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★・・・・・・★
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A S H L E Y
I don’t understand. How did I even wake up this late?
I can’t believe I actually had a peaceful night. No shouting. No slammed doors. No one yanking off the blanket or barking orders like I was less than human.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t wake up to taunts that sliced through my chest like invisible blades—harsh words so sharp they left bruises on my soul. Words that made me feel like I was dying a little more each day, chipped away by people who were supposed to love me.
Was this what peace felt like? Strange. Soft. Almost unfamiliar.
I glanced toward the door—it was open. His side of the bed was empty, but the faint trace of his cologne lingered in the air. That warm, woody scent… Wait—why did I even remember that?
Anyway.
I needed to get up. I had to freshen up. I couldn't believe I had slept this long. God, what time was it? I never slept this much. It was always 5 a.m.—wake, work, repeat. Sleep early, rise earlier. That was the rule. That was the mold I was supposed to fit into.
Because that’s what a perfect woman does. That’s what defines your worth. How early you rise, how seamlessly you function. Whether you’re disciplined enough, graceful enough, thin enough—whether you’re even allowed to exist in a world like this. A world draped in luxury and cold routines. A world where being beautiful means being controlled.
You have to be perfect.
But I wasn’t. I never was.
Not in their eyes. Not in mine. Maybe not even in his.
Finally, after an hour, I made my way downstairs—barefoot, still a little disoriented—only to find Jungkook already seated at the dining table. Ju was beside him, and next to Ju sat a girl—probably one of the maids. But what caught my eye wasn’t them.
It was Ju.
His round cheeks puffed up like a little cheese ball, his laughter filling the room like a soft melody. My lips curved into a smile without me realizing it.
The moment his eyes landed on me, they lit up with that spark I didn’t know I needed.
“Mama! Hiii!” he waved his tiny hand with so much excitement that my chest tightened.