The intensity of his gaze was disconcerting to Jisoo when, halfway down the stairs, he grabbed her hand, refusing to let her go. His gaze expressed more than the words with which he painfully hurt her every day. His eyes spoke the truth, though his mouth uttered lies.
She believed those lies, unwilling to let in the truth of how much they were in love with each other, and could not be together because of their differing status. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, while she was born with a plastic one.
They were different, mismatched, and yet their hearts decided to play a prank on them.
Dressed in a pink apron, she threatened him with her eyes as he pressed her against the wall, holding her hand at head height.
- Why are you doing this to me? - She asked in a hurt voice as the intensity of his gaze continued unabated.
- I'm trying to heal my heart.
- I may be a small crumb next to you, who doesn't grow up to be like you, but I'm still human. Does hurting me give you so much pleasure?
- This is nothing compared to what you did to me. - Jisoo hissed as he pressed her harder against the wall. - How amazing you must have felt when you betrayed me with the thought that an ordinary maid did this to a billionaire's son. Did you prove yourself that way? With that pretty face of yours, you seduce all the guys and then cruelly abandon them because you have no heart.
His face frightened her to the point that she feared she would eventually lose her temper. Fortunately, Chanmi, who knew about her relationship with Seokjin, appeared at the right moment.
- Brother, aren't you overreacting at this point?
The young man let go of Jisoo and moved away from her. He looked over his shoulder, looking down at his sister, who stood with her arms crossed over her chest.
- I don't like the fact that you are friends with her. Eventually, she will use you too. She's a parasite who preys on people better than her. Eventually, you will see through it, Chanmi said.
He walked upstairs, heading to his room. Jisoo watched him with sad eyes until he disappeared from her sight.
- Why not tell him the truth? - Chanmi stood in front of her friend, pushing back a strand of her hair behind her ear. - You know he treats you this way because of your broken heart.
- It's better this way. He will eventually let go. - She forced a smile, looking at her employer's daughter. - Now let me get back to my duties.
The redhead watched the older girl as she ran downstairs. She headed toward the kitchen, wanting to be alone for a while and think things over.
She was suffering. They both suffered, but they preferred to hurt each other rather than talk frankly and clear up any misunderstandings.
If only she could tell the truth to her brother....
She sighed and sat down on one of the stairs. Resting her cheek on her hand, she looked ahead at the huge beige-colored living room where her family's rich friends were usually hosted.
She had lived here for twenty years, and so far, there had not been a day when she could feel the family warmth. Her parents spent their days devoted to business, counting their wealth, greedily wanting even more. Her father spent most of his life in the company, her mother flaunted her wealth, stubbed her chin and looked down on everyone. Her sister had been living in America for several years; she was rumored to have managed mean bitches in college, guys she had at the snap of a finger, which fortunately her parents did not know about.
Jieun undoubtedly had the character of a mother, but no one talked about it out loud.
And Jin? Since he graduated from college, his father has made him a director in the company, and he is unhappily in love with a maid who is Chanmi's only friend - the only one since she lost Changmin. There wasn't a day when she didn't think about him. Even though they were both only children, they spent twenty-four hours a day with each other. She was so attached to him that she imagined becoming his wife in the future. And she didn't care that he was overly plump, pimply, and unkempt. She felt that they were connected to each other.
He was undoubtedly her soulmate, but that day he disappeared without a trace....
In high school, she fell in love with a bastard who seduced her only because she came from a rich family. He wanted to take advantage of her, betting with his friends that he would be able to get her into bed within a month. She probably would have succumbed, if not for the fact that in due course word reached her that she was merely his plaything and that he did not take her seriously.
At that time, she became discouraged with guys, couldn't trust any, and wanted Changmin to come back to her.
Every day she missed him more and more....
*
Seokjin pierced Jisoo with her eyes when the girl appeared before him in the evening, even throwing cups on the table. She didn't control her nerves when she saw him in the living room, at the side of a dressed-up maiden who was his mother's favorite. Hailing from a wealthy family, Yeeun, who was shapely, had short blond hair and a "bitch face," thought she was god knows who.
- I don't understand why your family still keeps this messed up made in the house. She can't even serve a cup of tea.
Jisoo smiled artfully at her.
- Let her drink the lemon balm I brewed for you. It's best for irritable ladies who don't have sex. Chocolate is said to be excellent, too.
The blonde snorted exasperatedly.
- Do you hear how she addresses me? - She directed her indignation to Seokjin, who looked amused for a moment. His expression changed dramatically when he felt Jisoo's gaze on him.
- A low-status woman whose only pastime is entertaining guys doesn't need to drink balm because she is satisfied. - His pinch hurt Jisoo. Surrounded by lies, he humiliated her by thinking she was dating a different guy every day.
- The life of a simpleton is just like that.
- You know what... you are right. Since a simpleton only has good looks, she should use them differently. Why should I serve such a behemoth? - Jin furrowed his eyebrows, looking at her from under his bangs. - I can use my assets and go for sponsorship. Why should I give for free?
The young man tightened his lips in anger as Jisoo smiled proudly, hugging the tray to her chest.
- Aren't you ashamed? Well, yes. The orphan didn't even have anyone to teach her what should be said and what shouldn't be said among educated people. - Yeeun measured her with a disdainful gaze.
- Orphan also had no one to teach her not to trust rich behemoths and waste precious time on them. - Jisoo watched the man she loved more than life for a long moment, then wanted to leave, but something unexpected happened. A furious Seokjin grabbed a cup of hot tea and threw it on the floor. Drops of boiling water flew onto Jisoo's leg, causing her to feel pain.
- Get out of here and stop ruining my life! Disappear forever! - he yelled at her, and she looked into his face, which expressed rage, with broken eyes.
Indignant Yeeun rose from the couch, blaming the maid for the commotion.
- Didn't you hear what he said? Get out of here! - She pointed to the exit door with her hand. Despite this, Jisoo did not take her eyes off Seokjin's face.
- I should have done it a long time ago. I don't understand why I'm still here. - She threw the tray on the carpet and untied the white part of her apron at her waist, which she threw in Jin's face.
- How can you allow yourself to be treated like this? Who does she think she is? - Yeeun once again expressed her indignation.
Jisoo moved toward the exit door. She grabbed the handle and was about to leave the house, although she herself didn't know where she should go, but fortunately, she was saved by Chanmi, who didn't let her.
- Over my dead body - she declared, holding the door with her hand. - My brother has no right to throw you out of here, and certainly not the maiden who accompanies him.
The man rubbed his forehead with his hand and fixed a stern gaze on his sister.
- Are you going to protect her? Did you at least hear what she said? She started it all! - he shouted, pointing his finger at Jisoo. - She insulted Yeeun.
- And you really don't know why she did it? Get a clue, stupid - Chanmi stated, leading the maid to her room.
As the brunette sat down on her bed, she finally cried. She hid her face in her hands, not intending to pretend in front of her friend.
- I just hate it when this girl is around him. I should ignore it, but it squeezes me in my heart every time, so I finally attacked her.
The redhead sat next to her on the bed and put her arm around her.
- So why are you both hurting each other? Why don't you talk to each other honestly? He believes lies, you think it's better, although you suffer seeing him with another girl.
- I can no longer be with him, Chanmi. We come from two different worlds. Do you really not know why I wanted him to believe all those lies? - The redhead shook her head. - Because I don't know what I want from life - she lied, not wanting to confess to Chanmi the truth that her mother had a big part in it. Things were never colorful in Kim's family, so she would rather not stir up unnecessary fire.
- I just don't like the way you both treat each other.
- When you finally fall in love, you will understand how hard and incomprehensible love is, how many wounds it creates in the heart....
Chanmi knew this because her high school love even drilled a hole in her heart.
When I finally fall in love... she thought.
*
The twenty-three-year-old leaned with her back against the wall, observing the dark picture that hung by the door of her room. A rider on a horse, dressed in a black cloak was crossing a field, and a storm was brewing in the sky.
This painting had great significance for her. She loved looking at it even as a child. He had a message that others could not understand.
- You always look at it when you are nailed down. - She shifted her gaze to her brother, who stood next to her. - What does he have that is so wonderful about him?
- He's the reason I can't fall in love with anyone - she whispered.
- Hm - Seokjin looked surprised. - Are you in love with the man in the painting? Should I take you to a psychiatrist?
- Maybe I actually need treatment to forget about him....
Jin unexpectedly slapped his sister's forehead with his palm. Indignant, she looked at him, frowning her eyebrows.
- You spend too much time with Jisoo. It falls on your head. It's contagious.
- Stop tormenting her. She is really suffering because of you.
- Is she suffering? I'm the one who should say it, Chanmi. She cheated on me with somebody and still perfidiously laughed in my face when I caught her. I'm the one suffering, trying to hate her after what she did to me, and I can't. I can't for the hell of it.
He leaned his head against the wall, and his sister looked at him with sympathetic eyes. If only he knew that these were lies because Jisoo wanted to push him away.... Chanmi didn't know what her reason was, but something must have happened if she decided to destroy their love.
The two looked at each other when screams were heard from downstairs. The interested parties went down the stairs, and Chanmi opened her mouth in shock when she saw her sister. Jieun was standing in the middle of the living room, smiling broadly.
- What are you looking at? Won't you give me a hug as a greeting?
The redhead ran downstairs and hugged her sister, not believing that she had finally returned. Seokjin also embraced her, looking surprised.
- You have prepared quite a gift for us. You came back so suddenly, without any announcement.
Jieun tossed back her long, thick hair that reached her waist and looked at her siblings with joy in her eyes.
- You don't even realize how much I missed you guys.
- My god, Jieun? - The mother, who had just returned home, looked as if she had seen the eighth wonder of the world. No one was surprised because her older sister was the apple of her eye. She squeezed her so tightly in greeting that it seemed to her siblings that Jieun couldn't breathe for a moment. - Why didn't you mention that you were coming home? I would have had a more exquisite dinner prepared.
- It doesn't have to be exquisite, but it must appear on the table because I want to introduce someone to you. - Jieun turned toward the front door, and a young, handsome man crossed the threshold. Measuring about one meter eighty, he was a muscular brunette whose longer, curly hair was tied up in a ponytail. He had earrings in his ears and was dressed in a navy-blue shirt and black jeans. - Meet my fiancé, Jungkook.
He bowed to his future mother-in-law, and then his eyes lit up. Chanmi even seemed to see a mocking smile on his face for a moment, as she happened to be standing to his right.
His mother initially looked shocked by his American style, especially since there were tattoos on his right arm, which were visible with his shirt sleeves rolled up.
- This is my brother Seokjin. - They shook hands in greeting, both scanning each other with their eyes. All the while, the redhead got the impression that Jieun's fiancé was acting strangely. - And this is my younger sister, Chanmi.
It was only for a moment, it seemed to her that time slowed down for a moment, when he finally shifted his gaze to her and shook her hand. A captivating smile dawned on his face, and what was even stranger was that when he shook her hand, he stroked her skin with his finger.
Abashed, she moved her hand away and hid it behind her back.
- I will have the servants prepare dinner. - Saying this, the mother grunted. Probably, her daughter surprised her by seeing her fiancé in "American style."
Jieun smiled broadly and hugged Jungkook, who put his arm around her. Both Chanmi and Jin were still shocked by their sister's sudden appearance at the side of her supposed chosen one.
And why was the young man's gaze so intense when he once again glanced in her direction?