PART THREE OF THREE

*****Author’s Note: Hey, all! So, this is the last installment of the updates. I apologize for it being late. It was 13 pages long... Anyway, there is some ual content in this chapter. You may skip over those details if you so choose. Other than that, happy reading!*****

After Hyosung threw the glass of water at Jungmi, all she heard was a shatter. Then, nothing. No sounds, no odors, no sensations, and no pain. Simply darkness. When she opened her eyes again, Jungmi was hovering a few feet above her own unconscious body.

She watched as Youngmi tumbled out of her chair to kneel beside her body. Daehyun did the same. The other boys sprang into action: Jongup rushed into the kitchen to grab a broom, Zelo picked up a towel, Youngjae disappeared into the living for a pillow, and Yongguk and Himchan ushered Hyosung to the living room for, what Jungmi assumed, a discussion about what just happened.

Jungmi pumped her arms up and down, kicked her feet, shouted incomprehensible words, but nothing happened. No one heard her. No one could see her. No one knew she was there.

Why am I not in my body right now? Is my spirit OUTSIDE of my body? How in the world can that happen? Oh, gosh, my arms, hands, and neck are all scratched and bloodied.

Jungmi did her best to move, swim, and jump back into her body, like she had seen in some movies, but nothing worked. It was then that she noticed it. Her spirit could barely move itself; the darkness had coiled around her like some sort of wild, thrashing anaconda and was pulsing and engorging around her torso and waist. It was of a dark, sickly green hue, like what she imagined a plague to look like if plagues were represented by colors.  

Was this what Youngmi meant by my aura? Green is often associated with jealousy, but I definitely do not feel jealousy toward Hyosung. But, hatred… hatred is what I feel. And it’s thick and throbbing in my chest.

Hatred. Such a strong word, with an equally strong meaning. But, it was indeed the feeling that Jungmi had felt towards the Hyosung from the moment they had met. She had failed to make the connection and here she was paying for it.

Of course, Angels were not meant to feel hatred, jealousy, or any negative feelings. They were warriors and disciples of God. Anything negative would be a direct contradiction to their very existence. So, why did she feel hatred then? Was it because she possessed full reign over her thoughts and feelings since she was a human again? Jungmi shook her head in disbelief. She was never a hateful person, even while she lived.

“It feels good, doesn’t it?”

Jungmi leaped (well, moved) back, almost “bumping” her head against the ceiling. The voice she had heard was deep, booming, and oddly familiar. The stranger part was that it came from the darkness wrapped around her body.

“What are you talking about?” Apparently, her voice did work.

“That hatred you have for Hyosung. It feels good.”

Jungmi gulped. “How did you know I feel that way towards her?”

“Please, Jungmi. I know your every thought and desire. It’s here in your heart.”

“In my heart?” Jungmi managed to say before the darkness shifted from her waist to her upper torso and constricted around it. She grabbed at the darkness, only to be met with air. Yet, it continued to constrict, to the point of making her gasp for oxygen. “Stop it! Let go of me!”

“I wouldn’t dare, Jungmi,” the darkness whispered, “not when you feel hatred so strongly for Hyosung. Not when you have such a deep, dark desire to do something to her. This has been dormant in your heart for so long, I was beginning to wonder if it would resurface at all.”

The darkness released her and backed away from her, but as it did, the length and width of its cylindrical mass expanded so that it was no longer the shape of a snake, but that of a very familiar tall and muscular man. When Jungmi regained her breath, she had to gasp once more. Floating a few feet in front of her was a silhouette, no, a shadow image of her father. All of its features were strikingly similar to her father’s: the piercing gaze, the stern tighten on his lips, the rigid dent between his brows, and his signature cross-armed stance.

Jungmi stared wide-eyed at the figure. She did not, could not take her eyes off of it. It was not her father in the flesh, but its likeness was enough to strike fear, disgust, and loathing in her heart. The dark green deepened as the figure’s lips curled into a sneer.

“What do you think? I look like him, don’t I?” The darkness chuckled. “Ah, to think that you still fear your father after death makes things a bit depressing, doesn’t it?”

“Why?” Jungmi replied breathlessly. “Why did you have to take his form? Of all the people in the world, why him?”

The darkness simply looked at her with the sneer still intact. “You know why, Jungmi. I’m Hatred, your Inner Demon. It’s about time you faced me.”

~:~:~:~:~

~ Five Years Ago ~

“Byun Baekhyun, you better come back, or I will break your legs!” Threatened a 14-year-old Jungmi from behind the pack of boys who called themselves EXO-K.

Baekhyun sniggered as he sped some ten meters ahead of the group, trying with all his might to keep from being pummeled by Jungmi. Shortly after the bell rang that day, EXO-K met Jungmi by her locker (while surrounded by dozens of their fangirls) and made their way toward the front gate of the school. Once they stepped outside of the school grounds, however, Baekhyun whisked the stack of homework and notes from Jungmi’s arms and took off down the road, laughing like a raving lunatic. Of course, Jungmi simply could not stand by and watch him do away with her hard work. Byun Baekhyun needed to do some studying of his own sometime in his life.

At high school, EXO-K ruled the campus with their looks, artistic talents, and athletic prowess. With at least one member in every grade, all six of them were indomitable, regardless of whether they were separated or together. Every girl on campus was aware of this. Every girl, except of course, Jungmi. She, on the other hand, still considered them to be her childhood best friends who once relied on her to protect them from spiders and put band-aids on their injuries. Joonmyun, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, Jongin, and Sehun were still little boys in her eyes and that day was definitely not any different.

With her short legs and breath, Jungmi could barely keep up with the tall and lanky members of the group, for they had just begun to hit a steady upward climb in puberty. And she had not.

Joonmyun, now a third year student, lost most of his baby fat and had begun to gain definition in his jawline, cheekbones, and even his collarbones. Second years Baekhyun and Chanyeol, grew in height and muscle mass (the latter more than the former) and developed speech patterns that were foreign to even the maknaes of the group. Kyungsoo was another second year and while he still had more to growing to do in the height department, he gained what the others did not: maturity and a whole lot of experience in student council and extracurricular activities. Jongin and Sehun were first years like her, yet it did not matter that she was only a few months older than them. Jongin grew out of most of his clothes within the span of the summer break, and Sehun’s facial and bodily features sharpened with each passing week.

This, of course, was not to say that Jungmi did not grow from elementary school. Her hair was longer, her clothes more fitted, and she surpassed the boys in both brains and common sense. But, despite this, puberty was not treating her well. As such, her physical abilities were still that of a ten-year-old. Chasing after Baekhyun’s adolescent self was, truthfully, more than she bargained for at that moment.

Jungmi sprinted forward and reached for the back of Baekhyun’s shirt to impede his galloping. Both of them tripped over the pavement and tumbled to the ground, eliciting a collective groan from the group walking a few paces behind.  

“Yah, Baekhyun, will you just give her homework back to her?” Chanyeol scolded as he pulled up a fuming Jungmi from the floor to dust her off. “You’re a second year in high school and you’re still acting like a five year old.”

“Well, excuse me for wanting to have a little fun, Yeol,” huffed Baekhyun from the floor. Joonmyun offered a hand to lift him up. “We’ve been studying for midterms for a week straight. Having a little fun wouldn’t hurt.”

Jungmi harrumphed, then socked Baekhyun in the stomach before snatching her papers from his unwilling hands. The maknaes guffawed at this. “That wasn’t fun, Baekhyun-oppa. That was torture! My notes for midterms were in this stack, too.”

“Jungmi… you hit… like a girl…”

She smirked as she puffed up her chest. “Of course, I do.”

“I don’t understand… where you… get your strength from.”

“I eat my vegetables.”

“Lame,” Baekhyun muttered, earning him another jab in the gut.

“Who is lame now, Weak-hyun?”

Jungmi had to admit that despite his impish behavior, Baekhyun was mischievously handsome at the age of 15, with his straight dark-chocolate hair and wild eye-smiles. She never mentioned this to any of the other boys, but if she had not known them for so long, she would not hesitate to fall in love with the loud, obnoxious Beagle. However, since he was so loud and obnoxious, falling in love with him was clearly out of the question.

“Jungmi,” Kyungsoo warned from behind her.

She glanced back at him and frowned. He was the only one of her best friends who reprimanded her for everything. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he was her “direct oppa,” even though he was only ten months older than her. Or perhaps it was because she was the only one who listened to a word he said. They were the only 93-liners in the group, after all.

Jungmi pouted. “Kyungsoo-oppa.”

He blinked at her. “Yah, what’s with that voice of yours? And since when have you called me ‘Oppa?’”

She simply deepened her pout. “Are you mad at me?”

“No.”

“Did something happen today?”

“Nothing happened.”

“You can tell me, you know.”

“I know.”

Jungmi frowned once more. Kyungsoo was not usually like this with her. Granted, his day was just as stressful as hers, if not more stressful. He was the Second Year Representative for Student Council. Council members were often pressured to take on multiple activities during midterm periods (such as tutoring remedial students and volunteering “mandatory hours” as Teacher Aids) because of their academic prowess as leaders of the school.

“Our ‘Kyunggie’ is probably just stressed with Council duties,” Jongin yawned. “Don’t bother him, Jungmi.”

Kyungsoo threw him a glare. “Shut up, Jongin. I thought I told you not to call me by that name!”

“Yeah, Noona,” Sehun interjected. “Not to mention, Hyung’s girlfriend has been calling him every day to meet up with her during his Council meetings.”

Kyungsoo flushed a brilliant shade of red. Yes, Kyungsoo also had a girlfriend. Not only was he the most responsible in the group, he was also the first to obtain a steady girlfriend. Albeit, a steady girlfriend who proved to be a lot clingier than he initially thought.    

Before Kyungsoo could strangle the maknaes, Joonmyun sighed. “Guys, quit it, will you? There’s no need to cause trouble and disturb Jungmi’s neighborhood.” He rested his gaze on the maknaes. “You know what goes on in this neighborhood, boys. In fact, I’m surprised that no one has confronted us, yet.”

They fell silent, allowing Joonmyun’s words to sink it.

True, Jungmi’s neighborhood attracted residents with higher incomes and the homes were, therefore, quite nice to live in. Unfortunately, the neighborhood also housed some unsightly individuals, individuals of whom Jungmi had always considered as nothing short of criminals.

Gangs, both young and old, paroled the streets of the neighborhood often. For the most part, they were peaceful. No physical fights, riots, or gang wars had broken out in the streets, yet. Just a bit of vandalism in the back alleys, a few arrests for petty thievery, and some underage smoking and drinking. It seemed like the gangs chose that particular neighborhood in favor of peace, which Jungmi had nothing against.

It was the mere existence of a potential threat that worried her the most. She never had to worry about her own safety, since EXO-K went everywhere with her, but her little sister, Youngmi, was an easier and far more vulnerable target. At 12 years old, Youngmi was agreeable and attractive to both boys and men, more than Jungmi was at her age. While she possessed much charm and beauty, she had little to no knowledge on how to protect herself. Jungmi, on the other hand, was already a black belt in Taekwondo and was working on her black belt for Yudo.

Therefore, Youngmi was, in a word, unfit to deal with situations concerning gangs.

“Are you thinking about Youngmi again?”

Jungmi snapped out of her thoughts and directed her attention to a smiling Chanyeol. Without noticing it, she had fallen into step with her towering friend. She breathed a soft chuckle. “Yeah, I am.”

“Why do you worry so much about her? Doesn’t she have a driver?”

Jungmi nodded, letting her thoughts to wash over her once more. Youngmi had a driver who drove her to and from school every day. Jungmi’s parents offered the driver to Jungmi several times, but she refused to take it for the sake of saving time, money, and gas. Youngmi’s middle school was in the opposite direction of Jungmi’s high school and was about a 20-minute ride from home. If Jungmi took the driver with her sister, it would be a waste of the driver’s time as well as hers. Also, most of the gangs were known to hang around in the vicinity of Youngmi’s middle school, since the cheaper homes and apartments were in that area.

Youngmi’s driver was reliable and that was all that mattered to her. In theory, she did not need to worry, but worry was all she did. Youngmi was that precious to her.

Chanyeol flicked her head, a habit he had developed over the course of their friendship. “Yah, Jungmi. You don’t need to worry so much about her. She’ll be fine. Worry more about yourself. You’ve been getting a bit thin, lately.”

Jungmi sighed. “I know… The midterms are stressing me out. I don’t even have time to help Youngmi with her homework, anymore.”

“She has the housekeeper to help.”

She flashed him a pointed look. “Imo* doesn’t need extra tasks to do.”

(*“Imo” is a term that means “aunt,” usually used for maternal aunts. It can be used informally as “aunty,” as well.)

Chanyeol opened his mouth to respond, but shut it when Joonmyun announced, “Okay, we’re here.”

Jungmi and the boys stopped in front of a large two-storied house. Beyond the anti-theft steel fence, the Shim home was vast and grand. Its gray and white exterior, manicured lawn, and abundant flora gave the entire property an almost regal atmosphere, much like the home of a CEO or doctor.

Jungmi bit her lip. She knew what was coming next.

Baekhyun whistled through his teeth. “No matter how many times we walk you to this place, Jungmi, I’m always impressed. Why are you going to our school again?”

She rolled her eyes at him, cursing silently. “Seriously, Baekhyun-oppa, I’m not going to explain this to you again.”

“Baek-Hyung has a point, Jungmi,” Jongin piped up. “If your family has enough money to buy and maintain a house like this, it’s a bit suspicious that you’re going to our school.”

“It’s not like your family is poor, Jongin,” Jungmi snapped. “You have just as much money as my family does.”

“My dad is the principal of my school. There’s a difference. You’re basically the only chaebol* in our group.”

(*“Chaebol” is a term used in Korean Dramas to mean “rich heir/heiress.” These heirs and heiresses are often haughty by nature and are usually paired with poor counterparts in romance dramas or romantic comedies.)

Jungmi harrumphed, unable to argue further. She could not deny that her family was wealthy. Indeed, her father (a pilot) and mother (a flight attendant) were well-known figures in the flight industry for their flawless services and meticulous teamwork. Therefore, Korean Air recognized their talent enough to give them a raise in salary, free round-trip flights, and the best health care in the nation. Her parents always had enough money to keep the entire family aloft, as well as secure abundant help around the house (such as the driver) whenever they were not around.

On the other hand, most of the boys were middle class at best; their parents worked hard as small business owners and managers of restaurants and department stores. They knew the value of money and hard work and often assumed that Jongin and Jungmi did not, since the two were a bit wealthier than the rest.

Chanyeol slung an arm around Jungmi’s shoulders. “Well, let’s be thankful that we have such a cute chaebol in our group. We can barely function without her, you know.”

Jungmi beamed, grateful for his constant protection. “Thanks, Chanyeol-oppa.”

“Ah, well,” Baekhyun yawned. “It’s time for the cute chaebol to go home. I got homework to do. Midterms , you know.”

Jungmi blew a raspberry at him, then extended a finger to the intercom button on a pillar beside the fence. When it beeped, she called out, “Imo, I’m home.”

There was a screech as the fence slid open to a paved walkway. She turned to the boys. “Thanks for walking me home again.”

The boys bade her goodbye and she watched them stroll away as the fence screeched once more to a close.

~:~:~:~:~

In the afternoon, it was normal for Jungmi to be alone with the household help in the home. She was usually the first to leave the house and was therefore the first to arrive after school. Youngmi would arrive around half an hour later, since the drive home was longer after school due to homebound traffic. Her mother was either on a flight coming home or going out. And her father was usually on a flight going out since he took the night and the Red Eye shifts.

When she entered the house that day, however, something was evidently different. The housekeeper did not greet her or offer her a snack, as she always did whenever she arrived home from school. The maids did not flutter to her side to whisk her belongings from her arms and shoulders, as they always did whenever any family member came home. The lights were not on, as they always were whenever household help was present in the home.

There was something wrong and that unnerved Jungmi.

“Hello?” She called out into the dull grayness of the first floor.

There was no response.

She walked briskly from each room to the next: the living room, family room, laundry room, storage room, and kitchen were all void of life.

That is, until she heard a moan. It was faint enough to be missed, but she was sure she heard it loud and clear. It was a moan of a woman, coming from one of the second floor bedrooms.

A shiver rocked through her body. Immediately, Jungmi grabbed at anything she could get her hands on. If she were to die that night, at least she would die fighting. Or, at least, that was what she convinced herself to think.

She crept up the first flight of stairs, each step creaking under her weight. Her mind conjured up images of a male standing over her mother with a knife at her neck, or standing behind an unsuspecting maid, or standing hidden in the shadows, awaiting his next victim.

Her.

She gulped as her heart palpitated wildly in her chest. To think that EXO-K was not by her side at such a critical moment made her wish that she had slept over one of their houses instead. Chanyeol definitely would have consented to that and she could always call her parents to let them know where she would be sleeping for the night.

However, it was too late. The boys were likely to be at home or on their way home, too far to reach by walking or running.

She had to face the moan alone.

Creaking up the last step, she stared wide-eyed into the dark hallway that joined all of their bedrooms together. The moan resounded again, longer this time. It came from the direction of her parents’ room, the first door to her right.

“It’s now or never, Jungmi,” she muttered to herself as reached for the doorknob.

With her eyes squeezed shut, she twisted the knob and swung the door open while brandishing the thing in her hand.

The grew louder.

She opened her eyes, only to be met with a disorienting sight. There was indeed a woman in the room. And a man standing over her. But, neither of them were bleeding and the man did not hold a knife in his hand.

She recognized both of them.

Her father first.

Then, her favorite maid.

The maid no longer donned her black and white uniform. She was completely undressed, save for a black blindfold over her eyes. Her body arched expectantly as Jungmi’s father caressed the small of her back. His torso, pale and thick with muscles, was slick with sweat as he bent over her maid. He simply paid no mind to the fact that his own daughter was in the same room; he continued to drive himself into the woman, desire and lust etched on his face.

Jungmi did not understand. Why was she in the room? Why did she need to see this? Why was her father with another woman, in the darkness of her parents’ room?

She could not breathe or speak or look. Bodily functions took too much of her attention from the scene in front of her.

She blinked once. Then twice. It was still happening and the moans were growing louder and louder. Tears pricked her eyes until they filled and clouded her vision. She clapped her hands over her ears and sobbed, shaking her head to get rid of the image in her mind.

“Shim Jungmi!” came an unearthly roar.

Jungmi snapped her head up at the sound, her eyes wild with sorrow and confusion. She ducked just in time as a glass cup shattered somewhere to her left. Shards of glass punctured the porcelain skin on her left arm and leg, leaving threads of deep crimson behind as an aftermath.

“Get out!” growled her father. His expression, filled with desire and lust just moments before, was twitching with rage, a sight that terrified Jungmi to the pit of her stomach. “Get out of here, you little !”

~:~:~:~:~

Jungmi clutched her head as she struggled to even her breaths. The father-shaped figure of Hatred snickered, its torso and head bobbing with sardonic mirth. “You give up, already?”

“No… no…” she mumbled. “I can’t…”

“You’re so weak, Jungmi.”

“I’m not…”

“You are. You can’t even last ten minutes with me.”

“Stop it, please.” All she could do was plead and wish that it could all be over.

“I won’t stop until you face me.”

Jungmi stared straight into the “eyes” of her “father.” Fear rippled through her once more.

Hatred was right. She was weak. She was so weak that simply looking at a silhouette, a memory, an image of her father would elicit tremors down her spine. She could not simply hate him, loathe him, or detest his very being. She was afraid and that made her weak.

She stared on in horror as Hatred shifted into the shape of the blindfolded maid, in all her glory. “You kept seeing them together.”

Jungmi shivered; it spoke in the voice of the maid.

“Every time you woke up for school, she was the one folding your laundry. She was the one packing your schoolbags. She was the one who bade you goodbye. You saw the secret glances between her and your father, even when your mother was in the same room. It drove you insane.”

“Leave me alone. Please!” Jungmi exclaimed with a sob.

“Soon, your father began to get careless with his ‘expeditions.’” With each sentence, Hatred morphed from one silhouette of a woman to another. “Women from different cities. Women from different provinces. Women from different countries. Women from different worlds that you had never even dreamed of.”

“No, please don’t—”

“But, still you said nothing.”

“I couldn’t—”

“Because you were weak!” snarled Hatred. Jungmi watch it morph into the silhouette of her mother, her sweet, petite mother who knew nothing about her husband’s affairs. “You couldn’t bear the thought of tearing your family apart!”

“But, that’s exactly what happened!”

Hatred, in the form of Jungmi’s mother, stood frozen with an expression between amusement and doubt. The angel’s sudden outburst was unexpected, but it was definitely welcomed. Hatred watched as Jungmi glowered at it with tight fists at her sides. It smirked. This was the reaction it had been waiting for since Hyosung arrived. The animosity burning and pulsing in Jungmi’s heart was worth all the coaxing and manipulating.

Jungmi had finally given in.

It was too easy.

Before Hatred could utter another word, Jungmi went on.

“That man tore my family apart. His women were nothing, but indulgences that lasted for no longer than a few weeks. He had an insatiable hunger for them; he craved the presence of those women, even when my mother was right there!”

“Of course, he did. Why would he satisfy his hunger with your mother? She was too kind. He didn’t deserve her, and he knew that.”

“Who in their right mind would betray someone like my mother?” Jungmi spat, narrowing her eyes at Hatred. “He married her, which meant that he made a covenant with her. Do all men need to satisfy their hunger with floozy women? Or are they just incapable of being content with what they already have?”

“Jungmi, you know the world well enough to answer that question.”

“What?”

Hatred sighed. “Obviously, your father kept your mother for insurance.”

Just like that, the vigor from Jungmi’s outburst dissipated. Hatred observed her coolly as she gradually shrunk into herself. Angels were so gullible sometimes. They were quick to believe the good in everyone and everything (with the exception of Inner Demons, of course), while forgetting that there was sin in every human being on God’s green earth.

Jungmi was no different.

Ever since she ascended into heaven, Hatred noticed a drastic change in its presence in her soul; it was no longer the color of dark green, but gray, translucent even. Thankfully, descending back down to earth was more beneficial than Hatred had hoped. Hyosung’s arrival brought the darkness right back into Jungmi’s heart.

The silhouette of Jungmi’s mother dissolved into a mass of darkness once more and looped around the angel’s body.

“Insurance?” Jungmi whispered.

“Yes, insurance. Your mother kept him connected with the right people,” hissed Hatred from around her neck. “She was useful to him and that was why he continued to stay with her.”

With her knees drawn to her chest, Jungmi was silent. Her father was indeed capable of thinking of her mother in that way. If he had an ounce of remorse, he never shown it; but then again, he was never the type of feel remorse, no matter how deep or dark the sin.

“My father… would never do something like that.”

Typical Jungmi. Denial was another one of her Inner Demons, though not as prominent as Hatred.    

“Of course, that wasn’t the only reason why he stayed. You and Youngmi were his prized possessions. He could never part from you two. Especially Youngmi.”

Jungmi felt her heart squeeze uncomfortably. Prized possessions? Was she that much of an object to her father? He had ignored her for the duration of his infidelity; it was difficult to imagine that her father cared that much for her.

“The Intellect and the Princess. He was so proud of you two. As the elder child, you were more eligible for marriage; you had the intelligence and patience that surpassed most girls your age. Even when you discovered his little secret, you had enough sense to keep your mouth shut. He loved that about you. You were like your mother in that way; in his eyes, it was the only redeemable quality about her.”

“No…” Jungmi moaned as she clutched her head once more. “Don’t tell me this.”

“Youngmi’s beauty was unmatched by not only girls her age, but also you. She was naturally coveted by all of his colleagues. Requests for her hand in marriage came daily. His little princess was always up for auction and the bid grew higher with each bidder.” Hatred paused to chuckle. “He had a daughter who was worthy of being married and another of whom powerful men wanted to marry. You must understand his dilemma, Jungmi. He couldn’t just get rid of his wife. She could very well produce another child for him to nurture in order to collect more connections, obtain a better reputation, and increase his ever-abundant wealth.”

Jungmi’s pupils quivered with disbelief. Her father objectified not only her, but also Youngmi and their mother, his very own wife. He was not the same man who once spent his nights doing homework with her, gave her piggyback rides into the sunset, and smiled gently at her younger clumsy self. Since when did he prioritize his own needs over his wife and children?

“What he did was horrible,” she muttered. “But, he must have loved my mother at some point. He must have loved me and Youngmi. Why would he stay with us otherwise?”

“Jungmi, ‘love’ was and is conditional with your father. He had to ‘love’ you and Youngmi to gain connections. He had to ‘love’ your mother to make sure she was indispensable. If that meant showering her with gifts, he bought her gifts on a weekly basis. If that meant going out on dates with her, he would plan the dates. If that meant feeding her his seed upon her request, he made himself available for her.”

She did not want to admit it, but Hatred was right. If her father was not like that before, he was definitely like that now. He loved conditionally and his family was not an exception.

Yes, he had slept with all those women.

Yes, he had threatened her to keep quiet about his affairs.

Yes, he had ignored her existence since she found out about him.

Without a doubt, she hated all those things about him.

But, Jungmi had forgotten something very important.

He was human. All humans were sinners and while she was alive, she was also a sinner. Simply allowing this Inner Demon of Hatred to stew and fester in her soul was sinful enough.

Surely, there were redeemable qualities about him. Even if she was disgusted by his actions, she could not hate him to the depths of her soul. He was, after all, the man who fathered her. Hope for him lingered somewhere in her heart, even if it was faint.

“Even if you are right… there has to be something good about him,” Jungmi slowly enunciated, conviction working its way back into her voice. “I agree that my father has made many mistakes that are unworthy of forgiveness, but when has any sin been worthy of forgiveness? Forgiveness is given not for the sin, but for the person. It is the person who deserves redemption and a second chance. It is not my job to forgive sin, but rather, to forgive the person who hurt me.”

“What are you talking about?” Hatred hissed as its tendrils slithered around her arms and legs. “Your father doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. You yourself vowed never to do so.”

Jungmi scratched listlessly at her arm, not noticing that the darkness had begun to fade there. “I know I did. But, I can’t hate him forever because of his stupid mistakes. Who knows? Maybe after my and Youngmi’s death, he finally began to see the evil behind his actions and decided to pursue a different direction in his life.”

“What makes you think that he will stop? He is a man who is drawn to power. Power corrupts even the best of men!”

“Even if power ends up corrupting him, should I hate him for it when I know he is only human?”

The darkness stopped slithering. It could not go further. It had already begun to fade on various parts of Jungmi’s body-shaped spirit.

“Yes!” The darkness urged. “You should hate him, like you always have! You should fear him!”

“But, I am already dead. Isn’t it useless to hate him even after death?”

Hatred could not respond to that. Although it had latched onto her soul since that fateful day, Jungmi became an expert at hiding it. Within a span of a ten minute battle, she procured ability to get rid of Hatred once and for all, without even knowing it. Perhaps she was not as gullible as he thought.

“Maybe,”Jungmi breathed, her thoughts already too far from Hatred. “I should forgive him.”

Almost immediately after those words were spoken, a shaft of ethereal light struck through Hatred wrapped around her. It released its hold on her while her spirit hurtled through the ceiling and beyond. Without a host to control, the darkness screeched and writhed in agony, alone, contorting in ways that no human could.

“No!” It shrieked. “I cannot disappear! Not when—”

Hatred dispersed with a definitive pop and it was no more.

*****Hey, all! So, I finally got around to finishing this final installment of the three updates. I apologize... it took longer than I thought it would. Mainly because it turned out to be 13 pages, not my usual six... Anyway, please stay tuned for more! As always, kindly comment and subscribe. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 8.18.15 :)*****