Page 107 of Perfect Happiness

“My little Jiyoo’s so smart.I’m sure you know what this is.”

Jiyoo held in her breath.Auntie Jane’s name was shown twice in the call history.

“You left the puppet hidden at Grandma’s house.Then you call Auntie Jane this morning to ask her to bring it to you.But Auntie Jane didn’t just bring you the puppet.It was lunch time, after all.That’s why you didn’t eat Mother’s Happy Meal.Even though she bought you your favorite meal.”

Jiyoo shook her head.

“No, Mother.My tummy really did hurt.”

Mother took something out of her cardigan pocket.It was the Happy Meal bag that Jiyoo had folded neatly and put in the trash.

“You still want to lie to me?”

Jiyoo could feel the organs inside her torso suddenly contract.Her breath was short and halting.

“Mother gave you a chance to tell the truth.”

Mother threw the puppet and receiver on the bed and the Happy Meal paper bag on the floor.

“You should have told me when I gave you the chance.If you had, I would have only punished you for stealing the puppet.But now, I must punish you for also lying to Mother.”Mother took a step back from the bed.“Out of bed.”

Jiyoo got down from the bed and stood before Mother.

“Take your suitcase out of the wardrobe.”

Mother’s voice was a cold and fierce blizzard.Jiyoo could feel all the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.Why was Mother asking her to take out her suitcase?

“You disobey me, steal from me, and lie to me.I would have forgiven you if I thought it was just a mistake.”

A foreboding thought flashed across Jiyoo’s mind like a conviction.Jiyoo was too terrified to even tremble.She shook her head furiously.

No.Mother wouldn’t do that.

“But you knew.You knew what you were doing.You conspired with your Auntie and made a fool of me.”Mother then lowered her voice even further.“Even if everyone in the world betrayed me, I thought I could trust that you would always be on my side.”

Jiyoo desperately shook her head.

“No, Mother.I—”

“I can’t live with a backstabbing little cunt.”

Jiyoo heard a scream-like plea burst from her own mouth.“Mother!No.I didn’t mean to—”

“Take out your suitcase.”

Jiyoo’s intuition was right.

Jiyoo took a step back.She brought her hands together as if praying to Mother.

“Mother, I was bad.I won’t do it again—”

“I already told you.Twice.If you make me say it again, I’m going to run you out of the house in your pajamas.Take out your suitcase!”

Jiyoo took another step back.Her thigh was up against the bed.She could hardly see now, and warm tears were beginning to well up around her eyes.She couldn’t believe what was happening.She wanted to believe that Mother wasn’t really going to chase her out in the middle of the night like this.She wanted to think that Mother was just giving her a harsher scolding than usual.

“Mother, stop.”

Jiyoo collapsed to her knees at Mother’s feet.Her voice started to shake with sobs.