Jennie’s mother pov

15 years ago,

Flashback,

I chopped two carrots, a cabbage and poured all in a bowl. A smile creeped onto my face when a high-pitched voice echoed accompanied by small steps running over me.

“Mama, I want candy!” A 10 years old kid, with brunette long hair. She was my sunshine, goldening my life. Her cheeks were puffed like dumplings. My smile widened looking at the adorable face of hers. She had the most beautiful eyes ever, I’ve ever seen in my life, it’s after me.

“Ask your papa to get it for you. Sorry, mama have a lot of things to do” I squatted down. Levelling my height with hers.

“Okay mama” She said with a frown. I pinched her cheeks, she’s really adorable. My daughter, Kim Jennie.

I have a perfect family I can ever have and I was happy with it. My husband, Eric was caring and romantic, the perfect husband ever. I watched my husband lifting Jennie in the air, and Jennie whining for him to let her down.

“Let’s go my lovely Jennie”

“Let me down, papa! I’m not a kid!” Weird when it was coming from a 10 years old kid.

I smiled. My name is Kim Hee Sun, and I was an only successor of RJ Group. RJ is my family company, HBS Entertainment in Korea. I was the only daughter of my parents, but again I turned over the position because I was fallen in love with an amazing person ever, Eric. Eric was a painter and we married after a year in relationship.

He was a busy man, a hard-working guy, a workaholic but still every weekend we would spent time together. He loved his kids as much as I was. It was perfect, even though we not living in a big mansion, and with simple life, but it was homey than ever. Living in New Zealand in the place that far from others was a lot to bear. My father kept called me to back in Korea, inherit his company but with the god’s gift having James as the first born son, I got my strength to face the reality in our life together. After 8 years after, we got a daughter, Kim Jennie. They were the light for us to bear whatever happened in our life.

Slowly, we adapted to our life, and Eric had been a famous painter now. I can’t pray for more in my life. We lived happy together, even though Eric seemed busy than ever, he always had times to spend with me, with our child.

“Father, can I go out with my friends tonight?”

“James, how many times I told you, you can’t. Your friends are bad influences.”

“Father, I’m 18 years old now! You can’t keep controlling me like a kid!”

James stormed into his room, slamming his door loudly for us to hear. I tapped Eric’s shoulder, “You should give in on him sometimes, honey. He was old enough”

“I will if he got new friends, not that bunch of useless kids”

I shook my head, “So, how you will make on him?”

“Oh, honey, I always have idea”

“Yeah, whatever with your mischief mind, what I want to know you guys made it over”

Not even an hour, I was playing with Jennie, James came out from his room with Eric. I saw a big smile on James’s face, he b at me. My eyebrows knitted,

“What happened with you, James?”

“Mother, you won’t believe me, father got me a car!”

I laughed awkwardly when my son bone-crushing me. He rushed outside, calling his friends maybe. I walked toward Eric,

“That’s your idea?” I mimicked to him. He shrugged at me, before make his way to Jennie who was engrossed with her phone. Kids these day.

“Jennie, do you want to play with me outside?” Eric asked to Jennie, squatted down, staring at Jennie sitting on a couch.

“No”

I laughed silently, that’s it my daughter, savage and never bother with others. I was a little bit worried with Jennie, because she didn’t give any interest with anything than her phone and candy. Really different with her brother, James. James was an attention craver, he always enjoyed when we gave our attention to him more.

“Don’t be like that Jennie, go with your papa”

Jennie sighed, before tossed aside her phone on the couch. “Okay, but don’t lift me”

Jennie tiny stepped, tailed behind her father with crossed arms. I laughed when my husband with his brain thinking that it would better to lift Jennie. As soon as he lifted Jennie, the little poked two fingers inside her father’s nostrils.

At the end, Eric let her walk by herself.

I shook my head, a small smile engraved on my face never faded away watching my husband playing with the little. However, I never thought that one time my smile would faded forever, with longing feeling.

One day, a family moved beside ours. We never have a neighbour and having one exciting me. I can make some friends. The owner was a married couple, the wife named Clara and the husband named Michael. I thought they were natives here but surprisingly they are Koreans. I smiled shaking hand with Clara, our husbands chatted happily beside.

A tug on Clara sleeves from her two daughters drew my attention. They were adorable, I waved at them, levelling my height.

“Hi, my name is Hee Sun. Kim Hee Sun”

“Hi, my name is Alice. Alice Park” The one who’s taller introduced with hint of confidence. She must be the oldest. She got a black jet hair, long until her waist. I turned to another one, that has been silence since earlier.

She got a pair of puffed cheeks like a child always have but her cheeks looked softer than I have ever seen. The kind of cheeks reminded me of Jennie. That kid, must be playing with her phone right now.

“What your name, beautiful”

“Rose, answer to Mrs Kim” Instead of her voice, her mother told her to answer me. She must be a shy one. She looked more adorable now, when she huffed her cheeks. I stared at her lovingly.

“Rose. Rose Park” Timidly she answered me, her eyes flickered down, didn’t even look at me while saying her name. I smiled knowing the she was shy, the act reminded me again to Jennie. She introduced herself same as Rose, without looking at the person she was introducing to. But, with the otherwise reason, Jennie didn’t like people.

“ow, aren’t you adorable one”

My husband apparently had made her way to the timid Rose. Like always he like to do with kids, he lifted the poor child high in the air, catching Rose off guard. I shook my head, giving an apologetic smile to Clara.

We lived without problem as neighbours. Apparently, Clara and Michael are lawyers, so they were always out to court. Leaving their daughters at home. Alice didn’t have problem with it as she stayed at school, and made a result for Rose to live with us. I didn’t have problem with it, my husband was beyond than that, he actually took much times spending with the little child. At first, I thought it wasn’t a problem, but I didn’t realise that it would lit a little fire in my son’s.

“James! Wake up! Have a breakfast”

“Coming mom!”

I served the foods on a table in the kitchen. “James, call your father to join us”

“I don’t want to mom”

I frowned at his blunt answer. He wasn’t a bad kid, but bit by bit it changing. “Don’t be stubborn James, why wouldn’t you call your father?”

I narrowed my eyes but he ignored me. He pointed his chin outside our yard. Knowing what he referred to, I looked outside. My husband, was painting with a white canvas in front him and Jennie on his laps. I looked over my husband, seeing Rose fixing Jennie’s hair. I smiled at the view, a tug in my chest, touched when I see that Jennie actually made a friend.

My smile faded when I heard my son snorts when he watched Rose giggling while playing with Jennie’s hair. I shook my head, realising he was jealous at the younger kid.

“You shouldn’t be like that James. She was a kid, you shouldn’t be immature”

“Immature? Immature you said mom?! How can I, when my father, my sister and you always with her! Father didn’t looking at me like he used to and I f*ucking hate it mom”

I closed my eyes, messaging my temple, I didn’t know that he would take it to that extreme. It was just his mind talking, we both never neglecting him. Or so I thought. Maybe, we actually didn’t realise that we had kind of neglecting him.

After his first outburst, James became more and more irritating, he went out without care to say a word to me. When Eric out to work, he spent his times outside and god know what he done out there. What about me? I didn’t what to do anymore. I thought that was the worst but seeing him back home one late night drunk, made me lost my mind.

“James, I really disappointed with you”

“I don’t care mom, you didn’t even care anyway”

That was the last time I talk to him, hearing he uttering some words at me. He wouldn’t spare a glance at me aftermath, he ate breakfast with head down or playing with his phone. Even, Eric was here eating with us, he didn’t even want to talk with him.

“Now, what happened with your son Hee Sun?”

I gritted my teeth, knowing well that my husband didn’t like the attitude of James. If I was talking in the past, I wouldn’t have known that, but as all this ruckus about James began, I realised that my husband would using my name when he mad. The worst he acknowledged James as my son only, not ours.

“Wouldn’t you ask it to yourself” A rude statement to say to a husband, I knew. But I didn’t care right now, I can’t tolerate with this anymore. We both are parents but nowadays he had pushed me to solve with James. He lacked of interest now to treat James better.

“And what you mean by that?”

“Don’t you know that you didn’t even tried to talk with James now? Before, you always have a way to make with him! Now what?! You asked me, what happened?! This happened!”

I pointed my finger to Rose that sat silently beside my husband. Jennie was sitting beside Rose and she was shocked with my outburst. My hands trembled, anger took over my body. But, seeing Jennie intertwined her little hand to Rose’s made me regretting all over.

It was the worst scenario, I didn’t want to face this anymore. Day by day we drew apart, I did cook for my husband with no flirtatious remark, with no smile exchanged. I acted the same way day by day. Polite and distant.

Our family were not same anymore, I didn’t feel homey anymore. This morning, I decided to buy ingredients to fill in the fridge. I made sure Jennie was in her room and like always Rose played with her. I realised the child was frightened, the time I opened Jennie’s door she flinched. My eyebrows knitted, because it seemed to my eyes both of them were flinched.

I went away with a shrug, maybe they were too engrossed playing together and surprised with my sudden presence. I brought the ingredients in a nearby mall, and drove home.

I walked into the door, without announcing afraid that both of them shocked again. But, it was not them shocked but me. The first step I took inside, I heard sobbing and shouting.

“Don’t hit her! Please!”

I heard clearly the high-pitched voice that unfamiliar to me. It rushed to me that the voice, was from Rose. I ran upstairs didn’t care where I threw three plastic bags away from my grip. I burst opened Jennie’s door, seeing James rising his hand to both girls, with Rose in front. Protecting Jennie.

“James, you brat! What are you doing?!” I didn’t care I swore at my own son, it was too far. Why he became like this? He used to be nice and adorable. I pulled him away from the frightened girls.

Surprisingly, James kneeled in front me. Begging for my apologies. I realised something was wrong at that time. Then. I brought him seeing a doctor, and they said my son had a mad issue. I slumped my sore body to the soft couch.

My son had been diagnosed having mad issues last week, and I can’t do anything to it. He went out to meet with his friends, I didn’t restrain him anymore. I didn’t want the situation gotten worse.

Through those hard times, forcing me to agree to be involved in my father’s company. I was busy learning about the company with CEO Yang Hyun Suk, the side man of my father. He had sent him to guide me, learning to handling being a President.

One day, the time finally came that I need to move out to Korea. I persuaded my husband to go with me, but our situation had been worse than ever. I wasn’t talking with him for months except for discussing about James.

I packed my clothes in my suitcase, a soft knock on my door gotten my attention. I opened the door, seeing Jennie with tears and red nose. I squatted down at her, “Hey sweetheart, what’s up?”

“Are you really leaving?”

The soft-broken voice, made my heart shattered. I had agreed with Eric, to leave Jennie to him. I opposed the idea, but the thought bringing James to Korea away from Jennie, made the idea convincing. I can get a treatment there for James.

“I’m sorry, mom sorry”

“How could you mom! I hate you!”

“Jennie wait!!”

I ran after Jennie that running out onto the road. My heart pounding, “Jennie!” I didn’t know what what beside me, what I knew I passed CEO Yang in the living room, and run after Jennie across the road.

Thankfully, I caught Jennie at the side of roads in my arms but a screeching wheel behind me, snapped me over my shoulder. My eyes widened, my husband rolled over a familiar car roof with Rose in his arms. He back slumped on the hard-cold roads. Bloods broken out from his head at the impact. My heart stopped pounding, everything in silence. I watched the breathless body laying in the middle of the road.

Tears couldn’t even brim in my eyes, it shocked me until to the core of my soul. I didn’t feel any pain when I kneeled with my bare knees beside the unconscious body. Holding his hand tightly, screaming for him to wake up.

No one was there except for CEO Yang and me.

End of flashback

spoiler

“That time, my son James caught imprisoned for 8 years because driving under alcohol influence. I left my daughter Jennie with perception that her brother was sent to China, to continue his studies. How can I tell the truth to the poor girl, when me as an adult cannot even bear with it?

But, I never expect that James would blamed this to you, Rose. I never knew that he would actually killed people, if he didn’t inform me, himself.”