Chapter 5:: Glass and Silence
The morning after the party was unnaturally quiet.
Yeri sat at the edge of the bed, still in her sleep shirt, her fingers tracing the faint yellowing bruise on her wrist. The room was dim, the curtains half drawn. Outside, birds sang like nothing had changed.
But something had.
She felt it in the silence. In the way the air seemed to hesitate around her.
Downstairs, the house moved like a body holding its breath.
Yunjun hadn't come to see her. She hadn't expected him to.
Not really.
She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin there. The night before kept replaying in pieces—Daeho's hand on her, Yunjun's fist, the way his voice broke when he said I'm sorry.
And the way she didn't know what to do with that.
She wasn't used to people meaning it.
Soojin was watching.
From the top of the staircase, she'd seen Yeri slip into Yunjun's study last night like she belonged there.
Barefoot. Hair down.
Intimate.
She'd watched the door close behind her.
She hadn't moved for nearly an hour.
That was when the plan formed—not rushed or messy. No, Soojin didn't do messy. She waited. Thought it through.
She was calm now. Almost peaceful.
This was just… correction.
A quiet rebalancing.
Yeri made her way to the kitchen. Her stomach ached with hunger, but nothing looked edible. A half-eaten fruit tray sat on the marble island, untouched from last night's catering. The leftover wine glasses felt like ghosts.
She turned to make tea.
That's when Soojin walked in.
"Morning," Soojin said, voice pleasant. Too pleasant.
Yeri stiffened. "Morning."
Soojin stepped closer. She wore silk. Immaculate. No one could look that perfect this early without effort.
"I didn't see you come down for breakfast."
"I wasn't hungry."
Soojin smiled, but it didn't touch her eyes. "That's not healthy."
Yeri turned back to the kettle. "I'm fine."
"You're not."
Something in Soojin's tone made her freeze.
Then—
"I saw you last night."
Yeri turned slowly. "Excuse me?"
Soojin tilted her head. "In my brother's study. You went to him."
Yeri felt the hairs rise on her neck. "I didn't— It wasn't like that."
Soojin stepped closer. "But he looked at you like it was."
Yeri's throat dried. "Nothing happened."
"Oh, sweetheart," Soojin said, voice sharp now, a cold blade under velvet. "You think I don't know how girls like you work?"
"I'm not—"
"Don't interrupt me."
The words sliced like ice.
Yeri looked down.
"I've watched you," Soojin said, circling her now like a predator. "You're quiet, sweet. The kind that makes men want to protect you. Makes them forget to think."
She leaned in.
"You made him weak."
Yeri swallowed hard. "I didn't mean—"
"That's the problem, isn't it?" Soojin hissed. "You never mean to. But suddenly you're in his thoughts, his decisions, and now my brother is punching guests in front of investors."
Yeri stepped back, heart pounding. "I didn't ask him to do that."
"No. You just stood there like a damsel and let him play the hero."
Soojin's hand shot out, fast.
Yeri barely ducked.
The mug she'd been holding crashed to the floor, shards spraying across the tile.
She backed into the counter. "Please—"
Soojin advanced. Her breath was quick now, uneven.
"You think this house is your sanctuary?" she whispered. "It's not. It's a business. And you're a threat."
"I don't want anything from him."
"Liar."
Yeri tried to move past her, but Soojin blocked the way.
"Don't walk away from me."
She shoved Yeri hard.
Yeri stumbled, her foot slipping on the shattered mug.
Time folded in on itself.
She hit the floor. Hard.
Her head struck the corner of the counter with a sickening crack.
Everything blurred.
Her vision swam with stars and static.
She heard someone gasp. Maybe herself.
Then—a rush of silence.
Yunjun heard the crash from his office.
At first, he ignored it.
Then something felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Too long.
He left his desk and walked quickly down the hallway.
The kitchen door was half open.
He pushed it wider—
And froze.
Yeri lay on the floor, blood pooling under her temple. Her legs twisted wrong. One hand limply open.
Soojin stood above her, wide-eyed.
"I didn't mean to—" she began.
Yunjun didn't hear the rest.
He dropped to his knees.
"Yeri. Yeri, hey—"
Her eyes fluttered but didn't focus.
He touched her face. "No, no—stay with me. Don't move. Just breathe, okay?"
Her lips barely moved. "Cold…"
"Ambulance," he barked at the maid who'd come running. "Now."
He looked up at his sister.
"What the hell did you do?"
Soojin's hands trembled. "She slipped. I didn't—"
"You put her on the floor."
"She tried to leave, and—"
"You hurt her."
His voice broke on the last word.
He held Yeri's hand, pressed it to his chest.
"I've got you," he whispered. "Just hold on."
The hospital lights were too bright.
Yunjun sat in the waiting room, blood still on his shirt.
His hands were locked together like a prayer.
The doctor came out after what felt like hours.
"She's stable," he said. "But she sustained a concussion and a fractured collarbone. We'll keep her overnight for observation."
Yunjun stood slowly. "Can I see her?"
The doctor nodded. "Just a minute. She's still disoriented."
When he entered the room, Yeri looked so small. Pale against the hospital sheets.
She turned her head slightly. Winced.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hi," she whispered.
Her voice was hoarse.
He sat beside her. Didn't reach for her hand—just let her see him.
"You're safe," he said.
"I fell."
"You were pushed."
Silence.
Yeri blinked slowly. "I knew she hated me."
"She won't come near you again. I promise."
Yeri's lips trembled. "Why is everything always a battle?"
Yunjun swallowed. "Because people see something soft and want to crush it."
She looked at him. "Are you going to?"
"No," he said. "I think I'd rather protect it this time."
Her eyes filled again.
But this time, the tears didn't fall from fear.
Back at the house, Soojin stood alone in the kitchen.
A single shard of porcelain sat in her palm, stained with blood.
She stared at it like it might explain something.
It didn't.
She dropped it in the sink.
Her voice echoed, low and bitter.
"She made him weak."
But deep down, something else whispered:
You lost him.
To be continued...
Hey 🦋
If you like this story then please do comment...
Stay tuned for the next part...