Page 81 of Perfect Happiness
“I’ll tell you why later.Tell me first what happened that day when Yuna came by the house.”
Yuna had showed up at the house that morning with Jiyoo.Noticing a bandage on Yuna’s hand, Mom asked what happened.Yuna said she and Joon-young had a big fight because she found out that he had molested Jiyoo.He picked up a knife and was threatening to kill himself and Yuna.Yuna cut her hand while trying to stop him.He left the house after that and filed for a divorce.This was all according to Yuna.
“I couldn’t believe it.Joon-young of all people.He should have gotten on his knees and begged for forgiveness.Then again, what he did was unforgiveable.”
Mom said he had no right leaving the house and asking for a divorce.She had treated Joon-young like her own son and felt a deep sense of betrayal.Her heart almost exploded from sadness when she heard what he did to Jiyoo.If only she could get ahold of him, she would have cut off his hands.
But Yuna didn’t show up at their parents’ home to ask for revenge.She merely came to drop off Jiyoo.She explained that she was planning on going to Vladivostok for about a week and needed a safe place for Jiyoo to stay.Mom agreed to look after Jiyoo without a moment’s hesitation.If Yuna wanted to go off the grid for a while to figure things out, she was all for it.What Mom didn’t know was that Jiyoo would be staying with her for the next several years.
“Did you believe everything Yuna said?”
“Why wouldn’t I?My own daughter showed up at my door with her hand slashed to pieces.”The temperature of Mom’s voice suddenly dropped several degrees.“Jane, do you still hate Yuna?”
It wasn’t a matter of hating or liking her.Yuna was a bitch and everyone, even Jane’s mom, knew it.As far as Jane knew, Yuna might even be clinically insane.Jane suppressed the desire to say this out loud.
“Did Yuna not tell you then that she quit the company?”
“What are you talking about?She was the company’s head accountant!”
“But then how could she leave for an entire week?And without any prior notice?Did Dad give her permission to take time off?”
“Did he give her permission?He was the one who was most in favor of it!When she told him what Joon-young did to Jiyoo, he told her to leave Jiyoo with us and take as much time as she wanted.He said he would take care of everything in her absence.But then he got into that accident…”
Jane nodded.She felt like she was looking at a tower of cards.If one lie was out of place, it would all come crumbling down to the ground.But Jane found it hard to believe that Yuna could spin such an elaborate web of lies.The fact that she hadn’t been caught in a contradiction, not once, must mean she possessed an incredible memory.
“But why are you asking me about these things now?”Mom’s tone then turned to one of disgust.“And why are you making trouble again?What did you hear?”
Again?Jane had no memory of ever making trouble, especially not when it involved Yuna.She had lived her entire adult life without ever speaking the name Yuna Shin.Jane understood this question as a plea to stop digging.But Jane had other plans.
“You can go, Mom.Auntie will get suspicious if you’re away for too long.”
“Don’t mess with Yuna.She’s finally happy.Don’t you even feel bad for her?”
Why was Yuna the only one Mom ever felt bad for?Jane felt a mix of anger and sadness.
“Bye, Mom.”
After hanging up, Jane sent a text message to her aunt.
—Auntie, it’s Jane.I have something I want to ask you.My mom can’t know.I’ll call you in twenty minutes.Go out into the hallway to take my call.
Twenty minutes later, Jane’s aunt pretended to answer the phone in Russian.After that, Jane could hear her aunt telling Mom in Korean that she was going to take a phone call.
“Jane, what did you say to your mother?She came back all red in the face and has been talking to herself ever since.”
The way Jane’s aunt was whispering gave Jane the feeling that she was enjoying the drama.At least someone found this amusing.Jane could imagine what her mom was saying to herself:Spiteful child, trying to ruin what little happiness her younger sister has.Jane cut straight to the point.
“Auntie, you said that Yuna’s Russian boyfriend died in an accident just before Yuna returned to Korea, right?”
“Hm?”
Just like Mom, she sounded confused by this question from the past.
“Did her boyfriend fall asleep at the wheel?”
“Did I tell you that?”Jane’s aunt seemed shocked.
“Didn’t you?”
