‘Did you practice your English today?’ Jessica said as she the cheek of her 5-year old daughter, Miyeon.

It was late at night and Jessica was sitting on her rocking chair at the balcony of their mansion with her child sitting on her lap. It was a lovely scene of a mother and daughter; Jessica was hugging her daughter with her arm on the child's back. She was looking at her daughter's beautiful face. Miyeon looked very much like her except the eyes which she got from her father, her late father. The girl was resting on her mother’s chest like other children would do when they were in their parent’s embrace for comfort, but this child didn’t find comfort.

 ‘M-mama, I-I did. A l-lot.’ The girl stuttered as she answered. Miyeon was quivering in her mother’s arms, not because of the cold evening breeze, not because she was sick, it was because she was afraid.

‘Very good, my beautiful daughter. I’m so proud of you.’ Jessica smiled, kissing the cheek of Miyeon where she . ‘Why are you shivering? Are you afraid that mama will hurt you?’ she added, her smile turning into a frown.

Miyeon started to cry.

The hand that was holding Miyeon suddenly moved to her hair, grabbing it harshly to pull down, forcing the crying girl to look up to her mother’s angered face. ‘Do you remember what mama said the last time you cried?’ Jessica’s eyes darted into her daughter’s, her stare giving more fear to the innocent child.

Miyeon cried louder instead, shouting ‘Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!’ while pushing herself away from her mother’s grasp. ‘You’re not my mommy. Go away, I hate you!’ then she screamed, earning a slap from the raged Jessica.

Then the woman’s mood changed in an instant. She blinked and looked at Miyeon’s cheek and bleeding lip, immediately wiping the blood and cuddling her tightly again. ‘Did mama hurt you again?’ Jessica was tearing up already, knowing that it was her other self who did it to her child.

 ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, mommy’s here, mommy’s here. I won’t hurt you.’ Jessica soothed her daughter, bringing her to the kitchen to apply ice on Miyeon’s bruise.

‘Mommy, it hurts.’ Miyeon’s eyes were fixed to Jessica’s face as if she was analyzing every bit of her mother’s face. ‘…but it doesn’t hurt now because you’re back.’ She continued as she managed to smile while Jessica’s tears continue to flood her face.

‘I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.’ Jessica said between the sobs, staring at her daughter so lovingly but sadly. It was her fault. She was the one who hit her so hard. ‘We’ll go to grandpa’s house tomorrow, okay? You need to live there.’ She hugged her even tighter.

‘I want to be with mommy.’ Her daughter answered, her little fingers wiping away the tears of her mom.

‘But-‘