HIM OR HER

Chapter 4

She entered the apartment, rather late after a hard day working at the office. She loved it, she really did. But she could never get used to how much straining it can be. Or maybe she had gotten out of the habit of office work.

Anyhow she entered the apartment and the first thing she saw was Kyungmi and Seonghwa standing rigidly between the sitting room and the bedroom doors and turned towards her, alarmed.

"Hi..?" she said and took off her shoes, entering the apartment but stopped when she saw her own mother sitting on the sofa like it was her own house.

"Soomin." She said.

Soomin rubbed her forehead. Her mother did not have her address. How did she manage to get there?

"How did you come here? You did not have the address."

"You have a good child as your housemate. Some Nayeon girl. She gave me the address. Such a sweet girl unlike you, you ungrateful brat." Her mother practically spat at her and she signaled Seonghwa to stop from whatever he was going to say.

"What do you want?"

"I need money. Every penny I spent on you."

She heard Kyungmi gasp and Seonghwa curse under his breath and sighed.

She went and sat on the sofa in front of the one her mother was sitting on and sighed.

"I paid you for that one month I stayed at your house after high school. I haven't asked you for any money since. What more do you want from me? I'm paying my own tuition, rent and expenses. Why can't you just leave me alone?" She said and she sounded broken, even to herself.

Btu her mother didn't cared for that. Or maybe she did but she didn't show. Didn't made sense though because of what she said afterwards.

"I spent a large amount of money on you since your birth and for 17 years after that. Pay me all that money back."

She looked wide-eyed at her own mother. She knew she was a selfish woman but there is a limit to everything right?

"Are you kidding me? Are you seriously asking her for that?" Kyungmi shouted from behind her and came to stand behind Soomin.

"This is a matter between me and my daughter." Her mother responded and Soomin muttered "daughter my foot."

She stayed silent for a minute too long and sighed. "What is the amount according to you?"

"Soomin!" Kyungmi whispered at her and her mother smiled. She pulled out a slip of paper from her purse and handed it to her.

Soomin cursed after looking at it. "Aren't you putting too much price at your care? It was all dad. You didn't do shit for me."

"That is my price." She said and Soomin stared at her, helpless. The amount was too much for her. It was almost the amount she would have if she worked continuously for 2 years and spends nothing from it. What was wrong with her?

"We'll pay the amount." Seonghwa said who was silent since the start and Soomin looked up at him, shock written on her face and then looked at Kyungmi who seemed to be thinking over his words.

Before she could argue against the idea, Kyungmi spoke, "Yes we will. On the condition that you'd sign a document right here which would say you would have nothing to do with Soomin from now on and can't extort any more money from her under any circumstances. "

Soomin looked at her mother and hoped she would say no. No matter how much she disliked that woman, she won't break all ties with her legally that easily right? But all her hopes broke down when her mother nodded within a second, as if not caring at all.

Kyungmi shot Soomin a sympathetic look and got up to bring a paper and pen, wrote the conditions, the amount and asked her to sign it.

"I'll get this notarized and bring it over to yours tomorrow. And wire the money as well. Me and Seonghwa will come over tomorrow to pick up Soomin's stuff there. Is that alright?"

Her mother nodded happily and got up and patted Soomin's head who had made no reaction since then and she looked up at her mother, with tears filled eyes.

"Oh don't cry Soomin. It's not like you liked me anyway. At least I got my money for all the efforts on you." She said and went to the door and Soomin felt so ashamed and pathetic that she almost wanted to die. Almost. But her friend's sight stopped her from mulling too much over that idea.

When her mother went to the door, it opened from outside and Nayeon entered.

"Oh hi ma'am." She said, surprised to see someone's mother like that.

"Aah you must be Nayeon. I'm Soomin's mother. You're a good child." She said and patted her shoulder when Nayeon saw the rigid faces of Kyungmi and Seonghwa, glaring daggers at Soomin's mother and saw Soomin getting up and coming towards them.

"Get out. You got what you wanted so get out now." Nayeon was shocked to see her talking like that to her own mother but was more surprised at the cold tone with which she spoke. A cold tone with tear filled eyes.

"Bye kid." She said to Nayeon and left and closed the door behind her. She left a tension filled silence behind her.

"Nayeon, did you talked to her?" Kyungmi asked and she nodded, albeit slowly.

"She called on Soomin's phone and wanted to know the address since she lost it."

"She never had it in the first place. Never pick up her phone again okay?" Soomin said and she nodded, slightly scared of her.

Soomin went to the kitchen and took the pack of beers and started to go to her room when Seonghwa spoke, "Don't lock your room."

She stopped and nodded at him, eyes down casted and went to her room, door closed behind her but not locked.