about your crimes," he drawls, pulling something out of his pocket, "Like embezzlement, fraud and bribery, and with Lydia here, family violence." The paper rustles in his hand as he reads off the list and I'm left in shock but there is no surprise there when I remember just how heartless she is. Minseok remains stoic when he clears his throat and holds out the sheet of paper, "And I mustn't forget, that you had your late husband murdered. Ah, the police should be here now to arrest you."

He turns towards me and asks me if I wanted to take my belongings but I shake my head while giving him a questioning look, "Was that all true? Did she really commit all those crimes?" I ask softly, glancing behind me to see stepmother gripping the sheet of paper while uncle had stumbled backwards into his seat looking as white as the sheet of paper she held. I guess it's true then from their reactions.

"You! Who are you?!" she shouts in anger, "How do you know if I did all these crimes you say? How can you prove it?" The sound of paper being torn apart is the only thing that fills the silence as we hurry outside. 

We're met by a group of police officers who tell me that they've got everything covered and that I shouldn't worry, but I'm still confused. I tug on Minseok's hand, "How - how did you find out about all of that when I had lived in the same house as her for my entire life? I've never heard anything about this, and my father had died in an accident coming home from his business, not... murdered, right?" I ask hesitantly. There's just too many things that have been said in the last ten minutes - it had all happened so fast.

"I had hired some private investigators to find out about your stepmother -" I'm about to ask something but he stops me and continues, "- and that's how I managed to find out that she used your father's company to gain more money, placing herself in a shareholder position because she's married to him. She wanted to continue living in luxury, so she bribed many p