GyuRi’s POV

Contract signing for the new movie is over. I’m quite surprised to know that Athena changed her

mind and finally decided to do the movie.

            “Ae Young ah…” I called her name.

She stops and turns to me.

            “I-It’s nice that you decided to do the movie again….T-that day has finally come. ” I

hesitantly say.

When we were still trainees, we wanted to work together on a great project.

            “I signed up for the movie…nothing more.”

I blink my eyes.

            “Ae Young ah...”

            “Don't call me as if we know each other. You and I....we are nothing but strangers to each

other.”

I swallow hard upon hearing the same line I told her seven years ago.

            “I would just like to remind you…it’s you who burn bridges…not me.” Her expression and

voice are so cold.

I really don’t know what I’m expecting to hear from her. I know that no matter how I regret, it

won’t bring her back. My tears fall while looking at her back.

***FLASHBACK***

            “GyuRi ah...tell me, is there a problem?” Athena didn’t waste a time. She decided to

confront her.

            “What would be the problem? Everything is great…just GREAT!” she answered.

            “I’ve been hearing things.”

            “What do you hear? They’re probably jealous because I’m more famous than them!”

            “GyuRi ah…even you assistant told me that you changed..”

            “What? That ! I’ll fire her once I see her sickening face!”

            “Would you please watch your mouth?!GyuRi ah…she’s been with you since debut…it’s not

right to call or treat her like that.”

            “She’s my assistant not yours..”GyuRi get a cigarette from her purse and lit it.

            “You are smoking? When did you start?”

GyuRi shrugged her shoulders as she blows the smoke.

            “You must stop this. Please think of your parents…don’t make them worry about you.”

Athena said in a worried tone.

*****

            “What the?!”

GyuRi was surprised when Athena suddenly barged in the cubicle.

            “What do you think you’re doing?” Athena’s eyes were so big upon catching her on the act of

sniffing some drugs.

            “This is…”

            “You better stop it now.”

Athena pulls her out of the cubicle.

            “GyuRi…I’ll help you. I’ll find you a good place to be treated. Stop hanging around with

those people.”

GyuRi pushes her away.

            “Mind your own business. I don’t need a person like you who knows nothing but to lecture.

I’ll do what I want to do because it’s my life.” She roughly answers.

            “Do you think I’ll stick around to see you destroy yourself? You are my best friend…I’ll help you.”

            “Aw….get lost!”

Athena sighs.

            “You know what? I’ll watch your every move..and this? It has to go.”

She grabs her purse and takes it away.

            “Ae Young ah! Please! Please! I need that...give it back to me!” GyuRi pleads at her while

trying to get her purse back.

            “No. You won’t see this again. I won’t let you do this to yourself.”

            “Ae Young ah...I need that...I’ll die if I won’t have that..”

            “I said no!”

GyuRi’s manager, together with a reporter came and sees them on the act of fighting over the bag.

GyuRi kept on taking the purse and it fell to the floor. The drugs are exposed and the manager and

the reporter are shocked.

            “This...this is not mine...It’s Athena’s....” GyuRi says while shaking in her own fright.

Athena looks at her with wide eyes.

            “GyuRi ah...” she said.

            “I told her that she must stop using this....” GyuRi ignore her and continue to lie in front of

them.

Athena is shocked that she couldn’t say anything.

The scandal came out about Athena using drugs and it became big news everywhere. In all of this,

Athena chose to be quiet. She didn’t affirm it to anyone because she knows the truth....she’s

innocent but she didn’t deny either..though GyuRi caused this, Athena ended up covering her

secret and took all the blame and ridicule of the public.

In all of these, GyuRi didn't say anything and stick to her lies. When Athena tried to talk to her,

GyuRi told her that they should act as strangers from that moment onwards thus, putting a bitter

end to their friendship.

***END OF FLASHBACK***

         “Ajumma...why...why are my things...?” Athena asks in confusion after seeing her things

outside the huge gate.

         “I’m really sorry...Ae Young ah...Madame Jang ordered us to put it all out.” sympathy is in

the eyes of the maid.

Athena stood there as the other maids takes out her things.

         “Great! I think you know exactly what this is.” Madame Jang says with her high brow.

         “Madame...”

         “I want you to leave my house. I need to make an immediate action. I wouldn’t let such a

drug addict like you come near my daughters.”

         “But...father...”

         “Don’t try to cry for help. He personally told me to chase you out of the house.”

Athena sees her father at the window. Their eyes met for a few seconds but he ended up turning

his back and leaving the window side.

         “How dare you put us on a very embarrassing situation? We fed you in our palm and this is

how you are going to repay us?!Hah! I should’ve known....A trash like you doesn’t deserve to even

step your filthy feet here at the first place. Just as I thought...nothing good would come out from a

kid raised by an illiterate mother.”

         “Don’t speak like that about my mom!”

For the first time, Athena finds her voice to speak up. She had been enduring all of these but not

now that she included her mom.

         “D-did you just yell at me?! You really are ill-mannered!” Madam Jang’s eyes are wide with

fury.

         “Who do you think you are to say that I’m ill-mannered? Are you that great to look down on

people? What makes you different from others? Is it because you are wearing expensive clothing

and you live in an extravagant house?”

         “How dare you talk back at me?!”

         “Madame, if there is a thing that you taught me in all these years that I had lived with you, it

is the fact that not everyone that lives in a big house and wear signature clothing are noble. They

could also be pathetic creatures who are trying to disguise their horrible self.”

         “Hah!”

         “My mom might not be nothing on you in terms of wealth and status but at least she knows

the meaning of decency. She knows that stealing one’s husband is a sin.”

Madam Jang slaps her. Athena felt her cheek.

         “I’d let you slap me today because you are my father’s wife but this would be the last respect

I’ll give you.”

         “Yes. Go...from now on, don’t ever think of coming back!”

*****

Athena wonders in the street. Carrying the only bag she took from her things. Her agency dropped

her and got chased out of the house. Where to go? That’s the only thing in her mind then her phone

rang and she almost passes out with the news given to him by the caller.

         “Omma! Omma!”

Athena couldn’t believe seeing her mother filled with blood.

The drug scandal broke three days ago and because the situation got out of control, she was

dropped by the agency yet, she didn’t tell her mother about it for she doesn’t want to make her

worried however, she probably found out so she decided to come to Seoul. The bus she was riding

met an accident.

         “Omma don’t leave me!”

She cries loudly.

******

Her mom is now in coma. She used most of her money and she knows that not long after, she will

be broke. Athena decided to swallow her pride and call her father. Someone answers the phone.

         “F-father? It’s me...omma...she’s now in hospital...I’m afraid that I’ll lose her...so

please...please help us...”

No respond from the other line.

         “A-appa..help us..we need you..” she continues to beg.

Then he hangs up on her.

         “Appa...appa...appa!” she held the phone tightly.

But there is only the bleep tone. She cries for hours inside the telephone booth.

******

It was raining. The water pours heavily but she didn’t care. She walks and walks without a definite

destination until she reaches a crossing. The vehicles are fast. An idea crossed her mind. She lost

her career, a dear friend, the man that she loves, even her father turned his back at her. It would

be good to end this. Death would be better so she doesn’t have to deal with pain and truth.

Athena close her eyes and step her foot.

Her mom suddenly appears in her thought.

         OMMA! Her mind shouts and her eyes automatically open.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!

A very bright light is heading towards her.

         “Hah!”

I suddenly woke up from that nightmare. My body is sweating and trembling. My face is wet with

tears. I hug my knees as tightly as I could and cry.

No matter how much I try to run away, my painful past keeps haunting me.

_____________________________________________________________________

[Author's Note]:

Happy weekend! Comments pls.!