It's All Over

The secretary hurried over, pulled the door open, and bowed to her with meticulous formality.

It felt as though she were being led to slaughter, as if someone had locked a fist around her throat. Breath coming short and shallow, Eun-jae steadied herself and stepped outside.

The great iron gates, shut fast until that moment, swung open, and a vast garden flooded her vision. It was winter, and the garden held not a scrap of life—bleak enough to raise the hair on her arms. Enough to make her skin crawl.

She crossed the garden and stepped through the open front door, only to lock eyes with Mi-jung, who was just coming out of the kitchen.

"……."

Eun-jae paused and bowed her head.

Without so much as acknowledging the greeting, Mi-jung walked right past her. Still with her head lowered, Eun-jae slowly made her way upstairs.

The moment she entered her room, footsteps approached from down the hall.

"Unnie, you're back?"

Hye-ri burst through the door and came up beside her.

"You feeling any betterrr?"

If she'd been genuinely worried, she might have at least visited. Or sent a single text. But Hye-ri hadn't so much as contacted her the entire time she'd been in the hospital.

Eun-jae peeled off her coat without answering.

"Nooo, I had stuff at school. That's why I couldn't come, Unnie. Sorry."

As if she needed to explain why she hadn't gone, Hye-ri sidled up with a sly little smile, chattering away.

The sound of Hye-ri talking beside her made her head throb. Eun-jae furrowed her brow, closed her eyes for a moment, and drew a breath.

"Hye-ri."

"Unnie, I decided to go on a matchmaking date."

"That's great. Congratulations. But I'm really not feeling well right now—"

"The other person is Cha Mu-yeol, the CEO of Chayeong Group."

At Hye-ri's words, Eun-jae went still.

Mu-yeol and Hye-ri were going on a matchmaking date.

Was it because she was still unwell? She couldn't tell if she'd heard correctly. Eun-jae slowly lifted her gaze. Hye-ri's face was flushed, her expression bashful.

"What?"

"Dad said we're meeting tomorrow. Apparently Chayeong wants me to meet with him."

"……."

The way she said it, it had to be true. Hye-ri had come to her more than once, asking why she couldn't be the one to go on the matchmaking date instead. She'd been infatuated with Mu-yeol since they were children, and she'd always been especially envious that Eun-jae was the one set to meet him.

Hye-ri had always insisted on buying whatever Eun-jae owned, matching her item for item, seething with jealousy. But there was one exception. Hye-ri had neither the academic mind nor any other particular talent. She envied and copied everything else, yet she acted as though Eun-jae's piano and her studies were of no interest to her at all.

"I feel so bad for you, Unnie. What should I do?"

There wasn't a trace of apology in her voice or her face. The corners of Hye-ri's mouth kept twitching upward, betraying exactly how she felt.

Let's meet at the hotel lounge next time. We never did have that matchmaking date—we'll have to do it over.

The words Mu-yeol had spoken back then suddenly crossed her mind. He'd clearly said they should meet again. What could have happened in just a few days?

It had been six years since she'd last seen him. Though "reunion" was a stretch. Eun-jae had gone to the same school as his younger brother, Cha Jae-yeol, and the last time she'd seen Mu-yeol had been at graduation.

It was something she'd been told all through high school, and without even realizing it, she seemed to have assumed she would naturally end up marrying Cha Mu-yeol.

"I'd like to rest."

"Ah, sorry, sorry. Go ahead and rest, Unnie."

In a chirpy voice, fluttering her fingers in a little wave, Hye-ri slipped out of the room, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

Only then did the familiar silence settle over her room. Eun-jae sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly into space.

Tomorrow, he and Hye-ri would go on a matchmaking date. If that had already been decided, it meant they would be married before long. There was nothing she could do about it.

Eun-jae murmured the words weakly, a bitter smile touching her lips.

The piano that had been everything to her. Marriage to Cha Mu-yeol, her first love. Truly, everything had come to an end.

She was useless to them now anyway. If they would just throw her out and be done with it.

Eun-jae's exhausted eyes welled with tears once more.

She had no appetite. She wasn't hungry, and she didn't particularly want to eat anything. Perhaps it was from being so ill. She had no taste for food, and her mouth was so full of canker sores that even chewing was difficult.

And most importantly—

"Ah..."

The moment she tried to scoop up soup with her left hand, the broth spilled down the front of her clothes. Dismay spread across Eun-jae's face.

No one said a word as they watched her fumble. Only Mrs. Ju, who had been quietly observing from behind, came forward to wipe her off. Ju Gyeong-suk glanced up at her with a look of pity.

With her right hand injured, nothing came easily. Not washing. Not eating. Not even changing her clothes.

"Mom, what should I wear tomorrow?"

"See? I told you to come home early so we could go shopping, but you never listen."

"I didn't do it on purpose! We had a group project or whatever. They said we haaad to meet, so I was stuck there, okay?"

Hye-ri grumbled at Mi-jung's scolding. And yet the look Mi-jung gave her daughter was more tender than Eun-jae had ever seen. Even when she'd believed she was Mi-jung's daughter, she'd never once received a gaze like that. She'd been around five years old, but the memory was as vivid as yesterday.

A persistent ache bloomed beneath her sternum. Eun-jae set down her spoon.

"Why aren't you eating more?"

Gwang-hyun, who had been eating, addressed her.

"I'm finished."

To say she was finished was a stretch—the rice in her bowl sat untouched. Gwang-hyun checked her bowl and spoke again.

"I'll look into another matchmaking arrangement for you."

"I... I want to live on my own. Please let me."

At her sudden declaration, Gwang-hyun's movements halted for a beat. Then, as if he hadn't heard a thing, he spoke again.

"Why leave when you have a home?"

"She can move out, can't she?"

Mi-jung, who had been listening, jumped in at once. Eun-jae knew perfectly well that Mi-jung had wanted her gone as soon as possible, like a thorn in her eye.

"If we send her out looking like that, what will people say? They'll think we're abandoning her because she isn't our real child."

"...What do you mean?"

"Ahem."

Eun-jae's pupils trembled. Until now, only the people in this house had known—that she was not Go Gwang-hyun and Hong Mi-jung's biological daughter.

How had this gotten out? Fighting to still her pounding heart, Eun-jae forced her trembling lips to move.

"What... are you talking about?"

"Unnieee. Some reporter exposed everything. That you were adopted."

"……."

"You haven't been online, have you? It's a total circus out there."

She'd kept her phone off. She hadn't wanted to hear from anyone—though there hadn't been anyone who would contact her anyway. She hadn't even looked at the news in the hospital. Apparently, all of this had happened in the meantime.

"Stay home for the time being. Before any more noise comes of this."

"I'll just... leave."

Eun-jae found her courage and spoke again. Not once had she ever voiced her own opinion like this. She had always said yes to everything she was told to do. Perhaps because this was a first, everyone seemed a little taken aback.

"You don't need me anymore anyway."

"How can you say that? Honey, do you hear this? After all those years I spent raising her, this is what I get. They always said you shouldn't take in a black-haired beast. That's why I told you we should have given her ba—"

Gwang-hyun's icy gaze snapped to her in an instant, and Mi-jung let the rest of the sentence die. Then, as if she were the one who'd been wronged, she pounded her chest and gulped down cold water.

Anyone listening would think she'd treated Eun-jae with all the devotion of a real daughter. A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

She was grateful, of course, that they had taken in a child with no parents and raised her. But she couldn't help thinking it might have been better if they hadn't. The time she'd spent in this house had been hell.

"I'm asking you. Please, just let me leave."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

A firm refusal, rendering her desperate plea meaningless.

"Unnieee! Is this dress prettier, or this one?"

Hye-ri kicked the door open without knocking, a dress in each hand.

Eun-jae lay on the bed, unmoving. That shrill, high-pitched voice rang through her skull.

"I curled my hair all elegant-like—does it look okay? You're good at this stuff, Unnie. Look at me for a second. I have to make a good impression on Mu-yeol oppa."

How many years apart were they again? Mu-yeol was seven years older than Eun-jae. Eun-jae was five years older than Hye-ri. So that made the two of them twelve years apart—a full zodiac cycle.

Eun-jae closed her eyes slowly, tallying up ages that meant nothing at all.

"Oh, come on. Am I going in your place because I want you to suffer? You could at least help me!!"

She was twenty years old and still wanted to go on a matchmaking date? Or was it simply that Hye-ri, who'd always envied her, was thrilled to steal her place? Either way, Hye-ri was in high spirits.

I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said today. Word's already gotten out this far—if I let you leave now, the reporters will come running, and the company's image will take a hit. Once things quiet down, I'll let you go. Wait until then.

The image-making had already been done. Chairman Go Gwang-hyun, who had taken in an orphan and raised her as his own. And Hong Mi-jung, packaged as a mother of unparalleled kindness, the likes of which the world had never seen.

"Ivory's the way to go. I'm heading out!!"

Hye-ri left the room in a voice bright with excitement. Eun-jae closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

Even after checking several times already, she was still so anxious. Seon-ju called again to confirm his location. Sitting in the back seat, reviewing documents even as the car moved, Mu-yeol's face filled with irritation.

"Mother."