“Stop trying to embarrass your family.” Kim Jiyoo hissed, her eyes pinched back, lips tight.

The sting traveled deep into her skin, echoed throughout her face. Namjoo bit down harder on her teeth as her face turned pink-red. Glared at her step-mother.

“Are you senile?” Namjoo icily asked.

“How dare you,” the woman breathed. “Are you trying to ruin us? Where do you think you’re coming from at this time?! How arrogant of you to try to make your father lose face! You left with Sehun, you should have come back with him! What will his father think when he hears of this?! Instead they’ll hear that you’re a thing that runs around wildly!”

“Excuse me,” Namjoo piped up, “that’s old news.”

Infuriated the woman tightened her fist at her side. Namjoo emotionlessly stared at the hand almost daring her to raise it again.

“How dare you talk to your mother that way!” A male voice boomed from down the hall. Namjoo watched her father stomp with menace toward them. Hea in tow. Staring at her with belittling eyes.

Namjoo clamped down on her teeth.

“Have you no shame?!” her father bellowed. His thick voice rebounded off the walls with as much fury. “Are you trying to announce to the entire world that you brought another man into our home when you are engaged?!”

“Eunwoo is my friend.” Namjoo coolly told.

“Shut up!” her father steely snapped. An even icier sheen glazed over his eyes. “Where the hell are you coming from that you come back looking like a ?!”

Namjoo’s eyes rounded more out of exasperation than rage at being demeaned.

“I taught you better. Your mother taught you better,” he scolded.

Rolling her eyes to the side she mumbled, “What did you ever teach me.”

Her father took a step forward threateningly. Fisted his hand and stopped himself. Namjoo stared at his fist. Then up to his face flatly.

“Hit me.” she dared.

Biting his lower lip to restrain himself, “Kim Namjoo…”

“Hit me,” Namjoo provoked, “then the entire world will know what kind of father you are as I am a wild girl who goes skipping across the country half . Yes, I will embarrass my family. I will embarrass you all! I will let everyone know what a great family we are!”

Her face stung twice more as her head angled to the side.

“You conniving little …” her step-mother’s voice trembled as her hand shook.

Namjoo bit down on her teeth again. Outraged. Unable to look at them because she wanted to hurt them so bad. Her body rocked from one heel to another when they forced her bag off her and went through it. Taking her phone, her keys.

“Until your wedding I’m going to confiscate your keys and your phone,” her father said as Hea shoved her purse back into her arms. “You’re not allowed to leave the premises unless I say so.”

When she reached her bedroom she tossed her purse onto the floor and flung everything off her vanity. Listening as every item crashed onto the ground as if it might satisfy her rage. Releasing a repressed scream until she was left heaving, huffing, panting.

She wanted escape.

She wanted her mother.

ꜛꜛꜛꜛꜛ

“Enjoy your date?” A voice asked as he passed the lounge room with the grand piano. Stopping in his tracks Sehun turned to see Sangki sitting in the dark with a glass of whiskey. Just the sight of him was already aggravating. Sehun turned away to sigh.

“I’m tired. I’m going to wash up.” Sehun excused.

“Ah yes, work, right?” Sangki spun around in his seat to look at him with glazed eyes that said he was nearly drunk. “You must be leaving with father. Another meeting?”

“Look,” Sehun shifted.

“Nuh-uh,” Sangki wagged his finger. “Don’t you cut your older brother off like that. Father taught you better than that.” Raising a brow, “Didn’t he?”

“You’re drunk.” Sehun told.

Sangki laughed. The corner of his lip tipping up toward his ear. “Lets be honest. You love the attention, don’t you? You’re secretly happy about it.”

Whatever he chose to say wouldn’t remedy the situation, so Sehun let his brother go on to his heart’s content.

“Say it. Say that you are.” Sangki’s eyes turned stern.

“You’re drunk,” Sehun repeated.

The glass cup slammed onto the table so hard the dark liquid splashed out of it. Sliding off the stool Sangki walked over with heavy feet. His dark gaze never wavering from Sehun’s face. Finally stopping just a width away from him. Face to face.

“You’re glad you’re so lucky. Everything is so easy for you,” Sangki’s eyes were so penetrating Sehun couldn’t look away. “Dad loves you so much he’s giving you the house. You never have to lift a finger for anything that you want. You get a wife and you get a baby. You’re so darn lucky, aren’t you? Say it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sehun said and earned a push in return.

“Say it.” Sangki deepened his throaty voice. “You know you’re lucky. You love being the golden child! Say it! Say it! Say it!” Pushing and pushing until Sangki was shoving him backwards into the corner wall.

Sangki’s muscles bulged out of his arms. His strength overkill. Driven by pure emotion because he was drunk and uncontrollable. Sehun couldn’t push him back, free himself. His older brother suddenly became an unmovable brick wall.

“You take everything from me.” Sangki fisted the collars of his shirt into his hands. Gripping with monstrous strength then suddenly relaxed. Sehun sighed a breath when his brother released him believing the worst of it was over. Until his head slammed back into the wall. His eyes rolled back as the pain surmounted, watching Sangki withdraw his fist as he landed in a heap on the floor.

ꜛꜛꜛꜛꜛ

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Seoyun asked walking back outside to hand him a cup of water and some painkillers.

Sehun was sitting on the lawn chair this time. It was his sister-in-law who had discovered him. Both he and Sangki lying on the floor like two drunk idiots. The pitiful chauffeur had been woken up from his chambers to help haul Sangki upstairs into bed. Now he was wide awake with what was most likely a concussion.

“I’m fine,” he muttered. Tossing his head back he swallowed the two tiny pills and gulped the water down.

“I’m sorry.” She apologized sitting in the next lawn chair.

“For what?” he asked.

“Sangki just had a bad day.”

Sehun thought about his broken watch and wanted to scoff. “Sure.”

“At dinner,” she started, “your father mentioned something. He’s giving your mother’s estate to you when you get married. That’s probably why he’s so upset.”

The estate. Sehun had heard about it numerous times. A hundred even, when Sangki first got married. When the big talks of an heir still came round full circle.

“Oh…” he uttered. Stealing a glance at Seoyun he said, “Sorry.”

“It’s ok.” She assured though he didn’t know if he could believe her. It had been as clear as day how much she wanted to be pregnant. She probably still hadn’t recovered from the news.

“It’s just a house.” Sehun said to lighten up the mood.

Seoyun managed a smile before it disappeared. Stretching her arms out she rubbed her hands. Sehun couldn’t help but watch. Her hands were femininely fragile. Fingers that moved like gentle waves dancing. She would be a good mother he believed. An idiot like Sangki didn’t deserve her.

He turned in later than expected and went to work with another headache. Down the hall after the board meeting he spotted Namjoo’s father shaking hands with a lookalike. Both of them gray haired and in dark black suits, rich smiles.

“Sehun!” Namjoo’s father raised his hand up to call out in case he hadn’t seen him. Dismissing the other elderly he slowly walked over. “How are you this morning?”

“Fine, sir,” Sehun answered on reflex and wondered a second later if he should call the man father as he’d been told.

“I just wanted to say, Namjoo hasn’t been feeling well. The doctor says her flu is contagious, so for the next week lets not have any sort of meetings.”

Sehun felt his mind churn. Yesterday she looked normally healthy. “Sure, yes.” But he wouldn’t argue because he wouldn’t have to deal with her. Good.

“Oh? What happened to your face?”

“An accident,” Sehun hurriedly excused. “I slipped on my way home.” He added a smile to affirm his story.

“You should be careful. Your wedding is close by,” her father worried.

“Yes,” he hesitated then went with the safest since they were in the workplace, “sir.”

Namjoo’s father smiled and patted him on the back before leaving. “Lets have lunch later.”

Sehun nodded and watched him walk away. Touching his bruised cheek as he headed in the opposite direction.

ꜛꜛꜛꜛꜛ

“You’re not getting up?” Leah asked. She was cleaning Namjoo’s room. Apparently Namjoo hadn’t cared enough to pick up after the mess she had caused. Still in bed with the blanket pulled high over her. The entire left side of her face was numb. With pain. A shade of red and darker pink now. Tomorrow it might turn purple and then blue.

“No.” Namjoo said. “Did they eat breakfast yet?”

“It’s twelve in the afternoon.” Leah stared in her direction with disbelief. Sighing she resumed her task. Still kneeling on the ground after five minutes trying to clean up the residue of powder that had spilled out of Namjoo’s powder compact.

“Are you seriously not getting up?” Leah asked again.

“No.” Namjoo stared at the open window. Trying to smell a hint of the outside. “I’m not going to leave my room, so bring my food up here.”

Sighing, Leah tossed down her towel and walked over to the bed. Flipping over the cover she sat on the edge of the mattress. “Let me see.”

Namjoo glanced up at Leah then relented and pushed herself up. The tender touch of her friend’s fingers on her chin warmed a part of her unexpectedly.

“That witch,” Leah swore observing her injury.

“You don’t have to stay censored around me.” Namjoo said.

“.” Leah said. “Ugly .”

Namjoo grinned.

“You should’ve returned the hits,” Leah said, “like this.” and flapped her hands really fast. “She won’t be able to dodge!”

Namjoo laughed. Swept up by a quick wind of joy before she hugged her friend with desperation. Squeezing her in her arms. So tightly like her only friend might be ripped from her embrace the next second. Dreading the day when they would tell her she needed to pack up and go, that she wouldn’t be able to come back. Home wouldn’t be her home anymore. She didn’t want to start a new chapter of her life. She didn’t want to leave the only friend she had. She didn’t want to live with a man she didn’t know, didn’t like.

She didn’t want to be so alone.

This might be the last time she would feel this kind of security. Have a person truly care about her wellness.

“I don’t want to go,” Namjoo confessed for the first time.

“Namjoo…” Leah patted her back because they hadn’t breached the topic since she got engaged.

“I’m scared.”

“No. It’ll be ok.”

“What if I can never be happy?”

“You will be happy,” Leah confidently told. “You will be happy. He better be nice to you, and he better learn to treat you right. Or else…or else I’m going to come right over and slap him like this.” Leaning backward she flapped her hands like earlier causing them both to laugh. Hitting her gently, “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t know,” Namjoo mumbled wiping her tears. “What if I never love him and he never loves me. I don’t want to live that kind of life.”

“You stupid.” Leah hit her again. “Come here.” Hugging her again she ran her hand up and down her back, the way a mother would when her child got hurt. It was soothing, a nice feeling. It was this kind of thing Namjoo knew she would never have again, and it made her sad beyond words. Who to go to if she wanted to cry from now on?

She had no one.

She was just…on her own.

“It’ll be rough but hang in there. There’s always a storm before sunshine, right? Even if I can’t go with you, I will still be right behind you regardless,” Leah promised. “You will always have me. You will be happy, Namjoo. You fight for your happiness and I hope you manage to find the best of it. You deserve it after all that’s happened here, you deserve something so much better.” Crying too now, “I’m sorry it happened like this. I don’t want you to go, too.”

She didn’t want to get married.

ꜛꜛꜛꜛꜛ

Sehun stopped by the hospital after work. Mild concussion the doctor said. Some painkillers would help if he kept having headaches, but no worries. Nothing serious. Sehun walked away with a prescription he tucked into his jacket pocket. His pace decreasing down the hallway as he passed private rooms of those ill. Peeking at names on doors wondering who visited whom every day. A loved one? Friend? Husband? Wife? Child?

Pausing at the end of the hallway thinking three weeks. Not sure if he felt guilt. Perhaps the emotion was there well wrapped in a blanket and tucked away.

Suddenly he heard chatter and turned around to see a door at the end opening for a group of young women. Lowering his head he continued on his way out. Sitting in his car outside, staring outside of the lot at the looming hospital building. Thinking. Another pause. Thinking again.

Finally starting the engine he drove through the heart of the city. The highway spit him past towers and mountains. Taking him to the other end of the city. His car shot past high-rise buildings. Booming cafes and restaurants. Popular streets young students visited daily to pop out dance moves hoping for a chance at stardom. Driving through the shopping malls until he reached the golden building wielding a cross at the top of the building like a weapon.

At this time of the late afternoon the parking lot was full. Visitors finally making time after work to come by. Like him. Except they probably didn’t make excuses to avoid visiting.

Pulling into an empty slot Sehun climbed out. Empty handed. Usually family members brought food or flowers to lift up the hospitalized person’s spirits. In his case, it was a useless means. His mother was dying of cancer. She’d chosen to give up on chemotherapy after it ravaged her body, took away her beautiful hair. Lost her eyebrows.

He had listened for a long time with his father as she wept heartbroken tears.

Do it for your mother.

Do it for your mother.

Chased itself around his head. Maybe he was angry but then also not.

The hospital was a painful place for anyone in his family. Sangki rarely came. Seoyun visited on occasion. His father…kept himself holed up in work it would take a year to dig him out.

Excuses.

His family was full of stupid excuses.

He was stupid, too.

Stepping out of the elevator, Sehun slowly trekked down the familiar linoleum hallway. Each footstep falling in sync with the heart monitors beeping around him. Nurses chatted on phones in hushed voices. Old and young people waited patiently in line for their turn of information. Maybe coming to visit or coming to get checked in. Sehun tried not to make eye contact with anyone.

Then he reached his destination. A wooden block of a door. A private suite where his mother laid in bed. Her consciousness weaved in and out of ghostly dreams. Coming to at times and many others just sleeping as the respirator machine helped her breathe.

It was a hard matter of debate why they would wait till she passed, leaving her to be in pain like this. It was a matter of choice none of them had made but she had begged for. It was a matter none of them understood truly.

A matter of a choice that made him bow to his father.

Do it for your mother.

“I’m here,” he looked down at the woman pale as a sheet of paper, “mom.”

***for some weird reason I cried a sh*tload of tears writing this chapter. anyway this story took a deeeeep turn i did not expect. ok, so i am going to watch Kingdom on Netflix before i go to bed and give myself nightmares so i'll stop crying. k, hope you enjoyed the two updates