69
Their Kingdom Panorama
/\_____/\
Bored at her desk Victoria finally decided on taking a walk. She strolled down the hallways randomly taking a left or right turn. Unsure of where she was she paused to look around. As she retraced her steps, voices floating through a crack of the door made her stop.
She recognized her father’s voice, but it was the person he was talking to that she didn’t recognize. Their conversation was on another level that left her mentally shocked.
“I think pulling So Rae out of the company’s investment team will help us save our reputation. You know that girl is reckless. When she gets upset, she’ll do anything.”
“Who will head the team?” her father asked. “So Rae has only studied investment all her life because I told her to. If we suddenly pull her out, what will So Rae do?”
“Let her go work somewhere else,” the other voice assured, “So Rae will get along just fine.”
“But why So Rae? Leaving her here in the investment team isn’t a bad idea and I appointed her to the position not too long ago. What will the industry say about me if I pull her out? It’ll harm the company’s reputation.”
“Don’t you see the bigger problem at hand, Dae Jung?” the man sounded frustrated. “If you want to protect the company, you have to remove So Rae no matter what.”
Her father seemed hesitant as a note of silence escaped him.
“So Rae will find ways to topple you down, us down if she finds out that Man Shik is her real father! Don’t you know how angry she’d be?! That over all these years, you, her father has been deceiving her?” the other man started to raise his voice.
Victoria felt her heart beat quicken. Man Shik…was who?!
“So Rae is starting to get suspicious. She’s asking everyone, so before she eventually finds out we need to get rid of her…”
Unable to listen any longer she started down the hallway with a run.
/\_____/\
Hee Young sat at the end of the table pushing a thick black folder and her empty cup of coffee aside. So Rae followed her in and stood by the doorway.
“I didn’t think you’d come here,” her mother opinionated. “Did your father do something? Is Kyuhyun looking after you?”
The suggestion that Kyuhyun should be looking after her angered her.
“Mom!”
Hee Young pursed her lips and turned away, “Don’t tell me you’re seeing that chauffeur of yours.”
“I will, we will start seeing each other soon.” So Rae seriously stated.
“What?!” her mother turned back to her with an expression full of disbelief.
“I’m going to use him against Victoria.”
“What?!” her bewildered mother wondered. “And would you sit down?”
“She’s going to marry Kyuhyun. It will happen one way or another,” So Rae determined, “mom, I’ll make Donghae come back to my side. There’s no way I’ll let him go to her. Victoria won’t ever be happy.”
“Are you crazy?” her mother stammered after a long pause of silence. “Victoria will marry him, but why are you bringing in someone who isn’t a part of all this?”
“He is a part of this,” So Rae corrected, “it’s because of him that Victoria won’t marry Kyuhyun.”
“What?!” her mother asked again. “Victoria and that chauffeur has something going on?”
“Didn’t I just say that?”
Her mother fell into silence again then said, “So Rae, why are you suddenly trying to get Victoria to marry Kyuhyun when you were against it in the first place?”
So Rae answered, “Because it’ll make Victoria unhappy.”
Hee Young’s eyes became another inch wider, “Think carefully, So Rae. Victoria will marry Kyuhyun even if you don’t try to get them together. Your father has decided it a long time ago and you know how he is. He’ll make sure that it happens. Chairman Cho will also make sure that it happens. So why are you doing this?
“So Rae, Victoria will go through with this. Don’t drag in that chauffeur of yours.”
“Why?”
Her mother looked frustrated, “Whatever the reason, you shouldn’t drag in another person to harm Victoria this way! It’s ridiculous!”
“Ridiculous? Ridiculous?! Why!”
Hee Young pursed her lips tightly, “You can push her around, do anything you want to her, but you can’t hurt Victoria this way! Using someone she has feelings for against her…you can’t do that.”
“I didn’t know you’d protect her like this,” So Rae told, “you’re hiding something, aren’t you? Does it have to do with Man Shik?”
Her mother’s face turned pale before she shot up from her seat.
“Bang So Rae!”
“Mom! You should have made sure that dad never had an affair with another woman! Then I wouldn’t be like this?!” So Rae bellowed. “And Man Shik…did you have an affair with him? Is that why you and dad are like this?! Victoria has ruined my chance of being the only child, of being my father’s favorite. I’m going to hurt her, make her mother in her grave regret for giving birth to a child of my dad’s blood.”
“What?” her mother’s lips almost trembled.
“That’s right,” So Rae nodded, “you could have done something when dad brought Victoria home. I wouldn’t have gone so far as to start all this madness, but all you did, was ask for the divorce.”
“Who do you think you’re talking to, So Rae? Your mother, I’m your mother!”
“It’s all your fault!” So Rae screamed so angrily. “You and dad should have never brought me into this world if there was already Victoria! Why, why, why! Because of you, I can’t even get my thoughts straightened!”
“How did you learn to become so scary?” her mother’s whisper left her.
“You, mom,” So Rae deeply stared at her, “because you and dad didn’t give me the proper upbringing I should have gotten. Because from every aspect, Victoria is better than me. I will destroy that image of hers.”
Hee Young stared at her daughter shocked with her determination. So Rae turned around and started for the door, but Hee Young hurried after her swerving her around with a hand on her arm.
“So Rae-ah…”
So Rae slightly turned her head so that half of her mother’s face was in view.
“Don’t do it. Don’t hurt Victoria like this, I know you’re not a bad child,” Hee Young begged, “I don’t want you to regret this.”
“If you reveal to me who Man Shik is, I’ll take your words into consideration.”
Hee Young’s lips almost trembled again. So Rae had never treated her this way before. It was shocking and too surprising.
“Why! Why is his identity so important?” Hee Young questioned shaking So Rae’s arm.
“Then forget it. I know you won’t tell me anyway.”
So Rae turned around and walked down the hallway mind and ears deaf to her mother’s shaking behind her. When she got outside Donghae was no where in sight. That was when she discovered the note underneath the windshield wipers.
/\_____/\
A smile appeared on Kyuhyun’s face when he saw his childhood friend, Mi Sun. She waved to him from where she was seated and he comfortably took a seat in front of her.
“I ordered for you,” she told, “it’s always the same, right?”
“Medium rare steak with a cup of wine?”
“You’re so simple.” she commented.
“So what’s the occasion? You getting married? Cause you don’t usually invite me out just like this,” he said.
She smiled at him.
“Though the engagement was a fail, you know the wedding will go on, right?”
The large circular glasses she’d worn ever since she was little magically reappeared on her face. And again, little Mi Sun was pointing out the things he didn’t like.
“Why are you talking about that?” he asked calmly forgetting about the dinner in front of him. “Did So Rae, by any chance, tell you to pass this message?”
Mi Sun stared back, “You guys will be facing a storm later. There isn’t time to be pushing and blaming.”
“Who’s blaming who?” it was a statement. “Look, you’re going to have to tell So Rae…no, I’ll tell her myself that she needs to back out of this wedding arrangement between Victoria and I.”
“I’m not taking sides, I’m not saying one’s making better choices than the other. I’m telling you, it’ll be best to marry Victoria.”
Kyuhyun stared at Mi Sun.
“Did something happen?” he asked suddenly feeling worried, over-concerned.
“No,” Mi Sun solidly answered.
“Then why are you telling me to force my marriage upon Victoria?” Kyuhyun questioned. “Not unless you and So Rae are up to something, will I take your words into consideration. As of right now, Victoria’s opinions matter to me most. A wedding won’t become a wedding unless both sides agree to hold hands. Victoria isn’t anywhere near that phase where she wants to hold hands right now.”
“I’m glad to hear you think of her that way,” Mi Sun expressed, “there are secrets behind every door. I hope you won’t regret your words.”
Kyuhyun wanted to frown at her, but did his utmost best to hold it back. As Mi Sun returned to her dish, he found his favorite restaurant dish in front of him unappetizing.
/\_____/\
Victoria glanced at her silent father beside her. She would have gone out to see the Three Musketeers, but had decided that not going was a better choice. The house was quiet and solemn without So Rae’s tantrums and it felt a bit strange being alone with the father she had only been with for a few months.
Once again, she raised her head to look at the empty seat ahead of her.
“Dad, where’s So Rae unnie? Did you call her to ask if she’s coming home?”
“So Rae’s gone to see her mother. Don’t worry about it. If she wants to come home, she’ll come home or if not she can sleep with her mother tonight.”
His words were so icy. Had it often left So Rae yearning for more words of warmth and comfort other than the words telling her she could take care of herself?
Finally, she’d received the answer to her question a while ago. It wasn’t because of her nor was it because of the fact that So Rae’s mother didn’t get along with her father that So Rae and her father’s relationship wasn’t well. It was all because So Rae never had the Bang family blood running through her veins ever since her existence. Her father just hadn’t cared.
The reason why her father had hastily brought her in and tried to get her engaged to Kyuhyun was all none other than the fact that she was his daughter. Biological daughter.
Victoria was starting to feel stricken by the fact she’d just learned. So Rae was thoughtless, mean, and not worth it, but however much Victoria could have wanted to dislike her it was impossible to hate. The only sibling she ever had wasn’t her real sibling in the end. No matter how many facts popped out from her mind, Victoria still wanted So Rae as her unnie.
After dinner, Victoria started up the stairs. Before making it to her bedroom she paused in the middle of the hallway and glanced toward So Rae’s bedroom, which was located in the opposite hallway. Turning around she headed toward the bedroom door and twisted the doorknob open.
Once again, she was met with the girly So Rae’s room. Taking a step in, Victoria ran her fingers over the top of So Rae’s white desk and glanced at the drawer underneath. Wondering what kind of necessities So Rae kept in there, she pulled it open to find that it contained none other than the jewelry box she and Donghae had taken from So Rae’s murdered uncle.
Her eyes widened in surprise. What was it doing in So Rae’s room? Then the ringing of her phone told her she was unable to stay in So Rae’s room any longer.
When she opened the door, Donghae was pacing back and forth impatiently kicking at the ground. The reflection of the light outside shone in his eyes when he turned to her with a smile.
“I don’t think I can go out tonight,” Victoria started.
“Did something happen?” he asked with his eyes darting toward the house.
“No,” Victoria told, “then, lets just go sit somewhere and talk.”
“Ok,” he easily agreed holding out a hand.
Victoria took it in a heartbeat.
They strolled down the block and toward the waters heading for the dock. As their feet swayed back and forth above the dark lake, their entwined hands did not unlock. Leaning her head against his shoulder Victoria was glad to have found the comfort it offered her.
“I went with So Rae to see her mother today,” he told.
“I know.”
“Really?!”
“My father told me.”
“Oh…then…what did you do all day?”
“The usual. There was no one at the office, so I was lonely there.”
“Aww…poor you.”
Victoria debated on whether she should tell him about So Rae and at the same time she was wondering that, Donghae was debating about whether or not he should share with her about what So Rae had said about him. Instead of worrying each other they remained silent hoping that tomorrow would bring to them a better day.
When Victoria headed upstairs after dinner the next morning she came face to face with So Rae at the top. So Rae stared her down. Deciding not to provoke a fight that morning Victoria quietly moved to the side making way for So Rae. However, after a second when So Rae didn’t move, Victoria knew that So Rae was going to turn the atmosphere coarse.
“I hate you.”
Victoria turned to look at her pitiful sister.
“Lee Donghae, he’s pretty special to you, isn’t he?” So Rae asked with a mischievous smirk.
Victoria swore her ears became deaf.
“You better watch what you’re doing, your every move, I’ll be watching,” So Rae threatened, “I can easily kill you with my hands.”
What was So Rae talking about?
“I will never let you have a happy ending. So, suffer for the rest of your life.” So Rae hissed.
Turning around So Rae finally made her way downstairs. So Rae had spoken to her with so much hate. But then…what was it with Donghae? Why had So Rae spoken about Donghae?
/\_____/\
She couldn’t help, but glare at Donghae who was again standing outside of the car. Did coming to Victoria’s house make him that happy?
“Get in the car,” So Rae demanded.
Donghae didn’t explain to her about what he’d done when he returned, and she hadn’t bothered to ask anyway. Getting to her office that morning she called Mi Sun in.
“Bring to me Victoria’s records.”
“What?”
“You seriously did not understand what I just said?” So Rae asked with anger rising in her voice.
Mi Sun hesitated then asked, “But why would you want to look at Victoria’s background? That’s like…investigating her.”
“I want to find out her flaws, anything that can degrade her.”
“Why did you even tell me that?” Mi Sun asked.
“If I don’t trust you, who else do I trust?”
Mi Sun sent her gaze elsewhere.
“So Rae, I hope you don’t regret any of this. I only hope that taking a look at Victoria’s background can make you break your wall and accept her as a family member.”
“Are you ill wishing me?”
“I’ll be back,” Mi Sun told before walking out.
***Hee Young pursed her lips tightly, “You can push her around, do anything you want to her, but you can’t hurt Victoria this way! Using someone she has feelings for against her…you can’t do that.” has got to be the smartest thing Hee Young has ever said.
***And Victoria finally finds out who Man Shik is...oops more trouble on the way
***So Rae is scooping out more trouble :/ Looking for Victoria's background is like digging out her life in prison
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