Good Wife

Chapter 17 You're Losing Me

Sunlight streamed through the pristine white lace curtains of the Yoons' newly refurbished kitchen, casting a warm glow on the stainless steel counters. Dressed in an apron over a luxurious Scandinavian green sundress, her hair neatly secured in a bun, Kim Mi-yeon – aka the Yoon matriarch – moved comfortably around the kitchen as she hummed along to a tune of her own.

Rhythmic tapping filled her morning as she expertly chopped another row of radishes, barely paying attention to her movements which has been honed from years of preparing countless meals for her family.

Despite the relatively usual morning she was having with her husband, Mrs Kim felt...off. One could call it a mother's intuition, but she certainly felt like something was wrong with one of her children – though she had no reason to feel that way.

Little did she know, she was right. But no amount of intuition could prepare her for the chaos that was about to erupt in their lives.

With those nagging thoughts tucked in the back of her mind, Mrs Kim finally concluded that she had had enough of them and picked up her phone from the flour-dusted counter.

Just as she found her daughter's contact in her phone, their doorbell rang, prompting her to answer the door.

The automatic lights came on in the walkway leading to their minimalist living room with its largely neutral palette and its clean and uncluttered design perfect for rest and restoration.

One could say that ever since their children moved out, the Yoons have lived a simple life; minimalist – as was the trend these days. After all, their son has personally designed their new interior and they couldn't be prouder of their golden boy and his ingenuity at work.

But that's beside the point, for Mrs Kim couldn't help but feel a shiver of unease run down her spine as she answered the door.

"Oh, Jin Woo-ah?" She exclaimed in surprise as she flung the door wide open. "To what do we owe this p- omo, my sweet granddaughter is here too! Come in, come in!"

"Halmeoni!" Ji Eun greeted her grandmother enthusiastically, a wide grin plastered across her face.

"Ji Eun-ah, did you miss halmeoni?" Mrs Kim cooed, momentarily forgetting her initial surprise as she opened her arms for Ji Eun.

"Ne!" Ji Eun chirped, bouncing over to give her grandmother a hug.

As the small group stepped into the living room together with Mrs Kim shouting for her husband, Jin Woo, who had been observing his surroundings, or rather, looking for a certain someone, decided to speak up.

"Eomeonim, is Jin Ah here?" He inquired, trying to keep his voice as calm as he could.

Confused, Mrs Kim furrowed her brow.

"Jin Ah? Why would she be here? Did something happen?" She fired rapidly, her tone suspicious.

"Ani, ani, aniyo. It's nothing you should worry about, eomeonim." Jin Woo shook his head frantically before he tried to distract her with his gift. "Here, I brought some black soybean tea. They're very good for digestion."

"Gomawo! My son-in-law is still the best. Make yourself comfortable, Jin Woo. I'll join you in a while." Mrs Kim accepted his gift with a smile although she wasn't convinced that things were fine between her daughter and Jin Woo.

After all, which husband would show up at his in-law's place unannounced and not know whether or not his wife was there?

In fact, things were already suspicious when he showed up without Jin Ah and Mrs Kim was planning to get to the bottom of this...