Ah-rin, along with her twins, was now standing in front of the Kim mansion. She took a deep breath before finally pressing the calling bell.
Kim Mansion…
The door opened, revealing Senior Mrs. Kim standing there. At first, she looked surprised, then she beamed with happiness upon seeing her daughter and grandchildren standing at the doorway.
Ah-rin bowed respectfully to her.
"Hello, Mrs. Kim. It's Ah-rin here."
"Baby…"
"Please call me Ah-rin. It's uncomfortable when you call me this casually. We are not family for you to address me like that."
She replied softly but firmly. Mrs. Kim looked saddened by her daughter's words but suppressed her feelings for the sake of the evening. She smiled and invited them inside.
"Come inside."
They entered the house. Mrs. Kim bent down in front of Noah and Naomi and held their hands.
"Are they…?"
"Yes, Mrs. Kim. They are my babies—Noah and Naomi."
Mrs. Kim hugged them tightly.
"Hello, babies. I am your grandma. You both are so pretty!"
Noah and Naomi blushed at the compliment.
"Thank you, Grandma. You are also beautiful, like Mommy."
Mrs. Kim chuckled.
All three of them were wearing matching clothes today.
Ah-rin wore a deep red evening gown that flowed with restrained grace. The dress hugged her upper body before cascading down in a soft, structured fall, the rich crimson fabric giving her an air of quiet authority. The off-shoulder neckline was framed with delicate, pale ruffles that softened the boldness of the red, creating a balance between strength and femininity. The gown shimmered faintly under the light, subtle enough not to scream for attention—yet impossible to ignore. It suited her perfectly, like armor disguised as elegance.
Naomi's dress mirrored Ah-rin's almost exactly—same deep red, same evening-gown silhouette, same delicate ruffled neckline. The only difference was the size. On Naomi, the gown looked like something straight out of a fairytale, the skirt flaring slightly wider as it fell, giving her a princess-like innocence. Matching bows tied neatly into her hair completed the look, making it clear she belonged beside Ah-rin—not just by blood, but by presence.
Noah stood beside them in a sharp red suit that complemented the girls' gowns flawlessly. The tailored jacket, vest, and trousers were perfectly fitted, paired with a crisp white shirt and a small bow tie that added a touch of formality. His hands tucked casually into his pockets, he looked far too composed for his age—polished, confident, and undeniably striking. The bold red made him stand out, yet somehow he carried it effortlessly.
They turned toward the staircase after hearing footsteps and found Mr. Kim coming downstairs. His eyes fell on Ah-rin, instantly filling with rage.
"What is this disgrace doing here in our house?"
"Oh, hello to you too, Mr. Kim. I am Ah-rin. I was invited here to celebrate your birthday today."
"Huh! Who the hell invited her here?" he looked at the rest of the family.
"Did you all forget what she did in the past? How could you allow her here?"
"It was me who invited her," Mrs. Kim replied.
"I wanted to meet my grandchildren. Look how pretty our grandchildren are!"
Mr. Kim's eyes fell on Noah and Naomi. For a brief moment, his expression softened—but it was quickly replaced by coldness.
"If you want to meet them, meet them outside the house. She has no right to enter this home. She doesn't care about her family, nor did she want them. So why bother?"
Noah and Naomi got scared by Mr. Kim's angry tone. They ran toward Ah-rin and hid behind her. Then Noah spoke, causing pin-drop silence in the room.
"Grandma is good, but Grandpa is bad. He talked badly about Mommy. We don't like Grandpa."
Mr. Kim felt something stir in his heart but brushed it off.
"I'm not desperate to be liked by a brat like you. Such an arrogant child, just like her ignorant mother!"
"Watch your mouth, Mr. Kim," Ah-rin said coldly.
"You are not talking to your daughter, so think before you speak. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to sue you for defamation."
"Look at her arrogant behavior. How dare—"
"I'm just stating facts, Mr. Kim."
"Soo-jinaa," Mrs. Kim intervened, "take my grandchildren inside and give them whatever they like to eat."
Soo-jin took them inside. Though Noah and Naomi didn't want to leave, they obeyed when Ah-rin asked them to go with Soo-jin.
After they left, Ah-rin spoke again.
"So, where were we, Mr. Kim?"
Before the argument could continue, someone entered the house. His bag slipped from his hand when he saw the woman standing before him. All attention turned toward the man.
"Ah-riniee…!!!"
"Oh, hello, Junior Mr. Kim."
"Ah-rin! What happened to you? Why are you talking like this with me?"
"Oh? And how am I supposed to talk to you, Junior Mr. Kim?"
"Don't forget I am your oppa!"
"You must be mistaking me for someone else, because I am not a Kim. So how are we siblings?"
"Look, Ah-rin, I know you are angry, but at that time the situation was like that. When you talked about dying, I panicked and reacted like that. I know it was my mistake. I am so—"
"Oh, it's absolutely fine," Ah-rin interrupted.
"Because I don't remember any of it anymore. That was the day Kim Ah-rin died, and this new Ah-rin was born. Remember that, Mr. Junior Kim."
"It was also your mistake, okay? You should have listened to—"
"Don't."
Ah-rin was fuming with anger.
Before anyone could speak further, Soo-jin came out.
"Everyone, I have something to say."
"You are here? Where are the kids?"
"They're inside eating snacks. Don't worry, they're healthy snacks."
"So what is it you want to say, Soo-jinaa?"
"I am pregnant." She announced.
The room fell silent.
Everyone processed her words. Soo-jin glanced at Ah-rin nervously, but Ah-rin smiled reassuringly. Boo-hyun snapped back to reality and rushed toward Soo-jin, but she stepped back before he could touch her.
"What happened, Soo-jinaa?"
"I…" she took a deep breath. "I want to abort this baby."
"What?!" Mr. and Mrs. Kim exclaimed together.
Ah-rin and Boo-hyun stared at her in disbelief.
"What are you saying, Soo-jin?"
"You heard me. I don't want this baby. I want to abort it."
Boo-hyun tried to cup her face, but she moved away.
"Are you angry with me? Did I do something wrong?"
"I just don't want this baby, Boo-hyun! Why don't you understand?"
"Enough!" Mr. Kim snapped.
"What kind of behavior is this, Soo-jin?"
"Why? What happened, Dad?"
"How can a mother want to abort her own child?"
"So according to you, a mother can never harm her child, right?"
"Of course! A mother can go to any extreme to protect her child."
"Then how could you expect Ah-rin to abort her child and agree happily?" Soo-jin asked sharply.
"She was also going to be a mother!"
Silence fell.
"That's not the same," Mr. Kim argued.
"She was pregnant with some random man's child." He tried to reason with her.
"Are you sure about that, Mr. Kim?" Soo-jin asked him.
"What do you mean?" He asked with confusion.
"Are you sure those babies are fruits of her sin? And how are you so sure?" Soo-jin was literally shaking due to anger. She was barely holding herself back from bursting on these hypocritical people just because they are her elders.
"Enough!" Ah-rin shouted, breathing heavily.
"Did you ever ask her what happened that day?" Soo-jin continued anyway. "Did you give her even one chance to explain herself clearly?"
"Enough of your bullshits now!"
To Be Continued…