Yerin's uncle is dragging her to the cottage. The whole way he has been verbally abusing her and her parents. He is being so loud! Can this be any less humiliating? So many people are staring at them. Some are shaking their heads, some are just loving the drama. She wonders what actually her fault was? 

"Useless girl! Only stuffing and doing nothing! Shameless!" His foul tongue has no restrain.

Yerin cannot help but snort. They hardly feed her thrice a day. That too with left-overs. She wakes at sunrise and does everything at home until the lights of the rooms are switched off. Even now she came out to buy groceries.

Her uncle drags and throws her on the ground. Her knees must have got skinned due to the fall. Also the place on her hand where her uncle was holding has a bluish imprint on them. Her aunt comes out hearing the chaos. 

"What happened? Why are ya yelling like that?" She inquires looking at Yerin.

"What happened?! I'll tell ya what happened! If I didn't reach on time then something disgusting would have surely happened!" He is fuming.

"Oh! Stop beating around the bush and come to the point!!" She snapped. "You must have done something, isn't it?" She pushed Yerin to the side.

"Oh yeah, she did! I was coming from the factory when I saw that hooligan Chul Soo almost kidnapped and took her away! I reached on time or else we would not be able to face anyone! This girl is nothing but trouble!! She devoured her parents, her home and now is hell-bound to destroy us!!" He is breathing hard.

"What?! I asked you to get groceries 2 hours ago! And the market is not in the way to the factory! Why took the other way?! Where did you go?!" Her face is red.

"I...I went to the grave-yard...Today's appa's birthday so I thought I would go and meet them..." She looks at her uncle who flinches at the mention of his dead elder brother.

Her aunt is about to reprimend her when Eun Sook, Yerin's uncle, stops her.

Ji Su, a little surprised by her husband's behaviour, looks at Yerin,"Go and wash the dishes. Then cook the rice. Heat the left-overs. GO NOW!"

Yerin walks to the kitchen and slowly folds her dress up to check her knees. Yes, her knees are skinned and hurt. She washes the places and put some band-aids on them. She begins to wash the dishes.

She feels that she should be grateful. She was lucky. She went to buy the vegetables when she saw the date on a newspaper reminding her of her appa's birthday. Her appa, who died 6 months before she was born. Her parents were childless, married for a long time. So, her conception was supposed to be a miracle; a blessing for them. But, as her mother shared the good news with the family, the awful news of her father's sudden demise was delivered on the same day. She was accused to be cursed even before she was born.

Her beloved husband's death, a very late pregnancy with its regular complications and heinous comments about their unborn child militated severely on the poor widow. She died because of a brain hemorrhage when Yerin was an infant of 2 months. This incident confirmed those people's rumour that the baby had brought bad luck for her family.

Only one person who loved and cared for her was her paternal grandmother. She had been devastated by her 'good' son and daughter-in-law's deaths but she never blamed Yerin or subjected any harshness towards her. She took her responsibility. They were poor but the old woman tried her best to provide for her granddaughter.

Her uncle and aunt did not help much at all which never bothered her grandma. They lived near the only factory in their village and her grandma was a seamstress. She used to go to school and help her around the tiny cottage. One day she discovered the old lady laying down near her sewing machine when she came back from school. Her "halmo" had a which took her life. Yerin was 16 years old then. Her uncle and aunt had to come to the picture. Yerin is happy that at least her halmo is now with her parents. She misses them very much. She herself cannot be there with them even if she wants to so much.

They had to give her shelter as her grandma willed the small piece of land in her name. She was underaged yet too old for an orphanage. Besides, her aunt got a maid for free. They have a daughter of their own who is almost 10 years older than Yerin. Her cousin got married a year back for which Yerin was thankful. Her cousin was always jealous of her looks and academic achievements. She never let go off any chance to harass the younger girl. 

All her life Yerin has been subjected to the sneers and whisperings of the villagers about being a curse. She used to be confused when she was young. Her grandma always asked her to ignore and she gradually got used to them. The slandering reduced with time. Her beauty and good qualities even got her praises. But her grandma's death brought back those disgusting words and disdain, only this time it is even more severe and soaked in fear. She used to have some friends and acquaintances but they not only has stopped talking to her but also avoided her like plague. So, she did not have any place to go. She has been confined to the cottage for 3 years except sometimes, is sent to the market by her aunt.

She knows that her aunt makes her do the shopping as all the vendors and shopkeepers are really afraid of her. They always sell her the most fresh groceries at the lowest price. Sometimes, they do not even take the money. Everyone moves away when she walks by. They do not even look at her except for some lecherous men like that Chul Soo. Such behaviour and attitude hurt her very much. She wants to run away, or even die. But then, she remembers her halmo and stays back. She has nothing and no one to turn to. Yerin is not so weak. She cannot disappoint the person who has lived only for her sake. She endures all these and dreams about the day she will move away from here. But she does not know when that day shall come. She is 19 years old now and has completed her high-school but could not attend the college. She has always been a bright student and wanted to do something for the orphans. But she cannot study as her uncle refuses to pay for it. She was only able to finish her high school using her scholarship money. 

Today's incident reminds her why she never ran away.  She is not crying. She never cries which is another reason for them to accuse her. That Chul Soo along with his lackeys cornered her and began to tease. The road was deserted as it was an odd time in the noon. It was her fortune that her uncle came there when Chul Soo had already grabbed her hand. They flee the moment they saw him. Then the rest of the events followed. 

Even if they are so rude to her, does not give her food properly and even beat her sometimes, she is safe here...or that is what she thinks....