"I know you've better things to do but please hear me out..." Joy requests as Seokjin looks like he would leave. He settles back in his chair and nods reluctantly.

"I am sorry...I am so, so, so, so sorry to disobey and hurt you. I could never think of humiliating you intentionally. There has never been a single day I..." She sniffs, "I didn't miss you....I know whatever I'll say will not bring back the old times..." She is crying now, "But...but I can just hope that you'll forgive me..." She covers her face in her hands and sobs.

Seokjin wipes the corner of his eyes. He knows very well that Joy means each word she uttered but everything is so unacceptable in his mind, "I just...I just don't get how stupid you were to marry someone after knowing them for only 4 months?! ONLY 4 BLOODY MONTHS?! What were you thinking?! Okay....You had some idea about him before he disappeared?! What nice impression he had on you that time?! You even used to change your route if you ever found him in your way?! Talking was out of question?! Then why?? I had introduced you to so many men!! All of them handsome, highly qualified with good names and family!! You rejected all of them and said yes to him!! Why him?!" He wanted to ask this question since the day he had learned about them.

Deiji wakes up and begins to cry due to his yelling. Seokjin looks a bit embarrassed due to this. And Joy takes the child in her lap. Yeri's mom comes out of the kitchen with the order and quickly offers to take the baby away. Yeri had told her that the siblings are having some issues over Joy's marriage and they should be left alone to talk. She quickly soothes her and excuses themselves. They again begin to talk. 

Joy gulps and tries to calm herself, "I felt I could connect with him, more than eyes could meet..."

"And how was that?" He frowns. He feels she is being ridiculous. "How can my little sister have similarities with that lowlife?!"

Joy sips her mocha, " Now that you've asked, I'll start from the beginning. We are similar because both of us are unwanted by our parents..."

Seokjin opens his mouth to say something but cannot. Because she is right...

Joy smirks slightly, "If he is a lowlife then I am one as well. Actually, I think I am worse. I was always that burden of the Kims that they had to endure just because it leaked to the media that our dad had a lovechild. I was like a charity case, wrapped in expensive silk and diamonds. I suffered from malnutrition and beatings which made me dumb.

 Namjoon was fostered as Uncle Bae was a kind man. He was beaten by Jace and older servants. He was punished severely but that never hindered his studies. How are we so different??"

"Joy, I loved you!! You are my little sister, I even loved you as my daughter!! How can you say you are not loved??"

"Oppa, when did I say that?! I hope I die before even thinking that!! God forbid!! But this humiliation, negligence, taunts from Dad and Mrs. Kim, from the outsiders, all these were too hard to ignore!! Trust me, I tried my best not to pay attention. Your love and care would be enough!! But everytime I took the resolve, something or someone would make it crumble. I am always thankful to you for everything. Then Namjoon came and we shared our childhood and feelings with each other. I felt he could understand me and I could see myself in him though the  circumstances were different. I...I was tried living a vain, and flashy life. All glamour and riches on the top and inside, all so fake and cold. I wanted true love and family. I wanted a regular life with someone who loves and respects me for who I actually am. I was losing myself in this show off. I was suffocating, dying every moment for 21 years when he appeared and showed the way to escape." She wipes her face, "And I said yes. Because I knew my departure will not bring any collateral damage to the Kims' business. I know I had been selfish. But I am not ungrateful. I have paid for all this luxury through the embarrassment and torture I had to indure."  

"Okay...I agree. I agree that you were always ill treated under the cover of expensive clothes and things...But why did you fall for him?! It was clear that he loved Irene!! He was crazy about her!! Probably is!!" He tries to make her understand that her decision was wrong.

"I know that. He still loves unnie. But you also married unnie?! Didn't you know about them?! She retorts back.

Seokjin gulps and looks away. They sit in quietness for a long time.

It looks like he is in a daze. He snorts painfully,"No. I did not. I knew he loves her and doubted that she was also in love with him. But I still thought to propose. Just for my consolation. So when she said yes, I believed..." He sniffs, "I believed only Namjoon was harbouring such feelings. His sudden departure also beacame the proof. I was so happy for the first time in my life. I thought I will be lucky. We worked together to secure the Baes, we spend time together...But I failed to catch that her smile did not reach her eyes. Her voice lacked happiness. Her behaviour was full of formality. I did everything to make her happy. Everything!! Even at the wedding I missed all these signs. You know how pathetically I got to know that she is in love with Namjoon?! She called me Namjoon at our wedding night when we..." He suddenly realizes who he is talking to. His face turns red in embarrassment and he looks down to avoid eye-contact with his sister.

Joy looks intently at her hands which are clutched on the table and bites her lips. She cannot believe how misfortunate four of them are. Can this get any worse for them?! What have she and her oppa done to deserve this?! What was Namjoon and Irene's faults?! Four of them are the victims of ill-fate and situations. Who is there to be blamed anyway??

"I am sorry..." He clears his throat. He just shared the most shameful and tormenting moment of his life to his baby sister!! He asks for a miracle that the ground would swallow him.

"Hmmm..." She does not have anything to say about this matter. What will she say?! That her husband also does the same thing?! That he calls out Irene's name?! She would rather get herself killed.

"You knew that he was using you to get back at me and Irene?! Then why did you not come back??" He quickly changes the topic.

Joy is glad for that, "He told me all about his plan after he brought me to the Bae mansion. He said that I was free to go but he would not grant a divorce. Also you had disowned me by then. My "fake" friends and well-wishers obviously would not recognize me. And my qualifications are no secret to you. So he offered me that I would stay there as a..." She thinks for a moment, "I do not know what I was. I was given a credit card with limitless balance. He provided everything. All I had to do was..." She looks down, "make sure he is being well taken care of..." She does not elaborate about her services. 

He understands what she meant by the last statement and shakes his head angrily. It is not shocking. They have Deiji after all, "You just had to come back!! I would have make sure he signed the divorce papers!! Everything would have been back to the way it was..."   

"Exactly, oppa. I would have been back to the same old falsehood and pretend to be the prim and proper girl. How to eat, how to sleep, how to dress, how to talk, how to walk, even how to breathe...

Namjoon knew this. He made me miserable by breaking that dream of mine. He gave me everything except the only thing I ever wanted. Just the way his dreams were crushed. He got so rich yet so unhappy. He just wanted to make us suffer the same way he had. I did not come back because you were right about him using me. I was ashamed of myself and thought of accepting everything as a punishment. Then I began to feel it was not all bad. I know I did not get my 'happy ending' with him but I can say I got my freedom. I no longer have to follow any protocol. I have learned how to use a bus and train. I shop for groceries. I can cook. I can laugh, wear anything I want. Talk about anything I want. Talk to anyone I want...

Then I did not want to come back cuz I did not want to lose my freedom. I did not want to lose myself...

I got close to Aera! She is one of the reason why I survived in the first place. My sunshine...Then came Deiji...I was...oppa...I was so scared when I first learned about my pregnancy. I could not understand what I would do!! Even then Namjoon gave me the choice. I chose her. And I could not thank God enough for them.

Let's say I went back and you got me divorced somehow. Then? You would try to get me married to some heir and have the same old fake lifestyle. No heir would have married  an illegitimate child. You know why I said no to every proposal? Cuz all the men at first insulted me for my name and then asked me to say no. As they were pressurized by their parents they could not do that themselves!! Some of them even made lewd propositions!! I wanted to tell you but was forced to keep shut due to the governess as well as the business and status...You would have to get me married through some business contract. So, don't you think this is better?" She coughs a little.

Seokjin is shocked with all the revelations. He had no idea that she felt this way. He thought that he had to make sure she got all the facilities. Just the way she lived before their father's death, "It seems Kim Namjoon is actually keeping you in a better form than I've ever had...Why you never told this to me??"

"Cuz I do not want to be shown as an ungrateful girl!! You had no obligation towards me!! You did not have to keep me at the mansion after dad's death!! I have so share in the property!! For which, I swear, I have no qualms!! Yet you took care of me!! I am a lower than average student who could not have helped you in business. No one would appoint me for a decent job. Dad was planning to use me as a bait to get business contracts."

You know what I once heard Mrs. Kim and dad talk about?! She told him that at least his bastard girl has a pretty face and a sound body. Mr. Kato had really 'liked' her for himself!! You remember him?? Dad said they would talk to him after they were back from Finland. But then on the way to the airport, they met an accident and died." She covers to muffle her cries.

Seokjin puts his head on his hands that are resting on the table and cries his heart out. Mr. Kato was their old family friend and business partner. He knew them from their birth. If calculated, Joy had just turned 18 and that guy was some 45-50 years olds. As if he did not have enough reason to abhor his parents....He was away for university. Now to think if they had not died, what would have happened to Joy?! As he is sure he would never be informed about this. They were aware how fond he was of his sister...

"So considering everything I just said, what was the best option?" She drinks some more. She is too tired. 

"You want to spend the rest of your life like this? I mean what about Deiji..." He worries about her and his niece's future.

"I am no one's trophy wife or mistress. So I can say I am a bit better than our mothers." She smiles ruefully, " I do not know what I am to Namjoon. He never acknowleged me as his wife. You know he never calls me by my name..."

"What?!" He frowns in confusion.

"Yes. Always 'you'. I used to find it weird. Then I got used to it." She shrugs, " But we are legally married. And all my papers has his name as the spouse. Deiji's birth certificate has his name as the father. She is Kim Deiji. He makes sure she has no lacking in anything. He has planned for her future. So I am not worried about anything. I trust him." 

Seokjin snorts, "So how can you say he will not be different from dad?! Just cuz he let her use his name?!"

"No. He will be different cuz he does not want to be like his father and our father. HE LOVES OUR DAUGHTER. He may not express verbally but he surely loves her..." Her confidence surprises him.

Seokjin is awestruck with his little sister's courage. He feels that he has been talking to another person all this while. His little sister is no longer a 'baby'.

He sighs and leans on the chair, " Are you happy, Joy?"

She smiles and it reaches her eyes, "Yes, oppa. I am happy."

He smiles back slightly, "At least, one of us is happy..."   

Her smile gets marred and she sighs, " I hope all of us will be happy..."

There is a uncertainty in her tone which does not escape Seokjin. He finishes his cold Americano in one go and smiles, "All this talking made me thirsty." He looks at the watch, "Oh my goodness!!! It is 10 p.m.!! I was supposed to bring back Aera by 8!!"

"What?! Oh dear?! So late!! How shall we go now?!" The route to their home is quite dark and lonely.

"Don't worry...Let me drop..." He cannot finish his words when the bell rings again.

They turn to see Kim Namjoon standing there annoyed. He looks at Seokjin for some seconds and then looks at Joy,"Yah!! You!! Why is your phone switched off?!" He walks to them with long strides, "I came back from gym to find 3 of you missing. I called you so many times but in vain. Then I called Noel aunty who told me where you were. Also about..." He glances at Seokjin, "Aera. Then I called Yeri and she informed about you 3 being here!! Why are you so careless?!" He pinches the bridge of his eyes, "It was past 9. 45 so I had to come to check!!!"

The ring has brought Yeri out, who waited for Namjoon's rant  to be over. She walks towards them, "Hey Oppa!'

He turns around, "Yeri! Where are the girls?!" He looks around.

"They have fallen asleep. In my room, upstairs." 

"Oh! Let me get them." Joy is about to move when Namjoon stops her.

"I and Yeri would bring them downstairs. You prepare to leave..." He finds Seokjin observing him and he goes upstairs to get the girls.

"It was great talking to you...after so long." Seokjin grins.

Joy grins back, "It was great talking to you...for the first time..." She brings her hands to his face and presses his cheeks softly. 

Seokjin, taken aback with everything till now, plants a kiss on her forehead, "You know that Oppa is always there for you."

"Yes, I know that..." 

"Oh! Here are some gifts I got for Aera and... Deiji..." He gives her the bags.

Joy looks at the things and cries in happiness. 

Namjoon and Yeri are back with the children. They can guess by their faces that things have resolved in them, to a good extent. Joy picks up the carrier and shopping bags and Namjoon has Aera in his arms.

Yeri quickly packs the desserts for them which they had forgotten to eat. They leave for their respective homes.

Seokjin enters his room. He checks his phone to see if Irene had called him when he was late. She did not call him. He sighs. She may not care about him but does she not care about her own niece?! She is reading a book now. She did not even realized he is back. He comes out of the bathroom after changing and sits on the bed. Only then she feels his presence.

"Oh! You are back! Sorry, could not hear you. Headphones!!" She takes them out from her ears, "Did you have a good time? Aera?"

"Yeah...we did." He sighs tiredly.

"Oh! That is great. You look very tired. You should sleep now. Good night." She closes the book and switch off the light.

He shakes his head and lies down. He recalls what Joy had said to him and contemplates.

The Kim mansion turns dark and cold. Just like the people and their relationships. Whereas in the Bae mansion, one will find Kim Namjoon, who is bottle-feeding his ahjusshi. And Joy is looking  for spoons. They will have the apple pie now.