Chapter Eight

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"You don't know it yet, but I've already got your heart."

"Valerie?"

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"Valerie?"

I heard my mother shuffle downstairs, rubbing her forehead despairingly. When she appeared at the door frame, she noticed Taehyung standing next to me and she unwittingly straightened up her shoulders and puffed her chest out.

"Oh. Good morning," she greeted coquettishly, flipping her hair behind her shoulders.

"It's evening," I murmured.

"Oh, I guess it is," she sighed as she glided towards the coffee machine. "Aren't you two getting friendly. What were you talking about?" she asked in a light tone.

"About Julian's death." I retorted darkly. In the meantime, Taehyung had fallen oddly silent next to me.

My mother's shoulders froze and her whole body visibly tensed. She pivoted her head to the side and looked at us over her shoulder.

"Well isn't that a mood killer."

"Yes," I went on. "Julian. Remember him? Your late husband."

"I don't think I'll be forgetting his name anytime soon, Valerie." She gritted, sending me her deathly glare.

I stared at her balefully, giving her a once over. As always, her robe was open and underneath her lace camisole one could sneak a peak of her breasts that were devoid of any form of support right now, like a bra.

I hardly thought this was a decent attire to waltz around in while having a guest in the house. This felt achingly like a betrayal to Julian, whom we had buried just some days ago, and it did nothing else except infuriate me.

"You know, in the Victorian era a widow was expected to mourn her husband for two years." I announced.

My mother spluttered, rolling her eyes. "Thank God we weren't born in those times."

"And in ancient China, the family of the deceased would build a hut over their grave and live there for three years."

"Don't be so morbid." She muttered, her tone pleading.

Taehyung laughed. It was a tense laugh, one that was supposed to lighten up the mood, but it did nothing of the sort.

"I think Valerie just meant to share some curious facts. I have to say, as a historian, they were quite accurate."

I scoffed, turning my face away to look through the window. My mother let her coffee mug fall heavily on the table as she slumped in one of the kitchen chairs.

"Are you two drinking wine?" she asked. "Valerie, I thought you hated alcohol."

"I think I like it now." I stated daringly.

"I was showing Valerie this exquisite wine I brought from France," Taehyung explained. "Very rich taste. You should try it too, Josie."

Something sharp pierced through my heart, but I ignored it.

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