Chapter 2: WORRIED

Three years later,

On a rainy day, a young girl no older than three was seen running through the streets of a poor neighborhood. She tightly clutched two loaves of bread wrapped in a paper bag, using her frail and tiny body to shield them from the rain.

A young woman named Julia, looking out from the window of her modest home, spotted the little girl struggling to keep her balance. Worried, she hurried outside and called out to her.

"Ji Ah, where are you going?" Julia cried, trying to stop the girl.

Hearing her name, Ji Ah looked back and recognized Julia, the nice neighbor. She replied, "Aunty Julia, good afternoon! I'm on my way to deliver lunch to my mother. She didn't eat this morning," her tiny voice shaky from the rain.

Seeing that the girl wouldn't stop, Julia, increasingly worried, quickly put on her shoes and ran after her.

When Ji Ah finally reached her mother's store, she hurried to the woman known as Chi Lu.

"Mother, Mother! Look what I brought you! Uncle Felix asked me to bring you your lunch," the girl exclaimed with bright, shining eyes.

Upon seeing her daughter, Chi Lu frowned and spoke harshly. "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay inside and not come out? Why do you always have to disobey me?"

Flinching at her mother's tone, Ji Ah responded softly, "I was worried since you didn't eat anything this morning." She looked down, unable to meet her mother's gaze.

Chi Lu continued, "If I didn't eat, what's it to you?" She roughly pulled Ji Ah closer and scolded her with harsh words, lacing her reprimand with colorful insults.

The light in Ji Ah's eyes dimmed, and tears began to well up, unexpected from her so-called mother's reaction.

Not knowing that her Aunt Julia saw what happened.

Not being able to see the young girl suffer, Julia rushed out and snatched Ji-ah's hand away from her mother, then spoke angrily, What is wrong with you? Screamed Julia at Ji-ah's mother's face,

How could you treat her like that? She was worried about you. The young girl ran through the rain without any slippers on, and she came with your food because she was worried about you. Are you even her mother? Asked Julia angrily, not being able to see Ji Ah's mother, who was so kind to everyone else, treat little Ji Ah like that.

Whatever I do with my daughter is none of your business, so Mrs. Oh, sorry, you're widowed now, so we're back to Miss. So Miss Julia, give me my daughter back and mind your fucking business.

Do not speak to me like that; I'm older than you; show me some respect, and secondly, you're also a widow, so shut the fuck up, answered Julia, feeling angry and sad about what Ji Ah's mother said.

At least I've something to show for it, which is that little brat over there, but what about you? What do you have to show for it? The only thing you did was kill that man after a month of living with him. Ah, you're such a jinx, answered Ji Ah's mother as she locked the store's door and left Julia alone while pulling Ji Ah harshly along with her.

Alone in the rain, feeling shocked about what happened, stood Julia, crying., pondering over what Ji Ah's mother said.

Julia burst into heavy tears, feeling her heart tearing into pieces, but the rain covered up her tears as if to hide them and comfort her.

She pulled herself together, and went home.