“KyonDae, I’m going out. Make sure you clean the house as usual and do the house chores. You hear me?” HeaJung said while putting on her extremely high heels. KyonDae stood there while holding the mop and nodded. It was nothing unusual. Her stepmother wasn’t always at home at night and KyonDae had no idea where she went. She didn’t even bother to ask.

“One more thing, make sure you come straight home after your job. Don’t go anywhere else. I might not be at home until tomorrow morning, but don’t you ever dare to go somewhere else. Understand?” HeaJung said sternly while shooting daggers at KyonDae. If looks could kill, KyonDae will be dead by now.

“If I find the house not cleaned properly, you will get it from me.” HeaJung warned again and sent shivers to KyonDae’s spine. KyonDae nodded.

KyonDae’s father, who happened to be on the couch sleeping, after reaching home in a drunken state, woke up and said to HeaJung, “Just let the girl be and you should get on your business.”

HeaJung looked at DaeHo and glared at him. “You shut up, you freak. I will do whatever I want with her.”

DaeHo smirked and sat up straight while looking at HeaJung mockingly. “Don’t think I didn’t notice. I know what you’ve been doing to my daughter. I’m warning you. You better not cross the line.”

KyonDae frowned while still standing at where she was. Had her father just defended her from her so called stepmother? But why? Her father never bothered about her before, so why now?

HeaJung crossed her arms and looked back at DaeHo while returning a smirk back to him. “Why are you warning me all of a sudden? You don’t even care what I do to her all this while. Why do you suddenly want to defend her the way a father should?”

DaeHo opened his mouth to snap at HeaJung back but HeaJung already cut him, “Oh ... It’s because of that woman, right? It must be because of her.

“Just shut up and get lost HeaJung! GO AWAY !!!” DaeHo yelled and HeaJung scoffed at him before leaving the house. DaeHo’s breath was uneven as he tried to control his anger. He didn’t like it when other people mentioned her. It will only bring back painful memories to him.

DaeHo stood up and looked at KyonDae who continued to mop the floor, her face was expressionless. She acted as if she heard nothing and no one was shouting at all while she was mopping. His look on KyonDae softened as he sighed. DaeHo didn’t waste a second to grab his car keys and went out of the house as well.

KyonDae only watched as her father stormed out of the house, like her stepmother. KyonDae let out a deep sigh and shook her head. She really disliked it when her parents argued. Every time they did, they happened to say things that KyonDae never liked to hear.

“Why is it so dusty in here? Should I just wipe them off?” KyonDae asked herself while sitting Indian style in front of a small cupboard in the living room. She had finished the rest of the house chores before going to work and she suddenly came across the cupboard which was full of dust inside.

“I guess I should just do it then. It won’t hurt just to wipe the dust away. Who knows if mother all of a sudden opens this cupboard and finds it dirty?” KyonDae took a clean and wet cloth with a bottle of spray before starting to wipe the dust of the small cupboard. After she wiped the surface, she opened the two doors of the small cupboard. The cupboard was not big at all. It was quite small and the height only reached KyonDae’s knees.

KyonDae opened the doors and to her amazement, she found some old and worn out albums inside it. Why haven’t I seen these before?

KyonDae wiped the dust away with a wet piece of cloth when her eyes suddenly caught the sight of a picture that was hidden behind the albums. KyonDae tilted her head and took the frame out. It was very old and so was the picture.

KyonDae’e eyebrows met when she looked at the picture. It was a photo of a beautiful young lady, sitting on a bench and if KyonDae was looking correctly, she was at a garden. In her arms, she was holding a tiny, sleeping infant. The lady was smiling very widely and in her eyes, KyonDae could see happiness. There was no sadness at all and she looked as if she was in heaven.

Who is she? I’ve never seen her before. Why would this photo be here?

KyonDae turned the frame around and saw some faded writings on it. It was hard to read but KyonDae could make out some words.

“My beloved EunJung and our little princess.”

“EunJung? Who is EunJung?” KyonDae asked herself. She was getting more and more inquisitive but she knew she would never get the answer as she had no idea who to ask. She didn’t know why, but the look on the lady’s face seemed to be attracting her. She looked so close to heart, even though KyonDae had no idea why.

I’ve never met her before, but my heart seems to be drawn looking at her face.

KyonDae was still staring at the picture when she heard tiny footsteps walking towards her. “Unnie.”

KyonDae looked to her left and found SoRa, looking at her with her blank face with one of her hands hugging her doll.

“What is it SoRa?” KyonDae asked. SoRa tugged her sleeves and pointed towards the front door. “Out.”

KyonDae frowned upon hearing what SoRa said. KyonDae looked at the clock and noticed that her shift at the restaurant will start soon. “Oh, that’s why you called me, is it? To tell me it’s time to go? Come on then, you clever girl. Let’s go.” KyonDae kept the picture back to whence she found it and closed the cupboard. She washed her hands and put on her sweater before putting on SoRa’s on her.

KyonDae grabbed SoRa’s bag which contained her colouring books and colour pencils before closing and locking the door.

She won’t be dropping SoRa of at MyungHee’s today as she felt bad for having to leave SoRa there during school days so she decided to take SoRa along during the weekends. KyonDae figured that MyungHee and her family would like to have some time with each other during weekends.

They were both walking with KyonDae holding on to SoRa’s little hands. After they crossed the road, they passed by a garden. Something caught SoRa’s eyes and she called her sister while yanking her hand, “Unnie! Unnie!”

KyonDae stopped walking and crouched in front of her sister, “What SoRa?”

SoRa jumped up and down happily while pointing something across the garden with her tiny finger. KyonDae followed her finger and looked at what caught her sister’s attention.

“Butterfly!” SoRa called.

KyonDae turned back to SoRa, half shocked. “What did you say?”

“Butterfly!” SoRa said again.

KyonDae blinked and a smile appeared on her face. “Yes, SoRa. It’s a butterfly. You’re a clever girl! Who taught you that? I don’t remember showing you any butterflies before.”

SoRa shifted her intent gaze from the butterfly towards KyonDae. She hugged KyonDae’s neck and happily said. “Myung oppa!”

KyonDae hugged her small figure back and chuckled. “Oh ... so MyungSoo oppa taught you that. I should’ve known.” She stood up again.

“One day, I will take you to see lots and lots of butterflies okay? You like them so much, huh?” KyonDae promised and held out her pinkie towards SoRa. SoRa linked her pinkie with KyonDae’s and jumped happily. “Butterfly!”

KyonDae laughed happily at her sister’s cuteness. It was rare for her to see SoRa smile too, like everyone else. When she saw that SoRa was very delighted to see the butterfly flying around at the garden, KyonDae knew that her sister liked butterflies so much.

“Come along now, princess. Say goodbye to butterfl