─── chapter twenty-one.
❛ TRUE COLORS ❜

Do-Yeong sat in his office chair, his lawyer positioned across the desk, listening to an audio file Jae-Jun had sent. Do-Yeong kept his eyes closed, turning his chair slightly to the side as he waited. When the lawyer finally removed the earpiece, he spoke up.

"If that man still has the original file," he began, causing Do-Yeong to open his eyes and side-eye him, intrigued.

"I'd suggest you make a decision soon. If he decides to leak this first, things could get... very bad for us."

Do-Yeong nodded slightly, absorbing the gravity of the situation. "Can you find some small town in England or Ireland to send Ye-Sol and maybe Joo-Won?"

The lawyer raised an eyebrow at the mention of Joo-Won but remained silent as Do-Yeong continued. "Their nannies will accompany them."

Standing up, Do-Yeong gazed out the window at the snowfall, which had started to intensify. "It's snowing heavier now."

He turned back to his lawyer. "Be careful."

"You too, sir," the lawyer replied as he exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Left alone, Do-Yeong closed his laptop, then shifted to sit on the edge of his desk, watching the heavy snow. He dialed Eun-Ji's number, pressing the phone to his ear.

A quiet click indicated she'd answered. "Do-Yeong, did something happen?"

He sighed softly, tension evident in his voice.

"Do-Yeong?"

"Yeah," he finally responded. "Are you okay?" Her voice carried a hint of worry.

"Yeah... sorry, I was just deep in thought."

"I have something to ask you."

"Ask away," she replied, sitting on her couch, flipping through an old photo album of Joo-Won as a baby.

"I'm sorry for deciding without your input, but I thought it'd be best for them, as they're sisters."

Though she knew he couldn't see, Eun-Ji's brows knitted in confusion as she closed the album and placed it on the table.

A long pause followed, making Do-Yeong glance at his phone to see if the line was still active. She was still there.

"You mean Joo-Won and Ye-Sol...?"

"Yes, but I was thinking of sending them to either England or Ireland, wherever they decide, and since they are still young, they can learn English there."

After a quiet hum, she replied, "Though I'm angry at the fact I wasn't informed about this till now, but it would be the best for them since they are sisters."

"Will we go with them?"

"No," he replied, "no, it will be their nannies for now, to say the least."

A soft hum escaped her lips again. "Alright."

"I need to go. I'm sorry," she apologized, a bit lost in thought.

"You don't need to apologize," he reassured her before they exchanged goodbyes.

When the call ended, Eun-Ji turned her attention back to an old box of belongings. She found her old phone and, with a small smile, turned it on. Navigating through her contacts, she found So-Hee's number saved under "My Butterfly." A bittersweet smile crept onto her face as she recalled the nickname's origin.

SPRING 2004
So-Hee noticed Eun-Ji typing away, curious about the name "My Butterfly" on her screen. When she received a photo from Eun-Ji, she realized it was her own contact name.

"Eun-Ji, why am I saved as 'My Butterfly'?" she asked with a laugh.

"Because you're my beautiful best friend," Eun-Ji replied warmly. "And butterflies represent transformation, hope, and faith. You bring me that."

Blushing at the sentiment, So-Hee smiled shyly.

WINTER 2004
Eun-Ji sat in a doctor's office, texting So-Hee to explain her absence from school. 'I won't be at school today, doctor's appointment. I'm sorry.'

'It's okay, Eun-Ji; I'll miss you.'

They agreed to meet up the next day, a comforting plan for both.

END OF FLASHBACK
Unaware of the tears streaming down her face, Eun-Ji took a shaky breath, wiping them away as the memories of her late friend washed over her.

On that same snowy day, Yeon-Jin stood inside a building, smoking as she waited. She exhaled a puff of smoke, watching Hyeon-Nam approach.

When Hyeon-Nam drew near, Yeon-Jin stubbed her cigarette on the ground. "I heard your husband's dead," she sneered. "Are you working with Dong-Eun now?"

Hyeon-Nam's face hardened as Yeon-Jin continued mockingly, "You had to drag my mom into your husband's murder? Makes you a killer too, bitch!"

"I guess this is why you didn't even flinch when I offered to kill him."

"You need to settle this."

"Do you really think I can't find your daughter?" Yeon-Jin threatened. Hyeon-Nam's expression darkened at the mention of her daughter. She managed to keep her anger in check, her tone steely. "First, I have something I need to give back to you.

Before Yeon-Jin could react, Hyeon-Nam's hand lashed out, her slap echoing through the air. Yeon-Jin gasped, clutching her stinging cheek as she looked back, only to receive another slap that snapped her head to the side. "You fucking bitch!" she spat, but Hyeon-Nam remained unfazed.

"How can you threaten someone else's child? You're a mother too," Hyeon-Nam deadpanned, her gaze unwavering. "I have plenty of pictures you wouldn't want anyone to see."

Yeon-Jin's eyes widened as she held her cheek, shaken by the warning.

"So, don't mess with me," Hyeon-Nam threatened. "Hurt me again. I'll find you and give it back to you, only twice as hard." Without another word, she turned and strode out, leaving Yeon-Jin trembling.

"I'll kill you, bitch!" Yeon-Jin screamed, stumbling forward but faltering as she watched Hyeon-Nam walk away. She gasped, her rage cooling into a shock as her gaze met her husband, Do-Yeong, standing on the stair landing with two strangers watching the whole scene.

"Do-Yeong..." she murmured. Her husband remained silent, taking out a white envelope and handing it to a thug nearby, who accepted it with a respectful nod. "Thank you, sir," the thug said, pocketing the envelope. "Feel free to call if there's anything else you need."

As he prepared to leave, Do-Yeong asked, "You work for Mr. Shin, right?"

The thug nodded, confirming. "He's actually leaving Korea soon. He's even arranged to sell that motel in his sister's name."

The thug absorbed the information, exchanged a glance with his partner, and gave a slight nod. "Alright. Let's go."

The two thugs began ascending the stairs, leaving the tense scene behind. As they disappeared, Yeon-Jin hesitated before slowly following up the steps, her gaze fixed on Do-Yeong, who stood waiting, his eyes cold as he watched her approach.

"What are you doing?" she asked, glancing uneasily between the unfamiliar men and her husband. He remained silent, offering no response, and she finally stopped beside him on the landing, their standoff filled with unspoken tension.

Yeon-Jin climbed the stairs toward her husband, who stood silently, watching her. She glanced at the strangers, then back to Do-Yeong. "Who are they? Do you know them?" she asked, but he ignored her, handing her a slip of paper.

"Right now, you have two choices."

She looked down at the address scribbled on it.

"This is Yoon So-Hee's mother's address. You may have forgotten her, but she hasn't." Do-Yeong's voice was cold. She glanced down at the paper again, a flicker of disbelief in her eyes. How did he even know about that girl? "Either you go there and accept your punishment," he said, his voice cold, "or our marriage ends here."

"Think hard," he added, his gaze unwavering. Yeon-Jin just stared at him, unmoved. "I know I will," he continued, which made her scoff.

"Why should I go?" she shot back, her voice rising, anger simmering beneath her words. "I'm not the one who killed her."

"That bitch just freaked out for no reason," Yeon-Jin sneered, dismissing the late girl's memory with callousness. "She slipped."

Do-Yeong's face hardened. "You were there," he said, cutting through her excuses. "Weren't you?"

Without responding, Yeon-Jin snatched the address from his hand, crumpling the paper and tossing it behind him with contempt. Do-Yeong glanced briefly at the discarded paper before looking back at her, his face a mask of resignation.

"Our marriage?" Yeon-Jin asked mockingly. "It ended the moment you... met up with Eun-Ji."

He let out a tired sigh. "I see." He nodded slightly, accepting her decision. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone, looked at her one last time, and said, "Goodbye."

"I've made my decision."

He put the phone to his ear, and as the line connected, he began to walk away, his voice echoing as he gave the quiet command, "Mr. Choi, do it."

Without a backward glance, Do-Yeong continued up the stairs, leaving the woman he once called his wife standing alone on the landing, engulfed in silence.

© 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗜𝗦𝗭𝗡 // 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯