***
The wind was howling outside. Rain hammering on the window pane.
Another sound of shattered glasses could be heard. Sunmi was panting, curses flying everywhere. She reeked of whiskey and resentment. She wanted to vent her anger and hurt someone!
"AHHHHHH!!!" Another shout could be heard, followed by a string of curses.
"HOW DARE SHE!? How dare she disrespect me like that?"
Then she laughed like a mentally deranged woman.
"Chaeyoung ah! Chaeyoung! Very good! Let me play with you!
…
Meanwhile, Chaeyoung was sleeping comfortably in her room.
The sun was already high when Chaeyoung decided to get off her bed. She immediately dialed Wang Bolin's number telling him her itinerary for the day. She didn't want to spend any more time in the Park's mansion.
True, the mansion is listed under her name, but she felt that there is too much negativity in this house. And Chaeyoung doesn't need any negativity in her new life.
She quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth. She picked a knee-length black flared dress to wear. Then she made her way out of her room with her duffel bag. However, fate had another plan for her. She was already in the foyer when she heard her father's voice. She couldn't help but roll her eyes.
'It's just morning. And luck is already not going my way,' she thought.
"Hey! Are you listening to me?" Jacob's voice echoed.
This brought Chaeyoung back from her thoughts. She looked at her father. He still had the same sharp features. To be honest, if someone asked her, she wouldn't say that her father was good-looking. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't help but notice that they actually have no resemblance whatsoever.
"Hey! Are you deaf? Are you ignoring me? So this is what you get by staying abroad?" Her father lashed out. Chaeyoung tried to remember the words that her father said earlier. But it seems she couldn't remember anything. She wondered how she become so absent-minded lately.
"Sorry, I didn't hear you." Chaeyoung shrugged without halting her steps as she continued walking down the hall.
"Good! Very Good! You are showing just how ungrateful you are. The gods must have punished me for not raising you well. You are a bad egg to this family! How embarrassing. You are just like your mother!" She heard her father say.
"Dear, calm down. Chaeyoung is tired from her flight yesterday. She just forgot to inform you."
She heard Sunmi's high pitched voice trying to comfort her father and smiled inwardly. Chaeyoung stopped walking to stare at the couple sitting in the dining hall. She was waiting for a good show.
"Chaeyoung come here. I didn't ask the servants to call you because I know you were exhausted. Come sit down and eat with us." Sunmi said with a big smile on her face as she gestured Chaeyoung to sit.
Chaeyoung obediently sat across Sunmi. She didn't say anything and just waited for the servants to prepare some utensils, then she started to eat. She was indeed hungry.
"So, are you still going back abroad? You should just stay and continue your studies here. I'm sure the old Wang Patriarch will understand." Sunmi was smiling while talking to her. Chaeyoung wanted to give this woman a standing ovation. Such an artist. She wondered why Sunmi didn't pursue acting instead.
"I should be staying here permanently." She answered.
"Magnificent! Don't worry. I will arrange everything. It is too late to start school, but I'm sure we can do something about it. What do you think dear? Why don't you give the headmistress of Seoul City's International School a call?" Sunmi looked at Jacob. As expected, Jacob looked like he just swallowed a fly. His brows were furrowed, anger visible in his eyes.
Jacob knew that Chaeyoung was very smart. In fact, she was once called a genius during her elementary years. If Chaeyoung goes to the same school as Yuri, then she will surely overshadow her.
"It is almost the end of the year. The school won't accept any enrollments this time. Especially now that the National examinations are coming," he said. Jacob couldn't hide the anger in his voice. This daughter of his was becoming more and more willful every day.
After Claire's death, Chaeyoung directly requested her maternal grandfather to send her abroad to mourn, away from her birthplace. She then changed her mobile number so he couldn't contact her at all. She didn't attend his wedding with Sunmi and didn't even call these past few years.
He was still asking himself why Chaeyoung suddenly became like this. She used to follow him all around asking for his attention.
"Hmm… Grandfather already took care of it." He heard Chaeyoung say. He couldn't help but grit his teeth. That old man Wang was trying to isolate his daughter. Jacob was sure that Wang Patriarch wanted to protect Claire's inheritance.
"Great! That is very good news. I will let Yuri know so she can help you. Are you going to stay in the dormitories as well? It would be great to-"
"Yuri?" Chaeyoung interrupted Sunmi.
"Oh. You haven't met her yet. She is my daughter and your blood-related sister." Sunmi answered with a broad smile. Although Yuri was not as pretty as Chaeyoung, Sunmi knew that her daughter was the top student of her school. Sunmi would love to see how her daughter would handle this ungrateful brat. Plus, the headmistress was her cousin. Sunmi got excited thinking of Chaeyoung's aggrieved face in the future.
"Oh." Chaeyoung replied, clearly uninterested. Her reply startled Jacob. He had expected for Chaeyoung to throw a tantrum. He didn't say anything as he continued to look at her. Jacob cannot seem to fathom this daughter of his. She seemed to hate him as if she knew about his relationship with Claire.
The thought of Claire made him angrier. The fact that Claire gave all of her assets to Chaeyoung was a great insult to him as her husband. Jacob forced himself to swallow down his rage. He would do everything he could to get some of the company shares and properties back.
While Jacob was busy scheming, Chaeyoung decided to consume her food quickly. The show that she was expecting was so boring. She was highly disappointed.
"I won't stay here or the dormitories. I'll come back tonight to get some of my things." Chaeyoung said as she stood up and strutted her way out of the house without waiting for their response.
Eventually, she reached the parking lot adjacent to the mansion. She waved at Wang Bolin who was standing next to a tinted black BMW. She handed him her duffel bag before going inside the car.
"Make sure to give the bag to grandfather when we arrive." She told Wang Bolin as they started to leave the gates of the Mansion.
The Wang's Mansion was located at the South side of the City. It was currently rush hour, so Chaeyoung was forced to endure being stuck in the traffic.
Chaeyoung was excited to see her grandfather, Wang Guiren. In her past life, Grandfather Wang pampered her, but her poor choices alienated her from the old man. Grandfather Wang must have been really disappointed in her previous self. She couldn't help but sigh. Her maternal family doted on her so much.
The Wang Family is one of the four prestigious families, not just in City, but in the whole country. Although it's not as old compared to the other families, the Wang family's fortune could still compete with the other three. The Wang family's iComms tech International was a very well known company both inside and outside the country. They were a conglomerate company that focuses on technological innovations. They started off as a small business, but with the past three decades of staggering technological updates, iComms tech international was able to rise up to the top.
Her Grandfather, Wang Guiren, was the founder and current patriarch of the Wang Family. He had twins. Claire, her mother, and Jackson, her beloved uncle. At first, Wang Guiren was reluctant to let Claire enter the Park Family. But he had to honor his promise to his best friend, Jacob's father, Park Shinyang.
After Claire's death, Chaeyoung became the only female in the Wang Family. This made everyone, including her only male cousin, dote on her. Chaeyoung couldn't help but smile while thinking about her maternal family. She missed them. This will be the first time that she would spend some time with the Wang family after her rebirth.
Chaeyoung was still in deep thought when she noticed the deceleration of the car. She lifted her head and gazed at the luxurious Mansion in front of her. The Wang ancestral house is a luxurious 19,000 square foot mansion. It had a warm and cozy vibe that made you feel comfortable just by looking at it. The exteriors were made of lilac block stones, and pressure treated spruce, giving it an expensive and elegant appeal. Its interior floor was made of cozy Bavarian oak. It also featured beautifully designed wood ceilings and wenge walls.
Chaeyoung quickly got out the car and bounced her way into the house. Her excitement was clearly visible on her face.
"Good morning Young Miss. Your grandfather is waiting for you in the Gallery." She vaguely heard the attendant say as she skipped her way to the second floor.
The gallery was on the second floor of the Mansion. Inside the gallery was a collection of paintings and sculptures that her grandfather loved. This included some of Claire's paintings. Her mother was a very talented artist, and she loved to paint, sing and play musical instruments. This was the reason why her grandfather made the Gallery connect to a music room where you could play the piano.
Opening the door, she saw an old man standing in front of a framed black and white photograph.
"Grandfather!" She called. The old man looked at her and gave her a longing smile. Chaeyoung knew that her grandfather was looking at Claire's photo again. After Claire's death, her grandfather insisted on framing a black and white photo of his daughter. He decided to put it in the Gallery, Claire's favorite place in the mansion.
"Grandfather, you can't stand too long. You need to take care of yourself. Come, let's go to the music room. I will play a piece for you." She said with a sincere smile. Chaeyoung was aware that her grandfather missed her mother.
She helped Wang Guiren into a chair and proceeded to sit in front of the black and shiny piano. Silence enveloped the room as she slowly let her fingers fly over the keys. She decided to play Nocturne in E Flat Major, her mother's favorite piece. Before long, she became engrossed in its dramatic flair. She closed her eyes to let the memories drown her.
In her past life, she became so determined to earn her father's approval and love that she didn't even cherish moments of peace and happiness like this.
Her father started despising her when she was 5, and she lost her mother when she was 15. She started making wrong decisions after her mother's death. At 18, she chose to become an actress just like Yuri even though she hated acting. At 19, she lost her innocence to a director just to steal a role from Yuri. She got married to the despicable Eunwoo at 21, and became a divorced woman at 24. Later on, she died of a car accident alone at 25.
The tone started to build up and she could feel the vibrations tingling into her skin. Her heart raced, banging against her chest. She let her fingers caress the piano, her emotions flowing everywhere. Then finally she hit the last note.
She opened her eyes as a single tear slowly cascaded down her cheeks. She glanced at her grandfather. Wang Guiren gave her a proud smile, eyes gleaming, full of affection.
*Clap-Clap-Clap*
Her attention was drawn to the person clapping beside her grandfather. She saw a man who looked exactly like her mother. It was her uncle, Jackson.
"Wow! I didn't know someone else could play that piece aside from your mother, Little Chae." Jackson exclaimed.
She gave them a smile, and slowly made her way to her grandfather and her uncle.
"You look just like your mother when she was your age. Come give your uncle a big hug." Jackson cheekily said as he opened his arms wide.
"Stop it old man, you are not a kid. Come, Little Chae, give this handsome young cousin of yours a hug instead." Another voice butted in. Then Chaeyoung saw her cousin, Taehyung, elegantly stride in and give her a hug.
"How dare you call me an old man? How about we talk about your engagement instead? What do you say, Taehyung?" Spouted Jackson.
"Engagement? How about I tell Grandfather what you-" Taehyung was not able to finish his words as Jackson covered his mouth.
"How about we let Little Chae eat some of her favorite cookies that you baked especially for her, son?" Jackson said. His cold gaze fixed on the smiling young man.
Chaeyoung beamed while watching the father and son banter in front of her. She was not able to witness such a warm scene in her past life.
"Stop this nonsense! How embarrassing! You are giving me a headache." Her grandfather said while shaking his head. He stood up and started walking. "Come, Little Chae, let us ignore these two embarrassing people here."
Chaeyoung couldn't help but let out a little chuckle as she followed Wang Guiren. Her uncle and cousin didn't even notice their departure as they continued to banter like teenagers.
Her grandfather was laughing heartily. He seemed to have become 10 years younger.
"Did you tell your professor why you chose that pen name?" He asked. He was talking about Chaeyoung's school life abroad. At the age of 16, Chaeyoung was already recognized as a famous poet in her high school.
At first, people started to get interested in her poems not because of the content, but because of her pen name, Rosé. However, when they read the content of her poems, they were amazed by how sentimental it is. They started loving her and sharing her works on social media, giving her instant fame. Of course, no one knew what she looked like.
"Yes. I tried to explain its meaning, but he wanted me to change it. In the end, I just stopped writing for the school paper. He later apologized and promised to retain my pen name so I would continue writing for the high school ." She answered.
"How amusing! When that child Taehyung showed me one of your poems online, I almost laughed at some of the comments. The online world is a scary thing." Her grandfather said, clearly delighted by her stories.
"Here you go. I especially baked these cookies. I know you love them." Taehyung passed her a plate full of freshly baked cookies as he proudly informed her about his newly acquired baking skills. He had learned just to show off to his favorite cousin Chaeyoung.
The father and son banter ended just minutes after Chaeyoung and Wang Guiren left and they both followed them into the mansion's lounge.
She picked up one of the cookies and quickly shoved it into her mouth. "This is good!" She nodded in approval.
"I didn't know you had it in you. Wow!" She mumbled while picking up another piece of cookie. She gave her cousin a big smile. Taehyung was already 20 years old this year. He was more than 2 years older than her. He is a very good looking guy with delicate white skin and their family's signature silver-gray eyes. He had a lean and tall body that towered over her 171 cm height. He could pass as a model or even an actor.
"So... I already spoke to Headmistress Seo. She knows you will arrive later today. At first, she directly refused when I told her, but when she saw your accomplishments abroad she reluctantly agreed. Taehyung will accompany you to the school later." Her grandfather suddenly said with a stern voice.
"What's wrong?" Her uncle asked after he noticed his father's change of mood.
"The headmistress is Sunmi's cousin. I'm worried she will bully Little Chae." Wang Guiren answered.
"Relax grandfather. I can handle myself." She assured him. She remembered that Wang Guiren almost had a heart attack when he heard about Jacob's marriage with Sunmi. Since then, he had been at odds with the Park Family. The only reason he had not done anything against the Park's because of his granddaughter.
Her grandfather just nodded without saying anything. They continued to talk about random things then had lunch together.
After lunch, Taehyung accompanied her to Seoul City International School in order to meet with the headmistress and familiarize herself with the new environment. It was just around 1 pm in the afternoon when they arrived at the school. They decided to go directly to the Headmistress' office. However, what they didn't expect was that the news of two good looking people walking down the hallway had already spread far across the campus.
"Have you heard? Young Master Wang is here in our school with a very beautiful lady. Do you think she is his girlfriend?"
"I heard Young Master Wang has no girlfriend. Have you seen the lady? Everyone said she is as beautiful as a painting."
"Hey everyone! I saw them. I just saw Young Master Wang with the most beautiful lady that I have ever seen in my whole life!"
"Stop exaggerating! There is no one prettier than me. I believe Young Master Wang will fall in love with me if we meet."
"Hahaha stop dreaming! You're not even fit to clean Young Master Wang's shoes!"
"Hey, I noticed she also has silver eyes just like Young Master Wang. Maybe she is a relative?"
"Now that you mention it, Young Master Wang does have a cousin with the same gray eyes."
Of course, this conversation didn't escape Yuri's ears. She clenched her fist. She knows they are talking about Chaeyoung, her older sister. She knows that Chaeyoung is pretty close to the Wang Family. Still, she couldn't stop feeling envious. Chaeyoung is escorted by one of the most famous bachelors in the city. How could she be so lucky?
"Hey... Yuri... Yuri, can you hear us?" She felt someone pat her shoulders.
"Sorry. You were saying something?" She asked. She must have spaced out earlier.
"We were asking you about your step-sister. We heard from someone that she will attend this school and was especially escorted by Young Master Wang earlier."
"I...I don't know. My mother told me earlier that she will stay in the country, so she called our headmistress to ask if she could accept Chaeyoung, but she said that it is already too late to enroll, so she will go to school next year instead." She answered.
"Isn't she Young Master Wang's cousin? That must be the reason why he accompanied her earlier. They must have used their influence to get inside." One of her classmates said.
"How despicable! That's why I hate influential people. The Wang family must have donated millions to the school so they would accept her."
"Hmp. She is just a pretty face, using her influence to her advantage!"
"No...I...I'm sure my elder sister didn't mean to do that. Maybe she-"
"Yuri, stop covering for your elder sister. She is just another arrogant brat from one of the four prestigious families. I will be disappointed if she joins us in the special section. I'm afraid she would use her influence to bully us." One of Yuri's friends comforted her. Though Yuri looked pitiful and sad, she felt deeply happy inside. She couldn't wait to tell her mother about today's matter.
Yuri was not sure about the effects of her sister's arrival, but she was excited for the days to come.
.......