“Where are you going?”

Song Ji Hyo stopped her steps as she heard a familiar voice when she was about to reach the door. She turned and a light smirk was formed on her lips because she knew that the owner of the voice is Park Han Byul.

Han-Byul looked at Ji-Hyo with her shocked expression and her glance stopped at Ji-Hyo’s luggage.

“You are leaving?” Asked Han-Byul.

Ji-Hyo smirked and day by day, the presence of Park Han Byul successfully made her feel very nauseated. It feels like she couldn’t even stand to stay under the same roof with this woman. It was her mistake to let her stay.

“Yes. You won, Park Han Byul-Ssi.” Ji-Hyo replied.

Han-Byul scoffed disbelieve. “The battle hasn’t even start and you are really leaving?”

Ji-Hyo let go of her grip on the luggage as she took a step forward and gave Han-Byul a cold stare. “I shouldn’t have let you stay. You are just staying for 3 weeks and everything started to fall apart. It’s very fun for you, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean? I do not understand any single thing.” Han-Byul defended.

Damn, she is trying to play dumb. Ji-Hyo has been very sick with this woman and it successfully drives her crazy.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Park Han Byul. We were fine all this while and things started to change ever since you come to our life.” Said Ji-Hyo sharply.

Han-Byul let out a little chuckle as she rolled her eyes. “Fine? Did I hear wrongly? The man who you claim as your husband is just deceiving you and your whole family. You marry him for the sake of money and that’s why you fell into his trap. Are you really that naïve?”

Ji-Hyo’s hand started to ball into a tight fist and her jaw clenched hardly upon hearing what Han-Byul said. “Do you know what is the difference between you and me?”

“What are you trying to say?”

Ji-Hyo is still looking at Han-Byul with her irritated gaze. “I chose to stay with that man because all of me do love him sincerely while you are here for the sake of deceiving his wealth just because you have his daughter.”

Han-Byul started to feel provoked and she started to raise her hand, thinking if she could land her palm on Ji-Hyo’s cheeks but she was wrong. Ji-Hyo was fast and strong enough to grab on her wrist, making her struggling in order to release her own hand.

“Let go!” Han-Byul shouted as she started to feel the pain because Ji-Hyo is gripping it very tight. “You are the intruder between us. Oppa and I loved each other. I met him first and it was me that he loved!” She added, bursting out at Ji-Hyo as if she really put all of her emotion in it.

Ji-Hyo feels like she is going to laugh out loud instead. “Intruder? Ya, don’t you think you are way too much? Park Han Byul, let me tell you something. If you really love that man, you will not run away with other man on your own wedding.” She said coldly and there was a brief silence before she continued again. “I wonder if Yoo-Ra is really Jong-Kook oppa’s daughter.” She added.

Han-Byul gulped upon looking at Ji-Hyo’s sharp gaze. Is she really Kim Jong Kook’s naïve wife Song Ji Hyo? Why does she look very different? Han-Byul has always thought that this woman is soft and weak but today, she proves her wrong. She is still trying hard to break free from Ji-Hyo’s grip forcefully but Ji-Hyo is just way too strong.

On the other hand, Ji-Hyo tightened the grip as she looked at Han-Byul with her mischievous smile. When Han-Byul tried to pull her hand from her grip again, she released it. Ji-Hyo released her grip and that successfully made Han-Byul to fell on the floor straight away. It feels a little satisfying for Ji-Hyo when she saw Han-Byul’s embarrassed expression.

“Ah, my hand is a little slippery.” Said Ji-Hyo sarcastically.

Han-Byul gathered all of her strength to stand up again and gave Ji-Hyo her hatred gaze. “You evil witch!” She cursed.

“Don’t you think you are telling it to the wrong person? It should be me to say that line.” Ji-Hyo replied calmly and expressionless.

“You,”

“Stop it.” Ji-Hyo cuts.

Ji-Hyo stepped back as she took her luggage. “If you truly love someone, you will do whatever it takes for both of you to last forever. You came back to Jong-Kook oppa with a daughter so that you could deceive his money and you call that love? Don’t you think you are way too cruel? Your daughter is not a bargain chip for you to earn money, Park Han Byul.”

“Then, what is the difference with Jong-Kook oppa? He is just marrying you in order to destroy your family. He doesn’t love you and you proudly say that you love him?”

Ji-Hyo heaved a heavy sigh as she looked at Han-Byul’s eyes. “I do. I really do but our fate was not in accordance with our feelings because everything was not a coincidence. We are destined to destroy each other.” Said Ji-Hyo and broke the eye contact.

“It’s done and I’m not going to fight anymore. It was exhausting. Very exhausting indeed. Let me tell you one more thing, being a mother is a blessing. Don’t trade your daughter just for the sake of your own happiness. I know how much you want money but your daughter worth more than it. She is priceless, Han-Byul ah.” Ji-Hyo added and she dragged her luggage out from the door, leaving that big house for real.

Meanwhile, Han-Byul was left speechless. She came back to Jong-Kook because Yoo-Ra’s biological father could not manage to finance her well and she couldn’t live in such condition. Kim Jong Kook is the only ticket that she has in order to free herself from the suffering. Why? Why Song Ji Hyo’s words feel like imprinted deeply in her heart?

Being a mother is a blessing

Your daughter is not a bargain chip for you to earn money

She is priceless, Han-Byul ah

Why it feels like she is really awakened by her words?

**

As soon as Ji-Hyo walked out, she could see that her brother Seung-Heon has been waiting for her. He didn’t say anything but to help her with her luggage. Ji-Hyo didn’t complain either and let her brother to do it instead. She feels very exhausted, physically and mentally.

“Are you ready?” Asked Seung-Heon once he saw her putting on the safety belt.

Ji-Hyo tried her best to smile and nodded her head. “I really want to go home.” She said weakly.

Seung-Heon nodded back and started the engine. For one last time, Ji-Hyo looked at the big mansion where she lives for the past one year. A lot of things happened there, be happiness or sorrow, it becomes a wound in her heart. Even if it heals one day, it will leave a scar that will never disappear.

On their way back, Ji-Hyo didn’t talk any single thing and she is very thankful that Seung-Heon does not ask anything as well. He knows that his sister is on her very emotional stage that he does not want to add it because it will feel like rubbing salt on her bleeding wound. As soon as they reached their home, Ji-Hyo ran to her mother’s arms and hugged her mother tightly as she began crying on her shoulder.

“Eomma, I’m so sorry.” She cried.

Kim Mi Kyung exhaled softly as she rubbed her daughter’s hair gently. “Why are you sorry?”

Ji-Hyo didn’t reply directly as she is still sobbing. Her shoulders are trembling badly and it took quite some time to calm her down.

“I’m sorry that I fall in love with him. I shouldn’t have liked him in the first place.”

Kim Mi Kyung shook her head disbelieve when she heard what her daughter said. She let go of her hug and erased her daughter’s tears gently with both of her thumbs. “It’s not your fault and our feeling is not something that we can control easily. Eomma wanted to ask you, are you with your decision?” She asked because she knew how much her daughter loved that man.

Ji-Hyo held her head low as she looked at her own knuckles. She has been hearing that question for several times from In-Sung. She is still battling inside her heart whether she is actually sure with her decision. It might hurt to accept the truth but it hurts more if she decides to hold on.

“I’m sure and I will not turn back.” Ji-Hyo replied firmly.

She should acknowledge that before she could make someone happy, she should first think of her own happiness. She should have act based on her thoughts instead of her heart because heart is stupid as . When you act based on your thoughts, you might seem heartless and when you act based on your heart, you seem thoughtless.

On the next day, Ji-Hyo woke up and just did her usual routine. She prepared herself to work and had her breakfast after that. The only difference is that she no longer woke up in that man’s arms and his face is not the first thing she sees each time she woke up. She doesn’t have someone to be called just for breakfast and it suddenly feels a little strange to her. She has been getting used to see Kim Jong Kook every day.

Damn, it is just a day and she has been missing that man. You can’t think like that, Song Ji Hyo. You chose to let go of him and this is the consequence you ought to bear. Although that man hurt her very bad, he also takes part of the happy memories in her life.

Ji-Hyo walked to the dining room and she sees her mother has finished cooking as she served the breakfast on the table. She looked at the sizzling chicken soup and the thought of Jong-Kook came to her head straight away.

“Eomma, isn’t it too much for breakfast?” Said Ji-Hyo as she took a seat beside Seung-Heon.

“Of course not. Seung-Heon ah, bring these with you when you visit your father.” Kim Mi-Kyung replied.

Seung-Heon nodded his head. “Ne, eomma.” He said and moved his glance to his sister. “How are you? Feeling better?” He asked.

Ji-Hyo’s lips curled up. “I feel good. Thanks for asking, oppa.” She replied.

The three of them had their breakfast and for some reason, she has been missing it so much. The random talks with her brother and happy chats with her mother. The only thing that is missing is her father’s presence. Oh, how she hopes that everything will be back to its original place. If only she didn’t agree to marry Kim Jong Kook, nothing will ever happen to her family and if only she didn’t love him in the first place, it will not hurt this way.

“Eomma, I’ll be back a little late because I will catch up with So-Min. Don’t wait for me, okay?” Said Ji-Hyo as she grabbed her bag.

Both Kim Mi Kyung and Seung-Heon nodded and she left after saying goodbye to both her mother and her brother. It will definitely be a brand new day for her. No Kim Jong Kook, no luxury life, no housemaids and no drivers. It literally feels like she is being back to her original self.

However, as much as she tried to concentrate with whatever she is doing, it feels like nothing goes right. The whole day in the school feels like a nightmare for her that she couldn’t even keep herself focused. It feels like something is missing from herself and it feels very uncomfortable. As soon as she finished her class, she decided to calm herself down by going to the playground. No one is around and being alone is just what she needs.

“Why do you really like to sit alone like that?” Said Jo Jae Hyun as he approached his drawing teacher and sat beside her, giving her his innocent look.

Ji-Hyo looked at the little boy as she pinched his nose playfully. “You are just 8 years old but why do you always talk like an adult?”

Jae-Hyun giggled. “Would you like some ice cream?”

The little boy thought she is going to say yes but she shook her head instead. “I’m not in mood to eat.” She replied and in fact she didn’t even finish her lunch this afternoon.

Jae-Hyun frowned upon hearing her replies. “Why? Although you are not in mood, I know you need it.” He said innocently.

“I need it?” She asked back, not getting what he means.

Jae-Hyun exhaled softly. “Noona, I know that you are sad. Did that muscled ahjussi make you sad again? Do you want me to kick him for you?”

Ji-Hyo feels like she is going laugh out loud. This boy is way too entertaining for her. “Andwae, Jae-Hyun ah.”

“Why? I promised that I will take you away from him if he makes you sad again.”

Ji-Hyo chuckled as she the little boy’s hair softly. Thanks to his presence that cheer her up a little bit. She couldn’t hold herself from hugging that little boy. “Thank you for worrying about me but I’m fine and I’m not going to see that ahjussi again.”  She said weakly.

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