The morning light glazed her glowing skin. Her eyes had not found rest all night. Seated near the window, she gazed through the veils draped over it, looking on to the big city, still asleep. The lights, the flare, the noise... none of it reached her mind; too busy weaving that intricate tapestry of intrigue, with only a few thin strands of guile at hand, waiting patiently to find the right spot for each. For all the components of that bucolic scene made by an ordinary madness that began to take shape in her mind. Every pawn had to take on a specific position, to be captured and immobilized in that brocade... so they would be easy to handle, every reaction manageable.

Her fingers drummed on her full lips, at a slow rhythm, as she wove with that patience.

And she wove,

and wove...

Then again in each tapestry there is always that difficult being, difficult to capture, to impress upon the fabric, to reproduce in its finest detail. The variable, the butterfly who’s mere flapping of wings could cause an earthquake, sending ripples to the other side of the world, the core of chaos in any Machiavellian plan.
 

He was her variable, he was her dangerous butterfly. The reason why she continued to undo and redo her work of art. She had to chain his wings, prevent any movement and make him obedient to the reins in her hands.

... But how? ...  wondered Eun hye, as she pressed her index finger to her temple aggravated by those thoughts, looking for a solution.

The man was anything but a puppet. She was able to handle him only once. That was when she had convinced him to go to Paris with her. She had then thought, that he would be clay in her hands. Soon she had discovered she was wrong, which was rare for her. Having lived on the streets, she had learned to read people's souls, to understand their flaws, their weaknesses.

With him, it was not enough. His strong, dominant and absolutist character, had given problems to her. He made vain of ​​her reconciliation efforts, her fake compromises. He rebelled fiercely against her whims. Too curious, wary and always ready to beat and play with her that cunning game, made of dangerous and devious moves and toys, which seemed to have no end … not with him.

He had to have a weak spot… but what was it?... It wasn’t the reputation, he had lost it with pleasure and he did not care to recover it. It was not work, as far as she knew, he had even adapted to working as a waiter and had not flinched an inch. So he did not even care about that, she knew. It wasn’t his family, his selfishness combined with the guilt had made ​​him completely isolated from any empathic relationship with them.

... Then what? ...

Eun Hye sighed thoughtfully as her eyes continued her journey to beyond the tallest buildings of Seoul ... there, where the horizon kissed the planes... the perfect measure of the length of her reflection process.

... The girl ... the girl could be a plausible option ... it could be a risk, because to MIn ho she could be just another game, another amusement… but there was something different in his eyes, that night at the masquerade party and also when they had that argument in his apartment. She had seen a light of interest animate his gaze at the party... a light that painfully reminded her of the times when those eyes were shining just for her, living only to caress her skin.

At that thought a brief pang pierced her... it was just for a moment... she could not indulge in those memories ... not now when she had to think about her own life.

When they had argued, she noticed that the light had become deeper, had reached such depths that were unknown even to her... something that she had failed to awaken in him.

And she ... that girl… knew. Her every word conveyed it... and with that confident attitude of her body, she had openly challenged her, as if she was conscious of having the upper hand. Only a woman conscious of being loved would dare as much, and only a woman conscious of being the owner of a man's heart  would not be tarnished by her words...

It was a risk, but she had to run it... she had to get to that girl to tighten the noose around her variable.

The first thing to do was to destroy her... to bend her on her own knees… and to finally bring her away from him and from this city.

A lazy smile spread across her face ...It was an easy joke... she thought.

She picked up the phone and dialed a number, waiting for someone to answer.

"Yeoboseyo?", said a deep male voice.

"Honey!! Where are you?" She chimed in a sensual way.

There were a few seconds in which he seemed to be seized with panic.

"Are you crazy?! You know you can’t call me now!" He whispered, agitated.

"Are you still near your wife, playing the perfect husband?!"

"Yeah... I can’t talk now, I'll call you when I arrive at my office!" He continued in a low voice.

Eun hye laughed with malice, crossing her legs elegantly.

"Not so fast, my love... I have to ask you something!"

He was silent and then let out a defeated sigh.

"Wait!"

She heard him move, and then distinctly heard the noise of a door closing.

"Tell me what it is…"

Eun-hye let out ​​another giggle and then dropped into a tense silence. “Lately our beloved has gotten on my nerves, and I want to return the favor... and to do that... I need you to tell the father of that girl about their little affair. I know you are very good friends, he will believe you!” she concluded with a mellifluous tone.
"I should talk to Park Ho Jin and tell him about this mess?" The man asked incredulously, "Why do you want to ruin that girl? She is just another poor victim of that bastard..."
"Do what I say, darling!” she firmly stopped him. "Do I have to always remind you how much you owe me?..."
On the other side, the man went into silence, as if he was pondering over her words, which were repeated to his ears, too many times.
"... You cannot continue to threaten me with that story... not now... with what there is between us. We're on the same boat, don’t forget that ...” he added, almost wounded by her harshness.

"We only meet under the sheets, baby ... nothing more!" she retorted sourly. "Don’t forget that you owe all that is to me ... and if you start acting like an idiot I'll draw away that beautiful golden chair under your ... I wonder if your wife knows about your weird habits in bed... ", she continued with a hint of derision."Does she know that you love be spanking on your ? Oh ... of course not ... Else she would have already left you, and you'd be reduced to living like a miserable fool ..."

 

"Please stop... I understand", he almost begged, then let out an exasperated sigh, "I will do as you say ... but please, stop threatening me like that!" She heard him whistling between his teeth.
 

"Of course, little baby ... do what I said ... and remember to be convincing! The old man must understand that it is necessary to send her to some cloistered convent to save her from the scandal and I will see to make my scary birds singing around... ", she finished suggestively. “Let me know about it all... and by the way I'll see you on Saturday, same place ..."

When she hung up the phone, a mischievous smile full of expectation spread across her face ... her little toy was still useful.

When she would drop the cage on Min ho, she would get rid of him, already anticipating the time, when he would know that the original of that fake will still existed... and it was right here, in her small and capricious hands.



****************************


Whispers... whispers... rumors carried by the wings of seagulls, that fly low, beneath the ears of people... a chorus of malignant chants brought by a wicked wind... a one, a two, a hundred, a thousand talking throats, spitting a stinging venom, that give voice to all hidden envy and jealousy ...
Everyone armed with judgmental stones, ready to hit the culprit... ready to bring him to his weak knees...


Shin Hye was very nervous that Friday morning. She was at her usual monthly charity association meeting of which she was an active member, but this time she had to get on the stage and read her acceptance speech, the one she had prepared with great care the previous day.

 They had managed to complete the construction of a school and center for education in Africa, of which she was the promoter. She had done so much for that project ...  she had fought with all her might to find the necessary funds, and was finally able to see the work completed.

The hall was packed with people, many faces that she knew well. Older and younger women of high society, who had always encouraged and congratulated her for all her effort invested in each initiative.

There was still half an hour to her speech and she hated being the center of attention, it made ​​her nervous to have all eyes focused on her.

She picked up the phone while she was eating her nails, and began to write a message.

SH: I'm so nervous... ☹ What if I make mistakes while reading what I wrote? ☹

She waited a few minutes, and then she felt her phone vibrate.

MH: Don’t worry, you will be very good. Read it as you read it to me last night, and it will all be fine.

SH: Last night you fell asleep while I was reading >:/  

MH: I had too many endorphins going back and forth in my body. Do you think I am some kind of superman? I'm just a poor human being. Thank me that I listened to at least the introduction.  

SH: ert!!! XD

MH: Stop sending emoticons. Such a stupid and childish thing.

Aishh... what a despotic grumpy man ... she thought immediately pouting as she started to murmur and throw insults toward her phone. But just then, it started to make noises, again.

MH:   :p … :p … :p ... ;)

Reading it made her laugh, and she immediately hastened to cover ... what a dork!... she thought, feeling a sense of tenderness ... she suddenly felt calmer, her nervousness had taken a pass ... thanks to him,  thanks to her complicated man.

She smiled dreamily recalling the night before... his touch, his passion. He alternated perfectly his passionate longing, his carnal rudeness, with an unexpected sweetness, something that dissolved his extreme and far too dominant nature... he was always attentive to every part of her body... to every pinch of her skin that needed his kisses... and to her pleasure.

It was just magical the way he desired her, which made ​​her feel like a complete woman... the way he drove her to that path, always making her discover new and unknown things.
The thought of his hands on her body, she felt pleasant twinges in her stomach… like lusty butterflies that made her shiver with pleasure, made her unknowingly blush.

Lost in her memories, she did not hear her name being called on stage. It needed a hard elbowing from Min Jung, to get rid of all those fantasies.

"Shin Hye! Are you deaf?! They are calling you!” whispered an agitated Min Jung, as she glared warily at her.

Shin Hye nodded briefly still confused. She quickly rose from her chair and walked to the stage, implanting a polite smile on her still flushed face.

She walked straight to the little pulpit with the microphone and positioned herself  behind it , with a glance to the small audience that was comfortably sitting, waiting to hear her speech. All the smiling faces were cheering with appreciation and anticipation. She cleared , waiting for the last of stragglers, who had just entered, to take their seats.

She began to read softly, initially with a hesitant tone, then more and more strong and secure.

"... I am happy to announce that, thanks to all of your kind cooperation, we were able to..." it was at that moment that she realized that some women were murmuring among themselves. Their mouth were covered discretely and their heads got closer to the ear of their neighbor, whose expression grew serious, stunned... shocked.
She caught sight of an old friend of her family Na Young–hee, a woman who had always treated her like a daughter, listening in to the murmurs of the nearby and not paying any more attention to her speech.

… It seems that my speech is a bit boring… Shin hye thought, feeling her self-confidence fall under her feet… Aishh…  I knew that was just disgusting!… she mentally scolded herself, discouraged by those women’s  reaction .

She tried not to give up and cleared again, trying to bring back the attention of the audience on her.

"... As I said… thanks to your kind cooperation, we were able to complete the..." The sounds became more and more insistent. A litany that had become a substantial buzz, which prevented her to even concentrate on her reading. She raised her eyes again and saw that there was something wrong. People were murmuring with an indignant tone and stern faces.

... What's going on?... she  thought confused, looking around for Min Jung. She saw her irritatedly getting up from her chair towards Mrs. Na, probably to ask for the reason behind the disrespectful attitude.

Shin Hye saw the guy, who was in charge of the presentation of the guests on stage, get close and headed towards the microphone.

"Can I beg for your attention, please? Can we allow Miss Park Shin Hye-sshi to conclude her speech?” the boy said in a pleading tone, plastering an apologetic smile to the audience ... Obviously, he could not dare to scold these people openly... who were too powerful for a humble ant like him.

But even after that, Shin Hye heard the buzz growing… until it became loud like a thunderclap, overwhelming her mind...  audible to her own ears.

 

                                            … She is having an affair with that depraved… ... she played the son of Choi Dong Wok...

                                                     ... She fooled him … ... she had played with the sentiments of that guy…

                                       ... She acted like a good girl...        ... I always knew that ... ... What a shame!… ... scandal!...

                                                   ... She was seen going at late night to that man's house... ... that evil man!...

                                                  .. She became his ...  ... She acted like a nun... ... she made fun of us...

                                                        ... Her father will be ashamed to death...       … she is a shameless!...

                                              ... She's not even so beautiful... ... I will not allow her to ever come close to my daughter...

                                                           ... with that Player... ... treacherous... ...amoral…  ... without virtue ...

                                              ...he lives by taking advantage of his sister’s kindness...  … that well-dressed criminal…  

                                            … he still has the courage to feel superior to others...  ... after what he did to his poor father...

                                                                  ... She deserves not to be looked in the face too, like him...

                                             ... staying with two men at the same time... ... she does not deserve my money!...  … Liar!...

                                              ... Who tells me that she did not use the money for herself, or for that arrogant bastard?...  

                                                               ... who can ever trust a woman like that...  ... an amoral girl !!...


They started to get up one by one and leave the room. Each of them giving her a stern look, a wry smile, a look of disapproval... an indignant snort. Some of them went out without even a glance ... walking to the door in a silence full of accusations ...

Shin hye looked at each of them, accompanying them with her eyes to the door. She knew that sooner or later it would happen... what she had not imagined was that it would happen  in that moment… the one where she had finally reached an important goal in all hers idealistic battle for a better world... the culmination of all her efforts in involving all these people to help others, their poorer brothers.

She thought about all the years she had struggled with fiery arguments to raise awareness among members of high society to contribute, to not only stop and look at their own backyard ... the times she had scolded her peers for the lack of sensitivity, for the shallowness and compulsive boredom that seized them due to their excessive ease, leading them to always want the surplus, to fill the emptiness of their own lives. She was always there to remind them that there was something deeper and more rewarding than buying a Ferrari.

Years of hard tenacity... wiped out in little less than fifteen minutes... She could not help but feel hurt. Their words were acting fast on her heart, like asp poison.

... She shouldn’t give up... She shouldn’t cry... They wouldn’t be able to bent her back ... she thought as she looked down, hiding her wet eyes. She kept her back straight... those slashes shouldn’t hurt!...
she let out a deep sighs ... she had to regain strength and fight...

... How dare they talk about him like that? How dare they exploit her hard efforts to stab her?... She thought about Caesar's death and a bitter smile rippled her features … they had committed a metaphorical murder... each of them had sunk their blades into her pale flesh, churning that knife with sadistic pleasure ...

"All the people who have kissed your pretty feet until now, will be those who will begin to avoid you like a plague... to tell you the worst things..."

Young do's words were ringing in her mind, making her body shiver with a riot of rebellious fury.

She clung herself to the useless written paper, crumpled it with anger... anger would be good for her, it would allow her to get out of that room with head held straight... later she could collapse ... later she could cry her bitter tears ... but only later...

She raised her head, staring coldly at the few people that were still there with eyes perfectly dry...  there were only three persons left, including Min Jung.

She looked at her friend and saw her staring with wide eyes, shaking her head slowly... it seemed like she did not want to believe what she had just heard... or maybe she was afraid to believe it...

Shin hye stepped down from the stage, comforted by the fact that her legs did not waver and could still support her, and walked closer to Min Jung. With a pale expression and determined eyes, she stopped in front of her friend, silently inviting her to ask that question.

"... Shin Hye-nie... keunde… it's… "Min Jung paused, her voice trembling, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer "... it’s true?” she finished all at once.

Shin hye‘s eyes were misty with sadness... she wanted to be the one to tell everything to her friend ... but she ended up knowing that in the most horrendous way.

She nodded briefly, continuing to stare straight at her friend, because she did not feel guilty for loving Min ho.

Min Jung made ​​a painful whine. "...That Idiot!!... He had promised me…” she paused, holding her lip between her teeth to prevent them from trembling, then let out a bitter laugh full of disappointment," but what could I expect?! He never kept his promises!", as she concluded in a sour tone.

"Eonnie ... don’t blame everything to your brother! It was my fault... "

"Oh Stop Shin hye!” she angrily interrupted. “He was always like that... it's just that he can’t help but destroy everything he touches! I should have left him alone and turned my back to him like everyone else did… but…” she continued, her eyes full of tears that began to roll down on her cheeks, "... but I was a fool!... Look at what he has done! Look at what he did to you!” The guilt could easily be read all over her face ... plagued with sharp pain in having to witness the humiliating scene where her sweet friend became the protagonist... and all because of her brother... her own blood.

"Stop talking like that about your brother!", Shin hye firmly started, "If only you'd stop looking at it through others’ eyes and start to truly see him, for who he is... if you just learn to see beyond every single cruel word that comes out of his mouth, you... "

"He tricked you too!" Min Jung exclaimed with  a note of despair, as she continued to cry silent tears "He’s my brother... I love him... but this is too much! This... "

Both were interrupted by Mrs. Na who was clearing to draw the attention of the two women on her.

Min Jung quickly wiped her tears with her ​​hands, trying to hide them and made herself presentable "Good morning, Madam Na..."
Na Young-hee brusquely dismissed Min Jung with a simple wave of her hand... without even deigning to pay her any attention. Her eyes were glued on Shin hye, flaming arrows imbued with disdain and disapproval... her features, hard and rigid.

"I knew your mother very well, little girl!" the old woman began thundering. "And I can assure you that if she was still in this world today, she would surely die on your bravery! If only she had discovered how you threw yourself in this way... just like an easy lowly girl... to that evil man, and spitting on that young boy who will become the laughing stock of the city, thanks to you... "

... Tu quoque Brute...

"It’s enough!" Shin hye stopped her, barely containing her anger. That last stab had almost torn her heart. "If my mother were still alive, ma'am..." she hissed, her voice trembling with rage and her eyes reddened by painful tears "she would consider again her so-called friends... and maybe she would come to understand that friendships such as yours are nothing but worthless!” she ended dry.

The old woman's eyes narrowed, looking down with disdain and she her back, heading straight to the door.


******************************

Min ho was concentrating to the maximum, in gluing that small wooden railing to the model of seventeenth-century sailing ship, complete with a sail and rigging, in front of him. He had never been a lover of collecting, but secretary Cha had given it to him a year ago, claiming that it was a cathartic activity that could help channeling away all the negative energy that hovered in his complicate brain. It would help to keep his mind busy and to coach his patience... the absence of which had led him to destroy it with motions of annoyance, at least five times during that long period of time.

He was in his office, focused on the damn little railing that could not be placed properly on the edge of the ship ... he held it gently between his thumb and forefinger, while he ran his tongue over his lips to moisten the wary dryness, due to the effort ... which was in fact a huge effort for him.

He had finished his work almost an hour ago, but had officially declared that he had to end reviewing some pending records, just to not be available for the meeting that was taking place on the top floor with all the big shots of the various departments in Athena.

A meeting chaired by his beloved brother in low.

He didn’t want to see him yet. He thought and thought about every single second of those last few days, about what he had heard, and while he had forced himself to rationalize the situation, his instincts roared like a lion in a cage, a truth that wanted only revenge and blood...

He was probably too blinded by feelings of guilt toward his father, and that renewed hatred that had grown towards Eun Hye.

... When did he start to hate her so deeply?... he wondered, unconsciously stopping his hand in the midair. His eyes narrowed to remember the exact moment… because after his father’s death, he had thought that hating her was totally useless.  He had poured on himself all the guilt and had fallen into a chronic apathy in which he had felt nothing.

Ahhhh... it was when he found ou