"You must decide: either stand with us or against us. There is no middle ground."
𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓗𝔂𝓮 𝓙𝓲𝓷 transcended mere titles of daughter, sister, friend, partner and lover. From the age of three, she dwelled in opulence beside her twin sister...
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Jungsik Restaurant
Dressed in my Yves Saint Laurent suit, Hera and I had been sitting in this elegant restaurant for a few minutes now. She watched me intently, while my gaze wandered over the cityscape before me.
Feeling a surge of irritation, I set my cup down with a sharp clink. "Didn't you want to talk?" I snapped. "Hurry up, my time is precious."
Hera shifted nervously, her eyes filled with regret. "Hye Jin, I never meant to betray you like that. Please, believe me."
Her voice wavered as she continued, "Ri An was so insistent, and after you left, he was vulnerable. I didn't know how to refuse him. I was afraid of what he might do."
I responded coldly, "I honestly don't care, Hera. You and Ri An can do whatever you want."
"But, Hye Jin," she pleaded, her voice cracking, "you have to understand—"
I cut her off, my voice tinged with sadness. "You were my friend, Hera. We've known each other since we were six. I trusted you."
"Why are you speaking in the past tense, Hye Jin?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper, tears brimming in her eyes.
"You know how hard it is for me to make friends," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "I thought our friendship meant something."
"It does mean something," she insisted, desperation in her voice. "I still want us to be friends."
I shook my head, my heart heavy. "We can't, Hera. Things have changed. I didn't expect this from you."
"Ri An was so insistent," she tried to explain again, her voice shaky.
"Stop lying to me, Hera," I interrupted, my patience wearing thin. "You shouldn't have done that. Your relationship with Ri An is doomed to fail because you're not good enough for him."
Hera's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean?"
"Don't you see it?" I said, leaning forward, my voice harsh. "There's a world between us. Ri An, Jae I, and I—we're on a different level. Our families have been wealthy for generations. We are among the richest in Korea. Even Woo Jin, whose father is in politics, comes from an old-money family. But you, Hera, what do you have?"
