AAE -- For Better For Worse

Part 2 -- Chapter 06

by LoveCR2

edited by All-About-AAE

 

 

That night, Sun-Mi made another appeal to her father, informing him that Hyung-Chul had broken off his engagement with Joo-Hee. Despite her pleas, Gui-Sung had gone to bed without giving his blessing, his concern that she was not welcomed into Hyung-Chul's family unsatisfied. At daybreak, he left to travel back to his current jobsite in Busan.

 

Sun-Mi slept in late, since Hyung-Chul had suggested she stay home for the day. With replacements assigned to cover her job responsibilities, she had nothing to do in the office. Her unexpected appearance would only fuel the rumor mills that were sure to have already started in response to his broken engagement.

 

She awoke to the sounds of a commotion at her gate. Smiling to herself, Sun-Mi recalled the morning she found the entire neighborhood gathered there, astonished by Senior's lavish display of affection. She wondered what he'd come up with this time to top the dozens of bouquets of roses.

 

Tempted to look out her window, she held back on satisfying her curiosity for the moment. Instead, she took her time dressing and applying her makeup, then selected a favorite pair of Gucci high heel slides to wear, wanting to look her best as she stepped out her front door to her neighbors' applause like the last time.

 

 

But as she stepped outside onto the small porch, Sun-Mi is shocked to find a raucous crowd of media paparazzi packed into the narrow lane.

 

The reporters break out into a clamor, shouting questions about her relationship with Director Yoon, her role in his breakup with Yoo Joo-Hee, and if she was still going to go to London.

 

Like a deer caught in headlights, Sun-Mi freezes, too shocked to move. The cameras roll, sending live video to the morning TV gossip shows.

 

The repeated ringing of her cell phone rouses Sun-Mi from her stupor. The call is from Cho-Jeh.

 

In a daze, she answers, "Yes?"

 

"I'm watching you on TV right now. You look like an idiot, standing there with your mouth open! Go back inside!" Cho-Jeh orders.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

 

Once Sun-Mi was safely out of the media spotlight, Cho-Jeh filled her in on the breaking news of a juicy, first-class scandal ...

 

"Sun-Mi, what were you thinking?" she admonishes her friend. "One day you're blatantly kissing Director Yoon in the middle of a public street, and the next he breaks off his engagement with Yoo Joo-Hee! Everyone is talking about it, and the gossip is not good. They're comparing you with the scheming Eve character in an old American movie, All About Eve, who steals her mentor's career and lover!"

 

"But you know it's not true," Sun-Mi complains.

 

"It doesn't matter. Everyone is sympathizing with Joo-Hee as the victim, so don't show your face here until this blows over," Cho-Jeh warns.

 

"Thanks for the heads-up," Sun-Mi replies, ringing off the call.

 

 

Going back to the door, she looks out, to see with relief that the reporters had packed up and left in search of the next scandal on their docket. She slips on her shoes again to go out to get the morning paper and read the sensational articles for herself.

 

After collecting the paper from the mailbox, Sun-Mi turns to go back, to find another surprise confronting her. Glaring at her are a group of neighborhood ladies, some of those who had applauded her the previous morning.

 

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" the apparent leader of the pack scolds harshly. "And we thought you were such a nice girl all this time."

 

"We don't want skanks like you in our neighborhood!" another woman chimes in.

 

"But, you don't understand..." Sun-Mi tries to speak up for herself.

 

 

"What's to understand about a shameless hussy? What kind of example are you to our daughters?" a third woman screams from behind the others. "Your father should be ashamed, bringing such filth into our respectable neighborhood!"

 

Sun-Mi attempts to defend her father. "Don't blame my father. He did nothing wrong!"

 

"The bad apple always falls closest to the tree!" the woman argues back. "So he's as guilty as you!"

 

Another threatens, "Let's petition the homeowner's association to force this scumbag and his shameless daughter out!"

 

"Please, if you'll just let me explain," Sun-Mi attempts reasoning with the women.

 

 

But as she is speaking, an overripe tomato arcs through the air toward Sun-Mi. It hits her dress with a splash of dark red goo. Before Sun-Mi can react to flee or protect herself, a volley of spoiled fruit and vegetables quickly follows. The sudden barrage ends with a full pail of kitchen slop mixed with soiled cat litter that spatters their hapless victim from head to toe.

 

Satisfied to have demonstrated their opinion, the women march off.

 

Dripping with foul-smelling slime, Sun-Mi watches them leave, her heart sinking, now fully cognizant of her father's concern. Branded a shameless skank, her sullied reputation has dragged down his name too by association.

 

 

Sun-Mi goes back inside to clean up. Then she goes to her bedroom to dress and make a phone call.

 

When her father picks up, Sun-Mi hears the roar of construction equipment in the background. "I'm so sorry, Daddy," she apologizes woefully. "You were right about everything!"

 

"What?" he shouts back over the dim. "I can't hear you, Sun-Mi."

 

"Never mind. Goodbye," she ends the call.

 

 

Returning the handset to its cradle, she stares at the phone, worrying that this is just the beginning, that things will only become harder.

 

"It's not fair!" she whines to herself. "I didn't do anything wrong, but I'm the bad girl! Why is this happening to me!"

 

Mired in self-pity, tears of frustration flood her eyes. Sun-Mi collapses onto her bed, wracked by deep sobs.