The following morning, a soft sigh slowly escaped Park Shin Hye’s lips as she fling her arm across her eyes to shield them from the blinding light of the sun streaming through the curtains. Slowly, her eyes opened up. The sun was shining way too brightly, causing her eyes to squint. Closing her eyes once again, trying to regain her clarity, she was still dazed and confused.

Where is this place? Where am I?

Questions started to float through her mind as she tried to recall what happened last night. She remembered she woke up early in the morning in that awful motel yesterday, leaving the terrible place and wandered around before she went to that person’s house to meet him. They fought, she ran away, heavy rains, loud rumbles of thunder, she couldn’t get a taxi, she cried and… and… someone came to save her.

Who?

Lee Min Ho.

Yes, that was the name he told her before she went to sleep last night. And he was the person who came to save her during her most vulnerable moment. He sent her back to the motel; he took her things and brought her away from that place against her will. And this place… was his apartment. He brought her here last night and said she could stay here as long as she wants.

Feeling the soft fabric underneath her, she stretched her arms out comfortably on the soft bed. She slowly turned to the bedside table and saw the clock strikes nine in the morning. She was surprised that she slept so well, so comfortably throughout the whole night. She must be very tired. Since her mother died a week ago and since she came to Seoul, this has been the first time ever she didn’t wake up by nightmares in the middle of the night and she even slept passed 7 in the morning. There must be a reason that she let her guard down and let herself to sleep without worries. This place felt safe, or… the person that brought her here make her feel safe and defenceless.  

Slowly pulling herself into a sitting position, she glanced around the unfamiliar room before she got down from the bed and walked to the bathroom to clean herself.

After she was done, she came out from the room and made her way to the living room to check whether he is still around. With the sunlight seeps through the windows, she could take a clearer look at the house now. It was not small like what he said last night. The place was spacious, clean and beautiful. This place is beyond neat considering it was a man’s apartment. Looking at how this place was maintained, he must be a very systematic and tidy person.

Just then, there was a soft rumbling sound coming from her stomach and it reminds her that she didn’t eat since yesterday. She didn’t finish the ramyeon that he cooked for her after Park Bo Young called and interrupted their conversation last night. And now, her hungry stomach is rebelling against her. She has to eat something.

As she walked towards the open kitchen, something on the dining table caught her attention. She slowly took the food tent cover up and saw a plate of American breakfast with some toasts, scramble eggs and bacons. And beside the plate, there was a note written on a small piece of paper and also a mobile phone.

‘I got some foods from the convenient store downstairs and put it in the fridge. As for the breakfast, I don’t know what you like to eat and this is the best I could cook. If you are hungry in the afternoon, you could can cook something or buy some food from the shops nearby.

I’m sorry that I have to leave without waiting for you to wake up. There is tons of work in the office and I have to go back. I know I couldn’t tie you up and force you to stay but please don’t go until you find a better place to move. I’ll keep my word as what I promised you last night. No one will know where you are. You will be safe staying here.

Since you refused to give me your number, I’ve left you with a new phone. My mobile and office numbers are saved inside and you can call me anytime if you need anything. If you don’t mind, wait for me tonight. I’ll bring you out for dinner. Hope I can still see you tonight.

Min Ho.’

Shin Hye put down the note before she took the mobile phone and stared at it for a moment. She didn’t refuse to give him her number. In fact, she doesn’t have a number to give him. She lost her phone when she just arrived in Seoul and because of the limited amount of money she have, she didn’t buy a new one. She thought a mobile phone would be useless since she doesn’t have anybody to call or anybody would call her either.

Taking a deep breath, she put the phone back on the dining table and took a seat on the chair. She stared at the breakfast for a moment before she took the fork and started to eat. She can still accept some foods prepared for her but a phone is too much. She doesn’t need sympathy from anybody, especially someone from that family.

After she has finished the food and washed the dishes, she walked around the house, thinking to borrow a computer so that she could check her email and find a job as soon as possible. She doesn’t want to stay here for long and the only way to get her out of this place is to find a job, to find money.

She walked to the door beside the room she slept last night and stood there for a moment. He told her that this was his study room last night. There must be a computer inside if he does his work there.

Reaching her hand out to open the door, she cautiously stepped into the room and glanced around. The room is around the size of the one she slept last night. It looked the same as the others, clean and neat. There is a big study table, two huge shelves behind it with a lot of books and a comfortable couch near the window.

Shin Hye saw a laptop sitting on the table as she moved forward, took a seat on the chair before she turned it on. She logged into her email to check whether there is any reply from her previous job applications. Unfortunately, there was none. Letting out a deep sigh, she doesn’t let herself to stay in the disappointment for long before she started to look for new jobs in some of the job seeker websites and sent out few more applications.

After she was done, she closed the website and just when she wanted to shut down the laptop, there was a folder on the desktop that caught her eyes. The folder was named as ‘family photos’. Taking a deep breath, she hesitated for a brief moment before she decided to click on the folder and find out what is inside. But the moment the folder was opened she immediately regretted her curiosity. She shouldn’t look into it.

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, her breaths coming in short gasps, as her hands were both clenched into tight fists. There were hundreds of photos inside the folder and every one of it irritates the hell out of her. It felt like someone had just rubbed sandpaper on her skin, causing her painfully annoyed and in rage. Slowly, the memory of that unforgettable night replayed in her mind again.

~~~~~

16 years ago, Busan…

Shin Hye tried to keep her eyes shut as she covered her ears with her tiny hands. No matter how tightly her eyes were shut together or how hard the pressure on her ears were, the flashes of lightning and the loud crack of thunder still terrified her. The powerful of the giant thunder was so strong that it felt like it’s going to tear down the entire house. She was hiding behind the couch in the living room, her body was trembling so badly as it shook along with the thunder. Tears were running down her cheeks uncontrollably and what she wanted now is her parents to hug her tightly in their embrace. But no matter how scared she was, how hard she cried, her parents didn’t notice her presence. 

Slowly opening her teary eyes, she moved her head slightly out from the couch and saw her mother gripping onto her father’s arm, and her face was covered with tears.

“Please don’t go…” Yoo Hyun Sook begged painfully. “We need you.”

Park Doo Jun took a deep breath as he looked at his wife, his eyes were laced with guilt. “I… I’m sorry. I have to go. She… she needs me too. Bo Young is still very small and she needs a father.”

“Then what about Shin Hye?” Yoo Hyun Sook asked as more tears escaping her eyes. “Shin Hye is only 7 years old. She needs a father too.” She paused and breathed in deeply. “Even if you don’t love me anymore, don’t want me anymore, but what about our daughter?”

Park Doo Jun became silent for a long moment before he looked away and spoke again. “I told you before. If… if you are willing to let go… Ji Ae will treat Shin Hye like her own.”

“No!” Yoo Hyun Sook let go of his arm and took a step back. She shook her head hard as her eyes were staring at Park Doo Jun with a very disappointed gaze. “How can you even say that? She is my daughter. She is our daughter. Do you think I will give her to the woman that stole my husband away? Do you think I can still continue with my life after giving my only daughter to you and that woman?” She tried to stifle her sobs; instead they came out as slight choking coughs. “How can you be so cruel to me?” She asked in painful cries.

Taking another deep breath, Park Doo Joon tightened his grip around the handle of the luggage and forced himself to harden his heart. He knows it was his fault but no matter what, he still need to choose one. He either chooses to hurt Yook Hyun Sook or Jang Ji Ae. But man is the most selfish creature in the world. If he really needs to make a choice, he will choose the one that he loves… and that person is Jang Ji Ae.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered shamefully. “I know I’m very irresponsible and hurt you very deeply… but… I really love her. She has sacrificed a lot because of me. I can’t let her continue to suffer anymore.” He looked back at her apologetically. “I know you are a good woman. You are a good wife, a good mother. I won’t hope that you will forgive me because the one who mistreated you is me. But I won’t forget my responsibilities. Your life will still remain unchanged. I will be responsible on all the financial expenses that you and Shin Hye required. The house will be yours and everything will still be the same.”

“Same?” Yoo Hyun Sook let out a sad chuckle as more tears rushing out from her eyes. “Do you think everything can still be the same after you are gone? Do you think money is what we need?” She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Everything is over. It’s no point begging him because no matter what she said, his heart has already changed and it will never turn back to them.

“Go…” She turned around and faced him with her trembling back. “I don’t need anything from you. Just go…”

Go? Where is appa going? Shin Hye panicked as she slowly crawled out from the place where she was hiding. Her big round eyes met her father’s gaze; her tiny body was still shaking.

“Appa…” She whispered, hoping that he will come over to give her a hug. She is very scared of the loud growling thunder.

Park Doo Jun gazed at his daughter for a moment as his eyes slowly reddened. He moved a step forward but stopped when Yoo Hyun Sook’s voice was heard again.

“Go…”

He looked at Shin Hye again as his lips slowly mouthed a silent word. “I’m sorry…” Clenching his jaw tightly together, he pulled the luggage and walked out of the house without turning back again.

“Appa…” Shin Hye stood up and ran over to the door. But before she could reach there, a loud shattering sound filled the room, blending together with the loud thunder.

“Ahhh…” Shin Hye screamed as she squatted down on spot, her eyes closed tightly with her hands covering her ears. Her body was shaking terribly hard and shuddering cry escaped her lips.

After a while, she forced herself to open her eyes and slowly turned towards her mother. Her eyes immediately widened in shock when she saw her mother sitting down on the floor, leaning against the wall with broken glasses surrounding around her. Her hand was holding a piece of the broken glasses as drops of blood dripping out from the cut on her wrist.

“Eomma!”

~~~~~

Shin Hye closed her eyes, allowing a single tear to fall down her cheek as her breathing became heavier with every passing second. Her teeth digging deeper into her bottom lip and she felt as if a hundred of knives pressing into her lungs, suffocating her. Pain flared through her chest as the hurtful memory that happened on that night keeps replaying in her head like videotape. That night was a nightmare and she will never forget it for the rest of her life.

Taking a deep, sharp breath, she slowly opened her eyes again and it daggered at the photos on the computer screen. By looking at the sceneries of the photos, it was clearly taken during their family vacations and the smiles on their faces were screaming happiness. Most of it was family photo of Park Doo Jun wrapping his arm around Jang Ji Ae protectively with Min Ho and Park Bo Young standing behind or beside them. The smile on Jang Ji Ae and Park Bo Young’s face was so happy and it angered her the most.

As for Park Doo Jun, staring at the happy expression on his face, she wonders what kind of man he was that he could do something so terrible to his own wife but still he can live so happily with another woman without feeling guilty at all. Did he ever think of her mother when he was happily being with his so-called family at those moments? When they were enjoying their precious family time together, did he ever thought how much tears her mother has shed for him and how much they were suffering for their living?

No! The answer is definitely no. In his selfish heart, he only cares about that lowlife woman and the shameful product of their selfish love, Park Bo Young. Why would he be wasting time to think about them when he can cold-heartedly leave them even with her mother begging him not to.

Until now, she still doesn’t understand what kind of heartless man could be so cruel and left his family for another woman. Is every man the same? If love and a relationship is so fragile for them, if their heart could be so easily changed after they met a new woman, she really want to meet a man like this. But this time, she will not be her mother’s character.

Shin Hye stared at Park Bo Young’s smiling face with her hand clenching tightly into fists. In the photo, her head was leaning against Min Ho’s shoulder and their hands were entwined together like some inseparable lovebirds. A hatred smirk slowly curled onto her lips as she reached out to touch Park Bo Young’s face before trailing her finger to Min Ho’s face on the screen.

Her father left her mother because of Park Bo Young’s mother. Jang Ji Ae must be very happy to be able to win that man’s heart and give her daughter a perfect life. In Park Bo Young’s beautiful life, she has never get a taste of sadness before. She doesn’t know the feeling of being hurt, being abandoned. For her, happiness is inevitable. And the biggest source of her happiness came from the man that she loves, Lee Min Ho. Another smirk spread across her face as her gaze averted to Min Ho on the photo.

How does it feel to be a winner? How does it feel when a man willing to give up the woman that he used to love and love him a lot for you? The feeling must be very good, very satisfying. She has already experienced the taste of being a loser. She has already known the feeling of being abandoned. This time, she wants a change in the characters. She wants Jang Ji Ae’s daughter to feel the same pain that her mother felt in the past. In order to be fair, she will choose to be her character and let Min Ho become her father.

She looked at their photo for a long moment before another smirk slowly appeared on her face again.

“I won’t let you go. All of you will have to pay for it.”

--------------------------------------------------------------

“She is in your apartment?” Park Bo Young asked in shocked, an unhappy expression passed over her face.

“Is she okay? How did you manage to find her and get her to your place?” Without giving a chance for Min Ho to reply Bo Young’s question, Park Do Jun cut in and asked his son anxiously. “She is so stubborn and… and hate us. How did you make her agree to go with you?”

Jang Ji Ae moved closer to her husband and his heaving chest soothingly. “Oppa, please calm down. Your heart couldn’t take it if you keep making yourself so anxious.”

Min Ho let out a deep sigh, a pang of guilt rise up in his stomach. He promised Shin Hye not to let them know about her staying in his apartment but he couldn’t bring himself to hide it from his father. He almost got a heart attack last night when he thought he has lost Shin Hye. He hopes this news could make his father at ease and stop worrying about her.

“I was looking for her around the neighbourhood last night. It’s not possible for her to get a taxi around this area and I thought she might still be around.” He paused and sighed again, thinking about how vulnerable she was when he found her last night. “I was right. She was sitting at the roadside… under the heavy rain. She was very reluctant at first but maybe because she was all wet and too tired, she have no choice but to get into my car.” Another heavy sigh escaped his lips before he continue again. “When I send her back to where she stay, I… I just couldn’t leave her there alone. She was staying in some kind of very… complicated motel. The place is too dangerous for a girl to stay.”

“I’m sure a person like her can take care of herself very well. She…” Park Bo Young mumbled unhappily but when she met her mother’s glare, she bit her lip to stop talking and looked away.

“It took me a very long time to convince her to go with me. And the condition that makes her agreed is… I promised her that I wouldn’t let anybody know she is at my place.” Min Ho said, looking at his father. “Abeoji, I know you are worried about her. But you know she is not that kind of girl that would easily give in and forgive you, especially after what happened to her mother.”

Park Doo Jun held his son’s gaze and understood what he wanted to say.

“Since she is willing to stay in my place now, we should take this opportunity to help her. But in order to do that, we need to be patient. Give me some time to… talk to her. Let her stay at my place and pretend that all of you don’t know about it. Let her calm down and slowly open up herself. I’ll take care of her.” Min Ho assured his father.

“How are you going to take care of her?” Bo Young stood up and walked to Min Ho. “Are you going to let her stay in your place and… are you going to stay there with her too? You don’t even know her.” She paused and breathed heavily. “If she needs help, just give her some money and… and get her another place to stay. Didn’t you hear what she said yesterday? She said she hates us and she doesn’t even treat us as her family. She is not…”

“Bo Young!” Jang Ji Ae stood up of the couch too and pulled her daughter towards her. “Don’t interfere into this. No matter what she said, she is still your sister. Even if she doesn’t treat us as her family, we are still her family. Her… her mother has gone and… she has no one now. We have to help her and take care of her. That’s what we owe her.”

“What did we owe her that give her the right to hurt you? Eomma, did you see how she glared at you yesterday? She even said you are…”

“What she said was true.” Jang Ji Ae cut Bo Young off and looked away, a shameful expression covering her features. “It was indeed my fault that… they have suffered so much.”

“It’s not entirely your fault.” Park Doo Jun closed his eyes as his hand massaging his forehead. “It was my choice to leave them and caused all this to happen now.”

After a moment he opened his eyes again and looked at Min Ho. “I know she hates me and I won’t appear in front of her if she doesn’t want to see me. But I can’t let her stay alone outside and continue to work as a…” He held his tongue and the word ‘e’ was stuck in his throat, making him difficult to breathe. “If she doesn’t want to accept our help, try to get her a job. Let her stay at your place and… and make sure she is under your supervision. Stay with her, take care of her and don’t let her run away.”

Park Bo Young turned to her father and looked at him in disbelief. Stay with her? What does he mean by stay with her? Does her father want Min Ho to stay with Shin Hye? No! Min Ho is hers. He belongs to her and he can only take care of her. She doesn’t want to share him with anybody, even if she is her sister.

With her eyes reddened and flooded with tears, she pulled away from Jang Ji Ae a