Ice: Thaw the Frozen Heart [EDITING]

Chapter 65

Breakfast would have gone on completely quiet if it weren't for Jinho telling everyone of his exciting list of things-to-do with his favorite brother today. The boy was oblivious to what had happened last night unlike Lin who, knowing the tension in the house, immediately went out after breakfast. As a result, Kris got hogged by Jinho for the rest of the day—which Yeojin was thankful for. At least, Kris could momentarily be distracted from the tension.

Yeojin stayed with her mom in the room. She wasn't sure who was comforting whom at this point. Her mom gently stroke Yeojin's head which was resting on her lap as she laid on her side. The movement of the older woman's hand was so gentle it almost lulled her.

"You're mad at me for slapping Kris, aren't you?" Her mom asked, and she hesitatingly shook her head.

She wasn't mad at her mom for that, but she couldn't say she was fine with it either. Truthfully, it just somehow... hurt her.

"You know," her mom continued, "there are times when I regretted not stopping you from getting married. Even though it wasn't like I can't be around you anymore, it just... You're still so young and it felt like I have lost my baby to someone else. Even though our family has known the Wu's for a long time, it didn't mean I was all up for giving you to Kris."

Yeojin sighed and momentarily closed her eyes. Back then, she only thought of helping the Wu's when she offered herself to be Kris' wife. She didn't really think of the effect it would give to her family. To her mom.

Her mom tucked strands of her behind her ear. "Still, I trusted Kris. I knew he was still the same good boy inside even if he acted cold. That's why it hurt me so much to know what he had done to you. But I was wrong. In my anger, I only thought of your feelings. I overlooked his feelings and forgot that he never asked to be thrusted this role of a husband so suddenly too. I forgot what his grandpa had told us about the real reason of your arranged marriage."

Yeojin gulped. She never told her mom about the truth because she didn't want her to be worried. But now she fet guilty for not telling it herself.

Suddenly hearing soft sniffs, Yeojin sat up and found her mom already shedding some tears. She scooted closer to her mom and held her hand. "Mom..." Yeojin sighed and wiped away a tear that rolled down her mom's cheek.

"I didn't mean to be that cold toward him," her mom continued with sobs. "I just wanted him to open his eyes and realize what he has been doing all these years"—her raised hand lovingly stroke Yeojin's face—"so he could appreciate you better. Because I wanted you both to stay together. But when you told us of your feelings for Sehun— I felt like I had been selfish toward Kris." Her gaze was casted down to their intertwined hands on her lap.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Yeojin regretted her confession. She didn't really think it through last night. It was only after she left the living room did she regretted saying it. But she didn't want Kris to be thought of as the bad guy. If anyone was to be blamed, she should be included in the list. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm neither the perfect daughter nor the perfect wife."

"No, no, honey!" Mrs. Kwon cupped Yeojin's face. Her warm hands kept her head up. "It's alright. I understand. I just wished I wasn't too hard on Kris." She pulled Yeojin into her arms.

The moment Yeojin rested her head on her mom's chest and hugged her back, she couldn't keep all the frustrations for herself at bay. All these mixed emotions suddenly overwhelmed and pressured her so much that her chest tightened causing her to feel suffocated.

"My baby." Her mom patted her head as she began to cry. "My, my!" Her mom choked on a sob but tried to sound calm, slowly rocking her from side to side. "All these complicated feelings— It must have been hard for you, huh? It's alright. It's alright. I'm here. I understand. It's alright."