The grand dining room of the Lim mansion is both elegant and intimidating, with a long table at its center. The chandelier above casts a soft, warm glow over the space, but the seats around the table remain largely empty, as usual. Only Stacey and Mikha sit at the far end, waiting for dinner to be served.
Stacey drums her fingers lightly on the table, scrolling on her phone with her free hand. Mikha, sitting across from her, leans back in her chair, an air of nonchalance about her. Their parents are absent again, as they always are, traveling for business. It's something they've grown used to over the years.
"Hey.." Stacey started, looking up from her phone
Mikha took a look at Stacey waiting for her to continue "I'll be drinking tonight with my friends, probably will sleep at Sheena's"
Mikha throws Stacey a knowing look, "Don't tell dad, Okay?" She added, pleasing
Before mikha can respond, the staff enters, placing plates of food in front of them. The aroma of freshly prepared dishes fills the air, momentarily quieting the sisters.
Mikha picks up her fork, studying her food with a smirk. "Probably will sleep at Sheena's, huh?" She stirs her food lazily, glancing up with a teasing grin. "So, second option; you'll be sleeping at your boyfriend's"
Stacey looks up sharply, narrowing her eyes at Mikha. "If you're referring to jeff, whom you saw in the parking lot. You're completely wrong. For your information, jeff is gay. And just so we're clear: I.DON'T.HAVE.A.BOYFRIEND." Stacey stated as a matter-of-fact.
Mikha chuckles, leaning her chin on her hand, clearly enjoying Stacey's reaction "alright, get it, calm down" Mikha pauses for a moment, spearing a piece of her food before adding casually "And i won't tell dad, BUT"
"But what?" Stacey furrows her brows, suspicious.
"Sheena's picking you up tonight. I won't allow you to do it again"
"What are you talking about?" Stacey asked, not knowing what mikha meant. "Your Driving. You don't know your limit staks, you're reckless. Leave your car here, or I'm telling dad"
---
Flashback
The heavy thud of the door slamming shut echoed through the quiet Lim mansion as Stacey stumbled inside, the faint smell of alcohol clinging to her clothes. Her heels clicked unevenly on the tiled floor as she tried to steady herself, her car keys dangling from her hand.
It was past midnight, and the house was dark except for the dim light in the living room. She winced, a dull ache radiating from her elbow where she had bumped it earlier, though it was nothing compared to the scrape on her car's front bumper.
Stacey sighed, hoping no one would notice the damage before she could figure out how to get it fixed. She hated the look of disappointment in her father's eyes even more than his anger.
As she kicked off her shoes, the living room light flicked on.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" her father's sharp voice cut through the silence. He was sitting on the couch, his face hard and shadowed with frustration. Mikha stood behind him, arms crossed and looking equally unimpressed.
Stacey froze, her heart sinking. "Dad, I--"
"Spare me the excuses," he interrupted, his tone icy. He stood, towering over her, his gaze flicking to the car keys in her hand. "Did you drive home like this?"
"It's fine," she muttered, averting her eyes. "I didn't even drink that much--"
"Don't lie to me!" his voice rose, and Stacey flinched. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could've killed yourself or someone else!"
