WHAT A TWIST!

Chapter 130

As we strolled outside the hospital, the cool breeze carried the whispers of uncertainty. Hyun-min's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze piercing through the fading light. "Did you see my mother?" he asked, his voice laced with a mix of hope and trepidation.

I hesitated, my words tumbling out in a rush. "No, I didn't.Instead, I encountered a mysterious woman. I have no idea who she is or what she's doing here."

Hyun-min's eyebrows furrowed, intrigue etched on his face. "A mysterious woman?" he repeated, his tone infused with curiosity. "What did she look like?"

I described the woman, and Hyun-min listened intently. "I have no idea who she is," I concluded. "But I do have questions about the accident. What happened?"

Hyun-min's expression turned somber, his eyes clouding over. "Let's not discuss it now, please. I'll share everything with you later, I promise." I nodded understandingly.

As we walked, the silence between us grew thicker than the darkness gathering around us. The hospital's exterior lights flickered to life, casting an eerie glow on our faces. I shivered, the chill of the evening seeping into my bones.

Hyun-min's voice broke the silence, his words barely above a whisper. "Your friend—"

I cut him off, my tone sharper than I intended. "She's not my friend. To be honest, I'm starting to think I'm cursed to attract toxic people."

Hyun-min's lips curled into a faint frown, but before he could respond, I dropped a bombshell. "The truth is, she's a spy. And was sent by your mother."

Hyun-min's head whipped around, his eyes wide with shock. "What are you talking about?" he exclaimed, his voice rising in incredulity. "Why would my mother send a spy?"

The words hung in the air, heavy with tension, as Hyun-min waited for me to explain.

"Let's just let it go," I said firmly, my hand on his arm.

Hyun-min's eyes searched mine, his expression intense. "But Sarah, we need to talk about this," he insisted.

I placed a gentle finger on his lips, shushing him. "Not now, okay? Let's just drop it for now."

Hyun-min's gaze lingered on mine, but he eventually nodded, respecting my wishes. The tension between us remained palpable, but I knew we'd revisit this conversation soon.

************

As we stepped into the hospital ward, my gaze landed on Racy, her presence grating on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. The strange woman was nowhere to be seen, but Racy's smile seemed to mock me, fueling my growing unease. "What brings you here?" I demanded, my tone sharp enough to cut through the tension.

Racy ignored me, her focus fixed intently on Hyun-min. "I brought some food," she said, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness that made my stomach turn. Hyun-min remained stubbornly silent, his eyes locked onto hers with an unnerving intensity. I felt a surge of irritation course through my veins like liquid fire. "He's not hungry," I snapped, trying to intervene and break the spell that seemed to have been cast over him.

Racy's gaze remained on hyun min ignoring me"Your parents are around," she said, her tone dismissive and condescending. My anger boiled over, and before I knew it, my hand connected with her cheek in a resounding slap. The sound echoed through the room like a crack of thunder, leaving an uncomfortable silence in its wake.

Racy's eyes flashed with anger, and she lunged at me with a ferocity that caught me off guard. But Hyun-min was quicker, stepping in to block her outstretched hand with a swift and decisive motion. It collided with his chest, but he didn't flinch, his expression a mask of calm determination. "Enough!!"

The air was heavy with tension, the silence between us suffocating, when the door swung open and Hyun-min's father entered the room. Racy and I exchanged a brief, stilted greeting before she hastily gathered her belongings and made a swift exit, abandoning the food she had brought without a second thought. I followed suit, murmuring a hasty excuse to Hyun-min's father before escaping the oppressive atmosphere.

As soon as I stepped out into the corridor, I grasped Racy's arm, spinning her roughly to face me. My eyes blazed with fury as I demanded, "What audacity drove you to deceive me so callously?" My voice was low and menacing, each word laced with bitter resentment.

Racy's expression remained defiantly impassive, her eyes flashing with a fierce, unyielding light. "I won't apologize for pursuing what I want," she retorted, her voice infused with a steely determination.

"You've been manipulating me all along, haven't you?" I accused, my words tumbling out in a heated, indignant rush. "You pretended to be my friend, all the while coveting Hyun-min for yourself. He's my boyfriend, and you knew it. How could you stoop so low?"

Racy's gaze never wavered, her eyes locked onto mine with an unnerving intensity. "I make no excuses for my desires," she said, her voice dripping with a confident, unapologetic tone. "I want Hyun-min, and I'll stop at nothing to claim him. Are you satisfied now that you know the truth?"

With that, she turned on her heel and strode away, leaving me standing alone in the corridor, reeling from the raw emotion and unbridled passion that had just transpired.

***********************

Chairman Kang emerged from Hyun-min's room, his expression somber after a brief conversation with his son.

As he departed, Madam Ji-hyeon and Soo-young entered the room, their presence a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere. Madam Ji-hyeon's demeanor was a masterclass in elegance, her smile warm and inviting as she approached Hyun-min's bedside. "Are you feeling pains?" she asked which was unlike her.

Hyun-min's response was a deep sigh, his eyes drifting away from Madam Ji-hyeon's solicitous face to the woman standing in the corner of the room. She was a mystery, her features indistinct until she unfolded her hand, revealing a delicate face with piercing eyes. "Who...are you?" Hyun-min asked, his voice low and questioning.

The woman's eyes locked onto Hyun-min's, her gaze intense and almost...familiar. "Urm...I...I am your mother's friend," she stammered, her words barely above a whisper. Hyun-min's response was a muted "Oh...", his expression unreadable as he processed this revelation.

Madam Ji-hyeon turned to Hyun-min with a gentle smile. "Na-yeon's funeral is today, I brought some clothes for you to change into," she said, her voice soft and considerate. Hyun-min's silence was palpable, his gaze still fixed on the mysterious woman as Madam Ji-hyeon continued, "I'll be back soon." With that, she left the room, leaving Hyun-min alone with the enigmatic stranger.

The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken emotions, the air thick with tension as Hyun-min's eyes remained locked onto the woman. She stood motionless, her gaze fixed on him with an unnerving intensity, as if waiting for something...or someone.