TE 5

Seo-ha had often wondered throughout her life.

If someone were to ask whether she truly believed in God, what would she say?

The words that would actually leave her lips would undoubtedly mimic those of a proper pastor’s daughter, but if she were to be honest with herself, the story would be quite different.

She believed because she had to believe, because she wanted to believe.

To Moon Seok-ho, Seo-ha was his special daughter. In many ways, she enjoyed more privileges than even her younger brother Seo-chan. Yet there was one thing her father would never tolerate: denial of religion and God.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t about believing in Protestantism—it was about believing in the word of God as conveyed through her ‘father.’

Having never properly studied the Bible from a qualified pastor, Seo-ha had no choice but to accept her father’s words at face value. When he would interpret biblical passages according to his own will and share them, she, like a blank canvas, absorbed everything without question.

As she grew older, she began to notice the contradictions in her father’s words and realized that the church was merely a front to conceal his true business ventures. Yet the divine teachings her father had instilled in her since childhood continued to hold profound influence over her.

Ironically, this made her want to believe in God even more.

God was omnipotent. He could do anything, accomplish anything. And if one truly believed, He would surely provide salvation after hardship.

If she were to meet God, she had one simple wish.

‘God, please set me free.’

She had often thought this vaguely, not knowing exactly what she wanted freedom from.

But now, she thought she knew what kind of freedom she yearned for.

She wanted to break every taboo set by her father—or rather, by the God who spoke through her father’s mouth.

She wanted to defy her parents’ commands and cast aside the purity she was supposed to cherish.

“Come find me if you change your mind.”

The man who had made advances even as she left his car maintained his boldness despite engaging in behavior that violated not just religious principles, but basic moral standards.

“Do you really want to do this with the daughter of a woman you’ve slept with?”

“I happen to prefer the daughter over the mother.”

How could he be so brazen?

Ki Tae-beom acted as though he was certain Seo-ha would eventually accept his proposition.

‘That will never happen.’

Seo-ha’s grip tightened on the Bible she had left open for hours in her armchair.

In truth, she was curious. Curious about the taboos her father declared as sins, even though they weren’t considered transgressions by society at large.

But Seo-ha had no intention of crossing those established boundaries.

She feared the consequences of breaking taboos. She feared her father, and she feared the unknown world beyond.

Moreover, the fact that the man in question was the lover of the woman her father was seeing made it even more problematic. No person of sound mind could view such a relationship as normal. Even though Park Hee-jung wasn’t legally connected to anyone, she still lived in their house and act as the lady of the household. She even played the role of mother to Seo-chan.

It was nonsense not worth reconsidering; garbage not even worthy to talk about.

Yet it was Seo-ha herself who couldn’t stop obsessing over this garbage.

The desire to break taboos that she couldn’t possibly overcome on her own.

Her thoughts about this desire only ceased when she heard a couple of gentle knocks at her door.

Someone had come to her room, where visitors were rare at this hour.

For a split second, even though she knew it was impossible, Seo-ha swallowed hard as she recalled the face of the man who had spoken those vile words.

“Seo-ha, are you sleeping?”

It was Park Hee-jung’s voice.

Only then did Seo-ha release the tension that had unconsciously built up in her body.

Though it lasted just a moment, she wanted to bite her tongue for making such an absurd assumption.

“I’m awake.”

But this foolishness that only she knew was her own problem, and she couldn’t keep her ‘aunt’ waiting for long.

The door opened at Seo-ha’s brief response.

Since their relationship was distant, it was extremely rare—almost unprecedented—for Park Hee-jung to visit Seo-ha’s room.

“What brings you here?”

Park Hee-jung fidgeted with the doorknob acting shyly even when she insisted in the first place. She smiled wearing that same fake smile she used when trying to improve Moon Seok-ho’s mood. Seo-ha’s eyes narrowed as she watched this unusual visitor acting suspiciously in her room.

“It’s been a while since we had a proper conversation, and I wanted to see how you’re doing.”

There was no need to point out how absurd this statement was—the person uttering these words surely knew better than anyone. In the three years since Park Hee-jung had entered this household, she had never played the role of mother to Seo-ha. Such a role would have been inappropriate anyway, as Seo-ha had already been an adult when Park Hee-jung first arrived, and their age difference was more suited to a sister-like relationship.

‘This must be about that man.’

Tae-beom hadn’t come home as she had requested today, and during that time, he had been with Seo-ha.

And Park Hee-jung believed that Seo-ha was unaware of their sordid relationship.

Ki Tae-beom, whom Park Hee-jung seemed completely infatuated with, was indeed an attractive man. Although Seo-ha was angered by his shameless audacity and the advances he made toward her, she could tell at first glance that he was a man who would appeal to women.

Man or woman, adult or child, anyone with functioning eyes couldn’t deny his handsome features.

“I heard from Secretary Kang that you went out urgently today, but no one seems to know where…”

The woman who entered the room trying to appear as usual was apparently oblivious to how stiff her movements appeared even to casual observation.

“I went to the church. I had forgotten something there when I last visited for the remodeling check.”

“Weren’t you alone there, with no one around?”

They say you see what you want to see.

It was unpleasant how she seemed to view others through the same lens as her own sexual encounters with Ki Tae-beom in the empty church.

But Seo-ha didn’t want to explain herself defensively. Nor did she feel inclined to reassure this woman who was anxious about her lover possibly finding another woman.

“I went with Mr. Ki Tae-beom.”

“…Tae-beom? Who is… Ah, right. That’s the name of the new person.”

Park Hee-jung’s thoughts were as transparent as glass as she pretended not to recognize a name she clearly knew from the start.

“He’s quite tall and handsome, isn’t he? I heard he became your personal driver? I’m worried our Seo-ha might fall for him.”

“…”

“You know how your father gets so sensitive about your romantic life.”

Hidden beneath her playful tone was a warning of sorts—a message not to touch or covet her man.

Park Hee-jung hadn’t treated Seo-ha like an evil stepmother before. After all, Seo-ha was Moon Seok-ho’s beloved daughter, and given their small age gap, she wasn’t someone Park Hee-jung could push around.

The fact that she was now acting out of character indicated that Park Hee-jung was consumed by jealousy and insecurity to the point of losing rationality.

Even though Seo-ha hadn’t done anything particular with her lover.

Just because they had been together, and he had been unreachable during that time, she was now anxiously trying to probe for information.

Until now, Park Hee-jung and Seo-ha had maintained a superficial cordiality, careful not to disturb each other. Though Park Hee-jung didn’t act as a mother, she behaved like a friendly older sister, and Seo-ha respectfully called her ‘aunt’ while maintaining proper etiquette.

But now, the unspoken boundary they had maintained was beginning to blur.

“He is quite handsome, isn’t he?”

Seo-ha, who could barely remember the last time she had smiled brightly, now found her eyes and lips curving into wide crescents, regardless of her true feelings.

“I’ve never been interested in men before, but there’s something rather exciting about him, isn’t there?”

She hoped her expression truly appeared like that of a woman caught up in romance.

“…Right.”

Judging by Park Hee-jung’s expression, Seo-ha’s intended effect seemed to have worked.

“He is quite exciting.”

Park Hee-jung mumbled as if to herself before countering with a gentle smile. However, Seo-ha noticed the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.

“You probably want to be alone. I must have been bothering you?”

“Not at all. I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“Mmm, it’s fine. It’s getting late, so I’ll go now. Rest well.”

Park Hee-jung left an awkward farewell with Seo-ha, who hadn’t done anything all day that would require rest. As the woman turned away, Seo-ha caught the moment her smiling face transformed into an expressionless mask.

Though not clever enough to wrap Moon Seok-ho around her finger, she was usually somewhat cunning—yet her emotions were now far too obvious.

“…This is trouble.”

As soon as Park Hee-jung left, Seo-ha held her head in her hands.

From her reaction, it was clear that while Ki Tae-beom might be willing to end things, Park Hee-jung had no intention of letting go.

“Now I want to embrace the daughter of the woman I’ve slept with.”

“You bastard.”

The man who had casually spewed such trashy words without a care.

What could be so appealing about such a man that would make someone cling to him despite knowing how frightening her father could be?

She couldn’t understand.

She really couldn’t understand.

***

After leaving her stepdaughter’s room, Park Hee-jung brought her hand to her mouth as she walked down the long second-floor corridor.

The tip of her well-manicured thumbnail was gnawed between her teeth.

Today, Tae-beom had been unreachable all day. Even after Seo-ha had returned home.

This had never happened before. Usually, even when he couldn’t answer her calls, he would at least call back later.

But today of all days, after being alone with Moon Seo-ha, he had gone completely silent.

Though she thought it unlikely given Seo-ha’s usually cold demeanor and mechanical obedience to Moon Seokho’s orders, anxiety had driven her to visit the room she’d never entered before, to probe what might have happened between them. After all, matters between men and women were unpredictable.

But today, Moon Seo-ha, who usually gave compliant answers that others wanted to hear, seemed different somehow.

“There’s something rather exciting about him, isn’t there?”

Recalling that face, more animated than usual, Park Hee-jung felt a violent emotion she had never experienced toward her stepdaughter before.

“That bitch.”

The curse escaped with her labored breath.

For the first time in her life, she felt the urge to become the wicked stepmother. And perhaps, she sensed, this was an urge she wouldn’t be able to resist.