022: BALLERINA'S WRETCHEDNESS

"If I can choose my family over and over again, I will always choose to be yours, even if it means having devils as my parents." 

- Ha Eun-bi pov

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022: BALLERINA'S WRETCHEDNESS

Yoon-hee pov:

"Sit. Do you want white or red?"

"I'll have red."

Joo Dan-tae.

The top dog in Hera palace.

Every time I'm near him, I always feel like flinching.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for your invitation, by the way."

"Thank you as well for the information you gave me."

"I hope you found it very helpful."

"Indeed."

I gave him information about the land he was aiming for. I got it from Su-ryeon to invest in, but I need something to make him trust me, especially now that I can't trust her anymore.

He handed me a glass of red wine.

How he looked at me, piercing through me as our fingers crossed while giving me the glass, made me very jumpy.

'Is this why Seo-jin's attracted to you?'

'If you become mine, Seo-jin will definitely run amok.'

'As long as I can make you mine, I can have everything. My baby can have everything.'

"Here, a gift for your wonderful information."

He handed a key to me. My eyes literally glowed at the opportunity.

But I hid my desire and returned the key to him, having a chance to linger my hand on his.

"A car? Don't you think it's too big of a gift? I cannot accept this."

He smirked.

He put the key back into my hand, closing it with his and letting his hand linger around my hand firmly.

"Consider it as an investment for our future."

"Our?"

"Our."

I smile happily at him, trying to show him a seductive smile.

'Yes! This is the right thing to do.'

'As long as it's Joo Dan-tae, I can have everything!'

. . . . .

The two of us enjoyed our wine when I remembered my daughter's tears.

"By the way, I didn't want to mention this, but I'm a bit worried."

"Worried? About what?"

"I saw Seok-kyung during the exam week with an unknown guy in a restaurant. I don't think he's her tutor. . . but since it's exam week, I'm a bit worried. Will your daughter be okay?"

His brow twitched.

His expression twitched into a grim one.

"I'm just worried about her. I don't want her to be involved in anything shady. It's a very dangerous world out there."

"Thank you for your concern. I'm sure it's one of her friends. I will confirm it with her."

"Yeah. I also hope so." I tried to look worried in front of him, making sure he don't see how he made me with those expressions of his.

. . . . . . .

Seok-kyung pov:

I got called into his study room the moment he came home.

My body responded in fear just from being called to his study.

I checked my brother's room, making sure he wasn't home before going into his study room.

SLAP.

It was the first thing he did the moment I got inside.

My body crashed to the floor and after he hit my arm with a cane. My body trembled in pain as I felt my arm being dislocated.

"So instead of studying, you were flirting with a bastard out there, huh!!" He removed his necktie as if he couldn't breathe.

He glared at me, looking at me like a predator.

The thoughts of Seo-jun immediately appeared in my mind.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I felt my cheek go numb. A thunderous and fast slap reached my cheek before I could even react.

"Do you think you can hide anything from me!"

"I said! I don't know!!"

I glare at him, not backing down. I will never let you control me, ever again.

If I mention Seo-jun now, he's gonna hurt him too.

'I can protect them! I can protect them all.'

My hair dragged me by the hair, putting me inside that place again.

'I won't let him touch my brother anymore. This time, I will be the one shielding him from pain.'

. . . . . . .

Su-ryeon pov:

After replaying the recorder I put on Yoon-hee, I ran home as fast as I could. I didn't hear their last conversation, and it's already been a few hours since I replayed it.

'Wait for me, my daughter.'

My mouth went agape from shock when I saw Seok-kyung limping.

I covered my mouth, slumping down the floor as she walked past me without sparing me a look.

"Seok-kyung-ah. . ."

I held her by the arm and saw the bruises she has all over her arms.

"Let's go to the hospital."

I weakly removed my hand, but her gaze was only empty.

A cold and expressionless face looked at me, then took my trembling hand off hers.

"Seok-kyung-ah. . ."

"Don't touch me."

My tears rolled continuously with her cold and defeated words for me before leaving me without saying another word.

I stared at her retreating form as I watched her walk away limping.

I glared at Ju Dan-tae's office as I marched to his study and faced him.

There he was, cleaning his hand as if he didn't even lay his hand on my daughter!

"What kind of father are you?!"

"How can you do that to your child!!"

"To my child!!!"

I punched him hard, and I kicked him hard as he fell.

I grab the nearest thing I can grab and hit him with it!!

His blood splattered on the floor over and over again as I kept hitting it with a golf club.

"I will never forgive you!! NEVER!!"

"DIE!"

"DIE!"

"DIE!!!"

"Madam. . ."

"Madam. . ."

I winked and found myself outside the office, glaring at it.

"Are you okay?"

I turned to our maid and only nodded.

"Have you seen Seok-hoon?"

"No! He isn't home yet."

"Okay. . ."

I slowly walked away, leaving the penthouse.

'I swear, Joo Dan-tae! I will make you bleed for every single drop of tears and blood my children shed because of you!!'

. . . . . . . .

Seok-kyung pov:

The only place I thought of after being beaten by dad was hers.

I rang her doorbell thrice.

I was about to leave when she opened it.

My tear-stained eyes locked with her shocked ones.

"Kyung-ah?"

"Can I stay?"

She looked as if she saw a ghost and hurriedly helped me.

"Wait a minute!"

She said after putting me on her bed.

She was all over the place, looking for something, placing it for me, going somewhere again for something, and contacting someone with her phone.

I found myself smiling at her frantic actions for me.

"Who. . . ."

"I called someone who can help."

"Don't worry. . . . I'm . . . . Fine."

"No, you're not!!"

She started crying while softly touching my bruises.

"Why are the two of you always getting hurt!!"

Looks like my brother also came here while he's hurt.

'When was it, I wonder. I hope it's not recent.'

"How can anyone ever do this to you!!?"

"Can I stay here?"

"You're never going back there! I won't allow it!"

I smile as she finally talks to me.

"I'm sorry for what I did to Rona."

"But I'm not really sorry either."

"Kyung-ah. . ."

"She was. . . going to hurt you. I cannot allow that. I will never allow that. So I'm not sorry."

"Later. Let's talk about that later."

. . . . .

Eun-bi pov:

I was finishing my outputs when the doorbell rang.

I massaged my forehead, ignoring the ringing doorbell.

I had so much to do, so I didn't want to meet anyone right now, but when the ringing didn't stop, I checked who it was and saw Seok-kyung battered up.

I opened the door in haste and saw her ghastly face.

Purple, black bruises covered her arm.

I could feel a tear drops down my cheek as I looked into her eyes.

'How can he do this to his daughter?!'

I called the doctor while giving her basic first aid.

While getting checked, I called Seok-hoon and told him to come here.

I couldn't tell him what was happening over the phone. I don't want him to get into trouble while coming here.

"She's gonna be okay, right?"

"It's good that she has no broken bones, but who could do this?"

I only smiled at the doctor and led her out of my place.

I gave her an envelope full of cash and did a hushed sign in front of her.

"Thank you, Miss. Ha."

She kept the envelope inside her bag while I watched her enter the elevator before entering my pad.

I saw Seok-kyung lying in my bed, sleeping with a frown on her face.

Seok-hoon entered my place casually.

After we spoke about my identity, I also gave him the password to my place.

"What happened?"

I brought him to my room and looked at my bed.

"Seok-kyung?"

The moment our eyes met, he rushed to his sister and checked her all over without waking her up.

I heard him groan in pain as he looked at her bruised arms.

He headed straight to my room and saw her in the middle, sleeping with a frown.

"How did this happen?"

"I kept asking her, but she kept quiet."

"He did this!!"

"HE HURT MY SISTER!!!"

His eyes turned dark, looking at nothing.

"I'm going to kill him!"

I immediately hold his arm.

"Seok-hoon. . . ."

I placed my palm on his cheek and made him face me.

I looked at his eyes and saw a swirl of pain, anger, and helplessness.

"Stay."

Tears started falling from his cheeks.

I raised my feet, snaking my hands on his neck, letting him lean on my shoulder blades as I hugged him, comforting him of the pain he was feeling.

I started humming while caressing his head.

We just stayed like that, letting him cry until nothing was left.

'I'll protect you, Seok-hoon. I will protect both of you, I promise.'

. . . . . . .

I couldn't sleep.

I went to the kitchen to drink milk when my doorbell rang once.

'Who is it this time?'

I looked at the door and found an envelope slipped on the door.

'Another mystery item.'

'Logan, you!!!'

I took the envelope, looked all over it, and found Min-hyuk's sign instead. With a beware sign.

'Why did you send it to me if you don't want me to open it?'

My hands dropped the photos from my hand as I looked at the photos while hanging my head.

It's my father and Yoon-hee leaving the hotel together.

I could feel something in my heart that wanted to burst out.

I kneeled on the floor, gathered the photos, and went to the studio, locking it and throws the pictures in the mirror.

I started laughing dryly.

"HAHAHAHAHA!!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

I screamed without reservations, knowing that whatever I did in this studio won't be heard by the twins outside.

The pain in my heart keeps swelling as I feel like the world I tried so hard to protect crumbles down like a sand castle.

'Why do bad luck always come in pairs?'

. . . . . . .

I fixed myself up, wearing darker makeup.

A darker shade of eye shadows, a darker shade of eyeliner, and a darker shade of lipstick.

I curled my hair, letting it loose on my shoulders.

I took my pouch, put the photos in it, and went to the hospital.

I marched through the halls of the hospital, ignoring the employees who bowed to me.

I entered his office without knocking and found him casually doing his paperwork.

"Eun-byeol-ahh. . . you rarely visited me. What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

I threw all the pictures sent to me at him.

"Why?"

"Why do both of you keep hurting us?"

"Eun-bi. . ."

"I keep rationalizing your actions. Throughout the night, I keep RATIONALIZING YOUR DIRTY AFFAIR!!!"

"Ha Eun-byeol!!! I don't like the tone of your voice!!"

"DON'T SHOUT AT ME!!"

I breathed raggedly as I glared at him.

I calmed myself, fisting my hands and preventing myself from hitting my father.

"You have no right to get angry!!"

"You son of a b*tch!!"

I felt a stinging feeling on my cheek.

My face was forced to face sideward as his heavy palm slapped my cheek.

I looked back at him.

My expression went from in pain to completely coldness.

"I'm sorry!" His palm started to tremble as I glared at him.

"Let's calm down first! I'll explain everything. . . hmmm. . ." I shooed away his hand, trying to check the cheek that he slapped himself.

"You're disgusting!!"

"All of you are disgusting!!"

"Eun-bi ah. . ." His hands tried reaching me, but I shooed them away as I shouted at him for everything.

"I thought at least . . . you wouldn't do it. . . Don't you know how much Eun-byeol loves you. . . Look up to you!!"

"I'm sorry! Eun-bi ah, let me explain, hmmm. . . this. . . . nothing. . ."

"She started dreaming of being a doctor because of you! After seeing you work hard to save people, SHE WANTED TO BE LIKE YOU!!!"

"How dare you ruin my sister's image of you!!"

"At the very least, I thought that you. . . wouldn't be like mom!!"

"Bi-ah. . . everything. . . is a misunderstanding, this. . . . It's not like that." I pushed him away as he made excuses.

"Was what you did to that girl, Min Seol-ah, a misunderstanding too?"

"You. . . how. . ."

"She was just a girl!!"

"Unprotected and alone!!"

"How could you. . . How could a doctor!!"

"YOU'RE DISGUSTING!!"

"Eun-bi. . ."

"Disgusting!!!"

"BOTH OF YOU ARE DISGUSTING!!!"

"Bi-ah. . . I love. . ."

"I HATE YOU!!"

"I HATE YOU, HA YOON-CHUL!!!"

I stomped away, breaking down only when I reached my car.

I slammed the horn over and over again!!!

"I HATE YOU!!"

"I HATE YOU!!"

"I HATE YOU!!!"

"I HATE ALL OF YOU!!!!"

I broke down in tears, continuing to cry and cry, not minding the people knocking on my window as I continued to hit the horn of my car.

"I hate you!!!"

. . . . . .

TO BE CONTINUED