Tomorrow at 7pm

At 3pm, Mingwa walked to the kitchen thinking of making lunch when shenflet her phone vibrate.

Her blood ran cold as she stared at her phone, feeling the weight of her mother's name on the screen. She and her mother had never been close ever since she decided to become an actress and after the divorce, the distance between them had only grown.

Han Jisoo had always cared more about appearances than being a mother, and Mingwa had learned to keep her expectations low. Even now, the call likely had little to do with anything personal—it would be about maintaining the family's image, as always.

Sighing, she answered the call, bracing herself for what was to come.

"Hello, Mother," Mingwa greeted, her tone polite but distant.

"Mingwa darling," Jisoo's voice came through, cool and precise as always. "I trust you haven't forgotten about the family dinner tomorrow."