To Be or Not To Be A Family - Chapter 65

Yawning, Eun-Kyung got off her bed and went to the kitchen where instead of making breakfast, In-Ho was reading a piece of paper. She thought he might be reading some personal letter but got curious.

“Is everything alright, Pyo-ssi?” she inquired. None of the other servants were in the kitchen.

In-Ho looked at her and forwarded her the letter. “This is for you, ma’am.”

“For me?” Eun-Kyung was shocked. There was no envelope, no address on the back of the latter, it was just a piece of paper with something scribbled on a side.

“Yes, a letter from Ashma ma’am,” explained In-Ho.

“Letter?” Eun-Kyung was again shocked. Why would Ashma write a letter when she was in the house? “Show me,” she raised her palm and demanded the latter from In-Ho. He placed the paper on her palm. She read the letter and shouted, “Vidhi!”

Vidhi heard her name and came out in her pyjamas. She thought something happened because of Ashma. It was a routine that every morning someone would shout in that house. “What happened, now?” asked Vidhi as it was the obvious question to ask.

“Did you know about this?” Eun-Kyung waved the piece of paper in front of her eyes.

Vidhi took the letter and read it with surprise. “What?” she screamed. “This girl!” she exclaimed, handed the paper back to Eun-Kyung and ran to the guest room to check if her daughter was playing a prank on everyone but the room was empty. The bed was made, the working table was empty. She opened the closet, her clothes were gone. Her laptop, her purse everything was gone. Vidhi was shocked to her core. She came back running to the kitchen. “She is gone, she is really gone. Why didn’t she wake me up?” screamed Vidhi.

“Why didn’t she wake anyone of us? Though she informed us via this letter, it would have been nice to look at her face,” said Eun-Kyung.

“She didn’t even wake me up,” said In-Ho. “I didn’t even hear the opening of the door.”

“It’s okay, she is considerate that way,” informed Vidhi. “Last night she was juggling phone calls after phone calls, this issue must have a big one. Let me call her.” Vidhi started moving to the room she slept in to get her phone.

But Eun-Kyung interrupted, “No need. She must be on the flight, how will she talk?”

“Maybe the flight has wifi,” contrasted Vidhi.

“In that case, message her. When she gets a signal she will reply back. But I think she explained everything in her letter. Let her reach India and then you can call her,” said Eun-Kyung.

“Who are we calling?” Bong-Cha’s voice echoed through the kitchen. She was standing at the door while rubbing her eyes. She was cute but in the morning she always had a puffy face. Her hair was open and dishevelled. Even though she was trying hard she was unable to open her eyes completely. She woke up after hearing all the shouting. She thought Ashma had some problem with her dress again but she was not in the kitchen and for the first time she was not shouting at someone else.

Seeing Bong-Cha arrive, Eun-Kyung abruptly moved her hand behind her and hid the paper. Eun-Kyung looked at Vidhi with fear and shock. Vidhi gave the same look to her. They knew Bong-Cha would freak after hearing that Ashma was gone.

But Bong-Cha noticed that her mother hid something from her. “What did you hide right now?”

“Nothing,” lied Eun-Kyung.

“Uhmma!”

“Okay, there is a message for you but don’t freak out,” warned Vidhi.

“Whattt?” asked Bong-Cha, drowsily.

“Um… Ashma is gone. She went to India for a week,” said Eun-Kyung.

“Come again!” Bong-Cha completely opened her eyes. Her drowsiness was gone, she was completely awake.

Eun-Kyung gave her the letter. “Here read this letter, she has explained it.” Bong-Cha grabbed the paper and started reading. Her eyes kept moving from left to right as she kept reading the letter.

“Everything is his fault,” shouted Bong-Cha.

“Woah! Calm down,” said Eun-Kyung.

But as if she didn’t hear a word from her mother’s mouth she shouted, “Harabuhji! Harabuhji!”

Young-Jae came from his room and stood at the top of the stairs. “What? Why are you shouting this early in the morning?”

“Are you happy now? She is gone,” shouted Bong-Cha looking up to him.

“What are you talking about?” He rubbed his temple and placed his arms on his waist.

“I thought you guys were reconciling, but she is gone. Because of you. You drove her away,” shouted Bong-Cha, again.

“What are you on about?” asked Young-Jae coolly and calmly. He was fed up with everyone shouting at him. First that rude girl, then his son, his granddaughter and last night Yong-Sun.

“Ashma! She went back,” explained Bong-Cha in a screaming voice.

“What?” Young-Jae was surprised. He was taken aback. What he said came true. She left, she kissed Yong-Sun yesterday and today she was gone. She broke his heart before anything could happen between them. He warned him but he didn’t listen. What will happen to him? Now he was sad.

“Stop exaggerating!” shouted Vidhi. She placed her palms on Bong-Cha shoulder and faced her. She very calmly explained to her, “You read in the letter that she is gone for the spring fashion week. She will be back. She told you. See ‘@ Bong-Cha – I swear I will be back.’” Vidhi took the letter and showed her that line. “So, chill! Not everything happens because of him. I know my daughter, she never backs down. If she said she will be back, then she will be back. Okay?” Bong-Cha shook her head in yes.

Suddenly Baek-Hyeon came out of his room yawning and asked, “What is happening? I am trying to sleep.” His voice was tired. His eyes were red due to a lack of sleep.

“Keep talking to your future wife all night and complain about sleeping in the morning,” teased Eun-Kyung.

“Uhmma!” Baek-Hyeon cheeks turned red with blushing.

“Your sister is gone and you want to sleep?” shouted Bong-Cha.

“What are you talking about? You are standing in front of me,” said Baek-Hyeon and yawned again.

“Ashma! She is gone.”

“Gone? Where?” in an instant Baek-Hyeon sleep vanished. He was alert now.

“To her country,” replied Bong-Cha.

“Why?”

“Read this letter.” She showed him the letter. He grabbed it immediately.

He read and was instantly relaxed. She wrote a line for everyone. He smiled at his line and commented casually, “Oh, had an issue with her dress, that’s bad.” He handed her the letter back. “I am going back to sleep. Keep your voice down.”

“How can you go back to sleep?” Bong-Cha picked up a grape from the table and hit Baek-Hyeon. “What if she does not come back?”

“She left the most important thing, her mom, here.” Baek-Hyeon pointed at Vidhi. “Trust me, she will come back for her. Now chill,” said Baek-Hyeon and yawned again.

“Oh, yeah. You are right,” Bong-Cha smiled at her stupidity.

“And she wrote that she will be back, why are you getting hyper. Do my sisters have to shout in the morning every day? Is this going to be our new routine?” hearing all the shouting, Young-Soo and all other servants too woke up and came to the kitchen.

“Shut up!” said Bong-Cha, annoyed.

“With pleasure,” said Baek-Hyeon and mockingly he curtsied.

Suddenly the door flung open and Yong-Sun wandered in. “Hi, everyone!” He looked at Young-Jae and instantly lowered his gaze.

“Oh, why are you here?” groaned Baek-Hyeon.

“My house, I can come anytime I want,” said Yong-Sun.

“Yeah, yeah. Why are you here?” asked Baek-Hyeon, irritated.

“I had to talk to Ashma,” said Yong-Sun and again looked at Young-Jae who was now climbing down the stairs.

“About?” asked Baek-Hyeon.

“Um… our collaboration, you know that.”

“Do it after a week,” said Baek-Hyeon.

“Excuse me!”

“She is not here,” announced Bong-Cha.

“Where is she?” asked Yong-Sun.

“She went back to India,” said Bong-Cha.

“India? When? Why?”

“Here.” Bong-Cha gave him the letter. He grabbed the piece of paper and read it twice. The letter had everyone’s name on it except him.

“She left without saying goodbye to anyone?” he said in a sad tone. He was devastated. He looked at Young-Jae. He thought of what he said. His voice echoed in his brain but he discarded that voice. He knew she would be back. She won’t leave him grief-stricken. Every time he kissed her she kissed him back. She had feelings for him, she just never showed.

“Yes,” said Eun-Kyung.

“Did she say anything to you?” he asked Vidhi.

“No, Eun-Kyung showed me the letter,” replied Vidhi.

“It must be a big issue, that she went away like this,” commented Yong-Sun.

“Yeah, she wrote something about plagiarism,” informed Vidhi.

“Yeah, I read. Well, then, I will take your leave. Baekhyeona, see you at the office,” said Yong-Sun.

“Yeah, if my family members let me sleep,” said Baek-Hyeon, irritated.

“Get lost,” said Bong-Cha with anger.

“Get lost,” repeated Baek-Hyeon, mockingly. This time instead of a grape, Bong-Cha grabbed an apple and threw it at his face. He caught the apple at the right moment and to tease her took a bite out of it. He then ran to his room leaving everyone laughing except Young-Jae.

Eun-Kyung face-palmed, Vidhi shook her head in disappointment. Both brother and sister fought like cat and mouse.

With a heavy heart, Ashma was sitting on her flight. Her mind kept racing to the previous night. She kissed Yong-Sun again. She was angry at him for kissing someone else but after he kissed her she forgot everything. If this stupid issue would not have risen, she would be in Korea talking to him, asking him what he meant by that he could kiss her anytime, any moment.

She emptied her brain of Yong-Sun’s thoughts and concentrated on her work. She kept working on her designs and searching the internet for the designer that said that Ashma plagiarised his designs. She kept comparing the two dresses side by side. She kept researching everything about ‘Paul Baston’ who claimed that Ashma copied her designs. First, she had to find out who leaked her design and how Paul Baston found it. Second, she had to find out who Paul Baston was? Third, she had to deal with the negative publicity and the repercussion of that.

After almost 15 hours she reached India.. She directly went to her office where everyone was waiting for her.