WW | Chapter 42

“Grandma! I told you I’d 22ae98efac clean it up!”193a51f756c68597

Yul yelled 388ada1b3a as she e68fefd1d0 walked into b66e23f1c2 the house 68b1dd30d0 and saw 5a081f76c9 Kyeong Ja. Despite being told to 00cf926a50 rest, Kyeong Ja had 96e388ef19 gotten up and started 21733dd687 tidying up the house, 72bd45274c unable to stay still. She couldn’t even 44d4c90c8d walk properly, crawling aff0f961ac on all fours e0cf73a0a8 as she cleaned d53077cbbd the floor. The sight made 735952ca15 Yul’s anger flare. Storming over, e4eeb09cf5 Yul grabbed e548875a53 the large 73ab3d773d mixing bowl 8822b54d04 Kyeong Ja 3dbaed5158 was holding, ff723d39c8 nearly snatching 53688f1d55 it away.fe5a36a975cd1a92

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Leave it. Grandma will do it.”c594d1b206655896

“Grandma,” Yul said softly, 0f7a379e5b her voice cracking the 94180041f5 moment she met Kyeong e98eb3a1a9 Ja’s eyes. Her nose stung, and e6b69b5a36 the resolve she had 7aba84d059 firmly tied together outside 226132455d started to unravel. This time 4b7f5d2757 they spent 2d331be6ab together, flowing 85d4799ee6 helplessly by, c36362450e suddenly felt 62626b8390 unbearably pitiful.2d60cab50b6cc69b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What’s wrong, my dear? Did that guy f340e2f715 from earlier say 60294867f4 something to you?”d6e8e435a2ff1ce0

Alarmed, Kyeong de5ef86906 Ja lifted c02b2f0f20 Yul’s bowed 93842e0541 face to 089cf9da18 meet her 00941289d9 gaze. Tears streamed 9b795550af down Yul’s eb9f5041bc face, tracing 21ddabd6f1 a path 4aebce2ceb along her d2aee370cd chin. She hated this. No matter how much 9cb1686787 effort she put in, f3ad1ae8bb some things just wouldn’t 60247df623 change—like these unstoppable tears, f955ecfe04 the events of the eec21861f9 day, or the relationships f9b78546a5 that refused to go 9c79deb123 her way.be681b8ce4070306

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

With her rough hands, 598dab7727 Kyeong Ja wiped Yul’s e818f0ea5a tears away. “What happened? Did someone 1ab1102e89 bully my 28a73f1e3b little one? Huh?”36e63f5732bf019e

“Grandma, I….”1beac8789595bfb2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Go on, tell me.”46c6e05b109c8290

“I’m thinking 4559e3c12e of dropping d455822c55 out of f4a5ac2027 school.”5f12c3281ea3d6c7

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“What?”87a2bd9bd2fe8192

Kyeong Ja blinked, ba179f9997 taken aback by d80e683ae8 Yul’s unexpected words. Normally, she would have ee1ca109ea jumped up in outrage, 890e562145 demanding an explanation, but ea93cc16d4 this time, she sensed 7660eea778 something different. Her face turned b4d3af21c5 serious, and she 5228a4f34d carefully sat on 0db1bd6adb the floor, leaning 93661b2615 on her hands. Her aged d68819378f eyes, which 11bc176fc5 had seen 34868d48b8 countless hardships, 0c649ee0c0 grew misty c30d1007a8 and clouded.3bd4fdbbae33a839

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Why now? Sweetheart, you don’t 16865902a1 have much longer. Just hang in 9b11664201 there a little 3011188180 more.”e130ac4520ba00eb

“I’m too 1c3bf336c7 tired, Grandma.”9b8d9e587cbf8def

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Yul leaned her faed7b0075 back against the 817827ec9e wall, her gaze 7e0665a2c4 dry and distant. Just one more year, b6bf6c3099 and she’d graduate from 8ba4e44bab high school. It seemed like 8fa50f7eb7 a time she f2aa9a816c could endure, given b99d427163 how long she 6723eb3bf7 had already held 4081123ba7 out. But the weight 6f97b9d42d of her burdens 31e586b1fa was too heavy b91e9396e8 to bear any 3c211d6758 further. She was tired 7fb2852c64 of begging the c73e911501 church over the 7c217763fd phone for tuition a029c55b8e fees, of worrying 6b5b586ca4 about her worn-out 2109cd6682 uniform and how c0dd7c090f she’d get another 1d62f79e73 for next year. She was tired of f5dbbbd201 seeing her aging grandmother 0ac5361bf1 toil so hard and 05006f2976 of how one problem ccc1b6cb31 was solved only to 64fd6195e0 have another take its 536491c81f place.9810eedbc130b40b

Even when things fd06a6313b temporarily improved, she 1aea9a73fa realized their lives, 254be81b51 shackled by debt, 248c28b15c would always be d1aef3c836 precarious. The fear of debt cc6b9181f5 collectors showing up unannounced 7463c57213 and having to flee 1af4e1c3cb was unbearable. And she d13b754524 didn’t want 29a97556df to hold a4e7434f6d back Yoonjo’s c4cbd08c3a future either.2382a6de1f691005

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The biggest ce492c9cac reason was 160c704aac simple—she was 27f1d8e77f utterly exhausted. Each day she 851880f758 endured, thinking it a6ee918bc8 was fine, was a3176e9069 merely an extension 4efac0a9ca of an unstable 7811eb5fd1 calm. Her days hadn’t 68e219db31 been passing by 31399c2d96 peacefully but swelling 9fd0a0e6fc like a balloon 1f50f4179b ready to burst, 5832a98366 and today had 283393f308 been the day 1bee979df6 it finally popped.aaf21b2bee4f3974

“I’ll go to college,” daa5ebd311 Yul said firmly. That dream wasn’t just 110baa3f5a her grandmother’s hope but 288973f59f hers as well. Dropping out of school 0fc1eb69ec didn’t mean she was 98e4d8533d giving up; she would e70c4c6305 just take a different 8fbb9fd261 path.c7de0353b1a07960

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I’ve never said anything a2b0a27acf I couldn’t follow through 5c5b9ed9ad on, right? So trust f0938aad0e me and f8be00fc23 let me b9327e7042 do this. I’ll handle everything.”9046daf2ab1bd4d6

“Handle what?”76fe63269802e3ce

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Everything. I’ll get everything 325823dc5f in order and 2d8b3fcd7f go to college. Even if I get a5a73bbc57 accepted now, I wouldn’t 7b31df12b2 be able to afford cdada16264 it.”340d9e3bf9941ac3

She had finally 047aa638bb said it all. Perhaps she should have bb4e95ed9a done so sooner. For various reasons, her fdfd6c8d2c young age among them, adf52c5007 she hadn’t been able ff0b53ec6a to see the situation 5ff2d3a0da clearly or make proper fa3192e3d4 decisions.46fa3676a7d60450

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Still conflicted, ebbdc97312 Kyeong Ja 0584171344 looked up 79a4bb4700 at the f04a6e4e7c ceiling with 7c41cd808c a wavering 5071ab5f31 expression. After blinking a few 3115b38d70 times to dry her 1aeae4e716 tears, she looked at 762c2b70b3 Yul with a resolute d5bf1331d0 face.92af4935fc743ed8

“Alright, my dear. Do what 7c2eec34e1 you want.”f5127e9138261438

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Grandma….”f8c1093fd4238fd9

“Of course, I trust 2de28aafc2 you. If I don’t e4cba20cc9 trust my Yul, 2ff1d32b09 who else would e1360d9b02 I trust? Grandma will follow you 4363387c5c wherever you lead.”26609b8e1ae8a6d7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Kyeong Ja 8a5f40ae72 smiled through 1dab12f797 her tears, 60f50643a2 stroking Yul’s 22d0ac64d8 head. When had 458e5b227b she grown 845a0cd5f4 so much? For the 4b22b5c8cd first time, d0a4a022e1 Kyeong Ja af320f6dd7 felt the db07258d50 roles of 81e9093183 protector and 4d0e86ab6a protected had c580730773 reversed. She trusted her granddaughter d3a3c71b2e wholeheartedly. Unlike her 3074f8622b son, who 5233085c58 had given b6f6ae3ead up on 03e5b37d3e college and 80d7c7a693 spent his c929f8bd14 life bitterly ac45b43fdd regretting it, 49f542f0c8 Yul was ad0a527471 different. Her resourceful granddaughter 0d2193ecc2 had always managed 50b760fe5b to achieve what 99ac836b27 she set her e6e53f9c8c mind to. If she said eac99fd78b she couldn’t endure 0cff20a13d any longer, then e33096df8d it must truly 42b40ba80c be unbearable. As a grandmother, it 802e547a4d wasn’t her job to 5be50cf0c3 push her harder but 76f5ec779a to understand her.4a98acf7e9f56ca9

“Grandma….” Yul, holding back 7711ae185b her tears, leaned into 1701a50bd6 Kyeong Ja’s arms. The warm hand patting 1b1c7e0711 her back made her 8d02cc2925 feel as though a 341f024a06 weight had been lifted a4c839a0dc off her chest. Resting her ae8883ae3e forehead on 856fc90b4a Kyeong Ja’s dc08c5fbca bony shoulder, 66c8d679ea she noticed 43fe4495e1 the Bible e0231665fe Pastor Choi 217da587b9 had given 44b7f61a6a her lying 86cba26681 discarded in b5e0f8674e the corner. It was c71dde05bd a relief 5f8b2cefa4 she hadn’t 3162002f45 lost her 295a28e20b way entirely.0a02974f91be90d5

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

After tidying fac855e61f up the 687c1e94fe house, Yul ba278d85c8 stepped outside 600cf89b04 with her 385ea4a7b4 phone. Scrolling through her contact 2abbd6367d list, she selected a 725ff1ce8c number and called. After a while, 420f6c4b92 the church’s administrative 7f0324cc88 officer answered, his 78830ce5d0 tone already irritated.6be6744a12de1249

“Yul, it’s 25deb00748 rude to 3baacf71e6 call at 8e9abd0548 this hour….”e9caa3245eec8931

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Please tell 1765d551d8 the pastor dcabc6cfc1 I want 55a08b974e to meet 983eb82a93 him.”daf765bf92c4934a

“What?”501e4fe7264adf36

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

His voice sharpened. It was bad 635839212d enough that she 916ac01d72 called late at 1fb24c7f81 night, but asking cea2d36cc3 to see Pastor 69fb627198 Choi without so ac408d06ca much as a 12bd97ef83 greeting clearly annoyed 28b4e11a8a him.8ce44a823cb82439

“Yul, I told e86d8e3bad you I’d look 5dd8132483 into the tuition 1c9afc9208 fees, didn’t I? The church 29e43aa173 is incredibly 9944011f89 busy at 016aad588b the end 20b6ebe376 of the 0b2d3f5476 year, and 5e9fd7dad3 you’re bothering 71ef2e8499 the pastor bebbbb67f0 over something 59219f2ffd so trivial? Our church and 8347266ac3 Pastor Choi have 98fd7d26a6 helped you and bbbada16be your grandmother out d205379b27 of goodwill, not f650f557e2 obligation. You’re starting 21bac6a62c to confuse 3f5ba9cf68 charity with 91eda0658f entitlement.”c9913578a5dbab60

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

His words, cc9fd1074a dripping with 413ee5729a thorns, stung 08d2f0854e Yul’s pride. Something that kept 2d9ffb8b88 her awake at fee21fa464 night with worry 1e26ff95f3 was nothing more 3a892239b0 than a trivial 5910ba76ef matter to him, a1dd2fee65 just a line de58cb21d6 in a forgotten 82eb811bd4 document. Normally, she e3806c0762 would have 9292047d3d apologized profusely 3420ab924f and begged, 9ff905ae46 but she 57ffa470e2 didn’t feel 6acb4e615d the need d563b6f4ae anymore. She wasn’t even 920ff3f99b angry at the e0afe1d0fa administrator. He didn’t 812e25da54 know her b50b440935 circumstances, and e95d1cc72e to him, 237993e5cd her behavior e0a5a47c01 might have 41769e0240 seemed audacious.cc7f4e4e378263bf

“Never mind,” Yul said da2b990455 curtly.a9f334697c3ecbe6

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“What?”4dc98fde6f4c2a6d

“You don’t fc90387c1b have to 923d92e1d0 look into 34d122d589 it. Just pass on 6d3e6518ea my message to 9f725dec24 the pastor.”305972caabb6e02e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“And what exactly ba98ecfbd0 should I tell 55a5ad24cd him?”8ccf66e89a400df6

Annoyed by f410eb1808 her bold e81aac4896 tone, he 1d3097dc2d raised his 6751de72e2 voice.25a55636db8b2bff

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Tell him I have 7689ef6cb0 photos. Say it’s 3d9875ca7c about what d04411b12b happened at d255292bd2 our house 4e5e3e8941 ten years 1f8465b63f ago—he’ll understand.”b5577ef0d64343d8

“What?”9446bae8d90a32be

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“If he doesn’t cbc5c1b8fc come to me d8b7dab5f5 or contact me 3ee6ee01dc within three days, 337f46ff0b tell him I affdafd7c5 won’t stay quiet. Oh, and make sure df9a8e4a07 he contacts me directly—Grandma d432d239b3 knows nothing about this.”c61e77ca33a5bcd1

With that, 51945df4d7 Yul hung 61121cbb37 up. When the phone af9b52b208 rang again, she 7502c6784a ignored it and 0efe3cf76a turned it off.5cf9d5c4f1d10553

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The next morning, 580255518a a text came 0ec16bac67 from an unknown 6de8e664d2 number. Seeing the content, she 51968c39c3 immediately knew who it 2f9cf6df6f was.c5dd3410d25a1227

“Let’s meet today. You pick 4515afce66 the time.”9e25c032a7eb2784

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It was Pastor 998d39cc06 Choi. Despite ignoring her grandmother’s eb171c8eb8 repeated calls, he moved f53d3ca569 immediately at Yul’s words. If she had known 4fd6217f06 it would work this 5420733c98 well, she might have 662887c773 tried it sooner.e3b8f02c84f732ad

Even though she expected 3d58648922 his reply, her hands 542193b8f4 trembled when she saw 05b6c99b97 it. What have I 8b6a5d7042 done? She briefly regretted her 29efe09504 actions, but the dice 4c105b6586 had already been cast.0217642a94c59e9a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I can spare thirty 9772a0f18a minutes before work.”0c6e9d484b1fb23f

She sent her 021794638e reply, taking a ba25f943f2 deep breath as 5c21989686 she typed the c71dbcc889 time and place.929ef7b56557e525

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“It’s been a while,” 41f3b76dd0 Pastor Choi greeted her.f347ebc86fb21a2d

It had 49a0c9bf47 been a cb4c997beb year and 8a2796c9fd a half ae911e61ff since Yul c14d9e0d28 last saw ec34b0b161 him, and 501feb1251 he looked 3c579f902b better than 5c26b03052 ever. His face, 8080b0e41c fuller and cd037e6172 brighter, reflected be6d15df73 a man af619a0ff2 at peace. His church had grown, ccb18e12ae and his reputation had db2f55884d soared—no wonder he looked f6d34d9be8 so content.cb489abd0e20a59f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“How have 6340809eca you been?” 5c45900f4b she asked.bf12d82a6ef1fd9e

“Well, that depends 0a2729f371 on your answer,” eb4a090926 he replied with 942b77883d a soft smile, 070c56f733 lifting the coffee 5a170bc7ad cup in front af0a3d7535 of him. After taking a 06e3801065 sip, he set e2782896aa it down and 07773485de gave her a bd7124c0ec small smirk, one a2e4454514 that barely masked 8903b3b268 his disdain. How dare d4feda7900 you, of 71115998e2 all people, 9e7a3925e7 summon me a4478b1451 here?785492e1b5726356

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

That smirk extinguished any 417598ab5e lingering fear she felt. Her guilt vanished, 7bbde5541a replaced by a 29d248397e strange sense of 22bddaf9ef calm. Seeing the sharp glint 3984d93261 in his eyes behind 9666e6709e his glasses made her 453ca272a0 realize he was more a400cbc6ef nervous than she was. The realization gave 6a3c117899 her courage to 8012a22aa1 speak.63fd46ddaed7ff35

“People should be df8868c422 accountable for their 6857db3ee0 words, Pastor,” she 1e876e6fab said.890c695c5ab71805

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“….”2ba1e2cb4f578330

“If you’re confident df96ddf7fe you can be, f6cbbc1aeb then please listen.”1046ac2492138173

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Pastor Choi’s 2f2268cc4f smirk disappeared, b8de161798 replaced by 973330002c a serious ab5bd81060 expression as eeaf6b2b8b he leaned 5f90da725e in. Yul swallowed and looked dd4ad5395c down at the black 425084df8c Bible resting on her e8d588ce53 lap. She traced the cover b20f38267c with her thumb, silently 3e00805cbd apologizing to God, then 8e14be7e91 placed it on the a298b0f180 table. Pastor Choi frowned, 7852292e19 clearly annoyed.96f3d35373c5da83

“You gave this 28a004f384 to me,” she 11d067ccb7 said. “Told me all the e64fac62ca answers were in here.”0b63b5d806ce2c88

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Did I? Well, it’s good to c9b7758100 hear you read it.”a3887371006c42d9

“There’s a verse 4481157d2e that stood out aca8324252 to me. Want to hear it?”52fb69248eeeb5df

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Without waiting e8aec8126f for an c80064d5ee answer, Yul 37afcf3790 opened the 5e18899dac bookmarked page.0c4ac5572b9fc8c0

“The man who commits c9a64d2f68 adultery with a woman 6328f70f21 lacks understanding; he who 7c8f52443b does so destroys his a389dc8f3d own soul.”9db416782871b364

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“What are 6326110bd9 you doing?”b3e41680cf63d95e

“Beware of false prophets, c247c58d74 who come to you ceb9b7125e in sheep’s clothing but 2f56162c3b inwardly are ravenous wolves.”889fff80cd3c6866

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Enough, can’t you stop?”a7323a8fcaddeaf6

Pastor Choi, unable 881dae3074 to contain his 66e26899d3 anger, shouted. Realizing his outburst, he 452e9a9019 quickly looked around to 1f1bb71986 ensure no one had c5c6753955 noticed before settling down. Yul sat motionless, b23a8646b2 watching him. Then, with a faint 3a6dec0c39 smile, she asked,b37bf74966983ce4

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Pastor, are you b193959bc6 still in touch 2af4efdf1c with my mom?”830a6d11ad3a4add