AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 144

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2018

 

"There may be two Cinderellas at the ball, but in the end, there can be only one Queen of MBS" -- Jin Sun-Mi

 

 

LADIES WASHROOM, MUN-YUNG DIAMOND HOTEL...

 

When Sun-Mi enters the washroom, she finds Young-Mi standing in front of the mirror, fixing her makeup. Their eyes meet momentarily, then Sun-Mi goes to the sinks and sets her clutch down on the counter.

 

Turning on the water to wash her hands, she notices Young-Mi's engagement ring, and remarks, "You weren't wearing that before."

 

"Since I was to meet Hyung-Chul's father here, he gave it to me, to wear today," Young-Mi explains proudly.

 

"So how does it feel, being Cinderella now?" Sun-Mi asks sarcastically as she places her left hand on the faucet to turn on the water, putting her ring directly in Young-Mi's view.

 

 

Young-Mi's eyes pop at the sight of Sun-Mi's huge blue diamond, but she pretends disinterest as she puts her compact back into her purse...

 

" 'Cinderella'? ... What do you mean by that?" she asks, pretending ignorance at Sun-Mi's insinuation.

 

"Making a huge move forward just because of a guy," Sun-Mi repeats the charge Young-Mi had used against her. "Isn't that what you called it before?"

 

"Did I?" Young-Mi replies. "Then it seems two Cinderellas came to the ball tonight, if that ring on your finger is Min-Cho's."

 

"Of course it is," Sun-Mi states, gloating, "Min-Cho personally selected it from the best diamonds in his mines, and had it especially cut for me. There's no other diamond in the world even close to it!"

 

"That's a nice story," Young-Mi replies dismissively. "But my ring has a story behind it, too... Hyung-Chul told me that he chose this ring a long time ago, for the woman he loved, but was never able to give it. So he's worn it on a chain by his heart, ready for the next woman he loves..."

 

Hearing this, Sun-Mi remembers that when Hyung-Chul proposed to her in London, he'd shown her a diamond ring, still on a chain around his neck... recalling the memory permanently affixed in her heart...

 

... 'Will you marry me? ... I love you Sun-Mi' ...

 

As she relives the moment, it suddenly strikes her that the ring Young-Mi has is the very same one...

 

 

Sun-Mi's gasp of surprise is barely audible, but Young-Mi instinctively senses an opening from the shock in Sun-Mi's eyes...

 

"At first, I thought Hyung-Chul was only marrying me because of the baby. But when he gave me this ring, now I'm certain it was with all his heart and love, too," she weaves the lie, misrepresenting her understanding with Hyung-Chul when she'd asked to wear it.

 

Sun-Mi stares at the ring -- seemingly incontrovertible proof Young-Mi had successfully seduced Hyung-Chul, as she had Woo-Jin...

 

Immediately, the pangs of regret begin ... if she'd only trusted her heart ... if she'd only believed him ... if this ring were on her hand, instead of Young-Mi's ... how different everything would be ...

 

 

Repressing those rueful thoughts to the back of her mind, Sun-Mi focuses on the present and her purpose, and maintains a level voice as she replies, "Actually, I wanted to thank you for that..."

 

Sun-Mi turns off the water and reaches for a towel to dry her hands as she continues, "When I came back, at first I was concerned because I'd left things unresolved with Senior, that there might be hard feelings from our past. But seeing that you've won his heart, I knew I could move forward with Min-Cho, without any regrets..."

 

"Then, you're really not upset about Hyung-Chul and me?" Young-Mi sounds surprised, as this isn't how she'd read the situation before.

 

"Why should I be?" Sun-Mi smiles easily. "I don't need him anymore, now that Min-Cho will be the new owner of MBS."

 

"Min-Cho?" Young-Mi is incredulous. "I thought it would be President Kim, or Hyung-Chul..."

 

"Isn't the saying... 'While the lions fight, the jackal steals the kill' ...?" Sun-Mi quotes the proverb with a smirk. "I'm afraid that you've hitched your wagon to the wrong horse."

 

"What are you implying?" Young-Mi asks warily, unsure of where the conversation is going.

 

"You think I can't see right through you?" Sun-Mi declares, looking Young-Mi directly in the eyes, challenging her. "There may be two Cinderellas at the ball, but in the end, there will be only one Queen of MBS... and now it's a certainty who that Queen will be."

 

 

At just the thought that Sun-Mi might have outwitted her, Young-Mi inwardly seethes, but outwardly remains cool...

 

"Why do you insist on making everything a competition between us?" she objects, annoyed. "Frankly, I'm tired of it. That's not who I am anymore. I have a new life now, I don't care about the old one."

 

"If you're not that person anymore, then why were you making a move on Min-Cho?" Sun-Mi raises the blunt accusation. "Don't bother denying it, I know what I saw... you always use the same MO, like with Woo-Jin, and then Senior..."

 

Then Sun-Mi tosses the towel down, like she is throwing the gauntlet...

 

"But this time, your schemes won't work," she declares adamantly. "Before, I was naive, but I'm wiser now, and better than you. This time, I'll beat you..."

 

 

Young-Mi's expression darkens at the challenge. She is about to lash back, but a sound at the door makes her pause, and instantly, her face changes back...

 

"I'm sorry you bear a grudge against me from before, Sun-Mi," she says calmly, as a woman enters the washroom. "I hope we can reconcile and become close, as sisters should be..."

 

Overhearing this, the woman stops at the door, uncomfortable to be intruding on a personal matter...

 

"It's nothing, I've already forgotten it," Sun-Mi replies curtly, displaying a cold smile. "So don't bother. I'll see you later..."

 

She abruptly turns on her heels, sweeping past the startled woman as she goes out the door.

 

 

Grabbing her purse, Young-Mi follows Sun-Mi, stopping just outside the door. There, with a twisted smile, she watches her rival stride off confidently...

 

"Do you really think you can take me on, Jin Sun-Mi?" she muses contemptuously. "No one challenges Huh Young-Mi and wins, especially a fool like you... So let's raise the stakes... This time I won't just settle for stealing your man. Instead, I'll totally crush you..."