Mother?

The weekend marked the start of summer vacation. Eun Shin had to prepare to visit Jae Vin and his mother, Seum Tae, at their mansion. Reluctance curled in her chest—something felt off. Why hadn’t her mother cared that Yung Ji wouldn’t be coming? What was she really planning? Jae Vin’s family had always wanted to meet Yung Ji and gain his favor. So why was it only Eun Shin this time?

The uneasy feeling lingered. Eun Shin picked up her phone and glanced at Lim Rin, who stood by the driveway, waiting for their chauffeur. She looked back, searching for Yung Ji, but he was already gone to work. Frowning, she hoped this was the right choice. She hit send and followed Lim Rin into the car.

Seung Jee stared at his phone screen.

Eun Shin: “Meet me here. Don’t go to the front door. Use the left side entrance—enter through the side house.”

He didn’t understand why Eun Shin sent such a cryptic message. Still, he bolted to his room, changed quickly, and rushed out the door. He grabbed a taxi to the address, the trip taking about thirty minutes.

Arriving, he looked around the front of the house. The gates stood wide open, but no one came to greet him. Silence hung heavy. Not a servant in sight. Something felt wrong—a mansion so quiet and open, yet deserted.

He checked Eun Shin’s message again, then turned and followed the sidewalk along the side of the house toward the side entrance.

A scream shattered the stillness. Eun Shin.

Seung Jee’s heart seized.

He sprinted forward, kicking the door open.

Inside, Jae Vin pinned her down, his hands clawing at her clothes as she kicked and screamed.

“Stop! Don’t—get off me!” she cried, staggering as her strength faltered. Tears slipped free. Seung-oppa. Please. Come! Help me!

Seung Jee’s voice broke through her desperation.

“Eun Shin, are you okay?”

She froze. The sight of Seung Jee’s breathless, worried face stabbed through her soul. He had come. Without hesitation, he trusted her call.

She cried, throwing her arms around him.

Jae Vin’s glare snapped to Seung Jee. Without warning, he struck, punching Seung Jee to the ground.

“Seung-oppa!” Eun Shin screamed, rushing to him.

Jae Vin shoved her down and rained more punches on Seung Jee, fury fueling each blow.

“This loser keeps butting into our damn lives. You better die today. Learn to stay the hell away from me!”

Jae Vin’s fists hammered down relentlessly. Eun Shin knew she was powerless alone. Her eyes darted wildly, searching—something, anything!

A vase.

She grabbed it and smashed it against Jae Vin’s head.

He collapsed, unconscious.

Eun Shin panted, breath ragged, as she shook Seung Jee’s cheek.

“Seung-oppa… please,” she begged, clinging to him.

She snatched his phone and dialed 119.

“119, what’s your emergency?”

“I need help… He tried to—he tried to rape me. My friend’s hurt. Please send someone, now!” Eun Shin’s voice trembled but she spoke as clearly as she could.

Lim Rin and Seum Tae stormed into the side house, their eyes widening as they saw the door standing wide open. Seum Tae’s glare locked onto Eun Shin, who was clutching Seung Jee and holding the phone to her ear. Frantically, Seum Tae scanned the room. Behind Eun Shin, Jae Vin lay unconscious on the floor, the shattered vase beside him.

Eun Shin trembled, glancing behind her before returning her gaze to the two women.

“What happened?” Seum Tae demanded, her voice sharp with fury.

Eun Shin’s tears spilled over.

“Please, Mother, help… please help Seung-oppa. Arrest Jae Vin for trying to—”

“How dare you accuse him of anything?” Lim Rin cut in, her eyes blazing as she stared at Seung Jee. “Who is he, anyway?”

Eun Shin gripped Seung Jee tighter.

“Where were you? He tried to… he tried to hurt me, Mother,” she whispered.

Lim Rin scoffed.

“Madam Lee, I sincerely apologize for my daughter’s rude behavior. I never expected this to happen,” she said coldly, ignoring Eun Shin’s desperate plea.

Seum Tae clenched her fists, voice rising.

“Call the police right now! Take him to jail!”

Eun Shin screamed in protest.

“No! If you take him to jail, your son will go too! Your son is a rapist!”

Lim Rin and Seum Tae stared at her, stunned into silence by her defiance.

“You—” Lim Rin began.

“I will call my father and tell him everything!” Eun Shin shouted, trembling but resolute, fighting for breath.

A flicker of doubt crossed Lim Rin’s face. She hesitated.

“Madam, perhaps we should look the other way for today…” she murmured.

“Ma’am? Are you there?” the dispatcher’s voice crackled through the phone.

Eun Shin turned to speak, but Lim Rin snatched the phone away.

“She’s confused. It’s nothing—just a misunderstanding. She’s delusional. Please forgive me for the nonsense she said. Goodbye,” Lim Rin said smoothly before hanging up.

She dropped the phone onto the floor in front of Eun Shin.

Frozen, Eun Shin stared at the lifeless device, numb with disbelief at her mother’s betrayal.

“Mother…” she whispered, voice breaking.

“How can you call yourself my daughter?” Lim Rin sneered. “Boys will be boys. Stop crying. Clean yourself up. We’re leaving.”

Eun Shin panted, unsteady.

“Mo… Seung-oppa…” she murmured, nausea rising from the chaos.

Seum Tae’s voice cut cold and low.

“If you don’t say a word about this, I won’t punish that child. But the moment you do, I’ll make sure he never leaves jail.”

Eun Shin’s body shook. Eyes closed, she nodded slowly.

“Just please… take him to the hospital,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

Seum Tae scoffed and stormed out. On her way, she ordered the chauffeur to take Seung Jee to the nearest hospital—but Lim Rin took over instead.

Eun Shin refused to let Seung Jee go alone, following them to the hospital until he was settled onto a gurney.

Lim Rin groaned as Eun Shin climbed into the car, clearly annoyed that they had to go together. Eun Shin sulked quietly, staring out the window.

Lim Rin turned to her with a sour look.

“You are not to speak about this to your father. Not a single word. Do you understand?” she demanded.

Eun Shin blinked, shocked by her mother’s harshness. But she knew all too well—if she spoke to her father, their family would shatter beyond repair.

“As long as you promise to stop hurting my friends… I won’t say anything,” Eun Shin argued softly.

Lim Rin’s glare hardened.

“Yeah, that’s what Madam Lee said,” she sneered.

Eun Shin closed her eyes tightly, her hands trembling.

“Then… okay,” she whispered, hesitating.

Lim Rin crossed her arms and scoffed.

“Drive home,” she ordered the chauffeur.

Eun Shin stared out the window, feeling utterly alone and lost. How could a mother do this to her own child? Yet asking that question felt like a cruel compliment to her mother’s coldness rather than a plea for comfort.

Silent tears slipped down Eun Shin’s cheeks until they reached home.

Once inside, Eun Shin stormed to her room and locked the door behind her. She collapsed onto her bed, sobbing heavily and screaming until her voice was hoarse.

From the office, Yung Ji heard the commotion and saw Lim Rin retreat to the master bedroom. He knocked softly on Eun Shin’s door.

“Eunnie, is everything alright?” he asked gently.

Sniffling, Eun Shin sat at the edge of the bed.

“I’m… I’m just tired. I’m going to nap,” she lied.

Yung Ji didn’t press further and nodded.

“Okay. If you need anything, let me know,” he said sincerely.

Eun Shin managed a small smile.

“Okay… thanks, abeoji.”

Yung Ji sighed, unsettled by the tension hanging in the air, but he shook it off and returned to the office.

Eun Shin heard the door close and lay back down. Her eyes drifted to her phone.

Jae Vin: “Can we talk?

Please…

I didn’t mean to hurt you…

Eun Shin, I promise to be a better boyfriend for you.

Answer me…

What does that stutter boy have that I don’t?”

Eun Shin gasped, struggling to stay calm. She locked her phone and stared out the window, thoughts swirling—searching for some way to make the pain stop.

She closed her eyes.

“My place is always open if you need a place to hide,” Seung Jee’s words echoed softly in her mind.

A whimper escaped her lips as she clutched her pillow tightly, overwhelmed by the memory.

“I’m sorry… I…” she sobbed quietly.

“You got hurt because of me… This time, I will protect you. I… I don’t want to lose you.”

Night was falling in the hospital room, the steady hiss of the oxygen tank filling the heavy silence.

The mysterious woman stepped inside, her eyes fixed coldly on Seung Jee’s motionless body.

Kim Soo, standing beside the bed, turned and bowed in surprise.

“Madam… I…” she sobbed.

The woman took a step forward, voice sharp with anger.

“Who did this to my son?”

Kim Soo wept openly.

“He said he was visiting a friend… I never imagined he’d end up here like this… Madam, please, give me another chance to protect him. I promise I’ll keep him safe. I…” Her words faltered.

The door opened again. This time, an elderly man in a wheelchair entered. The woman spun to glare at him.

“What brings you here, old man?”

The elder scoffed.

“Back again, huh? Weakness runs in his blood. When will you raise him to be stronger? That boy still can’t prove he’s fit to lead.”

The woman clenched her fists, fury rising.

“If you came here to say that, leave. I won’t tolerate your insults anymore. He deserves better than this family!”

The elder man laughed bitterly, coughing afterward.

“Better family? What use is my grandson if he’s this weak? Don’t waste my money raising that pathetic child.”

The woman stepped protectively in front of Seung Jee’s bed, shielding him.

“So what if I do? Then kick me out too. You’ll have no one left to take the company. Oppa died long ago caring for him. What will you do if I walk away? Feed the company to the dogs? At least they don’t call your grandson pathetic.”

The elderly man groaned, glare heavy.

“You don’t need to mention Sang Kang…” He turned away.

The woman exhaled sharply, then looked down at Seung Jee.

“Oppa really adored him… Even without children, they were like father and son. My son isn’t weak, so stop belittling him.” Her voice softened.

The elder man drew a deep breath, shaking his head.

“Tell him I don’t have long to live… Then tell him to come home. I won’t bother him anymore.”

With that, he left the room solemnly.

The woman frowned, then sat down beside Seung Jee.

“What was that young lady’s name?” she asked.

Kim Soo swallowed nervously and bowed hesitantly.

“Madam… she’s a good friend. A dear friend. Are—”

“Tell me her name now,” the woman commanded.

Kim Soo nodded, trembling.

“Park Eun Shin.”

Seung Jee’s finger twitched; his eyes rolled beneath closed lids.

“Eun Shin…” he whispered faintly.

Everything blurred, fading slowly to white.

Seung Jee looked down at his hands, panic rising.

“Am I… dead?” he wondered, eyes scanning the room.

The walls glowed with blinding white light on all sides.

A figure appeared in the distance. Seung Jee squinted, struggling to see who it was.

He stumbled forward, drawn by the figure like a silent beacon.

As he neared, the figure turned and smiled.

“Eun Shin?” he called out.

He ran toward her, but with each step, the distance between them grew.

Fear surged.

“Eun Shin!” he shouted, desperation clawing at him.

But he couldn’t reach her.

Suddenly—

A truck barreled toward Eun Shin.

Seung Jee froze, heart pounding, breath short. The memory slammed into him, swallowing his world in darkness.

He looked down at his trembling hands—small hands, those of a six-year-old.

He looked up again. The white light returned.

No Eun Shin. No truck.

But a coldness crept over him.

Slowly, he turned around.

There, on the ground, lay a bloody man reaching out a hand toward Seung Jee. Beside him stood a woman, her belly large with child.

“You’re… safe…”

Seung Jee’s eyes fluttered open, and he realized it had all been a dream. He panted as he struggled to sit up.

Kim Soo entered the room and, seeing him awake, burst into tears and hugged him tightly.

“Omma…” he whispered nervously.

Kim Soo sniffled, her voice trembling.

“You’re awake… Thank goodness. What happened to you?”

Seung Jee avoided her gaze and nodded.

“I…”

The door opened again. The mysterious woman stepped in, her expression stern as she fixed her gaze on him.

Seung Jee’s demeanor shifted, a subtle resentment flickering in his eyes.

“Who did this to you? Was it Park Eun Shin?” she asked firmly.

Seung Jee’s hands trembled as he panted, struggling to steady his voice.

“What do you want now?” he snapped, refusing to meet her eyes.

The woman sighed deeply, trying to keep her composure.

“Hal-abeoji asked you to come home… so—”

“I don’t want to. That place… I’d rather stay here… with Eun Shin. Now leave.”

He lay back down, turning toward the window and pulling the blanket over himself, fighting back tears.

Her jaw tightened. She understood he wouldn’t say another word. With a sigh, she left the room.