Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 200: Daughter In-law

When Eun-sun and Mrs Lee arrived the venue for the tea party, Eun-sun began to feel nervous especially when she saw other older ladies just like Mrs Lee walking around with younger ladies and men about her own age, which she concluded to be their children, looking elegant and graceful, majority of them looked like they were from aristocratic families and she couldn’t help but feel self conscious. It was those kind of parties where parents tried to match make their children or flaunt and gloat about their children and family recent achievements.

Mrs Lee noticed her hesistant steps and she turned to look at her.

“I know you’re nervous but you don’t have to be. They’re mostly my friends, well a few of them, but no one will harm you.” She assured you.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to come to these meetings with my son but you know how Dan-Han is.” She shook her head and sighed. “But now I’m here with a daughter and I’m sure they’ll all be surprised. Come let me show you around.” She urged happily.

‘Daughter?’

Eun-sun was both stunned when she called her daughter. She felt weird on the inside. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been addressed by that title, and it made her remember her mother. She hasn’t been able to make up her mind about going to see her since that incident, not forgiveness though. She just wanted to ask her why she had done something like that, but the thought of seeing her face made her stomach churn.

She couldn’t say she hated her mother now, but what she felt wasn’t far from it. But more than that, she was mostly disappointed.

.....

Eun-sun didn’t want to dwell on sad thoughts, she would rather fix her heart on the people who had accepted her, just like the woman by her side.

Eun-sun flashed her a warm smile and nodded her head. Mrs Lee happily took her hand and led her around.

Eun-sun noticed the way all eyes had turned to them the moment they stepped into the hall. She saw the smiles on people’s faces as they approached Mrs Lee in small groups, most of them inquiring about the young lady on her side, which happened to be her. Seems she was the most respected among the women.

“Madam Lee, who’s this young lady by your side? She’s pretty.” One of the women had asked.

Mrs Lee turned to Eun-sun looking at her with a proud smile before turning back to the women, “She’s my daughter, and also my soon to be daughter-in-law” She said the last part in a whisper but that didn’t stop the word from spreading out like wild fire, because soon all eyes were on Eun-sun looking at her with scrutiny.

Eun-sun was shocked by Mrs Lee’s announcement. Daughter was fine, but daughter-in-law? Wasn’t that a bit overboard? She and Dan-Han hadn’t even started dating yet. Good Lord!

Few of the women gasped in shock when they heard what Mrs Lee had said, they gave Eun-sun a scrutinizing look, nodding their heads in approval while a few others frowned as they glared at her surreptitiously. Eun-sun couldn’t help but notice the displeased look on a few faces, which were mostly young ladies and it made her tense up. She didn’t know why she was receiving such looks from them, but she didn’t care. She didn’t expect less from rich and overly pampered brats.

Mrs Lee kept leading her around, introducing her to everybody as her ‘daughter-in-law to be’ and Eun-sun couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by it, she wished she could stop her but she couldn’t. Whatever made Mrs Lee happy was fine by her. Yes, that’s how much she had come to love the woman.

She received a few praises for looking beautiful, and Dan-Han was also praised for making a great choice, and she also heard a few comparing her to a certain somebody.

A certain woman with the name Sena.

The way they talked about this woman suddenly made Eun-sun curious. She made a mental note to ask Mrs Lee who this woman was, because from their discussion it seemed she was quite close to her.

Eun-sun sat beside Mrs Lee as she listened to the women talk when she caught sight of two ladies walking into the hall. She didn’t know the older lady, but the younger one she definitely recognized. It was the mannerless princess from the restaurant.

This wasn’t good.

Eun-sun felt slightly anxious when saw her. She wasn’t scared of her, but she didn’t want her to mention something about her being violent. That would embarrass Mrs Lee and she didn’t want that at all.

Eun-sun’s heart skidded when she saw the girl closing in on them with the woman by her side, her gaze was locked on her telling her she recognized her.

Observing the similarity of their facial mould Eun-sun could tell that the older lady was her mother. This shouldn’t be good. Of all places she could see this prima Donna queen, it had to be here?

She muttered a word of prayer in her heart. Hopefully, she doesn’t mention anything about what happened. If she did, it would be embarrassing.

When the two ladies stopped by their table, Eun-sun swallowed nervously. For the first in her life she wished she had a better temperament because she wouldn’t have slapped this annoying girl and she wouldn’t be this worried. But looking at the girl once again and remembering how rude she was to her, Eun-sun discarded every thought of worry. If she was given another opportunity, she’d slap this girl ten times over. It wasn’t her fault she hated injustice.

“My soon to be in-law” Mrs Choi called excitedly when she approached Mrs Lee causing the woman to look at her confusedly.

‘Soon to be in-law?’ Eun-sun asked herself confusedly. She looked at Mrs Lee and she also saw the confused look on her face.

Mrs Lee looked at the two women who had just greeted with a smile.

“Mrs Choi, Mi-Ok?”

“Ah you don’t have to be so formal with me, we’re going to be in-laws soon aren’t we?” The woman continued with a shameless smile. Mrs Lee was even more confused now when she heard her.

‘They were?’ She didn’t know that. Did her husband do something? This must be a misunderstanding. She looked at Eun-sun who had a calm look on her face like she hadn’t just heard what she said. She placed her hand on Eun-sun’s hand under the table as if to assure her it was a misunderstanding. Eun-sun glanced at her and smiled slightly even though she didn’t seem calm at all. She was trying to understand what was going on. Dan-Han had better not have lied to her.

She looked at Mi-Ok who was also staring at her seethingly. ‘Was she the girl at Dan-Han’s office?’ She asked herself.

Mrs Lee was hoping things eould work out between her son and Eun-sun as soon as possible, and she didn’t want any misunderstanding especially when she had just introduced Eun-sun to everyone as her daughter in-law.

They exchanged a few pleasantries and the impatient look on Mrs Lee face to was vivid to al that she wanted them gone, but she didn’t want to be rude by embarrassing them, so she maintained a forced smile on her face.

“Mi-Ok was at Dan-Han’s office a two days ago, but she hadn’t been able to see him. She had wanted them to go on date again but he seems he was busy. You should tell him to take a break sometime.” Mrs Choi shamelessly said. She was making it look like both their children were getting along quite well, making people around to look at Mrs Lee in confusion.

‘Just how many in-laws did she have?’ Some jealous one asked among themselves. They were the ones who Mrs Lee had fixed dates between their children and Dan-Han, and they had been hopeful to be associated to the Lee’s, but unfortunately for them Dan-Han had rejected all their daughters.

“As the new head of the family he doesn’t have the time to waste on such frivolities, and I’m sure if Mi-Ok had booked an appointment with him he would have made some time to see her.” Mrs Lee said in a blunt tone as she deftly tried to disclaim all Mrs Choi’s words. She didn’t want to embarrass them by being outright but they didn’t want to take the cue and leave.

Mrs Choi’s lips twitched when she heard Mrs Lee but she tried to maintain a calm expression but not Mi-Ok. She didn’t like the fact that a nobody was sitting beside Mrs Lee. She should be the one sitting there. And the next minute she spoke up.

“Auntie who is she?” Mi-Ok asked with a displeased tone, pointing her fingers at Eun-sun. Her hands were twitching to slap her back already.

Mrs Lee turned to Eun-sun, placing a hand on Eun-sun’s shoulder she smiled, “She’s Dan-Han’s fiancee”