Minzy awoke to the soft glow of the light in the room. Rubbing her heavy eyes, she forced herself up and slowly came to. Ignoring the headache, she shuffled towards the door and made her way out. The halls were dark, but she still ventured out. Opening the first door she stumbled open, she had found a closet. Closing the door, she walked towards the next door and gratefully found the bathroom. Flipping on the lights, she moved towards the sink and the faucet. Letting the water run in the palm of her hands before splashing it across her face. Avoiding the mirror, she wiped her face on the sleeve of her shirt and walked back out the bathroom and flipped off the lights. Moving back in the direction she had come from, she made her way towards the front of the house. Turning on the lights, she was grateful to find her keys on the table by the front door. Slipping her shoes on, she picked up her keys and opened the door. 

"Where are you going," Teddy asked with a yon as he rose from the couch. 

Startled by his voice, she jumped as she turned to see him standing up, "You scared me." 

He was quickly at her side, taking hold of her hand to stay her, "Don't leave." 

"Teddy I have to go," she tried to pull her hand away to have it gripped tighter. 

"Where are you going," he asked as he held a look of concern. 

As much as she wanted to snap at him, she couldn't with the look on his face, "I have to go to the studio to get ready to open up Grandma's cafe." 

"It's Christmas Eve," he eyed her suspiciously. 

She nodded in understanding, "Yes, the only days that the cafe is closed is on Christmas and New Years." 

"Fine, let's go," he sighed as he began to put on his shoes while he still held her hand. 

Minzy felt like a prisioner as she tried to pull her hand away to have him intertwine their fingers to get a better grip, "Teddy please. Don't do this. I need to go to work." 

"Alright I'm ready," he smiled as he walked out locking the door behind them. "Do you want me to drive?" 

"No..." 

"Sweet, I knew you liked my driving," his smile widened as he walked them towards his truck. Opening the door for her, he nodded for her to get in. 

"This isn't neccessary..."

"I can carry you," he offered as he moved to scoop her up in his arms. 

But she was quick to jump into the truck before he could do so, "I got it." 

"I can tell," he chuckled as he closed her door and moved around to his side. Huffing out of frustration, she sat staring out the window and avoiding his gaze. Gratefully he didn't push for a conversation and allowed her time to herself. Leaning her head onto the cool window, she closed her eyes and tried to fight off the headache that started to increase. "We're here," Teddy said pulling her out of her thoughts. 

"Thanks," she mumbled as she got out the truck. Walking her way towards the studio, she turned to see Teddy coming in quick strides. "What?" 

"You look like you're in a lot of pain. Are you sure you can't just call in sick," he frowned. 

Rolling her eyes, she knew he was just being considerate but she didn't want it. "I'll be fine. Please Teddy don't look at me like that." 

"Like what," he asked unsure of what she was meaning.

"Like I can't handle things myself. I got it. I'm fine. Now please go," she waved him off as she nodded towards his truck. 

"I can't just leave you like this," he said as if conflicted. 

Minzy shook her head out of frustration, "Just go please." 

"I can't," he countered. "I know you can handle anything thrown your way. I've seen it in the time that I've gotten to know you. But that doesn't mean you have to do it alone." His gaze softened as he stood staring at her, "I know you'll be fine, but I won't be fine leaving you. Just let me stay awhile for my sanity." 

Minzy didn't know how to feel about the way he was looking at her and didn't want to find out either. She had enough on her plate and knew adding Teddy in the mix would probably truly break her. "For my sanity you can tag along just keep a distance. I can't have you hovering over me like I'm fragile or something." 

"Fine," he smiled as he let her lead them up into the studio. 

"Make yourself at home," she mumbled as she went to head for the shower. 

Minzy was grateful and relieved that Teddy kept his word and sat out at one of the tables as she opened shop. Starting up the ovens, she began to prepare the baked goods. Mindlessly she went about looking at all the ingredients and putting them together that she didn't notice Grandma entering. "Minzy dear," Grandma called to get her attention. 

Turning, Minzy smiled at Grandma as she continued to compile everything together, "Good morning Grandma." 

"We need to talk," Grandma was quick to say. "Come talk with me for a while." 

Honestly she didn't want to, but Grandma didn't give her a chance as she walked out the kitchen. "Okay," Minzy sighed to herself as she walked over to the table that Grandma and Teddy were sitting at. "What's up," she shrugged as she took a seat across from Grandma. 

"You are probably curious as to why I know your mother," Grandma started. "I had planned on telling you everything, but I didn't imagine it would happen like this." 

"Tell me everything," Minzy said curiously. 

"Yes," Grandma nodded. "Without knowing you or your brother I took you both in. I was curious as to why you had spent the night in front of my cafe and had it looked into by some people and found out that you had some connections with my family. It is how I found your father and convinced him to let me take you and your brother in my charge. As fate would have it, our family ties only strengthened when your mother came into the picture. She came out of nowhere and suddenly my son was in love and married to your mother before I had found out who she truly was. In the short time of knowing your mother I wasn't so sure of her and she has been trying to prove her worth to me and in doing so ending up in my cafe yesterday." 

Minzy sat in awe as she took in every word. She was trying to process the information over load on top of the headache, "So...your son...is Mr. Park? Making Bom your...granddaughter? And...and my father didn't come looking for me and my brother because you paid him off?" 

"By the way you are phrasing things it doesn't sound great, but yes to all of it. Mr. Park and Bom are part of my family and yes I did pay your father to leave you two alone," Grandma confessed. "Now that you know the full truth of who I am what do you think of me?"

Minzy couldn't help the out pouring tears as she dropped her gaze to her hands, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Does Zelo know?"

"Yes, he found out last night because I live with my son and Zelo had come to stay the night," Grandma revealed. "He will be coming shortly with the rest of my family. It's family tradition that everyone comes to help out at our family cafe on Christmas Eve." 

Minzy bit hard into her lower lip as she let her tears fall carelessly down her cheeks. Sighing deeply, she tried to give Grandma a grin but failed. "It's like, I can never truly catch a break." Shrugging, she chuckled at her misfortune, "I must have done something really bad in the past life to deserve so much misery in such a short time." 

"Even though you feel as if our meeting was out of misfortune. I've never once judged you based on your relationship with my granddaughter. I've come to care and love you as my own from our own interactions," Grandma said softly. 

"You're a good woman Grandma. A very good woman," Minzy breathed through her tears. Hearing the door open followed by laughter, Minzy quickly wiped at her tears as she sat still. Wanting nothing more than to disappear as the group filtered into the cafe. 

"Minzy," Zelo breathed a sigh of relief seeing his sister sitting at the table. Though Minzy could hear the sigh of relief in her brother's voice, she couldn't help but flinch away at his touch. Folding her arms, she leaned away from him. As much as she hated herself for acting so cold towards him, she couldn't afford another break down in front of the current group he had arrived with. "Umm...I'm going to get started in the kitchen," Zelo stammered, shocked to see his sister give him the cold shoulder but then again it was expected. 

"Let's go see what he needs help with," Seunghyun spoke up as he convinced the whinny Bom to follow suit. 

"Good morning mother," Mr. Park spoke up as the new Mrs. Park came to stand next to him. 

"Well don't just stand there, you know your way around the kitchen. Go get cooking," Grandma waved her son off. Turning her attention to Teddy who seemed to be sitting back and taking it all in, she nudged him to follow the group, "Go make sure they don't burn down the kitchen, namely Bom." 

"Gladly," Teddy chuckled knowingly as he left the pair alone. 

"Minzy I know those people in the kitchen have made your life a living hell, but in some odd sort of way that's what family is..." 

"No disrespect, but the only person that I consider family in that kitchen wants to be apart of another family. So I guess I don't have one and that's okay. Some people have it worse," Minzy shrugged it off as she stood on her feet. Walking up to Grandma, she placed a soft kiss on her cheek, "Thanks for everything."

"Dear don't walk out on me," Grandma quickly reached out and took hold of her hand. "I need you here." 

"Take care of my brother for me," Minzy weakly smiled as she pulled away and walked out. Letting the tears fall freely she made her way out in the cool crisp air. Aimlessly walking down the quite streets, she walked and walked as she continued to let her tears fall.  

Minzy didn't know how long she had been walking, but her puffy eyes and sore legs began to hit her. Sniffling as she settled down on some curb in some unfamiliar street and area, she let out a deep sigh noticing that it was dark out. She wondered briefly if the sun ever came out today, but then again her overwhelming thoughts had her preoccupied. Letting the weight of her current situation sink in, she sat quietly, unaware of Teddy approaching.

"I'm impressed that you walked as far and as long as you did," Teddy sighed as he took a seat next to her and held out a water bottle. 

"Leave me the alone," she breathed as she pushed his hand away. 

"Not gonna happen, but I'll just sit here until you're ready to talk," he shrugged.

Minzy groaned as she pulled her knees up into her chest, "I don't need to talk. I want to be left alone." 

"I can't do that." 

"You can and you will. I don't want the company," she mumbled. 

"You know, there was a time in my life where I thought I had lost everything and that there was nothing to live for," he began to say as he opened the water bottle and took a sip. 

"I don't want to hear your sad love story right now," Minzy hissed as she buried her face into her knees. 

"As sad as my love life is, I'm not referring to my love life. I'm talking about my family life. I never knew what love was. See in my family love was nothing compared to wealth. Money and power were top priority and when I didn't see it their way let's just say I was ridiculed for it. But the sadness didn't come until certain things led from one thing to another and I became a target. Everything became so twisted and the next thing I knew my life was on the line. My life meant nothing compared to the wealth and power they could gain if I was gone. Any last hope I had in my family was gone and so was I. I left and made my new life into what I have now." 

"So what are you telling me," she huffed being fully invested in his tale. "Should I leave and never look back?" 

"No, because your life isn't at stake," he shrugged.

"Then what?" 

"Try to find the good in your situation. Like the fact that you have people that love you and want the best for you..." 

"I never said I didn't love Zelo or Grandma, I just can't let people like Bom or the new Mrs. Park bring me down to their level. So if it means distancing myself from the people I love to have happiness and peace then so be it," she countered.

"You call this happiness," he scoffed. 

"I don't expect you to understand, but I can't do this anymore," she let out a sigh of frustration. 

"So you're going to walk out on the people that care deeply about you," he asked.

", you sound really judgemental right now do you know that," she snapped. "See it how ever the you want but I'm done. I don't want any part of this," she growled irritated enough to forced herself up onto her aching legs. 

"Are you really going to leave your brother to fend for himself," Teddy called after her. 

"He's a big boy, he can do whatever the hell he wants," she waved him off as she walked away from him. 

Minzy found herself at the studio taking out her phone, she called her financial team and expressed the need to urgency of needing to leave Korea or be any where else but here by no later than the morning. No questions were asked as they went to work in getting her request met as she went about packing. Mindlessly she was able to have a bag packed as she slipped it onto her shoulder. Turning towards the entrance, she came face to face with Zelo. She was at a loss for words before her phone range. Picking it up she was grateful that her flight was booked and ready for her to leave tonight if she wished. "Tonight works perfectly," she replied as she walked past Zelo. Hanging her phone up, she dodged his curious gaze as she headed for the door.

"Where are you going," her brother finally asked.

"Why does it matter to you? Good luck in life," she waved as she began to walk out. 

"Minzy don't do this," Zelo said as he came after her and took hold of her wrist. "Where are you going?!"

"Get the off of me," she spat as she yanked her hand away. "I don't have to answer to you or anyone!" 

"I'm sorry okay! I knew you would react like this. I just wanted to see mom..." he pleaded. 

"See mom? You spent the night there at your new family's home!" Holding her hands up to stop herself from going down that road, she shook her head. "You know what, just go then. Go! No one is stopping you, not even me. Go do whatever the you want with your life," she began to say hysterically. She had never fought with her brother or ever talked to him in this way. But she couldn't help it any longer. 

"Please Minzy, I thought you would understand that I need mom in my life just as much as I need you," he tried to explain.

"You don't need me," she pointed to herself and shook her head. " Just like I don't need you or your mom," she growled. "So just go back to your ing family and have a great life!" 

"You don't mean that," Zelo said through tear filled eyes. 

Meanwhile his words fell upon deaf ears as she walked away. Calling a cab, she jumped in and left Zelo standing speechless.

Sitting in first class, she reclined her chair back as she closed her eyes. She didn't know nor did she care where she was flying as she nestled into her blanket. 

Awaking to the light tapping, Minzy opened her eyes to see the flight attendant smiling down at her, "We have arrived." 

Minzy could have sworn she had just closed her eyes, as she got up and made her way off the plane to the warmth of the sun shining and the flow of people squealing out of excitement. Sighing she looked around and was pleasantly surprised to find herself on Jeju Island. Walking out of the airport she grinned seeing someone standing there with her name scribbled on a sign. Stepping up to the older gentle men, she bowed as she greeted him and was ushered off to a limo. Hesitant by such luxury, she was told that it was the only car available at such short notice, but she knew better as she slid into the limo. Gazing out at the lovely island, she felt like she walked into some kind of island dream. Pulling up to a nice resort, she was in awe as she was promptly greeted and shown to her room. Given a few instructions, she was given a room key along with a credit card for her to use while she was on the island. After she was left alone, she sighed as she fell onto the bed and hummed in bliss at the comfortable bed. 

Minzy found herself down at the beach as she stared out into the vast ocean. Taking a seat in the cool soft sand, she was grateful to be the only one out so early in the morning. But what could she expect after not being able to sleep. It was hard to enjoy the comfy bed with all the impeding thoughts running through her mind. One being the way she treated her brother. She wanted to understand what he was thinking, honestly, but she couldn't. She couldn't grasp the concept of trying to bring their mother back into their lives after she had up and left them. Shaking her head, she laid back into the sand and stared up at the twinkling stars. They seemed to have a knowing sparkle to them, as if they could sense what she was feeling in the moment.

"Couldn't sleep," she heard Zelo's voice as she snapped up to see him standing a ways from her.

"What are you doing here," she scoffed. 

"I should be asking you that. Why are you being this way," Zelo shook his head.

She shrugged as she turned to look out at the ocean, "Zelo just leave me alone please. I'm respecting your choice..." 

"Running away and leaving me behind is your way of respecting my choice?! You acting like this is not really giving me one," he said in a bitter tone.

"Well no one told you to follow me you dumb ! Didn't I tell you to go live with your new family," she hissed. "Go already." 

"You don't mean that," he sighed out of frustration.

"Zelo stop telling me that I don't mean that when I do. I'm not asking you to choose them or me. I'm just telling you I can't and won't let them into my life," she tried to explain.

"So mom and Grandma mean nothing to you," he asked in disbelief.

"My mom died when she walked out that door. When she left she was giving up on us, on me, and that's how I want to leave it. As for Grandma, I do love her and respect her I just can't accept what family comes with her," she confessed. "So if that makes me a bad person so be it. I don't expect you to understand. I just expect you to respect it and move the on." 

Zelo ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He knew his sister was stubborn, but heartless wasn't one of them. "And me? What about me?"

"Zelo I don't know what you were expecting to hear flying all the way over here. An apology or the truth," Minzy shrugged. 

"The truth," he replied.

"The truth? The truth is out of everyone that has hurt me, you have hurt me the most. I can't accept the fact that you can be family with me as well as the Park family. So I'll be the bigger person and let you go. Go ahead and leave because I won't stop you. In fact, I hope you find happiness in your new family," she began to cry. 

"Minzy," he tried to move towards her to have her hold up her hand to stay him. 

"No, I'm serious. Get the out of here. I don't want anything to do with you anymore," she continued to cry harder.

But he protested as he moved towards her, "Stop lying! You can't just push me out of your life because of our mother who is still alive and well!"

"Just get away from me," Minzy shook her head as she stood onto her feet to take her leave. "You want to bring up lying but you and Grandma have been hiding the truth from me." 

"And look at what you're doing now that you know the truth," Zelo was quick to move in front of her. Reaching out to stay her, she in turn pushed his hands away. "Minzy..."

"Zelo get out of my ing way! I don't need or want you here. Just leave," she growled as she pushed past her brother. "Don't make things harder than they need to be." 

"Oh I'm the one making things harder," he scoffed. "You're the one trying to run away from all your problems!" 

Turning around she smacked her brother hard across the face, "I'm not running from anything! I already told you I want nothing to do with your mother or that family so don't push them in my ing face and try to make me accept them because I won't. ing grow up, you can't please everyone." Walking away she paused and glanced back at him, "I will have our lawyer and financial teams put together a plan to divide the money evenly." 

"You can have it. I don't want any of it," he growled as he stormed away. 

Standing still, she watched her brother take his leave. When he was out of sight, she sighed as she returned back to the beach. Taking a seat, she cried as she watched the sun rise. "Did you really have to be that harsh towards your brother," Teddy asked as he took a seat next to her.

Letting her tears blind her, she shook her head in disbelief, "What part of leave me the alone don't you understand?!"

"I know you don't agree with how he's handling things, but you can't just go disowning him," Teddy continued to scold her. "Do you think he'd really leave your side?"

"Get the out of here with that bull . Teddy just take Zelo and go. You both are wasting your time, especially you. Stop wasting your time on all this family drama. It's not worth it," she waved him off. 

"You know I honestly wish it was that easy, but it's not. I can't just leave you," he began to explain.

"Don't worry I've had a lot of people walk out of my life and I've survived. I think you can too," she chuckled at her sad pathetic life. Turning to give him a sad smile through her tears she was surprised when he reached out and wiped at her tears with the pads of his thumbs. This only caused her to cry harder as she gripped onto his forearms. "Go," she pleaded in her last attempt to push him away. 

"No," Teddy softly cooed as he cupped her small face into his hands. "I can't leave you for...selfish reasons. I can't leave because I don't want to..."

"Teddy," she sobbed harder. "Don't say it." As great as it would be to hear a love confession she wasn't in the right mind set to handle it at the moment. "I can't hear this right now." Pulling out of his grasp, she moved to take her leave. 

Minzy bought a ticket back to Seoul that day, before getting on the plane she called her lawyers to draw up a new plan on dividing up the money between her and her brother. She strictly instructed them that they were not to give any information on her where abouts under any circumstances. Turning off her phone, she boarded the plane and asked for a bottle of champaigne no glass needed as she drank straight from the bottle. After a few bottles of champaigne she was back in Seoul. Gratefully she was able to make it to the studio, stumbling over towards her bed to fall asleep out of pure exhaustion. 

Minzy awoke to the warmth of someone's hand against her face. Slowly coming to, she looked to see Grandma smiling down at her, "Grandma?" 

"Good to see you dear," Grandma bent down and planted a sweet kiss on her forehead. "I thought I had lost you forever." 

"I'll be leaving soon. I'm going to go look at some apartments," Minzy mumbled as she sat up. 

"Do you honestly hate my family that much," Grandma frowned.

Avoiding her question, she was quick to respond, "I'll be leaving shortly." 

"Minzy you stubborn girl. Why are you making life so hard on yourself," Grandma asked with sad eyes.  

"Grandma I am eternally grateful for you but I can't endure anymore drama or pain that revolves around your family. I've made up my mind," she replied as she sat up. Embracing Grandma tightly, she could smell the sweet baked goods of the cafe. Grinning sadly she couldn't help but close her eyes and inhale deeper, "Take care of yourself." 

"You as well dear, you as well," Grandma whispered lovingly as she moved to place a soft kiss onto Minzy's forehead.

Minzy stood at her father's grave with so much sorrow in her heart. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she said goodbye not knowing when the next time she would be back. Turning back to her car, she made her way to the airport. Taking out her passport, she grinned as she randomly picked a place to go. It was exciting to not know where she was going as she purchased the first ticket available. Grateful to be one of the first to board, she turned to gaze around the airport. For a split second she doubted her plan, but that was only a mere thought as she was ushered onto the plane. 

Author's Notes:

Yes I know this story is turning really angsty. But I can't help it. Thanks for reading!