Impossible Lovers

48

The atmosphere in the hospital room became tense. Everyone looked at Grandma Kwon lying on the bed, and for a moment, no one spoke.

The air was suffocatingly quiet. Little did everyone know that Dara's assertiveness came from Grandma Kwon.

Mee glanced at Lisa hesitated for a moment, and then went to persuade her mother, "Mom, don't get angry. It's not worth it to get upset. Besides, Lisa is here; don't scare the child."

Concerned about the child, Grandma Su suppressed her anger and spoke to Lisa in a more gentle tone, "Lilly, since you have already acted in the film, we won't pursue it any further. But you cannot act in any more films in the future."

Mee added, "I told her the same thing, but she still needs time to accept it. Give her some more time..."

"I truly can't accept it," Lisa clenched her hands by her side and looked at Grandma Kwon lying on the hospital bed, "Grandma, I know you have always cared for me. When I got into trouble as a child, even when my mom wanted to scold me, you always protected me. But I can't understand why you're so hung up on Aunt's matter. When she passed away, you were all deeply grieving, and that's understandable. But it's been almost twenty years since then! Twenty years, and your time seems to have stopped on the day Aunt left. You could never move on. Is that normal?! You have hidden away everything related to her, you forbid anyone in the family to talk about celebrities, and you won't allow me to be a celebrity. You've erased all traces of her from our lives. Do you think you can be at ease like this?"

"Lilly, do you even know what you're saying?" Mee interrupted sharply.

Lisa turned to her mother, "Mom, did you have pimples when you were young? If the pimples got infected, you had to get the pus out for it to heal. You all understand this principle, but none of you are willing to do it. I don't think the problem is with me; the problem lies with all of you!"

"That's enough!" This time, it was Lisa's uncle who spoke up to stop her, "Lisa, you're going too far! I think your mom spoils you too much!"

Lisa looked at him, her heart pounding, but she didn't back down, "Uncle, you're the eldest son in the family. I know that in the past, Grandpa and Grandma were busy with work, and my mom and Aunt were mostly taken care of by you. As a child, I always thought my uncle was amazing, like a superhero who was fearless of any difficulties. I wanted to grow up quickly, thinking that when I became an adult, I could be like my uncle, and no difficulty could deter me. But as I grew older, I realized that adults are not brave at all. They can also be afraid and escape, just like children can be cowardly."

As Lisa  spoke, tears unconsciously streamed down her cheeks, and even her uncle, a man, had reddened eyes. He kept his lips tightly sealed, his thoughts in turmoil, but unable to say a word.

Grandma Kwon, lying on the hospital bed, wiped her eyes and looked back at Lisa, "Lilly, do you think we stopped you from acting because we were afraid of recalling Dara? It's true that her loss will always be a pain in our hearts, but what we are more concerned about is that you might become like Dara, immersed in the world of acting and unable to distinguish reality from fiction."

"Grandma, my choices are different from Aunt's, and her decisions don't represent mine," Lisa wiped away the tears on her face and looked at Grandma, "I'm scared of dying. There are so many good things in this world that I can't bear to leave behind."

"Do you think Dara was willing to leave?" Grandma's emotions finally overwhelmed her, and she spoke with some agitation, "Dara used to be a vibrant and lively person! No one expected her to do such a thing before the accident..."

As Grandma Kwon spoke, her voice choked, and she couldn't continue. Dara rushed forward and gently patted her mother's back, helping her to breathe, "Mom, don't get too upset. Be mindful."