Jeongyeon’s POV

XXX Motel

One? Two? Three? … “what time is it?”, I turn around to see the bedside clock, 11 am. I’ve been sitting here for four hours. I laugh at myself, that’s why my legs feel dead. I hold my hand up to my chest … it’s still beating, dammit, then why do I feel so numb? My hand involuntary clenched, the crinkling of paper can be heard. I look to Momo’s letter, I’ve read this more than ten times.

The phone rings, indicating check-out, “, there’s still three hours pabo-ya”, I let my body fall on the bed, staring at the ceiling while my tears fall across the side of my face.

I paid the motel for the extra hours I spent crying and cleaning myself and gave them extra cash for the badly broken chair in the room. I sit in my car, I rummage the backseat to find my phone, I couldn’t find hers. She probably grabbed it before leaving.

I contemplate calling her, “ it”, I dial her number but it went straight to voicemail, “of course”, I see 12 missed called from Mina … 22 missed calls from Seungyeon … 2 missed calls from father, “awesome …”.

I didn’t want to deal with anyone right now, so I start driving back to the mansion. I hear my phone ring, my dashboard flashes Chaeyoung’s name.

I answered, “Yeah Chae I’m-”

“Where are you?!”

“I’m driving back, don’t worry”

“Jeongyeon … Momo left”

I gritted my teeth and sigh, thanks for the reminder little cub, “I’ll be right there”

Yoo Manor

I see a worried Mina standing by the front door as I park my car. It breaks my heart to see her. She’s the involuntary victim in all this. I crumple Momo’s letter in my hand and stuff it in my pocket before getting out. She immediately runs to me, hugging me tightly, but I’m too lifeless to reciprocate.

“I was so worried Jeongyeon, where have you been?”, she cups my face.

“Where is father, Mina?”

“He- he’s upstairs … he’s not doing too well”.

I nod and lightly push Mina away from me as I walk towards my father’s room. I open the door to chaos, he’s sitting on the bed, a broken mirror in front of him, broken bottle lay near the mirror, with all her necessities and closet empty. The dangling hangers are the only indicator of her leaving anything for father to remind her of.

“Father?”, I tentatively approach him after closing the door. I sit beside him and lay my hand on his shoulder. I see he also got a letter from Momo …

We sat there for a while until he broke the silence between us, “she cheated on me”, I lower my hands from his shoulder and my legs started to shake with fear.

“She- she did? I- I wouldn’t peg her to be like … that”.

“She said she couldn’t keep it a secret anymore”, he waves the letter in the direction of my face, “she left to ! Knows where”, I flinch … I’ve never heard father curse like that, even with my shortcomings.

“Did- did she say with who?”

“No, no … she didn’t”, his face turns to me, his eyes red, bags under them, hair a mess, tie loose around his neck, sweat pools under his arms, breathing heavy, “help me find this guy Jeongyeon!”

I stare at him wide-eyed, I had to look away, “father, I don’t think it’s necessary to hurt yourself more … she’s gone anyway, no good would come from knowing”, I hope for him to let this go.

“I want … no, I NEED to know what he could give her that I couldn’t”, this baffled me, father is … insecure about this? … I’ve never heard his voice so … unsure.

“O-okay father … I will”.

I feel his shaking hands pat my back slowly, “leave me Jeongyeon, I need to be alone right now”.

“Understood father”, I got up and slowly close the door to see father’s old lifeless body, slumping over the bed with his hands covering his face. I frown.

I turn around about to walk towards my room when I see Jonghyun not far from father’s bedroom door. He’s gazing out the window, one hand leaning on the windowsill and the other in his pants pocket. He makes my blood boil … but I stand next to him.

“Are you happy now? She’s gone”.

“More than ever”, I hear his cockiness through his voice, “look on the bright side my sister-in-law”, he turns to leave me before leaving me with a parting gift, “you’re free”.

I left standing alone, looking at the greenhouse. This is what I wanted … but why does this freedom feel not worth having anymore? I place my hand on the glass, covering the greenhouse, “goodbye Momo”.

I turn my back … leaving her in the past.

Few Days Passed

Everything and everyone are cold … the Yoo Manor lost its life … it feels dead.

Seungyeon, Chaeyoung, and Taejun bounced back quite fast from Momo’s disappearance, thinking Momo was too good to be true, far better off to be gone rather than being here with us … but they don’t know the truth. They’re more worried about father than anything else, I am too. Father rarely eats or talk to any of us. He’s obsessed w