She locks her car in the school parking lot, ready to meet Logan, when cries stop her. She peers around, spotting Seok Kyun pushing another girl. She races through the cars, just when the girl stumbles to the ground. 

 

“What's happening here?” She stands blocking her daughter’s attack. “Are you alright?” She addresses the girl, who she expected to be Rona but isn’t. It’s Eun Byeol.   

 

“Stay out of this, Su Ryeon”, Dan Tae grabs her wrist and drags her towards the car. 

 

“You’re hurting me” she says through gritted teeth, struggling to stand her ground. 

 

“You’re hurting yourself”. 

 

Seok Kyun takes the opportunity to squeeze Eun Byeol’s fingers to the pavement with her shoe, provoking an ungodly scream. 

 

Su Ryeon escapes Dan Tae’s hold and rushes to her side. When she touches the girl, she flinches. 

 

“Don’t act innocent, you ”.

 

“Seok Kyun!”

 

“What? She started it! Now my mom is doing community service, all these lowlifes think I’m fair game. It’s your fault”. 

 

“I shouldn’t have permitted you to clean the school, it sets a bad precedent for our family.” Dan Tae adds.

 

“Everyone’s laughing at me at school”. 

 

“I managed to get Rona suspended, that would quiet the gossip for now. But you can’t keep coming here, you’re ruining her reputation”, he smirks. 

 

is too tight to make words. Her daughter, who she showered with love from the crib, likes to hurt people. It’s a chilling realization, her manic eyes don’t show any regret. Dan Tae taught her to use people, so she does. She thought she could mitigate his bad influence by being more loving and forgiving her every time, but she’s left the door open for him to shape her in his image. 

 

Unable to process the wave of sorrow sitting on her lungs, she takes Seok Kyun’s hand and gives Eun Byeol the chance to leave. 

 

“Stop acting like you care, mom,” she sputters. “It's embarrassing to be with you right now”. 

 

She stops. 

 

“When did I teach you to judge people based on their money? You think it’s okay to terrorize poor people? For what?”

 

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you, mom. Isn’t money all you have? If you wanna give me a moral lesson, don’t do it in Louboutins”. 

 

“These are just shoes! They don’t give us our worth”.

 

“Then what gives you worth, mom? Your beauty? It’s bought. Your dreams? You abandoned them. If there wasn’t me and dad and the penthouse, who exactly would you be?”

 

 

“I don’t know!”

 

“That’s the ing problem! And until you have an answer, don’t ever talk to me again about privilege, cause that’s all I got from you”. 

 

Dan Tae watches them with a satisfied expression. 

 

“It would be hypocritical, wife”, he says as if there’s nothing wrong in this situation. like it’s something he would have done. Only it is.  

 

“You encourage this. I can’t even look at you right now” she says with disgust. 

 

“Dad fought for me! You didn’t. You took the broom and did what they told you to do. You’re so weak, but I thought it was dad you couldn’t stand up to. Turns out it’s everyone”. 

 

Speechless once again, this is how her daughter sees her after giving up her painting career, her passion and identity, to be with her.

 

“Why didn’t you tell them it wasn't my fault?" Seok Kyun cries. 

 

“-but it was-”, 

 

“Dad says it wasn’t. He told the headmaster and he suspended Rona. So stop being a cleaning lady and be a mom I can be proud of!”

 

Seok Kyun gets in the car clanging the passenger seat -Dan Tae lets the twins sit in the front despite her not allowing it- and the silver sedan screeches. 

 

Su Ryeon lets the tears fall and crouches to her knees, as a pair of eyes watches the whole scene. 

 

—

 

When he runs after her, she’s gone. Pacing around the second floor of the parking garage, he tries calling but her phone is off. He witnessed the scene, saw her being devastated by her husband and daughter, and before he could reach her, she disappeared. 

 

Even if he caught her, what would he say? That first time, he made her believe she was a bad mother, that she wasn’t teaching her child well. She came to offer her time and he was so blinded by his anger, he didn’t consider if she was truly worth punishing.

 

He bites his lower lip until it hurts. The pain centers him, while regret floods his chest. His cruel words echo in his mind and he can still see her face. 

 

Is that how you see me?

 

He pushed her, instead of helping her. 

 

He judged without knowing her life. 

 

The second he peeked through her immaculate mask, hate wasn’t what propelled him to spend time with her. He saw something, in the way she was looking at Sung Ah, to her defending him, to the regret in her voice when talking about her daughter.  

 

He stops abruptly. All this time she’s been doing chores as a penance. He breaks into running, breathless when he reaches the gym. 

 

She’s not cleaning the floor or sorting the trash. He wills his breathing to return to normal and that’s when he hears it. Running water. 

 

He sprints to the facilities when the sound gets louder and angrier. It haunts him at every step. 

 

What he comes across makes his blood run cold.

 

The wall of the old bathrooms is vast and mold covers the porcelain tiles, as rusty shower heads in various stages of decomposition interspersed along the abandoned surface. Su Ryeon, scrubbing the slime off the once white surface while she uses the water pressure to make it spotless. she’s trembling, pushing herself to move with such force the paint will rub off. She moves to the next spot and repeats, not losing any steam, giving herself fervently to this sisyphean task.  

 

“Hey.” he says softly, careful not to startle her. As he approaches, he notices the edges of her dress are dirty, she doesn’t care. “You don’t have to do that”. 

 

Her grip on the bar tightens. 

 

“I said I'd do this for my daughter, leave me alone”. The rod makes a metallic sound when she pushes, frustrated. 

 

“I saw you”. Her hand pauses. 

 

She finally turns to him, her eyes bloodshot and cold. 

 

“Perfect,” she says, “now you know you were right. I am a bad mother. Go ahead, gloat”. 

 

“Look at me”. 

 

She doesn’t. 

 

He sits on his knees next to her, his back to the wall, intercepting her line of sight. 

 

“You’re not who I thought you were. I'm sorry I took it out on you". 

 

She scrubs harder, fighting tears. "Stop". 

 

"I wanted someone to be punished. And you bursted into my office and I saw red. But you kept coming and trying-" 

 

"Stop it!".

 

"-I was wrong. Your husband is the bully”. 

 

“And what does it make me?” Her cry pierces the air, echoed by the bare walls. She scrubs so hard, the valve cracks and breaks with a thud and freezing water falls on her, plastering the hair on her face and seeping in her dress. 

 

She doesn't move to escape, only murmurs.

 

“I am weak. And she sees. That’s why she’s choosing to be like her father”.

 

Her teeth clatter, she is shaking from the cold, pushing her nails in her flesh. Without thinking, he pulls her in his arms. The stream of icy water hits his back, a chill rises, but he nestles her head on his chest, away from the water. He her back, the wet material sticking to her fragile body. Wailing, she sags into him. 

 

“You’re not weak. You’re teaching her to take responsibility for her actions. You could have had me fired and be done with it. But you came here every day hoping she’d see her error."

 

She lifts up her head just in time for his next words. 

 

“That’s not the action of a weak person”. 

 

Her bangs are like wet curtains, obscuring her eyes. His thumb brushes the space between her brows, revealing a sliver of pale skin. She shudders. 

 

“I shouldn't have been this lax with her. I thought it was for the best. My parents were so strict, I couldn’t breathe at home. They controlled what I ate, what I wore and who I would be. I wanted to raise my children with love and freedom, so they would be exactly who they wanted. I got my wish”, she says bitterly. 

 

He pulls her closer, burying her head on his neck. His voice is coarse. 

 

“I had a sister. I told you she’s gone. I didn’t tell you she was bullied mercilessly” Su Ryeon tenses in his arms. “Everyone knew, from teachers to students. She told the headmaster and he had her suspended. When the bullies found out, all four of them dragged her to an abandoned parking lot and locked her in the trunk of a scrappy car.” He shallows the bile rising up his throat. “They hit it with bats for hours. They said they only wanted to scare her, but the car caught fire and they left her there. She was burned alive.” He battles with the images of her mauled body, unrecognizable on the table. 

 

“Logan, I’m so sorry”, she says and the genuine sadness of her tone does more to him than all the condolences he got then. 

 

“And you know what the parents said? That it was an accident. They sent their kids to colleges abroad for a year and now they have the bright future they were promised, not a care in the world.” As if they didn’t break his world in half, as if she didn’t matter. “This is what weak parents do, and you’re not like that. You tried”. 

 

She smiles bitterly and burrows back to him. 

 

“I'm sorry I said you’re vindictive. You care, more than anyone else”. 

 

“I am vindictive,” he admits. “But I don’t know what else to do. I saw what ignoring bullying leads to and I can’t-” he squeezes her. “I can’t let it go”. 

 

He is ready for another version of “move on”, but this is not what she says. 

 

Turning in his arms to face him fully, for the first time there’s a spark in her eyes and it’s not annoyance. She touches his shoulder and the heat beneath her fingers is electric. 

 

“Don’t. You must keep helping your kids”. 

 

She’s so certain, his path becomes clear. He will stay here, continuing to help families, one kid at a time. Ensure no one will end up like Seol Ah. Su Ryeon could help, approach the parents-

 

“What about you?” Serenity eases her face. 

 

“The same”. 

 

She twists her body until she’s hugging him. She wipes a droplet from his cheek. Just for this, cracking his heart open is worth it. 

 

 

-

 

 

With loud cheers, the kids' football practice finishes, and Logan whistles. The field smells of freshly cut grass and the cackling of children’s laughter fills the air. For the first time in a while, he has a good feeling. The school year is coming to an end and he’s more excited than the kids, albeit for a different reason. 

 

Said reason is walking towards him in a blush pink sundress and matching platform heels, her loose curls dancing as she moves. Now that he doesn’t force himself to hate her, he can admit it: she’s gorgeous.

 

He wills himself to finish up, helping each of the kids with the gear, bump fists goodbye and definitely not run towards her. Definitely some small talk before he asks her-

 

He must be grinning like a fool, because when she catches his eyes, she has a wistful smile.

 

After the last time, he wants to hug her. Is he expected to use a polite greeting, when he’s peered into her soul?

 

He’s saved from figuring it out, when she speaks. 

 

“I came to say goodbye”. 

 

The smile drops. 

 

“Why?” Panic bites his insides. He comes closer. “If I crossed a line the other day-”

 

It's his fault, with all the chores and the blaming, she must have had enough. She scrunches her brows. 

 

“If I did something to make you go, don’t. I’m sorry, I’ve been drowning in my trauma, and didn’t see anyone else hurting. But meeting you has-” he falters, because it's not about how she makes him feel. “Even picking trash with you is the best part of my day”. 

 

The only acknowledgement to his confession is a small intake of breath. He’d miss it if he wasn’t so focused on her lips. 

 

“We’re leaving the city”. 

 

He nods as she tells him she's taking Seok Hyun to a coastal town, her deceased mother's home, to give them a semblance of a normal life. Public school, neighbors, nature.“We need time to heal as a family”. 

 

He swallows at the last word. It's not about him at all, which is great, but also, the absolute worst. 

 

“And give her time to process the divorce”. 

 

His brain short-circuits. His heart does a little summersault it has no business doing but if she's leaving what difference does it make if she's free. He grunts. Finally, he lashes out. 

 

“So, send your very-soon-to-be-ex to the middle of nowhere town and you stay right here”. 

 

She laughs. The sun softens her eyelashes. 

 

“It's all because of you. You opened my eyes and forced me to face my life”. She touches his folded arms. 

 

“I am an idiot”. 

 

They both laugh, but there's a bitter finish. Did he open her eyes just to lose her?

 

“You have been an impossible nuisance”, she says but there’s no malice. “I may have plotted your demise on more than one occasion. But you saw the good in me, and I'll do the same with my daughter”. 

 

It is the best thing for her, but his heart doesn’t get the memo.  

 

His hand traces the soft skin of her forearm, ending in the small of her palm. She inches towards him and he wants to stop time and relive this moment, this touch. 

 

“I want to be selfish” he whispers, “I want to ask you to stay”. 

 

She closes her fingers around his.

 

“I want to be selfish and stay”. 

 

He brings their joint hands to his lips and presses a kiss, infused with all his longing and affection he’s left unexpressed. It’s a parting gift, a seal to their brief but painfully meaningful encounter. 

 

“Promise me you’ll be happy. Or else I can’t let you go”. 

 

She nods, her eyes glassy.

 

The sun still shines as he watches her leave. 

 

-

 

Six months later

 

She pushes down the thick straps of her overalls, revealing a plain white tee with yellow paint stains. A year ago, it would be a sign of failing her housewife duties. Today, it reminds her she’s following her passion. 

 

Seok Kyun and she have moved to the sleepy town of Yumiko. Her mother’s past echoing through the alleys of the sleepy little town. It is both heavy with memories and new. She started painting again, renting a spacious studio with a view of the sea. In this town, she's not known as a wife, but as a painter. And a mother, and a council member. The kids are free, roaming around the neighborhood, choosing their own classes, and making friends. Now that Dan Tae and the pressures of high society don’t stiffen her, their little family unit is tight and happy.

 

It has been a long journey to win back her daughter, but living an authentic life is what brings them close. 

 

She puts the finishing touches on the painting, a family collecting seashells on the beach, smiling at the makeshift bracelet adorning her wrist. Seok Kyun left it on her dresser one day and she’s never taken it off since. She wipes her hands. The bell of the studio entrance rings, and she hastily fixes her paint stained denim to greet the customer. 

 

“Hello”, she greets. The man is browsing the art, the canvases obscuring his face. “Are you looking for something special?”

 

“No”. The voice sends a spark to her heart and he faces her. “I’ve already found it”. 

 

She can’t breathe, if she moves it may all be a dream. She takes him in, his athletic stature covered in white linen, his usual sneakers, hair in disarray from the journey here. But it’s his dazzling smile that tugs at her heart. 

 

“How?”, she mouths. 

 

His eyes turn impossibly sweeter. He sidesteps the artwork, careful. 

 

“I always planned to come to you. And Seok Kyun called”. 

 

Her daughter was worried about her, choosing to give her a chance at love. She touches the friendship bracelet, they have come a long way. 

 

The calmness of his voice doesn’t relax her beating heart.  

 

“I got a job at the high school, I’m here to stay. You don’t owe me anything, hell, this time I'll be mopping your studio if it means spending time with you”. 

 

The words aren’t out of his mouth when she crosses the space between them, jumping into his arms. 

 

He lifts her off the ground and she lets out a giggle, happiness spilling from her body. 

 

“Clean up your schedule, you’ll be here every day after school”, she murmurs and he looks delighted to be given work in his free time. She wants to paint that smile with bright colors, bring it in her life and her art. She kisses it, tasting pure joy and when his lips move under hers, she feels it. 

 

Her feet touch the ground but he doesn’t let go. He presses her forehead against hers, kissing the tip of her nose and the corner of her lips. 

 

“I can’t wait”.