Of Hotdogs,Bagels and Basil

Kimchi 36

Author's POV

The elders were wondering that night why the couple didn't arrive at the dining hall for dinner. Deep inside them they were a bit worried, especially Chae Young. She knows their property isn't safe anymore but still, her cousin is a Sly Fox who can pay anyone to do dirty things. And she doesn't want the couple, most especially her daughter, to be the casualty of her shady business.

Yesterday, she received an anonymous message on her cellphone telling her to be cautious because she's being watched. A photo message arrived shortly, showing her in the photo, her back turned to the one who captured the image inside the main hall where she is standing then. Good thing her Mother is together with Amber and Soojung that day and went shopping. She told her husband, Joseph, about it and showed the photo and message to him. He clenched his jaw looking alarmed, he said they have to inform her Mother about it immediately.

It alarmed her, because it means someone dangerous is inside their property and they don't even know who it is. The person might be pretending to be a helper, a guard, or even worse, a cook. That person can strike anytime, anywhere without being caught.

There's only one person she knows who can do those things. Her cousin - Lee Jungho. Their fathers are brothers, making Jungho's father the eldest but it was Chae Young's father who inherited the leadership of the Lee family and everything included on it. From what she heard, Uncle Lee was not considered because his mental health is unstable.

Once the shopping party arrived that night, she asked her mother to have a close door meeting, without her assistant because she can't trust anyone in the house right now. She told her mother about the anonymous message and showed her the photo. Madam Lee immediately called the head of security giving him the task to investigate and find the person inside their property who is being paid by their enemy. He has to do it discreetly and confidential, no one will have to know even Amber.

Her mother discussed to her the plan she has been working on. Chae Young agreed whole heartedly with it together with the support of her husband. Krystal made her realized that it's time to stop everything that made her a monster, she has to stop hurting her daughters and start being a real mother from now on. The company can go on without having those illegal contracts.

She needs to make up for the lost years she didn't spent with her daughters. They were raised in L. A. away from her by their 'tutors' that's why Jackie has some resentment on her. Her eldest Jackie, who is smart enough to get out of their family and start fresh. Chae Young admits, it's her fault Bryan had an accident. It was just to scare him and remind him that she's watching but she didn't mean to hurt him like that. The one he hired to do it went over the top causing damage to Bryan's life and Jackie's animosity to her own mother.

It happened again with Krystal and she swears, she just did that to scare her. But no violence whatsoever. A few blank bullets is enough and some smoke bombs. Honestly, she dislike the girl for Amber before because she thought Krystal took Amber away from her. She wants to scare her and make her realize that Amber is not right for her and will just bring misery in her life. She even hired someone to trash Amber's gallery just to make her daughter go back to her. Instead, the girl didn't left Amber's side and supported her, took care of her needs and even gave Amber a shelter full of warmth and love.

Chae Young realized then that it's no use breaking them apart, they're going to get back again with each other no matter what happens. It only cemented and solidify their love for each other that Chae Young gave up and accepted her daughter's decision of forfeiting her rights to all the properties named after her, including her name on the family registry.

Amber and Jackie might have been excluded in the family registry now after signing the document but they are still Chae Young's daughter. Like what her Mother discussed to her, the contract that Amber and Jackie signed only indicates that the two of them can't have any right or inherit any of their properties and family heirlooms. But it doesn't mean that their offsprings can't. That night, they drafted a new will.