Belladonna || Johnny Suh

Chapter 7: It's a Hard Life

Buzz.

The girl flinched in surprise, nearly dropping her phone to the ground. She fumbled with the screen, unlocking the device to read the message she just received. With held breath, she read.

> So I got the news.
> And...

How excruciating! What was the point of this boy dragging out the news as long as he could? Can't she just tell her already so she can jump and celebrate for him?

"Yebin?"

The call of her name jolted her back to reality. Just as she picked her head to see who it was, her heart drop to her stomach. Standing before her, in a disheveled suit, was a man staring straight her with a just-as-surprised expression. He was with a few other men in suits, mostly likely his coworkers, who looked upon her with curiosity. He then ushered them away, saying he would join them soon.

Yebin crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed into a deadly glare.

Just when she thought she was having a decent day, her hellbent father appeared before her. Sounds about right. Nothing really does goes Park Yebin's way for long.

"Why are you making it seem like we're close, ahjussi?"

A firm frown crossed the man's face as he took a step closer. Automatically, Yebin took a step back. "Don't be like that, Yebin..." The man uttered. "I haven't seen you in months."

"Should've been longer if not for this," she snarled back. Frustrated, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her pierced ear. She couldn't believe it. She wished she had the power to just poof into fine dust and disappear at this moment.

"Yebin..." Without her noticing, her father reached out to place his hand on her shoulder. However, Yebin caught it last second and smacked the hand away. This caused a couple onlookers, but none to bring too much attention. "Can you please not do this? Should you really treat your father this way?"

She grimaced. "You're not my father."

It was like he had been shot. The way the wrinkles of his face shifted, a state of shock. Yebin wasn't sure why he reacts that way. This man made it blatantly clear where their relationship stood.

"Didn't we agree to not pay any attention to each other?" A heavy sigh left her painted red lips. "Why are you approaching me like we are on good terms?"

He looked frustrated now, seeing how she wasn't going to break from this. His adam's apple bobbed as he gulped. The look of his eyes, there was a different glint to them now. "I heard how you dropped off Sian to the house a while ago."

Yebin gawked at him, not expecting this change in conversation. She didn't think Garin would talk about that nasty encounter. "You were with a boy that wasn't Hojun." It was her turn to be horrified. She could feel her chest constricting but she kept her facial expression neutral. "Who is he?"

"Why does it matter to you?" She scoffed at him. "That's none of your business."

"You had appeared at the house once again with some other boy. Can I not be concerned?—"

It was making her go insane. She completely hates how this man was mentioning Youngho. "Why should you?!"

"What's your relation to him? Can't I ask that?!" Her father shot back, just as loud as her.

"He's just a friend, okay? A friend! I swear to god, if your trash of a wife really told you otherwise—"

"Park Yebin." His harsh, low voice stopped her in her tracks. That tone... it made her body tremble. Her past flashed in and out of her mind. Yebin despised this. "Don't you dare talk about your stepmother like that. I only say these things because I am always so concerned about your well-being and you seem to be going further and further down in this blackhole!"