The Wicked Wife

Chapter 16: New Year, New Life

When Jennie woke up, it was already afternoon. She turned her head to her side and spotted Lisa seated on the armchair next to her bed, reading a book on his lap. He had a pair of spectacles on his face, which made him look more mature than his actual age.

Jennie smiled to herself, realizing that he had kept his promise of being there once she woke up. It was at this time that Hye Kyo gently knocked on her door and noticed that she had already awakened.

Her mother placed the tray she was holding on the nightstand and sat on the edge of her bed, touching Jennie's forehead gently.

"You are awake." Hye Kyo stated the obvious. "How do you feel, Jennie?" She asked.

Hearing her voice, Lisa shut the book he was reading close and looked in Jennie's direction.

"I feel better now, Mama. I'm sorry for making you worry." Jennie replied in a low voice. She felt her throat dry and itchy and realized she hadn't eaten anything since she left their home yesterday.

Her stomach grumbled, announcing her hunger to everyone in the room. Lisa chuckled and placed the book he was holding next to the tray on the night stand and stood up.

"I'll ask Aunty Liu to prepare something for you to eat." He said, before leaving the mother and daughter pair on their own.

Half an hour later, the two came down together, with Hye Kyo helping her daughter down the stairs. Seeing this, Lisa went forward and offered an arm to Jennie, which she willingly accepted.

"Ah, Miss Jennie. You should have waited for us to bring your food upstairs. You don't need to stress yourself like this, considering your injury." Aunty Liu commented. For outsiders, it might look like she was reprimanding her miss, but Jennie knew that Aunty Liu was only genuinely concerned about her.

"It's alright, Aunty. If I stay for another hour in bed, I might lose my mind." She replied with a teasing tone.

Seeing the light meal the old woman prepared just for her, Jennie smiled. She couldn't believe that she had once ignored the warm companionship she could have enjoyed with her loved ones had she not been so foolish to focus all her attention on Taehyung.

She ate her meal while Aunty Liu and her mother discussed the inventory Aunty Liu did in her walk-in closet on the third level.

"It seems like it wasn't the first time that Chen Li took some of Jennie's things." Hye Kyo said with a deep frown marring her face. "I didn't maltreat them. I even accepted them in my home, and this is how they repay me?"

"Mama, you are getting angry again. It's not worth getting mad and falling ill because of some ungrateful people. If Chen Li truly wanted those clothes, she could have them, but we should report her misconduct to the authorities. Who knew if she would do it again in the future to other people? We will be saving them from the trouble of getting involved with the Chens if they have a record like this." Jennie commented, surprising both her adoptive mother and Aunty Liu. Only Lisa seemed to remain unperturbed by her words.

It was at that moment, Jennie realized that she had made a slip of tongue in front of her mother. Hye Kyo had no idea that she could be this vicious towards her enemies, and Jennie was ashamed for letting her mother see this side of her.

Jennie bit her lower lip and lowered her gaze in shame. She mentally berated herself for making such a scene in front of her mother.

Hye Kyo had never believed other people's claim that Jennie had a wicked heart who only knew how to terrorize people around her, especially Krystal. As her mother, it was only natural for Hye Kyo to be partially biased towards her daughter, something that Jennie had shamelessly exploited in the past, breaking her mother's heart in the process.