Eunhye’s eyes glowed red as she opened the gaping void of her mouth. She was smiling. “All pigs go to the slaughterhouse to die,” she said.
+
Only the BMW was parked in front of Hyukjoon’s house. Dahye peeked inside the car and saw that the center console was open. Inside, she saw a pack of gum, a lighter, a carton of cigarettes, and a travel-size bottle of cologne.
Dahye ducked, pretending to tie her shoe, and retrieved the cheap GPS tracker she had brought with her from her pocket. Glancing around, she quickly stuck it underneath the door of the BMW. She waited a moment to make sure it stayed on, and just as she was about to walk away, the doors to the house slidopen. Dahye leaped back from the car and sprinted across the street, ducking behind a bush.
She peeked out, expecting to see Hyukjoon, but it was his father. CEO Jang stood proudly, his face lined and weathered. His expression was hard. He peered around, and Dahye thought for a second that he was looking for her. Then he opened his mouth and let out a bellow.
“Hyukjoon!”
The dog began to bark wildly.
“Hyukjoon!”
From behind CEO Jang, Dahye heard Hyukjoon’s voice. “I’m right here, Abeoji,” Hyukjoon said, sounding irritated. “I’ve been in the house this whole time. There’s no need to yell.”
“I thought you left again,” CEO Jang said, scowling. “I told you not to leave this fucking house.” He patted his pockets, and before he said anything, Hyukjoon handed him a cigarette and leaned over with a lighter. CEO Jang inhaled deeply, looking at Hyukjoon through narrowed eyes. “If you leave this house again, there will be hell to pay. I’ll send you straight to Guam. Do you understand?”
Hyukjoon said nothing. He lit his own cigarette and blew out a ring of smoke toward the sky.
His father continued, “I don’t give a shit what you do so long as you don’t embarrass the family again. You almost destroyed our relationship with the Lees. Do you even understand the damage you’ve done? I didn’t raise you to be this fucking careless.”
Hyukjoon muttered something Dahye couldn’t hear, and then a resounding slap made her jump. Hyukjoon’s hand jumped to his cheek, surprise and anger flitting across his face.
“I’m a grown man,” Hyukjoon complained. “You can’t control my life forever.”
“You are not aman,” CEO Jang spat. “You are a child. Your mother spoiled you too much. She let you do whatever you wanted, and now look at you—ruining your life over some common whores. Your brother was never like this. You should be grateful I’m allowing you to stay with the company.” He let out a wheezing cough and tossed his cigarette butt to the ground. Then he turned and walked back inside.
A common whore—was that all she was? Like her sister, Dahye had done everything in her power to make herself a woman of good standing. She had worked hard to get a degree from a good school. She had had a good job. She was careful not to get too drunk when she went out, and she didn’t sleep around. She had slept with only one other man before Hyukjoon—her college boyfriend—whom she had been certain she was going to marry. She let out a yelp, halfway between laughter and despair. In the end, none of it had mattered. She had done everything a supposedly respectable woman did, and still she had ended up the whore.
Hearing her, Hyukjoon whipped around. Too late she clamped her mouth shut and heard Hyukjoon’s soft“What the hell?”as he took a few faltering steps toward her.
She shrank deeper into the bush. Branches pricked at her, catching on her clothing. She could hear Hyukjoon’s footsteps coming closer and closer, saw him approaching through the gaps in the leaves.
“Who the fuck are you?” Hyukjoon called out. “I saw you. Stop hiding and come out. Are you a reporter? Paparazzi? You’re not allowed here, you know. I’ll call the police.”
There was nowhere else for Dahye to go. She steeled herself, getting ready to emerge from her hiding place. How would Hyukjoon react? Would he really call the police?
Before she emerged, though, CEO Jang’s voice came from the house. “Hyukjoon,” he said sharply. “Come inside this housenowbefore I tie you down.”
Hyukjoon stopped. Looked at the bushes again, where Dahye was hiding, and, for a second, she thought he would check anyway, in spite of his father’s warning. But his shoulders slumped, and he turned and walked back inside.
Dahye watched the map closely, but Hyukjoon’s dot didn’t move. He was keeping his promise to his father, or at least, he was pretending to. She stared at it for a while longer and then closed out of the app, wishing she had some way of attaching the tracker to Hyukjoon’s body.
Her phone vibrated. Another email from Bora. What was this, the twentieth one? Dahye rolled her eyes and was about to delete it when she saw the subject line:Information you might need.Her curiosity got the best of her. She opened it.
Dear Dahye,
I know you’re angry, and I don’t blame you for that. I’m sorry. I truly am. I let my anxiety take over, and, as a result, I was too focused on my own feelings when I should have been focused on yours. I wasn’t being a good friend. I’ll give you the space you need and let you come back on your own time, when you’re ready.
Please know that I love you and care about you verymuch. I’m here if you need anything at all. You have been like a sister to me since we first met fifteen years ago. I think about that day often. When you lost Eunhye, I thought you would be okay because you still had me. I understand now that I was being naïve.
No pressure, but I saw this on Naver a few nights ago. I don’t know if it will help at all, or if you’re even interested. I thought it might make you feel a little less alone.
All my love,
Bora