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"Thanks for dropping me off." Jae said as I pulled up in front of his campus.

"So you're really meeting Ji, right?" I questioned and he looks back at me with a frown.

"Yes, I am." He enunciated every word to get his point across.

"Because if you're meeting Maya, you can just be honest—"

"Areum, please." He cut me off. "I just got discharged yesterday, I don't have the energy to argue with you." He said through the window as my grip on the steering wheel tightened.

I swallowed thickly, stopping myself from questioning him further. I allowed my head to drop into a single nod.

"I'll talk to you later, okay?" He said, backing away from the car and all I do is smile at him.

He's going to see Ji. He's not cheating. I feel a dull pain linger at the back of my throat as I tried convincing myself. Trying to believe that I was good enough for him. That he didn't need someone else to make him feel good.

I breathed out, throwing my head back as I tried getting all the thoughts that gnawed against my brain to roll it's way out.

"Everything's fine." I said as I looked before me. But a part of me wished it wasn't. As horrible as it sounds, a part of me wanted Jae to be everything I wished he wasn't just so I wouldn't feel as guilty as I did.

Talking to another man behind his back, planning to leave him for this man. The guilt was eating me up. "Everything's fine." I breathed out once more, emptying my head as I started my car.

I drove up to my house where I see Aera running out, a dress draped over her and her face made up, like she's ready for a photoshoot. Her lips a blinding red with her hair done up. A basket hung from her hands as she walked towards her car but before she could get in I stopped her.

"Where are you going?" I asked and she turned to me, eyes wide almost as though she was caught in the midst of doing something wrong.

"I'm going to see Taehyung." She let out softly, a subtle smile playing on her scarlet lips.

"Don't you think it's a little weird?" I asked and she cocked her head to the side, resembling a confused puppy. "The both of you broke up not too long ago, then you go and plan this carnival thing and now you're going to see him." I stated and she chuckled, waving her hand before me.

Her laughter got on my nerves, the condescending tone in her voice setting me off. "Taehyung wants me." She said and I feel my gut twist. "So I'm just making things easier for him." She gave me a wry smile, twirling her hair around her fingertip.

"You do remember that he broke up with you right?" I said, not being able to stop myself.

"Well," she clicked out of annoyance, her arms crossing over her chest as she stomped her foot. "We were just going through a rough patch. So just back off, okay?" She sneered and I simply remained silent, watching her get into the car.

The moment she left, I groaned out of frustration. I swung the door open, rushing into the house and plopped myself onto the couch. I brought my legs to my chest where I held it tight, going deep into thought as I began thinking of the worst.

Taehyung's going to get back together with her. She's going to get him to fall again. They're going to—

"Dear!" And just like that, my thoughts get slammed to a halt.

I press my lips into a tight smile, trying my best not to let my worries show but he could see right through me. "Is everything okay?" My dad asked, sitting down next to me.

The strong smell of alcohol radiated off of him as it attacked my nostrils in a second and I frowned. "Are you?" I threw back a question and he furrowed his brows.

"Why would you ask that?" He tilted his head to the side as he waited for me to answer. The action causing the light to bounce against his pale skin, which was now stained with hues of red.

"You drank. You've not drank for years." I said and he sighed, slumping his back into the couch.

My father was never a drinker. He would only drink on one occasion, whenever it had something to do with my mum. The last time he drank was when she walked out on us.

"I should've known I can't keep anything from you." He chuckled a little, glancing at me as he gave me a sad smile.

"What's wrong pa?"

"It's your mum." He said and I feel my throat tighten. It's been a few years since we've heard from her so I thought of the worst. Seeing me worry, my dad instantly sits up straight, shaking his head. "She's okay." He said and I feel the weight get lifted off my shoulders.

I lean back into the couch as I waited for him to go on. "I got a call from The Safe Place." He stated and I gulped, being too familiar with that name.

The Safe Place was a rehabilitation center. A few months before my mother left we got a call from the same place. We had never known she was struggling with addiction, the news only becoming apparent to us after the center informed us. Or at least that's what my father made us believe at that time.

After she came back, we thought things would go back to normal but it didn't. She relapsed and when we tried offering her help, she left. She chose drugs over her own family. She didn't care that she was leaving behind two kids, Aera reaching 10 while I was only 7.

But that didn't matter to her.

"She overdosed but she managed to pull through. They brought her to rehab right after she was discharged." He said with a sigh.

"Why did they call you though?" I verbalised my curiosity.

"She put me as her emergency contact." He gave me a broken smile which broke me slightly. "She doesn't have cash to pay for rehab so we'll be supporting her." He stated but I say nothing.

"I know we've never had to worry about cash, but for the next few months, our finance will be quite tight."

"You're helping her?" I finally spoke out and my dad's expression falls.

"Of course."

"Even after she just walked out on us? After all these years, the only time we know about her is when she's messed up again and is in need of cash, and you help her?" I feel the anger start to build up within me but it vanishes in a second.

"Areum!" His voice boomed like a clap of thunder and I flinched back. "She is still your mother." He said, stripped off of every emotion.

"She didn't ask for the money, I'm offering her help. Even if that means we'll be in a tough position for a while, I'm willing to sacrifice because that's what you do for someone you love." My dad's voice going softer as I notice tears well up in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." I whispered and he shook his head. Even though a part of me was raging, I stayed quiet, trying to understand him. He had always been my weakness.

He was the pillar of strength in my family, the rock. I wasn't used to seeing him break or show his vulnerability.

"It's okay." He looked to the ground. "I'm sorry for yelling." He stood up, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his pants. "Don't mention any of this to Aera, I want to be the one that tells her." He said and I nod.

"I'm going to sleep for a bit." He tells me as he walked up to his room.

I slump into the couch, feeling everything crash upon me at once and I hated it. I had enough.

It was time I settled my problems one by one, starting with Jae.

I quickly drafted a message.

Jae, I need to talk to you. Meet me at my place in an hour.

I breathed out, staring at the message. I knew that once I hit send, there was no going back. But I did it anyway.