8 Years [ENGV]

#29

(Jung Haeji • Bae Hyemi • Kim Taesung)

JISOO

My heart ached, refusing to believe those words. Everything had been fine—the guardian had agreed to entrust our little girl to us. What had gone wrong?

Haeji stood up and came to me, wrapping her little arms tightly around my neck as I held her close by the waist. She was just as scared as I was, silently showing that she had no intention of leaving.

"What do you mean?" I managed to ask, struggling to keep my voice steady. Haeji pressed even closer, our faces touching as she searched for reassurance.

"She can't do that. A contract was signed," Haein stated as he stepped toward us, his protective instincts kicking in. He stood by my side, his hand resting on my shoulder.

"She found a loophole," Nara said, frustration evident in her tone. "The contract doesn't explicitly state that she can't change her mind after handing over custody. Her lawyer is using that to their advantage."

I looked at Haein, and he looked back. For a split second, fear flashed across his eyes—I saw it—but he quickly replaced it with a determined expression, trying to reassure me.

"Haeji—" I tried to speak. Haeji is my daughter. She was born from me. They stole her from me. I lost eight years of her life because of a cruel agreement. But Haeji was right there, and she didn't know any of this yet. I held her tighter and swallowed my words, closing my eyes and fighting back tears. That single action was enough for them to understand the words that never left my lips.

"We understand." Kan-in said, for the first time since we met, sounding like she was on our side. "But Hye-jin claims she misses her and has an emotional attachment to the child."

"Her lawyers have already filed a request to get Haeji back. A court hearing will be scheduled soon." Nara informed us.

Haeji turned her face, hiding in the crook of my neck.

"The situation is in your favor—Haeji has shown that she's happy and well-adjusted to her new life." Kan-in added confidently before turning to Haeji. "Sweetheart, do you miss your aunt?"

Haeji shook her head, rubbing her face against my skin, still refusing to let go.

"No, I don't want to go." She said in a trembling voice.

I gently rubbed her back to soothe her. Haein crouched down and picked her up. She buried her face in his neck, not protesting as she left my arms. She was simply exchanging one safe place for another.

"Haeji's progress with you two is undeniable. Her grades have improved, she's more social at school—even after the suspension incident," Kan-in sighed, clearly frustrated. At that moment, I knew for sure that she was on our side. More than that — I knew that Haeji was okay, that Haein and I were doing an amazing job as her parents. "But the authorities will still take her previous bond into consideration."