Withered (Michaeng) ✔️

Chapter 18: Liar

"Abortion?! It's sinful! Are you out of your mind?! You're basically taking the life of a tiny human being. And it's your child Mina yah.. I'll always support you but this is just wrong" Sana shouts, standing in front of her little sister who's sitting surrounded by the three. They spend their weekend in Jihyo's house to avoid their parents and to find solutions for Mina's condition. The girl has been crying nonstop after knowing that she's pregnant, lose her appetite, insomnia and again locking herself. She speaks her mind to save her dignity and to end everything. She knows she's being selfish but she can't bear how the society will look at her.

"This is not my child! I never wanted this to happen!….Dad and mom, they'll be disappointed at me... Have you thought what will people say!? You don't even know how I feel!" Mina rebukes between her sobs, hitting her stomach for every word she utters. For Mina, her world just ended.

How is she going to go about her life without any sense of normalcy or security or dignity? She's too embarrassed, too afraid. She will become that kind of girl, the one they talk about in the news when some man rapes someone and the judge or cop justifies it by saying the girl is asking for it or she put herself in that position or that she is giving a mixed-signal. Mina doesn't want to be that girl. She doesn't want to seems like she's weak or irresponsible or promiscuous or vulnerable. If she has to kill the child to save her life, why can't she?

Momo by her side, trying to calm and stop Mina from hitting herself. Jihyo sigh as she squat and hold the younger's hands "Listen, this child is something beautiful come from something terrible. This pure innocent child can be light and joy. We love babies. We'll always beside you.…….We can do this" She assures.

They stay silent as they watch Mina weeping. It's impossible to hide Mina pregnancy, but they will try their best to cover it up until they come into something. As for the girl, she doesn't say anything. The image of a cute baby before her makes she feels better. Mina always likes children but having them this early had never crossed her mind. Maybe the child can be the one and only reason that stops her from suicide. Maybe the child can bring happiness and love. That's what she thought at the very moment.

*  *  *  *

Mrs Myoui knows that something wrong with Mina. The symptoms that she shows can only mean one thing. She's getting worried when her daughter's sickness becomes severe and, how Momo and Sana acting weird and defensive these days. As a mother, somehow she can feel it. The uneasy gut.

She asks her daughters when Mr Myoui goes to work leaving them alone. The three sits across Mrs Myoui at the dinner table. No one has the courage to tells the truth. They never saw their mother look so terrifying, they could die from the stare. It takes a few minutes before Sana opens her mouth. She tells Mrs Myoui everything since they know they can't avoid this. Sooner or later it will happen, so there's no use to lie plus Mina's stomach getting more and more visible making it no way for them to hide the fact.

"M-m-mom?" Momo holds her mother's hands slowly but snapped when Mrs Myoui pull her hands while she looks so unfocused. She covers her face with her palm as she cries. She can't explain what she feels, or what she should do.

"I-Is this true?" Mrs Myoui asks Mina who's looking down, fidgeting with her finger as she cries. She feels a sense of guilt, thinking that if only she'd done more to protect her child this wouldn't have happened. "And why do you just tell me now. It…must be hard" Mrs Myoui stands and walk closer to the youngest, hugging Mina as she rubs the latter back to console her. "I'll talk to your father about this. It's not your fault so stop crying. It makes me sad, okay" Mrs Myoui wipes her daughter tears and smiles at the girl. She can't deny that she's mad, but creating fuss only make it worse so it's better to accept and learn.