No More Lies

Chapter 2: New Beginning

It was as if she had just woken from a hazy dream, Dalmi knew that she needed closure of some sort. She wanted answers, no she needed answers and the only person who could give them was the one who was standing outside, knocking on her door.

After contemplating for a long while in her bed she finally got the courage to stand up and face her grandmother and ask her why she initiated such a dramatic situation.

"Dalmi-ah"

Dalmi could not help but stare at her grandmother's remorse etched so clearly on her face. "Why did you do this Halmeoni?"

The anticipation to get answers was killing her. Though Han Ji-pyeong had explained her about the situation and was a part of this horrendous plan but Dalmi wanted to hear from her grandmother.

The one who was by her side forever.
"Dalmi-ah. You were so devastated when you got separated from your sister. I-I could not bear to see you, my sunshine Dalmi crying."

"You lied to me, Halmeoni. You lied for years. And if yesterday didn't happen you would have lied forever."

"I know my plan was not perfect but look where you are now. Those letters gave you love, strength and support which I could not give you. You looked happy. That huge grin that you had whenever you received a letter was so beautiful that I could not stop. How could I take that one thing from you which made you happy?"

Tears sprung from her eyes as she looked at her grandmother. Her voice was so soft that she tried to console her. Protect her from the truth. That she was a lonely child whose mother left her, took her sister, her best friend along her and never turned back.
Seeing her granddaughter slipping in despair.

Halmeoni continued,
"You are my child, Dalmi-ah. I could not just do nothing looking at you were so lonely. That incident broke your heart into pieces and those letters helped salvaged those pieces."
"Halmeoni, those words comforted me. But I became too attached to a non-existent reality that someone wanted me, needed me. Like me enough to write me letters.' "Ji-pyeong did need someone too, Dalmi-ah. He was lonely like you. He did not have any family or friends that he could go home to."
Those words took Dalmi back to yesterday when Ji-pyeong was confessing the truth.

"Yes, at first, I wrote it because of halmeoni but later I anticipated your answers. They made me feel loved. Wanted. Needed."
Maybe Halmeoni was not wrong. Those letters and conversations did not only help Dalmi but Ji-pyeong as well. Those words that they exchanged made them both feel less lonely.
Did he mean it? Dalmi thought.

If he did. Then he did not approach her before? If the letters meant anything to Ji-pyeong like they did to her then it was not his fault either. He was just a ploy in Halmeoni's plan.

"Don't overthink, Dalmi-ah. It is my mess. I created this mess and sent Ji-pyeong to clean it." "Halmeoni. I-"
Halmeoni waited eagerly for Dalmi's response.
"I need to talk to him."
Although, she had no idea about what she would say to him.

Fresh from the shower, Ji-pyeong was counting down the minutes that Dosan would take to leave. It had been 3 hours since he had been grudging about the same thing.

My friends are coming to pick me up and I'll be out of your hair in no time.

Ji-pyeong had met Dosan's "friends" only one time. And that one time was enough to let him know he did not need to reacquaint himself with those fools. They were trying to sell him what they thought was their winning pitch and failed miserably. They had passion but not the product or a strong foundation to start with.

"Ahgg! What the heck does that mean?"
"I would prefer if you abstained from using such profanities, sir."

Ji-pyeong smiled at the heart-to-heart exchange between Dosan and the virtual assistant.
The bell rings and Ji-pyeong mentally thanks all the Gods that finally he can get rid of the idiot hanging out in his house.
Dosan hurries off in such a way that it felt like he was not going back to his house with his friends but to welcome them in his house.
What Dosan wasn't expecting to see was the woman who was running through his mind all the time.