After finishing her call with Jung Hye, Joo leaned her head weakly towards the window.

How nice it would be if tomorrow came when she closed her eyes and opened them again.

She wished today’s painful day would end a little sooner.

Do Hyun stroked Joo’s neat fingers with his thumb as he went over what happened today.

It seemed there hadn’t been any problems until dinnertime, but seeing her suddenly downcast appearance, it seemed something had happened.

“Did something happen? You don’t look well.”

“No. It’s nothing.”

“It seems there’s something I don’t know about.”

She hoped Do Hyun wouldn’t misunderstand, but her trembling lips couldn’t make a sound.

Joo straightened her waist that had been leaning diagonally towards the window and said:

“It’s my own insecurity that’s the problem. I just feel a bit pathetic right now.”

“Is it because of the gifts Bae Ji Eun brought?”

Joo couldn’t deny it.

Though she had neither the ability nor money to buy what Ji Eun had brought, she was curious.

How much was needed to make Young Ran happy.

“The things Senior Ji Eun brought, how much would it all cost together?”

“If you put a price on it, probably around 20 million won.”

“20 million won?”

It was an amount that would be completed by adding another zero to Joo’s entire fortune.

She had guessed the price wouldn’t be cheap, but hearing the actual amount, her mouth gaped open in surprise and wouldn’t close.

Seeing Joo dumbfounded, Do Hyun smiled silently.

“How much was the gift you gave Mother today?”

“I don’t think you can put a price on it. Since it was handmade.”

“Unable to put a price on it.”

Do Hyun shifted his gaze to Joo for a moment.

“I think things whose value can’t be known are more precious, don’t you agree?”

“You’re right, senior. We can’t put a price on Mom’s sincerity.”

There wasn’t a single moment when she felt ashamed or embarrassed by the gift her mother prepared, and the gift that took a lot of time and effort was by no means inferior compared to a 20 million won gift.

It’s just that the reason I felt small was…

What makes me feel worthless is…

“You saw how happy Mother was too. That’s enough.”

It was Do Hyun’s mother.

If she told him about Young Ran’s words spoken without guilt, Do Hyun would surely become her shield without hesitation.

That’s the kind of person Nam Do Hyun was.

Though she knew Do Hyun would take her side no matter what, her lips wouldn’t part.

It was because she knew it was a part that couldn’t be easily touched.

Even though she was a stepmother, she was family. The moment Joo opened her mouth, Do Hyun would be disappointed in his mother.

Just as Young Ran had done to Joo, Do Hyun would have to hurt his mother too.

She was afraid that a harmonious family might break apart because of her.

“Senior… what kind of person do you think your mother is?”

“She’s an amazing person. She raised a child who wasn’t even her own son like her own child.”

“…”

“When I was going through puberty, my father remarried and I rebelled a lot. I called her ‘ajumma’ for longer than expected. She must have felt hurt. But she never showed it once.”

Do Hyun’s eyes were focused on a distant place as if picturing the past.

The Young Ran in the past that Joo saw through Do Hyun seemed to be a mother with a generous heart.

And there was no doubt that Young Ran was a precious person to Do Hyun, precious enough to fondly recall old memories.

“She raised me without ever discriminating against my sister even once. She’s a good person.”

Then Do Hyun’s eyes filled with conviction met Joo’s.

“I think she’ll be the same to you too.”

“…Yes.”

Which image was the real Young Ran?

Her words and actions towards Joo were harsh and cold. But the Young Ran that Do Hyun spoke of was an infinitely kind and gentle person.

At this point, she wondered if it was because she herself was lacking, because she was inadequate that Young Ran was acting badly. If so, was the current Young Ran created by her?

If it wasn’t her but someone else, would Young Ran have become a warm and good mother-in-law?

By now, Do Hyun’s car that had entered the apartment parking lot was parked within the white lines.

Do Hyun, who was holding the steering wheel with one hand, turned his upper body towards Joo.

“If Mother ever makes you uncomfortable, tell me anytime. I’ll mediate between you.”

Joo, who had been pondering, parted her lips. But the words she held in only rolled around in her mouth.

There was a more important practical issue than the worry that she might cause a rift between Do Hyun and Young Ran.

Do Hyun had deposited 3 million won to Joo four days ago, just as he had done every month.

That meant their relationship had changed, but the contract hadn’t been broken. Therefore, she considered the large sum of 3 million won to be the price for her duties as a wife.

“I hope you get along well with the family. It would be even better if you kept my parents company sometimes.”

She wanted to end the relationship bound as employer and employee, and say she wouldn’t receive money anymore.

But the reason Joo herself couldn’t cut it off was, sadly, because she still desperately needed that money.

It was thanks to Do Hyun’s 3 million won that her mother could eat and sleep comfortably in the nursing home.

She couldn’t abandon her mother because of her pride, because of her feelings for Do Hyun.

Joo reattached her parted lips and stretched them long.

“I will. If I ever have problems with Mother, I’ll tell you.”

So Joo decided to continue playing the role of a good daughter-in-law.

While still hiding her crumbling inner feelings from Do Hyun.

‘I’m sorry I can’t tell you, senior.’

I’ll do what I can, and if it really doesn’t work out, I’ll lean on you.

At that time, take my side. Please do, senior.

***

It was Tuesday, three more days later.

Joo had arrived at work, finished a short team meeting, and was diligently carrying out her assigned tasks.

For the first time in a while, she thought today’s work might finish early.

Around that time, one phone call from Seung Hee was enough to shake up her usual daily life.

Joo, who had left the office with her phone, answered the call.

“Yes, sister-in-law.”

[Joo! What do we do, what do we do. Mom, what do we do about our mom!]

She had thought Seung Hee was calling to vent about some unpleasant incident as she always had.

Joo, who had calmly answered the phone, sensed that something big had happened at the scream calling her name.

“What’s wrong with Mother? Did something happen?”

[Mom collapsed! I’m so scared. Dad and Do Hyun aren’t answering their phones.]

At the news that Young Ran had collapsed, all the blood in her body dried up and her skin felt cold and sore.

Her chest felt tight from the breath that filled her lungs and couldn’t escape, and her ribs ached.

The memories of that day, which she tried to forget but couldn’t, came to mind.

When she returned home after leaving work, Jung Hye lying alone in the unusually dark room.

When she approached, Jung Hye was barely breathing, her face turned blue, having collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage and left unattended for hours.

Joo knew better than anyone the fear Seung Hee must be experiencing now.

Cold sweat trickled down her icy spine.

“First, calm down, sister-in-law. I’ll come.”

[It’s at home. Come to the house.]

After hanging up, Joo quickly took leave from work and headed to Samseong-dong.

Joo, who had been restless in the back seat of the taxi the whole time, flung open the back door as soon as the car stopped in front of the house.

As she stepped away from the departing taxi, the phone clutched tightly in her hand rang.

Joo pressed the call button as she walked, answering Jung Hye’s call.

“Hello?”

[Daughter, can you bring nail clippers when you come this Saturday?]

“Yes, Mom. I got it. I’m busy so I’ll call you back later.”

Without giving Jung Hye time to respond, Joo put the phone in her camel-colored coat pocket.

Until the moment she crossed the gate, passed through the garden, and entered the house, Joo’s head felt frozen, unable to think of anything.

Her ears were filled only with the sound of her own panting breath, and her vision was blurry as if about to turn white.

“You’re here?”

As she entered the living room, Seung Hee was sitting on the sofa eating snacks as if nothing had happened.

Unable to understand what was going on, Joo looked around.

“Where’s Mother? Where is she? Did she go to the hospital?”

“Didn’t you run into her on your way in? Mom must have gone out to the garden.”

“The garden? Is she alright now?”

For some reason, a smile filled Seung Hee’s face.

“Hey. Aren’t I a really good actor? I should have become an actress.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Oh, you dummy. It was all a lie. Did you think you’d come running when I called?”

Joo’s body swayed greatly once.

If Young Ran had really collapsed, of course they would have called 119 before her.

Overcome with fear, she hadn’t been able to make rational judgments.

Seung Hee had clearly used that point to lure her here.

Shaking the snack crumbs off her hands, Seung Hee giggled.

“It’s funny. Did you think I’d call you if Mom collapsed? She might jump right up seeing your face.”

“How could you tell such a lie? There are things you can and can’t say, how!”

“Shut up. Exchange this for an M size. I have plans tonight so I need to wear it right away.”

Seung Hee cut off Joo’s words and threw the paper bag that had been on the sofa.

A leather skirt popped out of the flattened paper bag.

Now Joo realized why she had been called to the house.

This one skirt at her feet. She had stirred up painful memories just to exchange this one skirt.

Her jaw trembled and her teeth clashed.

Blood rushed to her strained eyes, red lines appearing in the white of her eyes, and her body that had been cool until just now felt as if it was on fire.

Joo was barely holding back the anger covering her already numb reason.

What broke her endless patience was something unexpected.

Slurp, slurp.

Joo’s head dropped at the sound of splashing water coming from nearby.

She hadn’t noticed in her daze, but Young Ran’s dog, Juliet, had her face buried in her food bowl.

Whatever was so delicious, Juliet was frantically licking the white broth inside.

Juliet took out the beef bone that had been in the food bowl and crunched it with her teeth.

Watching this, Joo felt as if a cold blade was entering her chest.

“Sister-in-law. This… What is this?”

Joo’s trembling index finger pointed at the food bowl.

Chewing the snack still in her mouth, Seung Hee glanced briefly at Juliet.

“That’s the beef bone soup your mom gave.”