WHAT IF???

Chapter 63: A Sister's Farewell

As Neung and Sam sat in the sterile waiting room, the seconds stretched into agonizing minutes. Sam couldn't shake Neung's words from her mind, and her thoughts drifted back to painful memories of their shared past.

She remembered being young, watching as Neung, on her late 20's, was forced to leave Grandmother's mansion. The vivid memory of their tearful farewell resurfaced, a scene that had played out when Neung married the grandson of their grandmother's friend. The marriage had been orchestrated solely for the benefit of Grandmother's company, to widen its range of connections and enhance its marketability.

Neung's gaze softened as she met Sam's pleading eyes, Sam's confusion and distress palpable. "Sam, it's not about love," he began gently, his voice tinged with sadness. "It's about our family's legacy, about fulfilling our grandmother's wishes."

Sam's brows furrowed in frustration, her heart heavy with the weight of Neung's explanation. "But I don't understand," she admitted, her voice tinged with desperation. "Why did you have to marry him?"

Neung exchanged a fleeting glance with Song, silently communicating the struggle to find the right words to explain their family's complex dynamics to their youngest sister.

Finally, Neung sighed, her shoulders slumping with resignation. "Sam, it's complicated," she said softly, her voice filled with regret. "But I promise you, I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

Tears welled up in Sam's eyes as she struggled to understand. "But I don't want you to go," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

Neung reached out, gently wiping away Sam's tears. "I know, Sam," she murmured, her own voice thick with emotion. "But sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the ones we love."

As Neung embraced Sam in a tender farewell, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, the sudden intrusion of their grandmother shattered the poignant moment. Grandmother's steely gaze fixed upon Song, her expression one of simmering anger.

As the tense atmosphere thickened, Grandmother's presence loomed over Song, her disapproval palpable. "Song, why did you break up with your boyfriend?" she demanded, her voice sharp with authority.

Song stood her ground, her gaze steady despite the weight of Grandmother's scrutiny. "Grandmother, I don't love him," she stated firmly, her voice unwavering.

But Grandmother was unmoved, her tone unyielding. "That doesn't matter," she insisted. "Your marriage has been arranged for the betterment of our company."

Song took a deep breath, summoning her courage to speak her truth. "I can't do it," she confessed, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'm in love with someone else. We already got married in secret last year."

Grandmother's eyes widened in shock, her features contorting with anger and disbelief. "How dare you defy me?" she spat, her voice trembling with fury.

But Song remained resolute, her defiance tempered by the love she felt for her newfound husband. "I won't live a lie," she declared, her voice steady despite the tremor of fear that coursed through her veins.

As the confrontation escalated, the fragile balance of power within the family hung in the balance, each word spoken carrying the weight of a lifetime of expectations and obligations.

The crack of Grandmother's slap echoed through the room, a sharp punctuation to the intensity of the confrontation. Song recoiled, her cheek stinging with pain, but her resolve unbroken.

Neung instinctively drew Sam closer, wrapping her in a protective embrace as fear flickered in her eyes. "It's okay, Sam," Neung murmured, her voice a soothing balm against the turmoil of the moment.