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What have you been up to lately?

Who are you thinking of so far away?

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You and Jihyo returned to your apartment after lunch. Jihyo decided to spend the night with you to keep you company.

By 6 p.m., you and Jihyo are in her car, on your way to see your mom in the hospital. Your mom is terminal, but she has always prevailed over her illness; however, this time the doctors have already prepared you for the inevitable, which you are unable to accept. She is your mother. Even though you disappointed her by becoming pregnant during your senior year, she raised you to be a well-developed and mature young woman. But you made amends with her by returning to Tokyo for your graduate studies.

The drive to the hospital was quiet. You and your sister were engulfed in your own melancholy thoughts.

You and Jihyo arrive at the hospital in no time. You brought some of your mother's favorite products, and Jihyo had amazing pampering products to brighten your mother's day.

The nurses at the station recognize the two girls by now, and you greet them warmly.

Because your mind was too preoccupied to make small talk, you let Jihyo do it, asking the nurses about their days and families, and so on. You just want to see your mother and make sure she's okay. Jihyo even asked the nurses to see the accountant later to check on the hospital bills. Your mother has been in the hospital for two years. There isn't much of a difference, but you're all praying for the best.

When you were finished talking with the nurses and exchanging pleasantries, you were asked to wait a moment because the doctor was still attending to your mother.

You look at nurse Kim, concerned. "She didn't lose strength, did she? Did the medication she was prescribed last month make her worse?" You began with a nervous tone of voice.

"But don't be afraid. She is still getting used to the new doses. But she had been much stronger the previous two days. She is merely sick of the side effects of the medication. She has nausea and headaches, but she is otherwise very happy and content. All she requires is your love and attention." The nurse tries to calm you down. 

Her voice was soothing, but her eyes were filled with compassion for the two girls who had to deal with the hospital debt.

Jihyo beams at you and gives you a side hug. "Don't be concerned, little sis; Eomma is a fighter. Let's go see her because I need to see the accounts as well, and our Eomma will be released one of these days."

"OK, let's go see Eomma," you said, but a strange chill ran up your spine.

As you walk down the hospital corridor, you both bow and wave to the two friendly nurses at the station. Hospitals give you the shivers, owing to your difficulty in giving birth to your baby and then losing it two days later. When you smell antiseptics such as soaps and detergents, you always get a bitter taste in your mouth.

As you and your sister walked down the hallways, you could hear some noises from staff members talking to each other and talking to patients in the patient rooms.

When you walk past certain hospital rooms with patients that have more severe conditions, you may hear some machines like heart monitors or some sensors that beep when a patient has gotten out of bed. Some open hospital rooms allow you to see family members surrounding their sick family members. They were smiling and looking pleased as it seemed the family member was getting well.

When you reach the hallway where your mom was staying, you breathe a sigh of relief.

You and Jihyo bowed and greeted the doctor warmly. Your mom was lying with closed eyes as the doctor moved out of the door. Jinyo grinned at the doctor.

"Doctor Park...can I quickly have a word with you, please?" She asked quietly as she pushed you against your back toward your mother's bed.

Your eyes widen as you look at your mom, who looks weary. You quickly moved to her side, brushed over her hair, and gave her a slight peck on the cheek.

She looked so peaceful. You pulled a chair toward the bed and placed her products in her little wardrobe dresser. You smile as you look down at her face. Her somewhat pale skin had more color this time. There was a light blush on her cheeks. She looked a bit healthier.

While you are there quietly, you just pull her bedcovers nicely over her. Her eyes were flattering after she sensed a presence in her hospital room. You smiled as you saw your mom open her weary eyes.

"Oh hello, baby... you here... did you come alone?" She furrowed her brows confusedly as her eyes darted around the room.

"Hi, Eomma, yes and no, I'm here with Jihyo and Eomma just decided to sleep," you grinned, with a beaming face. Happy to see your mom so upbeat.

She tried to sit up, and you quickly helped her sit up straight.

She stretched out her hands to embrace you. "Come here, little baby. I miss you so much. "

You smile widely as you sit on the bed and lovingly embrace your mom. She grinned as she stroked your smooth hair. You just smiled lovingly. It's so wonderful to give a mother touch.

"Eomma, thank you for raising me... You are the best Eomma in the world. And I don't want to lose you. Please keep fighting. I'm sorry for disappointing you. " You mutter with teary eyes, "Maybe it's a trait from my mother...I throw out the morals you taught me just because of love."

Your mom looked at you with calculating eyes and said, "Baby, I'm so sorry to have kept your past a secret. But I promise your birth Eomma I'll tell you when you're 25 years old. But due to my illness, I don't think it would matter if I told you now or a year or two later. ---"

You puzzledly raise your brows, "What do you mean when you say you kept my past hidden? Everyone knows that my birth mother abandoned me and was involved with the Taiwanese mafia—-that she was an escort for the idle rich." It always hurts when those rumors spread.

Your Eomma sighs deeply. "I understand how much it hurts you, baby. But it's a long and complicated story. Please check my bag in the cupboard. I have something for you. Can you promise to keep an open mind? Your mother and I were both Taiwanese... I believe you will be able to handle the truth right now."

You furrow your brows in perplexity as you slowly rise from your seated position and walk in the direction your mother directed you. You open her cupboard and, with trembling hands, retrieve her brown handbag and bring it to her. She looked at you with a wary expression, unsure if she needed to tell you what she wanted to tell you. Her demeanor is tinged with reluctance. She seemed to be in a trance.

You look at her, puzzled, wondering why she doesn't open the bag. Her tiny, pale hands hovered over the zipper, unsure if it was a good idea. 

"Eomma?" You gently break her trance.

"I'm sorry, baby..." She quickly gathers her courage and runs the zipper of her bag to retrieve a small yellow envelope, which she hands to you. At first, you look at it as if it were a snake.

"Don't worry, dear...not it's my medical results... If you look inside, you'll find a key to a safe deposit box somewhere in Seoul. It was left to you by your birth mother. She asked me to give it to you on your 25th birthday or if anything happened to her. I believe she was aware that she could die or not return—"

Your eyes widen with surprise. "Oh, Eomma! Is it true that the mob murdered my birth mother?  There were so many theories about her death that I didn't know which to believe. I'd heard she was a prostitute, and she got me through one of her numerous trysts, as well as rumors that she was involved in drug smuggling and for the Taiwanese mob. I'm not sure what to believe. "Your eyes welled up with tears as you realized your lineage was a thorn in the flesh for the Jeon Matriarch.

She despised you from the moment she saw you. You had no idea what you had done to deserve such hatred from someone who didn't even know you. You adore her son and would go to any length to make him happy, but you are aware that your ancestry is a major concern.

"Don't believe all the nonsense rumors," your mother scoffs," Your mother was a good person. We didn't have a happy childhood. I'm two years your birth mother's senior. Relax. I'm going to tell you about your birth mother and our friendship. Jihyo gave us the opportunity to talk. Your mother's full name was Eshima Liu. We met in a Taiwanese orphanage. As a baby, I was abandoned at the orphanage by a runaway teen. Your mom's parents were killed in an accident when she was four years old. She couldn't remember them. Their car crashed in a mountainous area while they were on vacation. A passing motorist noticed her as she lay in the road, bloodied and disoriented. We bonded as sisters because she was incredibly beautiful. Nobody knew anything about her parents. The car exploded, but she was thrown out before the fatal explosion occurred—-miraculous survival."

"Oh my goodness...my grandparents!" you exclaimed, your heart thumping painfully against your ribcage. For the first time, you were completely immersed in your eommas' recollection of the past. Your poor mother.

"... yes, very tragic. No family claimed her, and most couples adopted only the boys, so I was kicked out of the system after I turned 18 years old, after my senior year. I went my own way. It was a harsh reality. I promise your 16-year-old mother that I will come and get her when she is released from the orphanage and that she will live with me once I find a place to live and a job. I didn't have any money. I worked in coffee shops for two years and did odd jobs here and there. Then I got a permanent job as a bartender in some establishment. and rented a roof apartment from an elderly lady. Unfortunately, I discovered that the bar was also an illegitimate gambling club and escort agency, similar to a brothel. So I fell for the lure of easy money and a safe way to invest money. I became one of the gang leaders' personal escorts. He is, in fact, Yoonki's father. He was married and vicious. He rejected me when I became pregnant, but he did give me enough money to keep my son hidden and his dirty secret safe. Later, he was killed in a gang shooting outside of town. A local rival gang ambushed his car. —-"

"Oh my gosh, Eomma!" you quipped aloud. "That was heartbreaking. I'm truly sorry."

Your mother looks down as she wipes some hair from her face. "Yeah, it was like that without a family," she sighed."  As a 20-year-old single mother, I had no choice but to do it in order to raise my son. It was impossible to fall in love. So I decided to be an admin assistant rather than some sleazeball's escort. "

You nod more than ever, grateful for her kindness in letting you live with her.

"Yeah...so I had enough money in my account to look after your mom, Eshima, when she completes her senior year," she smiled. " I got your mother a job as an admin assistant at an amazing restaurant while she was staying with me. She worked behind the scenes, but one day she caught the attention of a very attractive man. I worked for his cousin, the mob boss. The restaurant's owner was a dashing young man. I couldn't keep her hidden. She was gorgeous. I love your mother as a sister because you are her exact replica. The owner fell in love with your mother straight away. He even paid for her studies as an office manager, but she was too shy to date him. She was idealistic and young. He loved her and took care of her so that no one else in the gang could see her or claim her for the brothel. To protect her, he told them she was his girlfriend.  She liked him but did not date him."

You smile as you recall your mother's personality. Just like you when you initially rejected Jungkook almost eleven times before agreeing to an ice cream date.

"...Eshima was simply Eshima. She wanted to better herself, so she put all of her cash away. Her ambition was to visit South Korea. She expressed gratitude to Dingbang Chen for looking after her. "Your Eomma chuckles " She was sent to do an errand for one of the managers one day, and she walked right into her destiny."

"Her destiny?" you ask, raising your brows.

"Oh yes, baby," she says, laughing to herself. "Jae Joon, a young billionaire from a wealthy Conglomerate family in Seoul, dined at the restaurant with a few business associates. It was love at first sight...they spent two blissful weeks together while he was on business. Unfortunately, he was unable to commit to your mother. He was ready to marry to a very wealthy heiress, the daughter of a platinum magnate, in an arranged marriage. But he loved your mother with all his heart. Jae Joon was compelled to marry a woman he did not love. So he left and returned to Seoul. Your mother was devastated, and Dingbang became her rock. He aided her healing. He promised to take care of her and love her even if she didn't love him as much as she did  Jae Joon. As a result, they began dating for almost three years."

"So my mom was never a mob prostitute," you said joyfully. That's a relief.

Your Eomma nodded, "No, she works as an admin clerk and helps run Dingbangs restaurant.  He paid for her studies, and she truly cared for him, and a few short years later, I believe a year or so later, they married, and she gave birth to you, Jenna. Dingbang Chen is your dad. Your surname is Chen."

"Oh my...so my roots are in the mob because he was a cousin of a mob boss."  Your spine tingles just thinking about your perilous family ties.

"Yes...but your father was not in the mob with his cousins. He owned a legal restaurant. His cousins, on the other hand, enjoyed dining there. But then something tragic happened one evening. Your father hosted a small family gathering with your uncles...the mob. And there was a tip from a rival gang. It all came down to turf wars and drug cartels. So they ambushed the restaurant, and there was a bloody shoot-out. Your father died instantly, but your uncle, the mob boss, was critically injured and spent several months in the hospital. He is now in a wheelchair, but he is still involved in the family business."

Your eyes widen in surprise, "Oh my. I'll never meet my real APPA. That is so sad. What happened to my mom? "

"Thankfully, she was at home with you. You were probably around 4-6 months old. I was already married to your foster father, Jihyo's father, who looked after me and Yoonki at the time. We moved to Incheon because he was a Korean contract worker. Your mom couldn't handle it alone in Taiwan after your father died, so she sold the restaurant to your uncle when you were six months old. But he refused and kept it as a legacy from his brother and an inheritance for you. Your mother wanted to come live with me in Seoul, but your foster father kept refusing because we had debts to pay off, two children to care for, and I became ill. It was tense. even if your mother has promised to help me repay my debts while she looks for a place for the two of you. Jenna, we live in the slums. It was extremely difficult. Your foster father, you know, was a compulsive gambler with several low-life gambling debts. He was also a womanizer."

Your foster father fled with his mistress, taking with him all of the family investments that your Eomma had saved about two years ago.

"I'm truly sorry, Eomma. We'll make it through. So, what became of my mother? How did I come to be with you?" You ask inquiringly.

"Destiny met up again," Eomma's eyes lit up. " Before she came to Seoul, Jae-Joon saw your mom again when he did business in Taipei, and they knew they still loved each other. Jae-Joon was busy divorcing his wife. His divorce was almost final. So, when he heard your mom was a widow, he immediately told your mom to come to Seoul. She came and they saw each other for a week until he asked her to go away for a secret getaway. His wife was livid. She kept tabs on the woman he loved and wanted to leave her for. All the reasons why your mom wanted to leave Taiwan — she got threatening letters from the gang, who harassed her constantly, and she was actually afraid for your life. They tried to kill her once and kidnap you as a revenge plot against your Mob family. "

"Woah... no wonder she was so adamant about getting to Soeul," you mused softly.

"Your mother was seeing Jae-Joon once more. They were deeply in love, and he planned to take you and your mother to Greece after the divorce was finalized. He had already moved from his mansion. His wife and he had three children: two boys and a girl. As a result, she left you with me. That evening, she was killed in a boating accident "Your Eomma informed you, her eyes gleamed with a strange emotion. She gave you a sad look.

"History, baby, repeats itself in you." She shook her head, wiping away tears.

You appear completely perplexed. "What exactly do you mean, Eomma?"

"Your mom fell in love with the billionaire and shipping tycoon, Jeon Jae Joon, Jungkooks' dad," your Eomma sighs deeply, looking at you with deep sadness. She dropped the huge bomb!

"WHAT!?" You jumped up, stunned.

A/n.  Another update for Jungkook fans. Y/n found out about her past.

Thank you for your support, reads, and votes. Don't forget to leave a comment; it really helped keep me motivated.

1. How do you feel about her past?

2. Do you believe Jeon-Matriach was aware that she was the daughter of the woman her husband loved?