"What is it that she has done to my family and me?" I demanded, my heart pounding in my throat.

The queasy feeling I had felt constantly over the last few days worsened the more they stared at me while my breakfast threatened to make an appearance. The more they continued to stare without clarification, the sicker I felt.

"Reva, I—"

I cut Jungkook off before he could muster an excuse or trip over his words. "Just tell me!"

Mrs. Jeon noticeably paled, her grip on the table's edge tightening. I'd never seen her so anxious, so visibly distressed. Normally composed, she now seemed to be overtaken by fear.

Jungkook didn't glance her way, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes. He slid a bookshelf aside, revealing a hidden safe. Though the sight of the safe itself wasn't surprising—my father had several—the contents within were clearly the source of their argument.

The beeping of the safe as Jungkook punched in four numbers was the only sound, yet all I could hear was my heart pounding. He pulled out two documents and stared at them for a few seconds before turning back to me.

"I found these when I was looking for the RV registration," he explained quietly, his eyes avoiding mine.

"What are they?" I asked, amazed that I could form any words at all. My voice sounded distant and foreign.

Mrs. Jeon gasped softly as Jungkook extended the papers toward me, an invisible rope seemingly pulling at him. Mrs. Jeon took a small step forward, as if trying to snatch the papers from his hand, silently pleading with him not to hand them over.

I stumbled toward Jungkook, snatching the papers from his grasp. A flicker of pity or regret passed through his eyes, but I ignored it as I scanned the documents. There were two passports and two papers that now felt like stones in my hand.

The first passport belonged to a woman named Ines Cardenas Montero. I had never seen her before and wondered why Mrs. Jeon possessed it. But when I opened the next passport, my heart sank. The image of a young woman, all too familiar, stared back at me, and in that moment, my world came crashing down.

Sofia Hernandez Cardenas read the name.

"Sophia?" My voice quivered as I scanned the page repeatedly with disbelieving eyes. I didn't want to believe it; I couldn't believe it.

The woman I had known all my life wasn't actually Sophia Hill. She was from Mexico, and her name was Sofia Hernandez Cardenas. Born in Tijuana in 1974.

"Where did you get this? Why do you have it?" I shouted, unable to endure the confusion any longer. Mrs. Jeon jumped, visibly startled. I had never raised my voice at her before.

It wasn't a secret that we had never gotten along, but this was beyond anything I could comprehend. Why had Sophia lied to me about her identity? And more importantly, why did Mrs. Jeon know?

"Answer me!" I demanded, my confusion now turning to anger and impatience. Mrs. Jeon avoided my eyes, glancing across the room. "Why do you have it?"

"To blackmail her!" Jungkook burst out.

When my gaze shifted from his mother to him, he let out a breath. His eyes softened, almost as if he hadn't meant to say it, as if he understood the storm raging in my chest, as if he wanted to run to me and take me in his arms.

He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Then he stared at the table in front of him, the words leaving his mouth like a robot. "Sofia is an undocumented immigrant. Has been for thirty years. She blackmailed her, threatening deportation if she didn't comply."

Mrs. Jeon wrapped her arms around herself, chewing on her lower lip. With each statement, the confusion in my head grew. I no longer understood what was happening. The only thing keeping me focused was the effort not to vomit.

Sophia—or was it Sofia Hernandez Cardenas—had not been the person I thought she was. What else hadn't she told me? Had it all been a lie?

"But why?" my voice broke, and I hated myself for it. "Blackmail her to do what?"

Before either of them could answer, the door was yanked open, and footsteps echoed. "What's all the shouting here?" Mr. Jeon grumbled as he stepped into the study with my father. "Can't people work in silence?"

Dad looked at me in alarm, and when he saw the expression on my face, he was by my side in two long strides. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yoongi enter the room as well.

"Reva, honey, what's wrong?" he asked anxiously, placing his hands on my shoulders. His familiar scent enveloped me, and I wanted to curl into his chest, for him to pull me out of this room and take me far away.

Instead, there were still many questions that demanded answers. I bit back the tears welling in my eyes and held out the documents to my father. "Did you know about this?"

"What?" he asked before taking the documents from my hand. He scanned them as quickly as I had, his troubled expression deepening with each revelation. "Oh, Sophia..."

His sigh was loud, his eyebrows drawn together as he read the documents over and over again, searching for a loophole that might show this was all a joke. But it wasn't. The truth stared at us in black and white.

I turned to Mrs. Jeon, who still hadn't said a word. "Talk! You were always so good at finding something to say. Why not now?"

All this time, Mrs. Jeon had made her way around the house with her sharp tongue, ordering everyone around, criticizing them, or ruining their day. And now, she was quieter than a prowling animal.

I heard dad instruct Yoongi to fetch Sophia, but my gaze remained fixed on Mrs. Jeon, who was studiously avoiding my eyes. I had never been a violent person, but it took every ounce of restraint not to rush over to her and shake the truth out of her.

Dalrae had joined us as well, covering her mouth with both hands. I wasn't sure how long she had been there, but she must have heard enough to sense something was terribly wrong.

Moments later, Sophia entered the room with Yoongi. Her eyes scanned the room, reflecting confusion and a hint of intimidation. I felt a tumult of emotions—anger, disappointment, and a deep, aching confusion—as I looked at the woman who had been a constant presence throughout my life.

How much she knew about me when I didn't even know her real name...

'Is something wrong?' she signed, her fingers trembling slightly as she formed the words. Her eyes frequently darted to Mrs. Jeon, revealing that she likely knew more than she was letting on, even if she thought no one noticed.

"You have some explaining to do, Sofia Hernandez Cardenas."

That was the breaking point. Sophia's secret had been exposed. While it might seem unfair to place the entire burden on her shoulders, there was much more to this tangled web. Yet, Mrs. Jeon remained silent, as expected.

Sophia's body shook uncontrollably as her gaze fell on the passport in my hand. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she cast anxious glances around the room, her steps hesitant as she moved closer. All I wanted was the truth, and nothing more.

'I'm sorry. It's all my fault,' she signed, her hands quivering. I deliberately avoided looking at her face, knowing her tears would only add to my turmoil.

Despite feeling like I might collapse, I steeled myself to confront the reality of her guilt and find out exactly what had happened.

"Why did she blackmail you?" I asked, my voice icy, even to my own ears.

Sophia buried her face in her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. The room fell into a heavy silence. Jungkook shifted nervously, his gaze fixed intensely on me.

After a few moments, Sophia composed herself enough to sign. 'I was young and naive. My mother is a quadriplegic, and we were struggling financially. I came here hoping to earn enough to care for her.' She told us, her hands trembling. Not everyone in the room understood sign language so dad translated her words aloud.

'I met your mother and father. They took me in as a maid and didn't question anything. They were nice to me. After months of looking for work, I was happy to have finally found something without being asked for my work permit. Your parents were newlyweds and incredibly happy.' She continued.

Each of her words burned in my soul. She had known my mother better than anyone else so close to me.

Sophia wiped away a tear and took a deep breath. 'I did everything they wanted me to do, but not because I worked for them. It felt like I was helping them instead of a duty. I loved working for them. Mrs. Jeon and your mother met for coffee from time to time. That's how I got to know her.'

"You were friends with my mom?" I huffed as my mother-in-law averted her eyes at this new revelation.

I had always known that our families were acquainted, but I had never seen any photos of Mrs. Jeon with my mother, nor had my father mentioned it. I had assumed their relationship was merely coincidental—just two families crossing paths at various events.

Now, as my father avoided my gaze, I questioned why he had kept this connection hidden. Everything felt disorienting and surreal. Frustration bubbled up inside me. No one was offering any explanations, leaving me in a haze of confusion. Desperate for answers, I turned back to Sophia.

'Not really friends.' She explained. 'They knew each other through school. Your parents and Mrs. Jeon had classes at the same time. It was natural for them to keep in touch after school. And it was just as a given, it seems, that Mrs. Jeon would eventually find out where I was from. She had someone follow me and found my mother. She threatened to have me deported.'

"But why? What would she gain by reporting a simple maid to the authorities?" I demanded.

'Jealousy can drive people to do unspeakable things,' Sophia sighed. Her eyes, once a source of trust and safety during my childhood, now revealed deep shame and sorrow. 'Mrs. Jeon envied your mother—her life, her marriage. She had been trapped in an arranged marriage with Mr. Jeon, a marriage that left her feeling utterly miserable.'

A wave of nausea swept over me. Jungkook had shared the painful reality of his parents' relationship, but hearing it from Sophia's perspective made it feel even more personal. Our own marriage had started under similar circumstances, and the thought of it made me tremble. I dared not glance at Jungkook. I knew that doing so might shatter me completely.

'Your mother was smart, beautiful, and generous,' Sophia continued. 'Mrs. Jeon couldn't bear your parents' success and happiness. That's why she coerced me into doing things I never imagined I would.'

I turned away, struggling to absorb the weight of her words. The shock was overwhelming. I didn't want to believe that Mrs. Jeon's cruelty had such deep roots. She had always been unreasonably cold and harsh, but now it made a twisted kind of sense. I was the daughter of the woman she had envied, and by marrying her son, I had become a constant reminder of everything she resented.

I wasn't sure I wanted to hear more, but the need to understand the full truth drove me. "What exactly did you do?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my effort to stay composed.

'I poisoned your mother's mind,' Sophia confessed. 'I planted seeds of doubt and lies. Once they took root, they grew into a forest of mistrust.'

Dad's eyes flared with a fury I had never seen before. "Is that why Blake kept accusing me of infidelity in the months before her death?" he shouted, his voice raw with anger. "Is that why she stopped eating, laughing, living? You nearly took Reva from her! From me!"

The room spun around me, and I grasped for something to steady myself. Sophia, the woman I had always thought incapable of causing harm, had committed such a betrayal. The realization left me reeling, struggling to comprehend the depth of her rotten deceit.

"She passed away before she could even see Reva grow up. Before I could show her that my love was true and that I would never look at anyone else," my father said, his voice breaking as tears streamed down his face. I had seen him cry at my mother's grave, but never like this—never with such profound regret and a sense of something left unresolved. "How did you do it? How could you do this?"

'I fed her lies. I questioned why you worked such long hours and traveled so often. I knew you were dedicated to your family, but Mrs. Jeon had me take photos of you with female clients, making it look like there was more going on. I discreetly dropped those photos in the mailbox and made it seem like someone was trying to expose you. She had my passport, my future, and my mother's life in her hands. I had no other choice.'

"There's always another choice," he shouted until his voice was raw. "You could have told me. I would have helped you, Sophia. You know I would have!" Then dad turned to Mr. Jeon. "Did you know about this?"

Mr. Jeon kept his chin straight as he nodded. "Not about the passports. But everything else, yes."

"Why? I thought we had history."

"I'm not interested in history, Riku. I had my own affairs. Do you think I wanted that? Do you even know how hard I tried to win Hayun's heart?" he asked angrily before turning his attention to his wife. "All this time I've tried to be a good husband to you, but you ignored me. I cheated on you to make you jealous, but you didn't even care."

"I didn't care because I never loved you. I told you that," Mrs. Jeon said, her voice as icy and unfeeling as the cruelty she had inflicted.

The hatred I felt for her was intense. I rarely wished ill on anyone, but she had earned it. I never wanted to see her face again.

"I know," Mr. Jeon replied wearily. "I wanted to hurt you. That's why I didn't mind how things went with Dalrae and Raiden. Reva was meant to be a constant reminder of your failures, a daily torment to keep you consumed by your jealousy."

"I knew you made that decision intentionally! Do you think I foresaw this? It wasn't supposed to happen like this! I didn't hurt Reva nearly as much!"

Sophia stepped forward, her face now contorted with anger. Just as I braced myself for her to raise her hands and intervene or argue, she did something no one expected.

She spoke.

"Like you didn't push her down the stairs?" she said. The room fell into stunned silence, the shock so profound that I almost imagined the echo of her words. I questioned whether I was losing my mind.

She could speak.

"How is that possible?" I whispered, still grappling with the enormity of hearing her voice.

"I'm sorry I didn't dare to speak sooner. I was afraid for my safety, and staying silent seemed like the only way to protect myself," Sophia said, trying to come closer. I raised a hand to stop her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Her repeated apologies were a mere murmur against the roaring buzz in my ears. I felt paralyzed, overwhelmed by the need to escape. I had to get out of there, to put as much distance between myself and the chaos as possible.

And that's what I did.

Blurry-eyed, I stumbled out of the study, leaving everyone and everything behind me. I used the wall of the hallway, then the railing of the stairs to guide me as I hurried up to the bedroom, but it felt like an eternity before I reached the door.

My breathing was hard, pounding against my chest to the point where I thought it was going to stop and I would fall to the ground. But the body and mind worked independently and I found myself in the walk-in closet, grabbing a suitcase and throwing it on the bed, ripping clothes off the rails.

I didn't care what went into the suitcase. Pajamas or fancy clothes, it was all irrelevant. I had been deceived and lied to; nothing seemed important anymore.

I wasn't even sure why I was packing. I just knew I didn't want to leave anything behind. No belongings should linger to remind anyone of my presence here. I wanted it to be as if I had never existed in this house, as if I had never existed at all.

I wanted to erase every trace of myself, leaving no clues behind. I didn't need no explanations, no compassion.

I tossed clothes into the suitcase, my hands still shaking. From anger, anxiety, or disappointment, I couldn't tell. The roar in my ears drowned out everything. The sound of the door opening and closing, my name being called, and footsteps approaching me.

"Reva. Please look at me." a voice spoke. "Reva, baby."

"Don't call me that." I hissed.

"What are you doing?" he asked. I ignored him. "Look at me, Reva."

When his hand touched mine, which was in the middle of zipping up the suitcase, I jerked it away. He tried gently to turn me to face him, but I spun around so quickly that he had to step back. He looked at my hand, suspended in the air, with a sad gaze.

In that instant, shame overwhelmed me. I had never raised my hand against anyone, and I detested such behavior. I didn't understand what had driven me to this point, but Jungkook simply stood there, waiting. Expecting. As if he would accept it if my hand had struck his face.

I lowered my hand and, before the weight of what had just happened could fully sink in, I turned away from him.

"I understand it's overwhelming, and you want to leave," he said softly, his voice carrying an understanding tone that cut through my chaos. I hated how soothing and familiar it was. I resented that I longed for him to wrap me in that comfort and erase the harsh reality I faced. "Let me come with you."

"No." My reply was instant, my mind clear despite the storm of emotions. I knew what I needed, and it wasn't Jungkook.

"Please, let's get out of here. I'll take you far away," he pleaded desperately, his hand reaching out but stopping just short of touching me. He winced as he realized the gravity of what he had done. "I'm so sorry."

"For what exactly, Jungkook?" I snapped, my voice sharp. He flinched visibly. "For everything your mother did? For knowing all this time and not telling me? For planning to send your mother away before the truth came out?"

Jungkook shook his head. "I wasn't trying to protect her or anything, if that's what you're thinking. I just needed time to think. I wanted to tell you—"

"Did you really?" I interrupted him. "That's why you brought me on this trip anyway? That's why you kept telling me all those sweet nothings? That's why you looked me in the eye without feeling bad while you fucked me?"

I hadn't realized that I had been getting closer to Jungkook with every word, blindsided by the disappointment and betrayal. I hadn't realized that I had been screaming at first and my voice had gotten softer and softer. I hadn't realized that I had been trying to suppress my tears.

I saw the longing in his eyes, how desperately he wanted to reach out. When he finally did, I exhaled deeply, releasing the torrent of emotions I'd been holding back. I surrendered to his touch as he rested his forehead against mine, our eyes closing in unison.

Perhaps Jungkook wasn't to blame for what his mother or Sophia had done, but he had known. He had known and kept it from me.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, his warm breath hitting my face.

"You promised you wouldn't break me. You said I wouldn't regret you," I reminded him, the weight of his betrayal pressing down on me. Jungkook knew how much trust and honesty meant to me after everything I'd been through, and yet he made the choice he did.

"Please," his voice cracked, and I saw his eyebrows furrow in pain. Pain that wasn't from anger or exhaustion, but something far deeper.

"I regret believing those words now," I said, dismantling everything we had built together. It had all been precariously balanced, destined to fall apart sooner or later. A house of cards bound to break. Just like my heart, and his.

I pulled my forehead away from his, unable to face those warm, chocolate-brown eyes any longer. The intensity in his gaze was almost unbearable, and I knew I wouldn't be able to stay strong if I looked at him again. It was hard enough with his desperate eyes following me as I grabbed the suitcase and moved toward the door.

Passing my father, who stood silently by the stairs, was almost as painful. His silent witness to my departure made everything more difficult.

Getting into my car, while trying to ignore Jungkook's desperate pleas, was nearly impossible. It was when I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw him running after me that the dam broke. Tears, long held back, finally poured from me as I drove away.

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A/N: I can't handle angst arrghh 😭 hope you guys don't feel as heartbroken as I do 🥲