~~~~

Honestly, it wasn’t that hard to sneak into the mansion. It was a pain in the arse the first few times she tried. However, it was not long before she mastered the art of breaking an entrance. She used to feel guilty considering her very, unlady-like actions but apparently, the guilt faded as time flies.

 

Yoojin kept on saying to herself that it was not her fault that she chose the path of disgrace. It was circumstances that forced her to become such person. It was just that she was afraid of stumbling upon the chairwoman with the kind of face she had at the moment. Yoojin had to admit, it was not that difficult to confront the woman if the bruise she had was a result of a school fight. Most of the time it was her fault anyway.

 

But this? Jung Yoojin herself had no idea how it happened.

 

The boy from the school clinic told her she fell but honestly speaking would the chairwoman even buy any of those? It was too good to be true.

 

After managing to pass several body guards along the corridor, Jung Yoojin finally made it to her bedroom.

 

The room was dark. The curtains were not drawn and she can hardly see anything without the lights on.

 

Yoojin struggled to find the switch and finally heaved a sigh of relief when she found them. The lights were immediately . It was almost blinding as her eyes struggled to adjust to the surroundings. She dumped her bag on the ground and shut the door behind her.

 

“Having a good time are we?”

 

The voice startled Yoojin.

 

She froze at her spot knowing what kind of trouble lied ahead.

 

“I suppose you were not expecting me to be here weren’t you?” The woman’s voice had some kind of authority in it that intimidated Yoojin for a moment.

 

She wasn’t sure how she should react but one thing she can be certain of. None of her answers would please her in any way.

 

 

“I’ve sent Agent Song to pick you up today…” she continued. “… but he told me you were not there. Care to explain?” she asked, folding her arms while staring straight through Yoojin who refused to even look at her.

 

The girl cleared .

 

“Forgive me mother. I was distracted.”

 

“Distracted by what exactly?”Chairwoman Jung demanded.

 

“School stuff,”said Yoojin.

 

She slowly unpacked her books and laid them neatly on the study table, still avoiding the deadly gaze of the chairwoman.

 

Metaphorically, Yoojin swore that she felt her back burned as Mrs. Jung kept on staring right through her soul. It was not her fault though wasn’t it? It was true. She was distracted. Yoojin was sent to the clinic because she fell and woke up after god knows how long only to find a bruise above the bridge of her nose. She didn’t even know the name of the boy who was with her at the school clinic – or to even get a clear view of his face.

 

If that was not weird then she did not know what was.

 

“What kind of ‘school stuff’ that made you not returning home at the time when you should be?” The chairwoman asked with the slightest hint of anger.

 

“Important school stuff,” Yoojin replied coolly, completely ignoring Mrs. Jung as she started jotting down Chemistry notes in her book.

 

The woman’s patience was thinning as Yoojin kept on beating around the bush.

 

“Look at me when I’m talking you!” She finally snapped. Yoojin’s attitude really got on her nerves.

 

The girl put her pen down. Her Chemistry book still wide open. However, just like before – she did not meet the gaze of the chairwoman.

 

“Look at me Yoojin,” she repeated with a voice as cold as ice.

 

The young girl slowly turned her head, facing her worst nightmare.

 

As soon as the woman saw Yoojin’s un-pretty face, she leaped out in anger.

 

“What on earth did you do this time Yoojin?! Did you fight with someone again?? Honestly what is wrong with you?!”

 

“I swear I didn’t do anything!” Yoojin defended.

 

Mrs Jung grabbed Yoojin by the face. It hurt Yoojin as the chairwoman’s sharp nails dig through her skin.

 

“How can this be nothing???” The woman was referring to her bruise.

 

“I s-swear I did not do anything,” Yoojin stammered, afraid that Chairwoman Jung might suddenly become abusive and hit her square in the face.

 

Mrs. Jung tightened her grip as she spoke through gritted teeth.

 

“How can it be nothing when your face is this ugly,” she hissed.

 

“I told you I did not do anything!” Yoojin half-shouted.

 

She earned a big slap afterwards.

 

The slight pang burned almost immediately through her skin.

 

It was too sudden. Yoojin - who unintentionally let her guard down – felt a slight regret for doing so. Usually, she would be mentally prepared whenever she had a row with Mrs. Jung. Mentally and emotionally prepared.

 

Unfortunately, not this time around.

 

“I never taught my daughter to lie…” The woman said calmly. Eyeing every inch of Yoojin’s face. However, not expecting a reply from the young girl.

 

Silence crept in. The atmosphere became tense that it was almost suffocating for Yoojin. She still did not dare looking up to meet her mother’s gleaming, stormy eyes. Her eyes were always full of hate. It was as though she regretted the fact that she had collected her from the orphanage. Instead of being a successful investment, Jung Yoojin was a dead weight.

 

A dead weight she had to carry as a punishment.

 

Without throwing anymore accusations for poor Yoojin to hear, the woman left the room. The door was shut with a loud bang. The sound of the chairwoman’s pair of stilettos click-clacking on the marble floor filled her ears – and the sound vanished completely. 

 

~~~~

 

Sometimes she wondered what had she done in her past life to bear all this constant misery. Some might even think she was exaggerating if she ever told the story of her life to anyone. But that was the problem though wasn’t it? There was no one trustworthy enough for her to share every bit about herself. In other words, she had no friend. Literally no friend at all.

 

She wouldn’t actually count the girls on the basketball team as her friends. Besides, they hardly even talk anything apart from basketball itself. And honestly – she would rather have splashed herself with drain water than admitting that any of her classmates were her friends.

 

They were not that bad though. It was just, maybe she had given up on the idea of having a decent friend long ago. At times she felt a little unworthy of friendship.

 

The thing about friendship is that you have to fully trust each other. However, that was not the problem. The real problem was, the feeling of trust had to be something mutual. It can’t be one-sided. That was the thing that held her back. Trust. She really had some serious trust issues.

 

Yoojin sighed for the umpteenth time.

 

The book in her hand did not entertain her one bit. It was a good book actually. A little too good for her miserable situation.

 

She was locked up in her room - only allowed to go out during meal time. Yoojin already had dinner about a half an hour ago but sadly her stomach was still belching as she consumed very little food.

 

No. She did not purposely eat so little to protest or anything. It was just her appetite. Unfortunately, it was non-existent.

 

She kept on reading the same page over and over again. It was her favourite part from the book. The part when the lead character volunteered as tribute for the sake of her sister. Unfortunately, it did not excite her as it normally would.

 

After realising that she literally had no mood for fictions, she closed the book and started staring into space. Frankly speaking, her room was filled with plenty of things. She had shelves filled with a lot of books which genres vary. She also had a television stuck up her wall. Her mobile phone was still in her pocket and her laptop was still since evening. The wifi connection was pretty good too.

 

However, all she craved for at the moment was freedom. She wanted a breath of fresh air.

 

Jung Yoojin started thinking of a plan.

 

~~~~

 

She really had to admit. She did have a certain talent for trouble. Once again she reminded herself that it was not entirely her fault that she had chosen the pat