"Auntie Shen, please take these to my room," Hye Ji said softly, her small hands tightening around the box of jewels. Her eyes never strayed toward her father. "As for the rest… send them to the less privileged. But do it under the name Mo Xin Yu. After all…" her lips curved faintly, though her voice was ice, "Dad said it would earn Mom good fortune."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked upstairs, her back straight, her chin held high. Housekeeper Shen trailed after her, clutching the dresses to her chest. The girl's steps were too calm, too steady, her words too sharp for a child who had supposedly lost her memories. A chill ran through Shen's bones.
She hasn't forgotten! . Could she be acting? . Little Miss has always been too clever, too quick. High IQ, high EQ… and ever since she was small she wanted to be many things _a doctor, a fashion designer and acting being one of such, she could mimic anyone she saw on TV. Actors, actresses, even men's voices—flawlessly. Is this all an act? Is she hiding her memories behind that innocent face?
The thought of it terrifies house keeper Shen. She really hoped the poor girl really forget so she can live like a normal child
Downstairs, the fragile mask shattered.
"Useless!" Su Man's voice cracked like a whip as her hand slapped Mr. Lin's arm. Her painted lips twisted into a snarl. "You can't even speak against an ten-year-old girl? Your own daughter! Pathetic. Absolutely useless."
Mr. Lin flinched, shrinking back like a scolded servant. "I—"
"If you don't get me that jewelry," Su Man hissed, her eyes flashing, "I'll walk out of here with my children and marry a man who deserves us. Then they'll call him Father, not you. Do you want that?"
Her words dripped venom, but her voice carried the honeyed lilt of practiced manipulation. Mr. Lin's throat bobbed as he nodded frantically, fear and desperation chasing across his pale face.. His greatest fear was Su Man making his son call some one else dad. If he should allow such a thing what was all his sacrifice over the weeks be for?
"I want the necklace too, Mommy," Su Jai Li suddenly piped up, tugging at her mother's sleeve. Her eyes were fixed greedily on Hye Ji's neck as if the drop-shaped pendant there were a toy meant for her. "It's pretty. I want it."
Su Man's gaze snapped upward, sharp and commanding. "You heard her. Get it from your daughter. My child wants it." She didn't wait for a response—already turning on her heel, her heels clicking like hammer blows against the marble floor as she stormed off, her son and daughter clinging to each of her arms.
"I'll get it! I'll get it all for you, don't worry!" Mr. Lin called after her, his voice almost a whimper. He trailed behind like a dog chasing scraps, his once-proud bearing reduced to a pitiful shadow.
In her room, Lin Hye Ji laid out the items carefully on her bed. The soft fabrics and the small velvet box seemed to glow under the pale light, like echoes of her mother's warmth. Her eyes, however, were rimmed red, heavy with unshed tears. She bit down on her trembling lip, refusing to let them fall.
"Little Miss…" Housekeeper Shen's voice broke softly, hesitant, almost pleading. "Did you… really forget?" Her gaze searched the child's face. Ever since the accident, she had noticed it—the sharp way Hye Ji's eyes lingered on her father when no one else was watching, too calculating for an ten-year-old.
For a moment, silence pressed in the room. Then Hye Ji turned, a fragile smile tugging at her lips as she blinked away the moisture in her eyes. "Auntie Shen," she said lightly, "I want to eat your noodles. The one with egg and vegetables… the kind you used to make for me when you want to cheer me up ."
Housekeeper Shen's mouth fell open in surprise. "Really? You want to eat?!" Her face brightened instantly, the question from before scattering from her mind like dust in the wind. "Okay, okay, I'll make it for you right away! Just wait a little, Little Miss." house keeper Shen said excitedly as she rushed out.
Hye Ji nodded, her smile holding until the door clicked shut and the footsteps faded away. The moment she was alone, her shoulders sagged. The smile slipped, leaving behind the hollow weight she'd been carrying.
She dragged herself into the bathroom, turned on the tap, and let the water rush out, its steady stream masking any stray sound. Sitting down on the cold toilet seat, she slipped her small hand into her pocket. Her fingers brushed against her phone, it was a gift from her father for winning a piano competition half a year ago. Lin Hye Ji smiled in self mockery.
She punched in the number her mother had made her memories. Her mother had told her that the owner of the number was a very close sister of her_May Ji.
Her chest tightened as she remembered that night—her mother's tired but resolute eyes, the way she made her repeat the numbers until she could recite them in her sleep.
Now, with trembling fingers, she punched in the sequence. Each press of a button was like a heartbeat—loud, urgent, filled with both fear and hope
Almost immediately the other end answered as if she had been by the phone waiting for her call but she didn't speak
"Aunt Jay, it's me Lin Hye Ji. My mom passed away"
"I know, it's all over the news." a sleepy voice said without speaking further
"my mom told me to call you" Lin Hye Ji decided to get straight to the point
"oh! Xin Yin had already decided" once again the voice faded away without continuing her statement as if waiting for her to ask
"decided on what?" Lin Hye Ji became curious as her mom told her nothing except that this aunt May was her sister