Sister, Back-off From MY MAN - Chapter 157

Ji Seo Yun awkwardly smiled at Aera, “Dear, you are having difficulty falling asleep?”

“I heard everything” Aera directly came on point, she looked broken and dejected.

Ji Seo Yun was shocked and was not sure how to explain herself to this girl.

“You used me against my mother?” Aera struggled to fight her tears, “And a month after that she died. I couldn’t even apologize to my mother. You made me betray my mother”

“Aera, I am so sorry, I really never thought Chu Yu Ri would leave us like this and I would never get a chance to ask for forgiveness. Even I am feeling guilty for what I did.” Ji Seo Yun held Aera’s hands and looked apologetic.

“But why did you use me? Because I am dumb?” The tears now started falling from Aera’s eyes as she recollected how Kiaraa and her friends always teased her calling her dumb.

This was the first time in her life, she truly felt like a dumb person, who unknowingly betrayed her mom.

“Aera, it was a small project and I was greedy to grab it. I had no way to know what Lees were bidding for, and given how much you trust me, I…” Ji Seo Yun tightly shut her eyes as she too felt ashamed of what she did and what she is talking about.

“And given how much I trust you, you decided to use me in your favour, against my mother?” Aera started crying as she couldn’t believe all this.

“I am so sorry, Aera. I thought it is just a small project but when Chu Yu Ri died so suddenly, I too started feeling guilty and now I realized what a big mistake I committed. I am really sorry” Ji Seo Yun too started crying uncontrollably, sobbing between her sentences.

Both women were now crying, guilty for their own actions and they both didn’t know what else to say to each other.

After a while, Ji Seo Yun held Aera’s hands and requested, “Aera, you can give me whatever punishment you want. I’ll accept any decision of yours but please forgive me.”

“Leave me alone for a while, right now I am not in the right state of mind” Aera declared and went to her room and locked the door from inside.

Aera cried a lot as she was not sure, what else to do. It was very hurting to know the woman she loved and trusted all her life used her against her own mother and she betrayed her mom’s hard work unknowingly.

After a while, she was not sure who else to talk to and automatically her fingers dialled a number on her phone even before she could realize it.

Within two rings, the call was answered, “Hello”

“Kiaraa” Aera called her sister’s name and cried even more when she heard her voice.

Kiaraa too was not able to fall asleep as company’s financial condition was still bothering her and late night when she Aera calling her, she got surprised and immediately answered her phone.

When Kiaraa heard Aera crying, she assumed Aera is missing her parents’ room and was therefore acting like this.

“Aera, calm down. I understand you are at a new place and are missing mom and dad but you need to be strong” Kiaraa consoled her.

“Kiaraa, you are right, I am dumb, I am so, so, so dumb” Aera sobbed uncontrollably.

“What happened suddenly?” Kiaraa was confused hearing her words.

Aera was not sure how to tell all of this to Kiaraa as she was sure Kiaraa too will blame her at the end.

“Nothing, I was just missing home” Aera finally lied.

“Stop being a baby, and enjoy yourself” Kiaraa finally said before hanging up on her as they both greeted good night to each other.

Aera lied on the bed and continued crying until she fell asleep.

Next day, she joined everyone for breakfast, and tried to act normal. Song Ji Hun and Song Ji Hwan left for their jobs after eating their meals, Song Jae Ho went to indulge in his hobby and Ji Seo Yun approached Aera.

“You are not going to office today?” Aera asked Ji Seo Yun, as she was still in her home clothes.

“I decided to take a day off from work and spend the day with you” Ji Seo Yun informed her.

“I’ll be fine alone” Aera, still didn’t forgive Ji Seo Yun and wished to stay away from her.

“Aera, I know you are upset. Believe me, right now no one is more upset with me than I, myself. I honestly hate myself right now. I know you accidentally found out about what I did, but now I am feeling relieved that you know of my sin. Please give me a chance to rectify my mistake. People commit mistakes and isn’t it important they realize their mistakes? I realized mine and I am extremely sorry, please give me a chance to truly apologize”

Ji Seo Yun begged Aera.

Aera was still reluctant but Ji Seo Yun’s words did have an impact on her.

Also, the fact that after Chu Yu Ri, Aera always saw Ji Seo Yun as a mother figure, kind of left a soft corner for her in Aera’s heart.

After losing Chu Yu Ri, Aera did not have the strength to lose Ji Seo Yun too. So, these soft feelings somewhere worked in Ji Seo Yun’s favour and Aera agreed to give her a chance to redeem herself.

Ji Seo Yun’s happiness saw no boundaries knowing Aera’s decision and she tightly hugged her, “I promise I’ll make up for my mistake” she declared.

The two women then got ready and first went to the memorial vault, where Aera and Kiaraa’s parents’ photographs were kept.

Aera refused to step inside as she still didn’t bring to forgive herself for what she did and felt guilty to step inside.

Ji Seo Yun didn’t insist and was understanding of what Aera was going through. She alone stepped inside with a small bouquet that she sticked on the vault and joined her hands in front of Chu Yu Ri’s photograph.

Ji Seo Yun poured her heart out as to how greedy she was and how apologetic she felt for her actions and asked for her friend’s forgiveness.

By the time, Ji Seo Yun was done and she stepped out, it was over forty minutes.

When Aera saw the woman’s state, she understood Ji Seo Yun cried a lot as her eyes were puffy.

Aera stepped forward and hugged Ji Seo Yun, “I hope mom forgave you” she only said this much and Ji Seo Yun again broke in tears.

The two women sat in the backseat of the car and asked the driver to take them back to the Song Mansion.

The whole way, Ji Seo Yun kept crying and Aera consoled her while she herself was lightly sobbing.

After reaching home, the two women decided to let go of this incident and to never think about it again.

Later, Ji Seo Yun and Aera had lunch with Song Jae Ho then both these women decided to go for shopping to distract their minds.

Although, they didn’t enjoy the process, they tried to distract themselves and to forget this incident as one bad dream.

…

Here, at the Lee corporation, grandpa went through the whole financial status of the company and stress took over him, seeing how bad the state is.

Kiaraa felt guilty for involving her grandpa at this age, as too much stress was not good for him.

“I am sorry, grandpa” Kiaraa apologized to the old man, who was leaning back on the chair with his eyes closed.

“Not your fault, dear. If your father was here, none of this would have happened. We can only blame our fates for the cruelty it has made us go through” Grandpa Lee said.

“Grandpa, don’t worry about this problem, I’ll find some solution. I am sorry, for dragging you into it”

“No dear, you did the right thing. You should not take this stress all on yourself. I suggest talk to your aunt and uncle you might come up with a solution”

Kiaraa just nodded her head as she didn’t wish to say anything else and she was already regretting involving her grandpa.

That day after going back home, Kiaraa seriously thought whom should she approach and how to tackle this situation.

Finally, only one person came into her mind and she called him.

“Hello” Song Ji Hun was happily surprised on receiving a call from Kiaraa.

“Song Ji Hun, I am sorry for calling you so suddenly but I am going through some problem and I wish to have a word with you. It is something serious” Kiaraa politely spoke to him.

“Sure, shall we meet tomorrow for lunch?” Song Ji Hun immediately agreed to her request and they both decided the time and venue.

Kiaraa felt relieved and saw some hope with his positive response.