Final

“You’re not her,” Kibum said, pointing a pistol at a tied up young woman. “What did you do to her? What…did you do to my Boram?”

Boram had her head down, she made no move to answer. She let out a sob as her body shook when Kibum pressed the pistol to her head.

“Stop stalling, Kibum!” A heavily pregnant young woman shouted. “Just shoot her before she does something to our baby!”

Boram began sobbing even more when she heard the words out of Areum’s mouth. Kibum felt himself about to break as his hold onto the pistol started to slowly shake. He thought of what Boram said to him when she returned.

“Someone once told me how forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing.”

“I may forgive you but it doesn’t mean I can forget how that incident started.”

“No apologies aren’t enough to fix the pain I felt when I saw you with her.”

“Kibum!” Areum shouted. “Why aren’t you shooting her!?”

Boram continued sobbing as Kibum chose to position the pistol where her heart is. As Boram’s sobs got louder, Kibum felt frozen in fear as he began to notice her sobbing began to sound like laughter. Boram slowly lifted her head up to stare at Kibum, with tears running down her face and her lips curved into a smile as a mixture of cries and laughter came out of .

“You already know the answer to that…what does asking me do?”

Her cries and laughter stopped as her smile got wide as a Cheshire cat. The smile scared Kibum because it reminded him of the one Boram had on her face when she came back. While it looked like a normal smile to anyone, to Kibum, it is a smile of someone who harbors evil intentions.

The Week Before The Wedding

Areum couldn’t stop smiling as she heard people congratulated her and Kibum on their upcoming wedding. Everyone in the family is happy for Areum with the exception of Kyungsoo, the only son of the Do family. He has a reason to be unhappy about this wedding because he knew the real reason why the two are getting married. Areum and Kibum didn’t have the typical happy story of how a couple meets and fall in love, they didn’t even start off as a couple, to begin with.

SLAP!

Kyungsoo flinched at the loud sound he heard echoed inside the room he is forced to stay out of. While he couldn’t enter the room, he could hear what went on inside through the door. He got worried when he heard his father yelling at Boram.

“Vile creature! You dare to hit your older sister! What possessed you to go hit your sister in broad daylight where everyone could see!”

“She gloated how she stole Kibum from me! Then she dumped her tea on me!” Boram shouted at her father in return. “She may be my older sister but her behavior is nothing like an older sister!”

SLAP!

“For your insolence, I will be sending you overseas to improve your behavior and your education.” Mr. Do said, wiping his hand on a towel before throwing it to Boram.

Boram didn’t pick up the towel to wipe away the blood from her split lip, choosing to leave it on the ground. “What if I don’t want to go away?”

Mr. Do stood in front of Boram as she lifted her gaze to stare at him. The cold stare he had isn’t enough to scare Boram but what he said did scare her because it concerned someone important to her.

“If you don’t want to be sent away, I can always beat Kyungsoo. That would get you to change your mind wouldn’t it?” Mr. Do asked.

Seeing Boram look down made him smile because he knows how important Kyungsoo is to her. Out of all the children Mr. Do have, he only cared for and favored Areum, often telling people how Boram and Kyungsoo needed to learn from their older sister.

“Before I send you off, I need to at least punish you properly for what you did to Areum.”

Kyungsoo harbored an even more hatred for his father when he learned of what punishment Boram suffered. One of their butlers told him how Boram’s legs were caned before she was sent away. Boram was injured to the point that she collapsed and had to be carried away.

“Kyungsoo, come join us for the family photo,” Kibum said as he led him to where everyone was. “Don’t forget to smile. Since she left you’ve been frowning and this is a happy moment so you should be happy.”

Kyungsoo said nothing as he stood behind his grandparents to pose for the picture. Even though Kibum asked him to smile he didn’t, he had the same frowning face he always had when Boram left.

“If it’s a family photo, aren’t you all ashamed to not include me in it even after sending me an invitation?” A female voice said from behind the photographer.

Everyone turn to look at who the young woman was, Areum let out a gasp as everyone stared in shock. Kyungsoo also in shock said the name of the young woman.

“Boram.”

It’s been 10 years since the family saw Boram, she still has her long, black hair. The only difference is how Boram is wearing sunglasses and holding a white cane in one hand while her other hand is being held by a handsome young man.

Kyungsoo walked up to her and wanted to hug her but held himself back. The young man whispered something in Boram’s ear as she turned to where Kyungsoo stood. Boram held her arms open as she slowly walked up to Kyungsoo to hug him.

“You’ve grown taller, haven’t you, Kyungsoo?” Boram asked as she pets Kyungsoo’s head.

Kyungsoo smiled as he answered, “Every time I grow up, I don’t think I’m getting any taller. I’m always still shorter than you.”

The two siblings are in their own little circle as they conversed until Areum interrupted them with a question.

“Why are you here, Boram? Not to be mean or anything but I-I don’t think we ever gave you an invitation.”

Boram looked to where she heard Areum’s voice, smiling widely she reached into her purse and handed an envelope to Areum.

“This is the invitation, isn’t it?” Boram said, her smile still wide. “I was in an accident at that time so I wasn’t able to read it. I had Mark read it for me and I was surprised that you would invite me after what happened between us…10 years ago.”

Areum looked at the invitation in her hand, hoping she is looking at a fake one but sadly it isn’t a fake. She looked at Kyungsoo, thinking he sent the invitation. Kyungsoo shrugged his shoulders at her, indicating that he never sent the invitation to Boram. Areum then remembered how their father forbids Kyungsoo from having any contact with Boram but she believes the two might have secretly contacted each other.

“Areum, don’t be rude to your sister.” Grandma Do said. “We haven’t seen her in 10 years so we should be happy she is here.”

“That’s right.” Grandpa Do said. “Our foolish son here didn’t allow us to check up on Boram. If we had been able to check up on her…Are you able to see, Boram?”

Boram smiled, “I didn’t return just to attend the wedding. My doctor referred to a specialist here for my eyes so Mark volunteered to bring me to me the specialist.”

“Is Mark your…?” Grandma Do asked, unsure if she should say it openly.

Boram held Mark’s hand as she let out a giggle, “Mark is one of my many roommates at the Share House I’m staying in. He’s the one who saved me when I had the accident and since then he’s been taking good care of me.”

Kibum who was standing next to Areum couldn’t help but look on with jealousy seeing Boram holding hands with Mark. His fist clenched tightly when he believes he saw Mark’s thumb rubbing Boram’s hand in a soothing manner. Areum notices the way Kibum look at Boram and she shot a glare at Boram before switching to a smiling face.

“Will you be staying with us while you’re here?” Areum asked in a “hopeful” voice.

“I’m not sure if I might be able to because today’s the day, I go in to see the specialist,” Boram said. “It might take a day or more but don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be able to make it in time for the wedding.”

Boram and Mark bid everyone farewells as they left the engagement party. As the two walked to their car, Mark looks behind them and around to make sure that they are alone.

“I don’t think anyone is following us.”

Boram took off her sunglasses, revealing her eyes are a pale, opaque white color. She pulled out a compact mirror from her purse to look at her eyes.

“Do you think they’ll be fooled if I let them see these eyes?”

Seven Days Before The Wedding

Boram arrived at the Do Mansion without Mark as Boram wanted to spend time with Kyungsoo and her grandparents. She explained to them how during an outing with her friends, they got into an accident. Each of them got light injuries including Mark but Boram is the only one of the group of friends to get blinded. What Boram didn’t tell them is how she believe the accident was planned by someone. Not one of her friends but someone who desperately wanted to get rid of her.

A few hours later, Kibum came to the Do Mansion to bring Areum to a checkup concerning her pregnancy. While waiting for Areum, he observes Boram in the garden and felt the need to speak to her.

“What do you want?” Boram asked, holding a jasmine flower to her nose.

Kibum didn’t answer her, believing that she doesn’t know it is him talking to her.

“I don’t remember you ever being shy, Kibum. Did being engaged to Areum made you quiet?”

“N-No. I-I didn’t.” Kibum stammered. “I wanted to t-ta-talk to you…since you came back.”

Boram didn’t say anything as she continued smelling the jasmine flower. Kibum continued speaking, “It’s been 10 years since I last saw and spoke to you. I-I know whatever I say cannot make up for—”

“You’re right,” Boram interrupted. “I came back to get my eyes fixed and to check on my little brother, I don’t really care about the wedding.”

“Boram,” Kibum said in a disappointed voice.

Boram continued speaking, “Someone once told me how forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing.”

Boram turned to look at Kibum and handed him the jasmine flower. When he didn’t take it, she grabbed his hand and placed the flower in there. Kibum felt compelled to pull her into his arms and hug her but she turned away from him.

“I may forgive you but it doesn’t mean I can forget how that incident started. No apologies aren’t enough to fix the pain I felt when I saw you with her.”

Three Days Before The Wedding

Since Boram’s return, the Do family minus Kyungsoo and the grandparents felt unease. Areum especially felt uneasy and didn’t hesitate to hide her feelings about it. She attempted to cause some trouble for Boram, starting with small things such as accidentally spilling her drink on Boram.

“Oh! I’m so sorry Boram! I didn’t mean to do that.” Areum exclaimed, using a napkin to wipe Boram’s dress.

Boram didn’t say anything as Areum wiped her dress. She waited a few moments before she stopped Areum and take away the napkin to wipe herself.

“Doesn’t this remind you of that time, the time I was sent away?” Boram asked, placing the napkin in Areum’s hand. “It seems I was right to assume you haven’t changed after all of these years.”

 Those troubles didn’t stop there but in order to not look suspicious, Areum had some of her friends handle her dirty work. If only Areum’s friends realize that she doesn’t really care about them, they wouldn’t have helped her. When they got caught for what they did, Areum turned a blind eye. If anyone still suspects her, she’d lie her way out of it.

“I don’t why they would do such a thing to Boram. When I was younger, I may have said some bad things but it was because I was drunk and didn’t know any better.”

What Areum doesn’t know is Boram has been toying with her. She waited until Areum felt like she won then strike her at her moment of weakness. While Areum is cruel in her schemes, Boram isn’t as cruel as she made sure to not do anything that could jeopardize Areum’s pregnancy. Perhaps that might have been Boram’s first mistake because Areum made sure to use it to her advantage especially when Kibum shows concern.

One Day Before The Wedding

“Oh, you foolish, lovesick boy.” Boram taunted. “No girl will stay the same person after so many years especially when they get their boyfriend breaks their heart.”

“Stop talking to her, Kibum!” Areum shouted. “We have to get rid of her. If we let her go, she will tell the police we kidnapped her.”

Kibum wished he didn’t listen to Areum if he didn’t things wouldn’t have come to this. He didn’t want to resort to kidnapping her just to have this conversation. When he saw and heard the way Boram spoke to him, he felt like he is conversing with a demon. Boram’s voice went a bit deeper with a raspy tone.

“Kibum. Baby, look at me.” Areum said, holding Kibum’s face in her hands to make him look at her. “Tell me the truth…do you love her…or…do you love me?”

Boram let out a chuckle at the question and turned her face away.

“If you want to hear those words, why don’t you put a spell on a doll and make it repeat it to you,” Boram said with a sarcastic tone. “All the hard work to steal him and he doesn’t love you.”

“Shut up! Just shut up, you…you…vile demon!” Areum shouted in anger.

Areum took the pistol from Kibum and fired it at Boram, with the intention of killing her. If she had a better aim, Boram would be dead but Areum’s unstable behavior made her only aim at Boram’s arm. Even bad guys would scream at this kind of a pain but Boram didn’t, she just laugh it off. Although her face did scrunch up in pain as she laughed.

The sound of a door being forced open scared the two couple as they see lights shining on them.

“Aaahhhh!” Boram shouted as tears came out of her eyes. “Help me. My sister shot me.”

---

Boram was hospitalized as the wedding occurred, the only reason the wedding still went on is that she didn’t press charges. Mr. Do came crying, on his knees, begging Boram to not press charges, telling her to think of Areum’s pregnancy. Boram only agreed to it because she’s not that cruel to involve an innocent unborn baby. But she did threaten Mr. Do that if Areum does something to her then she will gladly consider changing her mind.

Kyungsoo chose to leave the wedding early to visit Boram at the hospital. He had some questions for Boram and he hoped she could answer it for him.

“Did you plan that?” Kyungsoo asked. “To be honest, I thought you might still love Kibum. I thought you would try to steal him back if you returned.”

Boram smiled as she takes off her sunglasses, “You have to do the opposite of what people expect. How else will you surprise them? Yes, I did plan that and truthfully, I don’t love Kibum anymore. I have Mark, why would I push him away for someone who fell into Areum’s trap.”

“I like this new you,” Kyungsoo said as he held Boram’s hand. “Did they believe that you weren’t the same person?”

“It was easy to trick them because that’s what they wanted to believe so all I had to do was play along.”

The two siblings continued talking until evening came. Kyungsoo wanted to stay longer because Boram told him that she will be leaving tonight.

“I wish I could come with you two.”

“I wish so too…but I’m a twisted person, Kyungsoo. If you stay with me, I might end up corrupting you.”

Kyungsoo hugged Boram as she gave him a kiss on his forehead. Once he left, Mark appeared with a tray of food.

“Did he ever ask about your eyes?” Mark asked, placing the tray down. “I thought you would have told him about it.”

“I didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth,” Boram said as she began eating. “It’s better that he believes the story of how I became temporarily blind.”

“Then we need to be careful if anyone might do some digging on the accident and the suppose eye specialist. It’s a good thing our friends are willing to lend a helping hand.”

Mark reached over for Boram’s purse to bring out her contact lens case, placing it next to the tray.

“Don’t forget to take those lenses out before you go to sleep.”

Boram stopped eating as she opens the contact lens case and slowly takes out her contact lens from her eyes.

“Maybe I should pretend to be nearly cured,” Boram said as she continued eating. “The lens has been irritating my eyes since we got here.”

Mark took the spoon from Boram to feed her, making sure to blow the hot soup. “I just hope no one will get too suspicious about anything it if they see us leaving tonight.”