Chapter 19

“Um..” I bowed slightly, out of habit, and walked in. “Good morning.”

Yoon Yi looked like she tried to smile and responded with a kind tone:

“Good morning.. Jang Mi.”

Yoon Song was gritting her teeth, clenching her fists and tears flowed down her eyes:

“Y-You came to show off didn’t you? You came to kick us out and proclaim the last phase of your revenge!” she glared at me, resentment burning in her eyes. “But you know what? You should’ve came a bit earlier… because it’s…” she started to shake, not able to control her tears.

I genuinely was concerned over her strange behavior. Yoon Song is a strong girl, no matter what happens, she never shows her weakness or back off before whoever faced her. I am not praising her but that’s the plain truth. And yet to see her on this state..

She dropped her head.

“Please.. sis..” Yoon Yi hurried to wrap her arm around her sister’s back, biting into her lip although her eyes were tearful same as Yoon Song.

“W-What happened?” I knitted my brows, dropping my purse and walking toward the two sisters.

“I-It’s nothing, J-Jang Mi.. p-please..” Yoon Yi shook her head and tried to keep her composure and smile.

I stood there at a loss as Yoon Yi supported her older sister’s body and guided her to the living room, bowing slightly at me.

“I-If you spare us.. just a few minutes more..” Yoon Yi spoke to me with a quivering voice.

I nodded despite not understanding anything. I just followed after the two of them to suddenly hear sirens drawing closer outside.

“What is this?” I thought it was a police car passing by but then heard the gate opening.

“Hey..” I thought I had to ask Yoon Yi but just then, and after positioning her sister on the sofa, she headed back to the door and opened it, to allow two men dressed in a uniform to make their ways in, carrying a medical stretcher and rushing upstairs.

Some police officers rushed in as well, one of them showed his badge and Yoon Yi nodded slightly. They went upstairs as well.

“This is now..” I covered my mouth, Yoon Yi went outside and stood before other police officers. I seriously started to freak out.

At that very moment, my phone started to ring and I picked up immediately:

“Mr. Ko!”

“Jang Mi, are you in the Cha mansion right now?” his voice sounded as if he was panting.

“Y-Yes and there’s something going on here.”

“Ok, don’t panic.. I know that it’ll be hard.. but please don’t..” he panted, “I’m almost there.”

“But what happened? You didn’t..”

Yet even before I could utter the whole phrase, my eyes grew wide and lips parted as I glimpsed the two men carrying the stretcher with someone lying on it, covered with a white sheet that was stained with blood. Meanwhile Yoon Yi was walking beside them, her hand clasped on and she looked so pale, crying her heart out.

I dropped the phone down, not bringing myself to believe that scene.

It seemed like time has stopped at that moment, and I was there, frozen to my bones, as people passed by; a crowd of reporters rushed in the house and flashes of cameras and shutters were heard, along with the screams and weeps of Yoon Song, I fell slowly to my knees.

Hot burning tears streamed down my face from terror.

“JANG MI!”

That voice dragged me back to reality, and I raised my face to glimpse Mr. Ko, who immediately pulled me up to my feet.

“Jang Mi!” he shook me, then repeatedly smacked my cheeks lightly, “Hey, pull yourself together!” he screamed.

*****

(General POV)

Some reporters came to surround the two of them while the others rushed to interview Yoon Song, but Mr. Ko let go of Jang Mi and cursed then went to stop them from reaching the living room and started to push them outside with the help of the police:

“Damn it! Did you all lose your humanity?! Can’t you see that this is already getting out of hand for you to barge in the house and disregard the fact that somebody, some human being, died?!”

His words and furiousness were enough to make them feel ashamed and back off.

He then cursed and sighed heavily before messing his hair.

“Ahh.. for real.. how could they leave that woman with no guardian?! It’s obvious that she was no longer in her right mind!” he was whining.

A police officer came at him:

“This is detective Kang from Seoul’s Metropolitan Police.” He showed him his badge.

“Oh, right.” He pulled out his card. “My name is Ko Byun So.” The policeman jolted and quickly returned the card, bowing his head slightly to him.

“Yes, please carry on what you were doing..” said the detective after asking him a few questions.

The police could not allow just anyone to enter the mansion at that time.

******

Yu Jin was driving and listening to the radio, when the song playing got interrupted by a sudden news announcement, to which he pulled over to the side of the road:

“…The 40 year old woman was discovered half an hour ago by her older daughter dead, her body in a very bad condition reflecting the brutality of the murder…”

Yu Jin was very shocked, not believing what he was hearing:

“No way..”

“The police is still investigating but according to experts, the woman was alone in her room and no one visited her so they assume that she committed suicide..”

“Cha Hyu… Ri.. died?”

“The victim was suffering by now from a severe mental illness caused by the pressure and problems she faced and as you know, just recently, her step-daughter Cha Jang Mi…”

              “Right, I better call Jang Mi and make sure that she’s not blaming herself for..”

But he remembered the words she left him this morning in her letter.

He clenched his fist and banged it against the wheel.

(Jang Mi's POV)

That woman lived her life causing me nothing but misery and sorrow. She committed unpardonable crimes and messed with my life, betrayed my father who loved her and returned his love by killing him..

Then..

Why am I crying over her death now?

 I wiped my tear away, then raised my face to look at the moon.

“It still hurts..”

I closed my eyes as I remembered the faces of the two sisters in the funeral today.

“It really.. hurts”

I covered my face and fell to my knees.

“They won’t forgive me.”

I was the one who took their mother away eventually,

Even if she deserved to die,

Yoon Yi and Yoon Song.. did not deserve to suffer this much.

Mr. Ko did his best to prevent me from seeing or hearing any news reports, he said that the body was in a very bad shape and I wouldn’t bear seeing it.

My phone suddenly vibrated in my jean’s pocket, I pulled it out and tried to read the message:

“All the assets are now legitimately back to your possession, with the death Mrs. Cha, no one stands in your way of taking over the company as well.”

It was from Mr. Ko himself.

“It’s our victory, Jang Mi.”

It’s true that he had to leave because he was summoned by the court on my behalf, I am grateful for all what he did.

Yet,

Somehow,

“I don’t want any of this!”

If it cost causing misery and pain..

“I can’t take it!”

“You can’t refuse it now!”

I heard a shouting voice from behind me, and it made me jerk slightly as I stood up to my feet.

“Don’t weaken right now! You can’t give away the fruit of a battle you strived and fought to win finally!”

I dropped my head, not bringing myself to face him.

***To Be Continued***