“What’s this.” I move back away from him, another step, not trusting him one bit and thinking distance is the only thing I have to combat him. A million things are racing through my mind at what this could be.“Medical records and two background checks. On you…. and your friend.” Jyeon’s voice is huskier than usual, and a hint of emotion makes it almost raspy. His focus narrowed on me, and I can’t read what’s going on in his mind. I blink and stare at the white papers, everything swimming with the reality of what they are, and then push them away with disgust that they would dig around and invade someone’s life that way.“Whatever bullshit this is, I’m sure it’s not even legal. … GRETA!!” I yell on my backup to come to me, hysteria evident in my raised voice and losing all composure. I thank my stars when I hear the distant scrape of a chair followed by footsteps coming to the s

“Look, everyone, calm down…. He’s not saying that's the intention. He’s wound up, and at times, he’s a bit highly strung. He genuinely cares about her…. we all do. She has been a big part of our lives since we were kids. Sohla was the baby sister to many of us, and there through everything. We all depended on her. No one wants to hurt her or restrict her freedom. We want to take her back where she belongs and let her find out who she is so she can decide where her future lies with all the facts. Then she can figure out what she wants to do with her wealth. We owe it to her to protect what’s hers and let her sensibly choose.” Bryant is the voice of reason again, and I can’t get used to him being the soft one. Mr stable and calm, while Jyeon seems devil incarnate.“You can come with her. I’ll cover whatever earnings this place loses in the meantime. She stays in the family home …..” Jyeon begins.

“I’m not her anymore, and I don’t want to be. Look at what she ended up with. A husband who cheated and then killed her….. Everyone just got on with their lives without me. Easily.” I point out and then jump at the sudden invasion of a door knock. It’s a rattle of an impatient person.“No guesses who that might be!” Greta states blankly. “He barely gave you breathing room on the boat or in the car, and now he can’t give you an hour to unpack. Anyone would think he cares.” She rolls over onto her belly, making it clear she’s not answering it, and I eyeroll.“Get off of those before they wrinkle and put them away.” I smack her ass with a substantial wallop that makes her yelp and run off before she retaliates. Giggling at her show of fierce and knowing she will pay me back for it at some point. We have an immature rel

“You broke me. Never in a million years did I think that you no longer exiting my life would devastate me so much. I know I was a shitty husband, and I never once made you feel like I cared…. I told myself I loathed everything about you, and I showed you that too, but my world stopped when you left it. You have to believe that. Everything came crashing down on top of me, and it’s why I had to bring you home, why I’m doing this. Why I couldn’t leave you on that island and forget all about you…. because……. everything has been empty and lifeless without Sohla Park.” Jyeon’s words filter off so quiet and low and breathy; I have to strain to hear him, which renders me completely mute. Shocked. My emotions tumbling inwards like a giant hole opened up inside of me, and everything is sucked down to leave me in stunned silence. Staring at the hands on the table and unsure what else to do except breathe. Ne

“I haven’t changed, just the face I showed you did. Maybe I’ve matured stopped being so two dimensional in my outlook, but the inner me is still the same. I guess like you. You seem different in so many ways, but the girl I grew up with is what I see again, so I guess you just changed your face too. Do people ever really change? Or do we just take off masks?”Another tense silence as we think about his words, and I break the intense heaviness.“What if I never remember? Are you going to keep me prisoner and refuse to set me free? Stay married to a guy I don’t know at all.” I skip around a lamppost, and we’re split up for a few seconds as two men walk between us before we come back together. He reaches out, catches me by the elbow and tugs me in beside him as more people push our way, and they have to walk around us instead. Making it clear he didn&rsqu