Chapter 11: I'll not go to the mansion

Seo-Yeon sat on a bench in the empty park. It was already night, and the air was cool. She was alone, just like in her life.

The world feels like it stopped spinning to give her a stop from her life and let her break in peace.

Her suitcase rests beside her abandoned by her mind for now.

She holds her phone in her hand and dials a number. The call doesn't connect but goes to the voice mail.

Her face doesn't show any emotions, but her eyes shimmer when light catches the tears in her eyes.

It's the moment she realizes she's truly alone...

In life...

And the dam breaks.

She buries her face in her palms and sobs quietly. Her shoulders shake with every breath, but no sound escapes her lips.

The only thing left with her is just pain.

Soso appears beside her, her arms crossed in front of her "So… you are not going to the mansion, huh?"

Seo-Yeon sniffles. She doesn't even look up at the intruder who is interrupting her alone time. "Go away. I don't want to talk to you right now. Please don't start now."

"Look, I get you're heartbroken, humiliated, dumped, and publicly replaced like expired yogurt, but—"

Seo-Yeon lifts her head and glares at the ghost with red eyes. "Do you perhaps practice these insults, or is it a ghost feature?"

Soso just shrugs "I don't know. It just comes to me naturally."

Seo-Yeon just silently glares at her.

But she is grateful to Soso because of her she was now thinking about something else. She helped her distract herself from those painful thoughts and memories.

Soso clears her throat "But really. Why are you crying here?"

"Because I have nowhere to go" Seo-Yeon sniffles.

"Why didn't you go to Jun-Hyun's place? Didn't I say you should go to my brother's mansion once you leave your house? The twins need you. And I thought you needed this job."

"I'm not shameless enough to just pack my things and show up at your brother's mansion. Your brother said he will think about my suggestion. He didn't give a definite answer. I may be homeless. I may be Jobless. But I'm not Shameless. I'll not go to the mansion until he asks me to. I'll wait..."

"Wow, impressive"

Seo-Yeon chuckles "Also, look at me, I'm just like a tragic side character crying in a public park in a weekday drama!" she laughs bitterly with tears in her eyes.

"Don't talk nonsense" Soso says.

"I'm not talking nonsense. I mean… look at me. I was a wife an hour ago. Now? I'm just a woman with a suitcase and a messy custody battle."

'I'm not even sure if I should fight for my son or not' she thinks.

"Yeah, you're also the crazy woman who threw a medicine bottle at the ghost and lived to tell the tale. That's something." Soso comments.

Both Seo-Yeon and Soso look at each other and start laughing like mad women.

The mother taking a walk with her child looked at Soe-Yeon as if she were a crazy woman when she passed near her.

***

Soe-Yeon's phone buzzes beside her. It's her best friend, Park Hye-Jin.

When she called in the beginning the call went to voice mail, now her friend was calling her.

"Hello!!" Hye-Jin says.

"Hye-Jin..." Seo-Yeon's voice cracks.

"What happened? Where are you? Are you crying? You sound like you've been crying for hours straight."

"Hye-Jin, I- I left Tae-Won's house. I'm now at the park near the old dumpling shop. You know the one with the broken swing. I don't have anywhere to go..." She cries.

"Alright, stop crying. What do you mean you have nowhere to go? Come to my home"

"But-"

"No buts, just come. We can think of a solution later."

"Alright."

***

Hye-Jin has been Seo-Yeon's best friend since high school. She is a warm-hearted person with zero fashion sense.

She is broke and lives in a cluttered little apartment. But still, she was willing to take in Seo-Yeon with a single call.

Seo-Yeon will always be grateful for her help.

Hye-Jin wraps Seo-Yeon in a warm blanket and hands her a can of cheap beer.

She tasks a can in her hand as well and raises it "To hell with Tae-Won."

Seo-Yeon smiles weakly.

"Seo-Yeona don't mourn for him. He's always been a person who wears a designer suit and acts all mighty. But he is just a coward. A f*cking j*rk"

"He was never right for you. If not for your son I would have asked you to divorce him long back" Hye-Jin says with anger.

"I know. I'm not crying because of Tae-Won." Seo-Yeon says with tears filling her eyes.

"Then why?" Hye-Jin asks.

"It's because of Jae-min. He... chose them. I knew he liked Min-Ji but didn't expect he would choose her over me. It hurts very much." Seo-Yeon says clutching the can of bear in her hand.

Hye-Jin pulls Seo-Yeon into a hug "Don't take his words into heart Yeon. He's just five. He doesn't even know what's happening. One day he will understand, and then he will come back to you. I'm sure"

"You think so...? I love my son Hye-Jin."

"I know, Yeon. I know." Hye- Jin assure her.

Both friends sit on the floor hugging each other.

A pizza box is open between them with an empty can of bears lying around the floor. The Ghost watches from the kitchen, judging their toppings.

They have been talking about everything while drinking can after can of beer.

Seo-Yeon filled in everything she had gone through after waking up from her coma to Hye-Jin.

They talked about the j*rk Tae-Won cursing him to the sky, they even talked about the cute twins and Kang Jun-Hyun.

It was a sight to see Hye-Jin fan Girling about Jun-Hyun when she heard Seo-yeon had met the man directly.

Then they talked about her son and Seo-Yeon ended up crying again.

Seo-Yeon wipes her eyes from her plan and looks at her friend "I don't have money."

"I know."

"I have no job."

"I know that as well," Hye-Jin says teasing Seo-Yeon.

Seo-Yeon snorts. "What should I do now? I'm not even sure Superstar Jun-Hyun will let me near the twins again. And you're..."

Seo-Yeon looks around the apartment room "You're a cashier with loads of student debt and exactly one frying pan for living."

Hye-Jin smirks "Even though I only have a pan, that frying pan could knock a man out if needed."

Both Seo-yeon and Hye-Jin laugh at that.

"On a serious note, what are you going to do now?"