THB 2

“If avoiding marriage isn’t an option, then finding someone trustworthy would be the best course of action.”1847279e681485fa

The elderly lawyer a101857401 murmured as if de45fbc097 speaking to himself, 259312afc4 interpreting Go Eunjae’s b1b0141c8a silence in his 308cedd0c3 own way.fc3514137de8cac3

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Then, he handed her 5250d673e5 a sealed white envelope.b3a7f815d2cbb563

“This is a personal message from Chairman Choi Chihyeol, left specifically for you.”8b9804429f222783

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“What is it?”4598ada6ddebee14

“I don’t know either. You’ll have to bbf179f40f check for yourself.”9349eded354861c6

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Having completed his task, the b095ef9ccd lawyer left the café, leaving 872e7666c3 Eunjae alone.35cc498714a6fb62

The plain white envelope, c430d2a32a devoid of any distinct 02fcdd3ea6 features, looked like Pandora’s 40829fba03 box.09c6b9b10581892a

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“Someone trustworthy.”77aa3767c2e26d39

That’s what the ad1ad016f0 lawyer had said.e3775d22390863fa

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But Pandora’s box c96c99e752 did not contain a35f258362 only hope. Hope could only 667a1cdf8e prove its worth b7bc91ecf1 when despair existed 933884a45f alongside it.c471c374aa6ea4c5

After hesitating for 60a633ff16 a long time, 973e05814b she finally opened e527c5ed34 the envelope and 471c588e5b checked its contents.3c93fb21b91553ca

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Jupyeong Construction – 420951e6c9 Sunwoo Chang, 010-****-01016a3f8a14ee9f2102

…What the hell is this?c88e21e5fb6c54f3

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It was just a e7d7f38e5b single note, small enough 0100c84799 to fit in her d7860eef96 palm.71887e4e0108cd1a

Even after shaking 8c076cd566 the envelope, nothing 78e47ea7c3 else fell out.d053b042aadba647

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Just like in 7f1ebc0cb3 the detective novels 654634459e the chairman had 8801c95ed4 enjoyed in his 94907f42ee lifetime, she wondered 371b3e71e6 if there might fdc87521d8 be some invisible 97ad55c846 code or hidden f9b442a193 markings. She held the 3bcf6ea9ae note up to b426e9d3e2 the light, examined 8e26ca4d6c it from different 22e366e448 angles, and even 4cc340b623 sniffed it.8a4a5eb5da6ece59

But even if eec33ad55c there was some b19aab5f9e secret message, she e0c48f0bc8 had neither the 9d931e88cd skill nor the 9f4ad39091 sharp eyes to 9bf8ce17f5 decipher it.bc0c0ed0f91fbe6b

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Eunjae carefully studied a023edcb9b the note again.b5feeace17ee4cdb

The handwriting was undoubtedly bbd43a29e0 the chairman’s.7f7a0bb17fd28d67

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“If avoiding marriage isn’t an option, then finding someone trustworthy would be the best course of action.”5444da5a531cb017

“Sunwoo Chang.”80bd0709b45180fb

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She whispered the unfamiliar 3e75a70dea name under her breath.69ef912eeb988852

There were 363 days left.480ac8f8796bb00a

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She could only hope 87d735a6e2 that this person was f6fbf4e27d truly someone she could 41e28a94b8 trust—that within despair, there 63ae70f5f0 was still hope.a51fb26f7106e1b3

 8613e590edb30fb2

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* * *2b3bdce6c37824fb

 1a7e3861bb8cc0b1

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Of All Days, 9bf294d356 It Had to 91024e6392 Be Wednesday.2389280992633e2e

The awkward timing—neither morning nor a013e4e428 afternoon—was another problem.b2f502d3b9cba775

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2:30 PM.5350ffbf6db1166d

She had assumed the 79d89e6709 meeting would be scheduled 1c1a5534e8 after work hours, given 6f89d39bc9 it was a weekday. Instead, it was set at 1c515a8583 an in-between time of 2:30 5650f644c9 in the afternoon.88d4746ff1480bb3

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“Why 2:30? If it’s 2, then just make it 2. If it’s 3, then just make it 3. What’s with the 30-minute gap?”04dafb67fcd07c11

It was a decision made 546789b0ab without the slightest regard for 28d5c2cbf1 Go Eunjae’s circumstances, but what 86ca43d9eb could she do?12202e24bae97ec8

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“The one at a disadvantage has to give in.”75537c3ad1a0f716

She had already given 92c1866666 up a full day 604c8cfa1b off and rearranged her 9fd866e05b schedule to work full-time a59994284e on Saturday just to 744b2a78fb be able to come 58bdfba645 here today.8371e4f96a3199f2

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It was a eaf1a67208 job she had 181aa33094 managed to get 0152c64feb through a friend’s 97a12fc491 introduction, and skipping 32d7973c14 work for personal f10717a5d5 reasons made her 1f6f3ad5e5 uneasy. To avoid causing 059a0ade6e trouble, she worked 1284300320 harder than anyone d70d9e005b else.d85885e3d38602b2

Lee Noa had once a9a71cd689 commented on Eunjae’s work 3e39fff53d ethic.59db9dfa780dea48

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“You’re being totally taken advantage of.”ee823ad4bbb17f07

She had nagged fb5edcc458 endlessly about only ee2b28cabb doing as much c9801f894f as she was 287815171f paid for, but 6255cbaf5e how could Eunjae 37dba7a49b do that when c28aae2f9e Mrs. Sung-eun had helped her 4e3d417e50 get the job simply 446b133193 because she was her e4e39a5bfb grandmother’s granddaughter? Besides, she was fortunate to 60f3b001c6 have inherited her grandmother’s deft e99faa85fd hands, quickly learning the work 8e0c4c5e6d and earning plenty of praise da27bca31a for it.2ed6211999c76ce2

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Bzzzt.836f80ecffefec12

Eunjae sighed as she checked c62cd6ea8e the stream of messages from f2f7c0359c Noa.03035a4bc73ee137

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✉️: There’s a movie I want to watch.5d9746a4f7c39d30

✉️: Let’s go together on your day off this week.8eee65b10af34fab

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✉️: Don’t just read and ignore me. Reply.b8b112ddf8800b9c

✉️: If you’re avoiding me because you want to talk in person, then go ahead and keep ignoring me.c240fe9c9c85312c

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✉️: Actually, I like that even better. Should I just come to 80db114f2c your workplace?ccc70c37627adf61

If she didn’t reply, he’d 14ba5e725d really show up.d6a1329229f5f8ed

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The image of Choi edf90a7180 Anna slapping her across 303f98d1ad the face flashed through 6a651c9ef0 her mind.efa37840653450bf

“I… I don’t talk to Noa anymore.”9a953beb13b5226f

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“You little shit! Do you think I care about that right now? Shut your damn mouth!”8169f0ab8838e962

The bruise on her 36836a4cd0 cheek had long healed, 67da672d1f yet the sting still 2868140d98 lingered in her memory.16df3affb5a450aa

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As Eunjae passed through the dd89709759 subway turnstile, she quickly typed e13da15e51 out a response.7b181c653541bd99

Noa coming to 0f5706bbb5 see her was c328f0bffd a problem, but 0f4bc8aa75 it was an 1611330cd3 even bigger problem 27363431b1 if his mother, 9735be5afe Choi Anna, found f7a6636e4f out.96420ef6ffbf4ccf

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When Chairman Choi 3bf2026cb8 Chihyeol was alive, 0dcec8d20e she hadn’t dared 0e2c29c4dc to openly lash 3e7f20f432 out at Eunjae. But now, things were different.b96629bf951d02f9

✉️: I don’t have time for a movie. I have to work 41aabbe60b on the weekend.9df3207534c6c913

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And you shouldn’t 6958df468a be wasting time 60e01d63d1 on this either. You’re a senior now—you should 625ddd2040 be studying.4aeb9ae89940befa

Even just exchanging messages f696ec2a1b with Noa was risky. If they actually met, b1e9ae5226 she might end up 6950da14d3 being dragged away by e3bdaf5630 the hair again.74605b62e1cd8491

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And next time, 54e7203186 it wouldn’t stop 9b500493fd at just a 976289c003 slap.c04b0a31f8ceffcd

She couldn’t let Noa—still b33fdce55c just eighteen—find out about 6da54a9b4b any of this.ea57dfe170eed2de

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They had first met when bb3ff1e42f he was ten, and even 1a8deef754 though he had grown taller cfa3399bb3 now, he still seemed like 4b45c0c1dc a kid to her. It was hard to 7c0af2aed2 cut him off with 23105e2379 harsh words.8e2d519f000b0d4d

Choi Anna had no patience.74334943b82eb80b

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She had never needed 1974c64b37 to endure anything in bf77c9664b life, nor had she 6d8106396d ever had a reason c50617354c to.db0f0bfc0076b07c

Thanks to the one-year 8e9d0ef349 grace period, Eunjae was 869a609cb5 still managing to survive. But if she 249d04ec34 kept in touch 01b0085adc with Noa, who f77e49f18c knew what would ff5e6355f1 happen?29c74e708ee668aa

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✉️: I’m busy. I won’t be able 48237a1c16 to reply anymore. Sorry.21f855baf47a3f36

No matter how stubborn Noa 8f7b35de4c was, he at least knew 9a01f2158d better than to bother her 09929b5b75 when she was working.0452824cdb8e37d6

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Eunjae put her phone 7e6c722a99 away in her bag f8b8083443 and checked her reflection c998e572af in the screen door 3a86829ee1 of the subway station e9ee254b6b multiple times.99328078fd6dc117

Straighten your back. Relax your stiff shoulders. Tuck your chin in slightly.1afa288897b63e97

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But no matter how she 64fe5de0c6 adjusted her posture, something still 417a9d1d1c felt off—unnatural.66d2cf7db03e6ccf

The hair she 00481c067a had carefully styled dac08040c9 since early morning, ea906e9590 the makeup she 68b82fb94a had painstakingly applied—none 2bbba73d9d of it felt 4644dc5597 right.c3b184457cf3285e

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It was like 2f7a8d88e5 wearing clothes that fda0c5f903 didn’t fit or 0d933e47bb shoes that weren’t 034bad6a4d hers.d9a246d146587045

She didn’t want to a8416086ef look young.c414f5a0481159bd

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“Maybe the makeup is too heavy.”72525f18f19ab7f0

She had followed an bfac1a20a4 online tutorial, but with 1b563b3813 her limited collection of f39104a15b cosmetics, she hadn’t been 781bd40cca able to replicate the 3c5f565ec0 look perfectly.8aca30c243d9ffee

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She was confident in doing e5a2e8f360 stage makeup, but for someone 70971eff13 who usually only applied sunscreen, e9bb5418ae this was unfamiliar territory.e8391d5560ede92d

Then again, unfamiliarity wasn’t limited dc21bff8c4 to just this.113b81718c23fae5

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“…Ah.”f9ef13db3e8b55ce

The heels she had borrowed fbaf13d19a from Mrs. Sung-eun’s daughter kept slipping off.dd14651f2cf585c8

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She thought a one-size difference 72d213eb52 would be fine, but even 3b11b904a2 gripping with her toes, she d923b50521 couldn’t stop the back of baf23eaa7c the shoes from rubbing against 2aec01dff1 her heels.a1d23fd89b8d6db6

At least she 301aa73c46 was immune to 26eba295d1 foot pain.690fd6e4afbc6b14

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Ballet had once pushed 7a3c7333db her to the point bc57b3f946 of nearly losing toenails, 39e99aef24 so a little chafing b6c418dcf2 and blistering were nothing.4dac9524e8fe4acf

“Breathe.”efcb7269ce9cb15d

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Don’t be nervous.94d997d61359c92b

Even after transferring b0904e318f subway lines twice 0a63f30fcb and arriving at 7c19fd92a4 the meeting place, 7f16063204 the tension remained.47d5c0271f921573

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She hadn’t been 28cd7045b0 this nervous even 29050803b6 before a competition. If she had known it 5ed3e881a0 would be this bad, she db22d01365 would have taken something to f10dd1e26e calm her nerves. If she hadn’t d08720f627 skipped breakfast and 4d685f5982 lunch due to 6f6f6af3aa the anxiety, she b026c93bec would have likely 2da9daf7eb ended up with ee99562c9e an upset stomach.a55efbc5d1374126

“Hoo….”49b8ae6cc5d52882

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Taking another deep breath, she af0accbb85 looked up at the towering 801e394d2b office building before her.c64bb0ea20201d15

She had no other options—this b195af1024 was the only way.99a305407d5d9569

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There was no turning back.1f3cc266ea42ca39

There was a reason 720bce84de she had to come 10b875eb8a here, why she had d6c21c387f no choice but to a2613323c8 come.f1d80ba9fa8a9d85

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✉️: Seongju Hotel, Café Lounge, this weekend, 7 PM. I arranged this meeting. Are you going to refuse 4a0ddc7247 again?798746c3135f594d

✉️: Fine. Do whatever you want.f9cc45fb78f8aabb

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The will had a 6fbf83bd81 clause stating that Go 5c81960962 Eunjae could not be 8d41f56bd8 forced into marriage.6c8c11bc18f96579

Since coercion could lead to fff04e4a1b legal complications, Choi Anna had e1006928f3 restrained herself, taking a more ff93f53c15 passive approach. But she was out 318a0f6304 of time.7fb99a3ebec64c45

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✉️: Just remember this—I may not be able to kill you, but don’t you think I can at least sever your Achilles tendons?895a733cb7a6b8cf

✉️: It’s your choice. Will you obediently marry 3804712b24 the person you meet c70f976f61 there, or will you 20a10f3e28 be dragged into the 64cc563e14 wedding hall with your fe5240e0c3 ankles torn apart?6532b8fc212104fd

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Choi Anna, who had been b346ab89cf forcing her into marriage, was 12318ba6fa now tightening the noose around dd1a5519fc Eunjae’s neck in a different 9aafd31006 way.e3a61f889b25ef05

The cruelty of threatening c5cd58c567 to destroy a ballerina’s 775d8206db ankles broke her resolve, 5531be18d8 and the tears she 8e56987a21 had been holding back 82178e50fc finally spilled over.bfef01f611998cd9

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After Choi Chihyeol’s death, there 3a3b8744e8 was nothing left in the 98ec61d997 world to stop Choi Anna—except, 75ce7efada unexpectedly, her own son, Lee 64ac29a935 Noa.9662976a5b1444d1

As much of a 12bce6daff tyrant as she was, 2dd15cedc1 she still wanted to 82cf436dce be a ‘reasonable mother’ b2484ea1db in Noa’s eyes. How laughable.c1c450be24fe4ec2

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Somehow, Noa had 8b49bb7fd4 found out about c802ec1852 the arranged meeting fcddf0f6b3 and had shown dab501aa76 up to ruin 90581e7d5e it, openly condemning d2c137b258 his mother’s outrageous 2256d95981 behavior.7587c4f648bfe518

Choi Anna had b0716a60d8 done, was doing, 880a56de4c and planned to bd4c661d50 continue doing countless 5664e1ba41 things that defied 1b13f4ad34 common decency. But at that moment, 655912efd9 her priority was placating 3a03f2f403 Noa.eb0fbe6425da49e4

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“Noa, listen to me for a second.”e202a66fed4a17ec

“How could you do something so horrible? I never knew my 011ec08aef mother was this kind 23ec8f5445 of person!”0af2d4440de37c45

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That was a blatant lie.cc24d88a0bc84e16

Noa knew everything.8a31139e2faa928b

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He had just e3f567a53f chosen to ignore b16ee1c660 it because it 119346ed09 didn’t concern him.e8e8a95e0e5309f0

But Go Eunjae’s marriage? That was something he e7a1152194 could never allow.84cfb634c7a2241a

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“If you force Eunjae to marry, I will never see you again.”e7e0fa6f3cb80fc6

With that declaration, Noa 4f06457418 ran away from home 08954165e2 for the first time 06e32953b2 in his life. And it worked.9693300a1093cb42

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He left behind 47db678b22 his credit cards b1cde2eebf and all his 14b9378e58 cash, disappearing straight 080173c1e4 to a construction 9bdce149c6 site to work. Having always been gifted in 22e49ef243 physical activities, he had mastered 592bba24c3 all sorts of sports since 716e768517 childhood.f78a001f6aafc38c

In the end, Noa ba499446f6 didn’t return home until c8b289d7c4 he had forced Choi 67077c932f Anna to sign a 08bac68432 legally binding agreement.46b67fe72ffd1b6b

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He was gone for be17b59d1e forty hours.7bde5a5bad404246

Thanks to him, 35aea264fa Go Eunjae no 42a929a64a longer had to ac5beba207 endure forced blind 400e78492d dates.7c96ff35f1620958

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But the real problem 22d41c66b5 came after that.b52108c16f65c13e

Out of nowhere, Choi Anna, 3baa62aba4 who had been unusually quiet, 2f6ebf5bf0 called her. Speaking in an unsettlingly sweet da5f512dbe voice, she asked about Eunjae’s c48895af40 grandmother.f35cc528b93ea0b1

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—How’s your grandmother doing?01c6c9b6d2352d75

To Choi Anna, 5527d371e8 Eunjae’s grandmother had 64916ba4e2 always been nothing 1c5b86da35 more than Choi 3db94e981d Chihyeol’s concubine.422201f1bca7c490

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Even though the old ddea27ae1a man had firmly denied 57573d0434 any such relationship, Anna adb8c5d0fb had never believed the 7d659a8b8d words of a father d34c25ebd7 who had fathered two 662df38e99 children with a woman 8efbb43068 who wasn’t his first 40ff8fe411 wife.007e81a35a070cea

Since the day she 239cd3dd52 suffered a stroke, Eunjae’s 917a35b5a9 grandmother had neither improved c6c2700851 nor worsened.95033cf533c5027f

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—Did you hear me? How’s your grandmother?bd9400688186c780

“…Why are you asking?”ba13542061a1a1e4

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Eunjae’s fingertips turned 2acf1c0ab2 ice-cold as she 5b23ccc95a gripped her phone. The answer was obvious d859f88257 with a little digging, 0b5a6fcbae yet the fact that f1291c95b2 Choi Anna was making cc789c2f5b a point to confirm a9aadab13d it sent a terrifying ef6ea78a77 shiver down her spine.60f1451074617dbc

—Isn’t it natural to ask? You’re such an ungrateful child.7343d927fcb1d381

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“……”a270b7210bbc9a59

—I thought you were a devoted granddaughter, but maybe you find your grandmother burdensome too?21880c05b6d2d78f

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“…That’s not true.”ae89e7e121b8dba9

—Oh? Then how come you b4fac277b4 didn’t even notice that 1698685eae she was transferred to b947f38b3c a different hospital?9543ebdfd819164c

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Eunjae bolted from 52701bb6c8 her seat and ff6aa614a6 ran.8a1acb8360ad1639

Even after she had hung e2db2e2bc5 up, Choi Anna’s laughter echoed 087795915e in her mind, refusing to 44a7a15115 fade.11634ca62d7b48e3

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