Devil in the Shadows

Im Nayeon

A soft hum can be heard from the big kitchen. The household of Im Residence is still waking up. Heyjin walked into the kitchen smiling.

"You always get me in trouble Miss Im." She said to the person in the kitchen.

The person standing in front of the stove whipped her head around so quickly. " Yaahhh...you scared me " she placed a hand on her chest, clearly frightened.

"Oops..I am sorry Miss Im." The maid bowed slowly, apologizing for the rude behaviour.

The woman waved it off. Her features are calm and collected. Her face showed tiredness. There were dark circles underneath her eyes. Clear sign of another sleepless night.

"Looks like someone didn't get enough sleep again." Heyjin commented as she walked into the kitchen.

" I did sleep." Miss Im didn't make eye contact but it was clear she was lying.

"You don't have to lie to me." Heyjin reminded.

"I know." Miss Im smiled a little but Heyjin could see sadness. She had been working for the Ims for five years now. Every single day she witnessed Miss Im cooking in the kitchen first thing in the morning. The same sad face. She always wondered what happened to her. Even though they were close, she never asked or she couldn't find the courage to ask. After all she is just a maid.

Nayeon was lost in thoughts that she didn't see Heyjin observing her every move.

"In the last five years I have worked here, I see you everyday at the same time in this kitchen making tteokbokki. But I never see you eating them and nobody in this household likes them either. Who are you making this for?" Heyjin asked curiously.

Nayeon looked at Heyjin swallowing hard.

"You don't have to answer. I am just curious." Heyjin added feeling the uneasiness of Miss Im.

"Heyjin...have you ever did a mistake in your life that you let go of the only precious thing you have just because you were too much of a coward?" Miss Im asked, her eyes shining with tears.

For a moment Heyjin hesitated." No ma'am." She replied.

"Good. Never do it. If you did, you will never be able to forgive yourself and you end up waking at the dawn without sleep and make tteokbokki as to punish yourself. " Miss Im told her and scooped up the tteokbokki in a bowl. A small smile formed in her face, she garnished it with some spring onions and took it with her to the balcony of her office room.

Heyjin watched her set it on a small table outside. She saw Miss Im take a chair opposite to another empty chair. The bowl was set facing the empty chair, like someone actually will sit there and eat it. But no one came. Miss Im would drink her coffee and look at the empty chair. Her eyes cast down. Sometimes Heyjin saw her crying. Sometimes she sat there emotionless. Heyjin felt helpless and sad. She is Im Nayeon, the only heir to Im Corporation. Her father is a multi millionaire and her husband is a world known architect. Heyjin thought the sadness behind Miss Im was the fact that even after five years of marriage they didn't had a child. But this was different and she knew it was something Miss Im didn't talk to anyone about.

Heyjin sighed and walked back to the kitchen to prepare for the day. A few hours now the Im household will wake up and she has to be ready. She glanced once again to see Miss Im sitting there in the same position as earlier.

Mr. Im walked into the dining table with his head held high. He was already in his business suit. The elderly man had grey hairs on most part of his head. He seemed a bit worried than usual. Heyjin noticed it. But she shrugged it off and served his morning coffee.

"Where's Nayeon?" He asked timidly.

" Miss Im is watering the plants master. Would you like me to call?" Heyjin asked bowing.

"No. Did she eat?" This is a question he asked every single day . Something he wouldn't ask his daughter himself. It didn't require rocket science to understand that father and daughter had a bad blood between them. Heyjin answered as usual. " Just Coffee, Master Im."

"Ask her to eat please." Mr. Im sighed and requested Heyjin. She bowed again nodding.

"Good morning Uncle." A man in his late 30s walked into the dining area in his suit.

"Good morning, Minhyuk." Mr. Im greeted his son in law casually, which didn't go unnoticed by the latter but he shrugged it off quickly.

"Heyjin, please get Nayeon for me." Minhyuk more or less commanded to the maid. Heyjin complied and bowed. She left them at the table after serving their breakfast to find Miss Im.

Nayeon walked into the dining area quite unpleasantly. She prefered to be left alone rather than spend time with her so called family members. Her only support was her mother, who died few years ago as she was diagnosed with cancer. Ever since then she never bothered eating with her father or her husband.

"Heyjin said you asked for me." Nayeon stood to the opposite of Minhyuk arms crossed.

Minhyuk got up from his seat and walked towards Nayeon. He held her arms and guided her to the chair. " First take your seat." Then he sat next to her on the chair.

"I would like us to meet a doctor. I heard she is the best. She is from a traditional Japanese medicine background but it's worth a shot, don't you think honey? " Minhyuk asked excitedly.

Nayeon sighed. Here we go again.
"Minhyuk, we had this discussion countless times. I am not going to another doctor. Just accept the fact that we can't have kids." She was getting irritated.

"Uncle, please help me here. Don't you think we need to try our options?It's been five years and we are running out of time. Remember the last doctor told us about it." Minhyuk tried to reason. He looked at the father and daughter simultaneously for answers.

"Nayeon I think it's time you take things seriously. " Mr. Im spoke after a moment of silence. " I am getting old and I want to see you happy." He added, but didn't make eye contact with her.

"Wow... I should definitely recommend you for the father of the century award. My happiness...bullshit. Like you actually cared about it." Nayeon snorted out a laugh, clearly mocking him.

"Not now Nayeon. You will listen to as your husband says. End of discussion. " He responded banging on the table with force.

"As you wish, father." Nayeon sneered and walked away leaving a satisfied Minhyuk who smirked at his wife.

Little did he know that God has smartest ways of rewriting their stories.