"Mom, I don't want to. Other than my last name, I have nothing to do with that family. Plus, I dislike that person."
Lisa only felt hatred towards her biological father, who was one of the ten wealthiest men in the city.
All these years, that man did not ask about them at all. He did not give them a single cent and acted as if they did not exist.
He did not even attend Uncle Watanabe's funeral, even though Uncle Watanabe was his chauffeur for ten years.
Such a heartless man did not deserve to be her father.
"Go back, I heard that your grandmother passed away," her mother said with a hint of sadness in her tone.
If there were one good person in the Oh Family, it would be Granny Oh.
She was an old lady who practiced Buddhism, and she moved out of the Oh Family years ago to live in a countryside temple.
Lisa had met her once. A driver took Granny Oh to see her once, and she bought Lisa some pretty clothes and gave her money.
But her mother did not take the money. Those were all things that happened ten years ago when Lisa was only a teenager.
Lisa's heart sank when she heard that her grandmother was dead. It was an awful feeling.
"You should go, just ignore the others. Your grandmother treated you quite well and visited you when you were young. You should go and see her one last time."
"Alright." After a moment of hesitation, Lisa finally agreed.
She walked up to her closet to find something black to wear to the funeral. But she suddenly realized that she had moved, and none of her black clothes were here. She only had work clothes and the white tee and jeans she was wearing right now.
Worried, she opened the closet and was immediately stunned by all the clothes inside...
There were dozens of outfits, all brand new with their price tags still on them. They were all luxury-brand clothes, each worth more than four figures.
Dresses, jeans, t-shirts, cardigans, jackets, shawls, evening gowns, everything that she would ever need…
LV, Chanel, Versace, DG, Dior, Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Celine and many more.
Did Jungkook move the stores into her closet?
Lisa randomly picked up a tag; she noticed that everything was size S, which was her size.
Had Jungkook prepared all this for her?
But why didn't he say anything? This guy…
After the shock, Lisa chose a black dress from the closet. She put it on, and the dress looked exceptionally good on her.
She took a taxi and after 40 minutes, she arrived at the Oh Family's mansion which was located in the suburbs.
From a distance, she could see a lot of black cars parked outside the door. It seemed like everyone was there to grieve.
Lisa slowly walked over…
"Excuse me, please show me your invitation." The security guard at the door stopped Lisa.
Lisa had never been to this home, so naturally, the security guards did not know her.
"I'm here to grieve for my grand--" Lisa did not get the chance to finish her words when she saw a black Maserati pull up by her side. Then, the car window rolled down.
Sehun said to the security guard, "Let her through, she's my younger sister."
"Yes, Young Master Oh." the security guard bowed down to him and then he opened the door for Lisa to walk in.
After Sehun parked his car, he caught up to her and said, "I didn't expect you to come. I thought that the last thing you would do is come back to this home."
"Of course I didn't want to come. I'm only here to send my grandmother off for the last time, and it has nothing to do with anyone else," Lisa said coldly.
"Lisa, you look beautiful today." After speaking, Sehun did not wait for her response before heading towards the mourning hall.
"Crazy."
Lisa looked at his figure and muttered, "Today is a day to mourn and grieve, is it appropriate to praise one's looks?"
Lisa always felt that Sehun was quite odd, even though he was popular amongst women and well respected within the Oh Family.
Lisa also walked towards the mourning hall… everyone from the Oh Family was kneeling there…
Mr. Oh's legal wife, his mistress Sooyoung, and his two beloved children, Nancy and Hyunjae were also present.
In the middle was her father, whom she had not seen in many years.
"This is…?" Mr. Oh looked at Lisa; he couldn't even recognize her.
"Dad, this is Lisa," Sehun introduced.
Mr. Oh was dazed at Sehun's words...
He had called Lisa's mother and invited Lisa to come, but he didn't realize that this child had grown-up so quickly.
Everyone looked over when they heard Lisa's name. Lisa, however, stood silently without a single hint of emotion on her face.
"Lisa? Which Lisa? That bastard daughter my dad had with a random woman?" Nancy, the mistress's daughter, said venomously. She was completely spoiled and disregarded everyone.
"Bastard daughter? Well, if you put it that way, your mom is also a mistress, does that mean that you are a bastard daughter, too?" Sehun asked with a smile, as if he was joking.
Mr. Oh's mistress, Sooyoung's expression changed after she heard his words.
Nancy was also displeased. "Big brother, how can you compare me with her? I grew up in the Oh Family and my mother has a title. Her mother is nothing, she's just a bitch who ran away with dad's chauffeur."
Lisa only looked coldly at Nancy and said, "Those who are well educated would never speak such vulgar words. It seems like the manners of a dignified daughter of the Oh Family is subpar."
"Are you saying that I have no manners?" Nancy was so angry she almost launched to her feet.
However, she was stopped by her mistress mother, Sooyoung, "Nancy, don't cause trouble, remember where you are at right now."
"Since you are here, let's guard the mourning hall together." Mr. Oh finally opened his mouth to speak.
Then, Lisa slowly kneeled down by the side of the mourning hall.
Her grandmother's portrait was in the center of the room. She looked amiable and kind.
Lisa felt sad, but not to the point of crying her eyes out. That would be too fake.
The members of the Oh Family would kneel for a while before taking a break. Nancy only kneeled for a moment before complaining of dizziness, and she was escorted back to the mansion.
Hyunjae also escaped on the grounds of entertaining his friends. In the end, only Lisa and Sehun were left in the mourning hall.
"Lisa, you should rest if you are tired. You don't need to keep kneeling here."
"I'm not tired," Lisa said as she burned the joss paper in the basin.
"It's almost time for dinner. You should go and freshen up."
"I'm not hungry," Lisa refused once again.
Sehun stared at her face silently.
After a long while, he said, "If it weren't for grandmother's death, you wouldn't have entered this house again, right?"
"Yes."
"You are so direct," Sehun said with a curled smile.
Lisa did not speak; she only silently muttered words of blessing.
- 30 minutes later, at the dinner table -
Mr. Oh looked around but did not see Lisa, so he asked, "Where is she?"
"She is still guarding the mourning hall. I asked Sehun to invite her to dinner but she said she wasn't hungry," Mr. Oh's wife said.
"Not hungry? I think she is just faking it to leave a good impression on dad. What a fake woman," Nancy interjected.
"Nancy, don't mutter nonsense." her mistress mother warned.
"Mom, I'm speaking the truth. My classmate said that people of ordinary backgrounds all seem innocent, but they scheme the most. They live at the bottom of society so they've seen so many ugly things. Dad, you shouldn't believe her…"
Mr. Oh glanced at Nancy but did not speak…
"I don't think Lisa is faking it. She doesn't need to suck up to dad. After all, he hasn't done much for her all these years. She seems to be used to it."
Mr. Oh's expression changed when he heard what Sehun said.
It was true, he had forgotten that he had this daughter. If his mother did not ask him to invite Lisa to come back at her deathbed, he wouldn't have even contacted Lisa's mother…
"Let's eat," Mr. Oh said after a moment of silence.
20 minutes later, everyone gradually gathered back in the mourning hall.
Mrs. Oh said slowly to her husband, "We need someone to guard the mourning hall tonight. One person needs to stay here the entire night, and it would be best if it were a woman because a man's aura would interfere. Mother liked Nancy before she passed, so maybe Nancy should guard the mourning hall tonight?"
Nancy's expression immediately changed. She said, "Mother, I can't. I have low blood sugar so I am always dizzy. My mom contacted a doctor who is coming later to give me an IV drip. Why don't you ask my brothers to guard the mourning hall instead?"
Guard the mourning hall alone? How could she do such a horrific thing? She was the princess of the Oh Family!
Then Sooyoung, the mistress hurriedly said, "She's right, Elder Sister, Nancy isn't feeling very well. Why don't I guard the mourning hall for her?"
"No, it must be a member of the younger generation." Mrs. Oh refuted.
"Mom, let Lisa do it," Sehun said.
Then, everyone looked towards Lisa.
Lisa was listening to what they were saying. It was not a big deal for her since it was also her wish to send her grandmother off for the last time.
"Are you going to be okay doing it alone?" Mrs.Oh asked Lisa, doubtfully.
Lisa nodded her head…
Sehun smiled, "See, I knew my little sister Lisa is the most reliable one. When it really counts, a person's true colors will come out."
"Big brother, what are you trying to say? It's not that I don't want to do it, I'm just not feeling well..." Nancy tried to explain.
"Alright, stop fighting. It's settled then." Mr. Oh gave Lisa a complicated look.
- After 9 PM -
Lisa was the only one left in the mourning hall. Several wreaths were placed on the sides of the coffin, within which her grandmother's body lied.
She was told that the funeral was tomorrow so she would have to stay for the night.
Lisa graduated from medical school and had worked in the hospital for so long, so she was accustomed to being around dead bodies.
Besides, it was her close relative's, so she wasn't scared at all.
Nancy was such a chicken… This family really can't be counted on.
She slightly bowed her head to burn some joss paper. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her.
"You… Thank you for your work tonight."
That old and sophisticated voice was Mr. Oh's.
"I did what I should have done," Lisa didn't turn her head around and answered in a plain tone.
"I heard that you hadn't eaten all night. I asked someone to prepare some late-night snacks for you. They will be here soon."
"I'm not hungry."
"How… is your mother?" Mr. Oh asked with slight hesitation.
"Thanks to you, she's pretty good," Lisa said deliberately.
"You two have the same temper and are both so strong-minded."
"You are funny, Mr. Oh. It's nice that we're self-reliant. After all, there's no one we can rely on forever, so relying on ourselves is the only way to go."
Lisa's words made Mr. Oh a little jittery.
"Lisa, actually, back then…"
"I'm sorry. I have no interests in what happened between the two of you. If there's nothing else, please leave, Mr. Oh. As per rituals, only one person can stay here, in mourning Hall."
"Have you ever thought… about coming back?"
"I don't want to."
"Do you know what you're giving up if you reject my proposal?"
"Some sort of right to an inheritance probably. I'm not interested. Mr. Oh, you don't have to feel guilty. Grandma passed away now and I won't be coming back to this home anymore."
"You..." Mr. Oh didn't think that Lisa would refuse to come back to the Oh family, even after he invited her in person.
Sehun said that she currently worked in a hospital and was still an intern nurse. She must have led a hard life.
With one word, he could assign her to a high-level managerial position within the Oh Corporation, where she could earn a high salary without doing heavy work.
However, she still rejected him…
She really was just as stubborn and willful as her mother…
- Inside the Oh family's mansion -
"Sehun, I see that you are really nice to that kid. Do you two talk to each other in private?" Mrs. Oh asked, looking at her son with a teacup in her hand.
"No. I want to, but she doesn't seem to like me."
"I can tell that you are very protective of her. Do you have any plans?"
Sehun walked behind Mrs. Oh and began massaging her back, "Mom, what do you think?"
"Are you thinking about helping her come back to the Oh family so she can be on our side, and we'll be able to get more shares of the family company?" Mrs. Oh knew her son well. Although he wasn't her biological son, she raised him since he was an infant. She knew he wasn't someone who would get the short end of a deal.
"It is a good idea, but it's not going so well. That girl just doesn't want to come back. Maybe the shares would work on other people, but she doesn't even care about it. Besides, even though she's living an ordinary person's life, it doesn't mean that she's not happy with it."
"Really? I can ask her. If you want, I will help you."
"It's okay, mom, you can enjoy retirement. Let me handle this issue. I'm not worried about the other two idiots." Sehun smiled slightly.
*
Jungkook was supposed to take a midnight flight and arrive in Seoul by 3 AM, but he thought it would be too late. So, after he finished signing the contract, he drove to another city's airport and took a different flight to get back much earlier. It was only 11:50 PM when he got off the plane.
After he got off, he went straight to his home at Imperial Park. He thought Lisa would be asleep, but the house was empty when he opened the door. Then, he gave her a call.
Lisa answered her phone quietly. To let her grandma rest in peace, she put her cell phone on vibrate.
"Hey."
"You're not at home?" Jungkook asked worried.
"I'm at the Oh family's mansion," Lisa answered plainly.
Jungkook frowned slightly. He knew very well about the relationship between Lisa and the Oh family. Didn't she find the idea of going back to their home repellant?
"Grandma passed away. I am here to guard the mourning hall," Lisa explained when she didn't hear a response from Jungkook.
"My condolences," Jungkook comforted.
"Thank you."
"Are you there alone?" Jungkook asked, worrying because there were no other sounds in the background over the phone.
"Yes." Lisa answered honestly.
"Are you scared?" Jungkook's voice suddenly became gentle, like he was amusing a child.
"Why would I be? I went to medical school, so I'm fine around dead bodies. But when I think of grandma laying inside the coffin, I'm still a little sad."
"Life and death are laws of nature. No one can do anything about it. Don't dwell on it."
"I know."
After Lisa answered, she changed the topic, "It's late. why are you still awake?"
"I just got back from a business trip."
"This late?"
"Yeah."
"You must be exhausted. Get some rest," Lisa said softly.
However, Jungkook didn't have any intention of going to bed, "Don't hang up the phone. I'll keep you company."
Afraid that Lisa would say no, he quickly added, "I want to guard the mourning hall with you, just like this."
Faced with Jungnook's good intentions, Lisa didn't have the heart to say no. She knew deep down what he was like.
Maybe she had been up for too long, but her eyes felt a little teary…
"Okay."
After a long silence, Lisa answered with one word. She then put down her phone, but it was still connected.
Yet, neither of them said anything else...
There was no doubt that this kind of company was the most special. Although it didn't have any physical meaning, Lisa didn't feel alone anymore on that sad night…
Lisa burned paper offerings for her grandma in silence without feeling sleepy even once, all the way until dawn.
The sun came up by 6 AM.
Sehun walked over in a black shirt and suit pants, holding a vintage LV scarf.
He put the scarf on Lisa before she could say anything.
"I don't need it."
"Take it. It was grandma's when she was still alive. Unless you don't like it."
Hearing what Sehun said, Lisa felt bad saying no. If she didn't accept, it would seem like she detested grandma's stuff.
Sehun looked at Lisa, up and down and laughed, "Lisa, my little sister, the dress on you must be worth a fortune."
"You're wrong. It's a fake."
"Oh, really? I know your salary isn't very high as a nurse. Speaking of which, your job makes so little and is so tiring, have you ever thought about coming back to the Oh Corporation to help us?"
"Sorry, I am not interested in the Oh Corporation."
Lisa rejected assertively…
Sehun seemed to have anticipated Lisa's answer. He just laughed, "Haha, do you have something against money?"
"No, I have something against you."
Sehun unfolded his hands innocently, "My little sister, I have always been friendly to you. You shouldn't treat me like this."
Lisa didn't say anything but honestly, it was cringey how Sehun addressed her as 'My little sister' every time they met.
At that time, the Monk they hired arrived, "The mourning has ended. You should go and get ready. We are leaving town at 7 AM for the burial."
Lisa stood up slowly, but she realized that her knees were asleep from kneeling. As soon as she stood up, she began to fall over.
Instinctively, Sehun came up to lend an arm. But Lisa dodged it and fell to the ground.
"Why would you do that? It's not like I will bite." Sehun was a little speechless.
Lisa didn't respond. She slowly stood up while holding on to an iron rod by the funeral bed. Then she walked to the resting area, located beside the mourning hall.
Seeing how obstinate Lisa was, Sehun's smile became deeper.
When Lisa found a quiet place and was ready to sit down, she suddenly remembered that her phone was still on.
She was still on the phone with Jungkook. In that case… would he have heard the conversation she had with Sehun just now?
She took out her phone to make sure. As expected, the phone call was still going…
She didn't know if Jungkook was asleep or not, so she spoke quietly into the phone, "Jungkook, are you asleep?"