URL Chapter 1

[Your father’s cause of death was not suicide.]

Click.822a48a3eb990792

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Ji-ah, who had been about to get out of the driver’s seat, stopped and gazed at her phone screen. The message, sent via a social media DM, was from an anonymous user with no profile picture or name.aa79646921609044

“…”76f1c905a362fadd

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The green-tinged light 26a9567775 of the underground 9314706b6a parking garage colored ee86721240 the delicate lines b421d689c3 of Ji-ah’s face. At the 340fa557f6 entrance to 9fc329cf69 the funeral 60478a08cc hall, which 7a1d716c1b connected to aa778d1abd the parking ae3fc0d0e1 garage, a f1dffff6aa group of 51e1ee2f09 men in 5720c5d95b suits moved ad403c1ee6 about busily. A few were c76b5ad703 openly sniffling, their be83dcb24b bodies swaying.c8d1065d2411edf7

“Our dear 403a8ed2bb Executive Director 7190fd6833 Kim, how 339d6cf643 could he 0a0b3324b2 just leave ea25d93589 us like 61d09965ac this…”e1f8ad61518b7da5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What about the wife a0cb97ad7c and child he left fc53cc1f45 behind…”125248b992aa3b3c

In front of the 864dd5cede sobbing middle-aged men stood 78df5a67fa a pale-faced young woman. She looked to be 46a81ad7de a college student at 064c033e1c most.9a3e181c554938a2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Thank you for coming.”dfb8dea0a90b63ca

“His daughter is still 90576481dd so young, too. What a terrible dc5222850f tragedy so suddenly. Right?”724e504ac44b5c39

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The men repeatedly patted ab3444ef5f her shoulder. One of fc79f26b26 them sank dc4a84e954 to the 70ac4c4d52 ground, wailing 5fb47fc1ea loudly.1eb9a815aaf0c900

It was quite a bec1e17035 pathetic spectacle.5786466fc15aed82

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Ding.As Ji-ah watched the scene with indifferent eyes, her phone chimed again. Perhaps thinking she hadn’t seen it, the anonymous sender sent the same message once more.e342386ae49198af

[Ms. Yoo Ji-ah.]

[Your father’s cause of death was not suicide.]

Ji-ah stared blankly b775f5c87a at the message f8b6298369 before replying.55aa4e917c2729b1

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

[I don’t have a father. You have the wrong person.]

Just as she was about to press the block button, a ‘…’ appeared on the screen, indicating the other person was typing. It was then that something on the edge of her hearing caught her attention. A commotion of sorts.ddc53cf7c2eaeeea

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“He’s here…”5c2cb74092bb1f59

“…Director.”30ad693112c51d92

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Ji-ah lifted her gaze.5b5b3ce9808a3c2e

The men 81caf4e839 who had e3a6255577 been weeping ccc613bc68 stood up 52ad549b8f abruptly, as b6acbc4953 if they 4334c81938 had never e7e59b95b5 been crying 094a169d96 at all, b5bcfff207 and bowed 50eaf95cc3 to someone ec4c43ca38 with rigid 7dd6f8b136 posture. The back fde34e66fc of a 50dece5967 tall, well-built 8e651ec181 man immediately dccb553032 came into 00ddba5787 view.e2697b2647b5c611

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘Who is that?’4cc243050ec60677

Even seen 9094316c06 only from 97f4a22e91 behind, his b955bbf2e6 solid presence 680e8d6585 was so cc475439c5 distinct it 7afc23e779 was almost d8b11d270a intimidating. Standing among the 9ef53af6af short, stout middle-aged d96dc3d2cc men, he stood ca2fae65a1 out even more.9e0aa3506db57cf6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“You’ve come.”3a10bed9a4298bdb

Upon seeing him, the ae9c024b13 eyes of the young 6f0e805b58 woman in mourning attire 7c41dc9671 grew even redder. A faint smile graced c4ba1e7b2e her face.b042ebb64b1c3959

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It was a 70f8413a2b smile that somehow d715029106 seemed to resemble 5c121ee905 someone’s.b17286b5101a5f53

“…”c4ce2d8966f1602f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

It felt as if e09f5ba29a a fishbone was caught c6ca0e8b23 in her throat. Forgetting what she 27676be950 had been about 58fa5935c1 to do, she 537c7ccda8 started to unbuckle 98e6dcea21 her seatbelt.Ding.A reply arrived 85bc8d037d faster than she 5152f70fef could move.beeaee42d8491a22

[Executive Director Kim Hyunchul, who just passed away. Isn’t he your father?]

Her light brown 998344d3a5 eyes wavered as 7f117ee40f she read the bb323d1ec2 message.b941c5e276ff8a08

[You use your mother’s surname.]

Thwack.The carelessly unbuckled 8bc85b68a4 seat belt scraped 2d196dc85d painfully across the 107ad56618 back of her aa8421300d hand.b0d6a74b324c3a35

Ji-ah took a 0b8e1264a7 deep breath. The questions 02dfbdd421 she wanted b3ff9565b9 to ask 5db14d3069 were on a2ceb47bff the verge e4ac8dcbf8 of spilling 1a5390e2a6 out, like 6f4744b351 a jumble bea9639068 of things 2f8af55836 hastily shoved 4d30d74d2d into an 67c09af588 overflowing closet.9f74918d40cc6d49

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

[Who are you? I told you I don’t have a father]

Her fingertips trembled c808c6014a as she typed. Ji-ah leaned back a1ba558578 against the car 3a7e95d382 seat and closed d06731c2a9 her eyes.fecabe79604f650f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

I don’t have a father.e161ba651c15f40f

I shouldn’t have one.e38e5bd4aff10f42

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Through her briefly 57b0cf5758 opened eyelids, the 5c754258e8 young woman who f9f338ced6 resembled her father 52737b6531 in demeanor flickered adf3158d8a into view, then d243d7c36f vanished the moment b10335bc28 she closed her d8aea24ada eyes again.155f19366654ab17

“Haa.”53b75e4c941353ca

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

A damp, fishy smell cbc5773657 emanated from somewhere in 4c5034a65f the rental car, which bf9e32eda7 she had borrowed to 1827611a39 avoid being recognized, to b1c7d97f43 hide the fact that 0a39464239 she had come here.1e1b2027ac813cc4

It was the 2487dcdb54 smell of rain 8fdb7b57b2 from an umbrella 167ec62716 she had hastily 13ffb606fe pulled out during 39125b7dea a sudden downpour 6004a8dcd1 in the afternoon.641ab2217c64b7f2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘Ji-ah!’60e6b660dd681172

‘Dad!’8774f2aaea485a34

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘Dad brought an umbrella!’7bfec1df06cc0539

These days, they say 96b45bfe1a it’s not a downpour c2feaa9cf9 but closer to a 55bb8bcc32 squall. A squall. The kind that ad083f858a falls in tropical a509dfd410 regions. Rain that comes 45413f8b70 down in a 166af78a53 flash and stops 02eb2d5538 just as suddenly. It falls d96cd3fe61 for only 49331c7002 a few 8aa57837e5 minutes, but edc914ffa7 by the 44ab499336 time it 48e7953e63 passes, it 97dc262b12 leaves one 0a744393b6 completely soaked.7c193e3e0a148bfc

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Her father 87fe24e7ff was a 395e56c475 being like 470f2ddb24 that. He came for a 6c89d74ae6 moment and disappeared just 82106e7388 as quickly. And having fe353741e5 done so, 13791e1897 he left 9cb685cfb5 a mark aba4c1f8ae on her 9e44ecb983 life and 87bcf399bd vanished.d7f7e1a56ec0e93f

‘Her dad ran away!’bca93dc8793c32df

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘Yoo Ji-ah 27cbc6cf86 is the c30c0dcc8b girl with a00e7bfd0a no dad!’77cafad49cb44e1a

At six years old. The father who would personally come to pick up his daughter when she forgot her umbrella, the father who would hold her hand and stroll through the park with her every weekend, packed only his own things and vanished overnight. It was the day before Ji-ah’s school talent show.d2d7b88fcbc1798b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Leaving behind her 75166a2dda mother, who was 753491edf1 running around wailing 1ecf78b071 in search of 9b44a71435 her father, Ji-ah e8a2636b02 went to kindergarten 690ec4aa13 with her maternal db71876c95 grandmother. And there, fb335f3fef she diligently 23f781230a performed a 767c45e6b5 fan dance 2aef2af42b that no fce2340033 one was eff9245d73 there to 38fc67e76c watch.e8496385a62bf1b8

With every single eb232b50aa step, question marks 235da9ad47 rained down, leaving 78138d9036 dotted trails like 0e8aa9f89c a shadow.54b52b943724604d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Why? Dad. Why?c797f9dd16fe64e8

The space that should have been occupied by the father who had promised to come to every graduation ceremony and take pictures, who had smiled brightly while vowing to work hard until he could walk her down the aisle, remained forever empty in Ji-ah’s photos.51e23da3de6b2f71

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

In place of her d10f447d96 half-devastated mother, Ji-ah lived 3705ee7165 her entire life doing 1ffbabe577 her best. As if 8edf815a09 to erase e52de1d2bb the traces cb925e96dc of her 0107532ab0 runaway father, 48ed234dfa she took 7f7c35bfd0 her mother’s c93ace7a23 surname and 15af159dcc ensured no 562f6d01d9 one could e20eede58e ever find c899b0c3af fault with e846bed0bf her.00ed183d638772b0

Of course, things didn’t always go well.511d097733dbf63f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘How can we welcome 095a883dcf a fatherless child into 4bdaf3ca8f our family? And her 23d2726663 mother is a97eb0d716 sick, too.’0ed923dc05e0edc1

‘Oh, Mom!’24e4a189f0c2172b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘Maybe it’s because she 6a51c1d513 grew up not knowing 1da63e882b how to be loved 48e6247cf7 by a male adult. She’s not 709d90ae07 very affectionate.’5d04a5645d04fa00

The day she met her first boyfriend’s parents.9ed5a3bc778fef37

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Hearing such 638d506724 words spoken 6bc5cf77a5 to her 1e59f82b65 face hurt 252a7f4179 her, too. No, perhaps the words a6120c4b16 she heard from him 62426b2ee2 after they left were 3f71d983d9 even more hurtful.19cf5b039eea8e86

‘Sorry. I can’t go 54089120a0 against my mom. Let’s call off 26e83d7d28 the wedding.’ae8fff6c01ea0939

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘But since we’re on c6e46c7d69 the topic… to be 3fefbd32be honest, I always thought 1aa9e7c1f7 you were unaffectionate, too.’7fbacf15d5161d51

‘We’ve been 98476b57b5 dating for 9d2c10b30a over a 0f52d13cde year, and a9530941d9 we haven’t 6db0f6d627 even slept b19af19313 together. That’s not normal, e8100694fa Ji-ah.’5dfc7cd92df4a09a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Her chest seethed like 7d671b19f6 a volcano, making it 8f9911d1b7 unbearable. When she 1599d2f352 got angry 56297bcc40 at his a006e994b6 words, what 15dcfda3e5 was his 219ae50095 response?5724a9f96366698c

‘What did you e0c046e1f8 just say to 2cc10bb9dd me? You called d7d94ce862 me a 73499d932b bastard? Is that how c865fd775d you talk to 5df2a384db your boyfriend who’s 9abca8879f thinking of you?’638699b7b774e56b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘I see 44e08ef176 now why 55b0d0af6a your dad 5496298932 abandoned you, 555610164f you crazy 90822f5bb1 bitch!’392067b3845888a8

Why couldn’t she understand the reason that everyone else seemed to understand?739bc8bbaa7aaf14

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

After that, Ji-ah 82545c2150 lived with even b0b9d80208 more grit. All that was left 1085b21e4f was spite. While living 7d7adba13b tenaciously, she 3743c0f6b2 was seized 3aa152dc04 by fits fcdbe4dbd3 of curiosity. The reason why she, 2dc344c76d and her mother, had 144e9cc1f9 to be hurt.f4708750d0d83da0

So, at least f21b953010 the reason.35f0b64026ad46be

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

…At least eff7839c6b that damn a00cb9c6f2 reason.3b3acc8393df0aac

It was 1366895228 about two 19c3777e3f years after 72d202aa29 that when 6c7d87b21e she stumbled 73e12a7724 upon her 2d93588dfa father by 1c96c06395 chance.794cdb3602cc1881

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘Aigoo, our Executive Director e29ec17a5c Kim. Have a drink.’e0028032c1172c18

It was early 8c26e52183 winter this year.6b478966054ef492

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Her father, 1357d1befb having a dd7b204d61 company dinner 033ea3e133 inside a bd2f570ee7 distant, smoke-filled 713eccdc83 barbecue restaurant, 7c5df25191 looked completely ad628b456e different from 17282116cf how she e18fd3ba06 had imagined.a3ec78a6d6065147

His face, at least, hadn’t changed from her memory. Though he had more wrinkles, the large, round eyes he had passed down to her were the same. The gentle mouth and slightly crooked nose from her memory were also there.cd7657c47dda3a55

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

However, his face, 5f4bf3126f which she had f1bc5c5ca5 expected to hold 3db95701d5 at least some 672a5d7c56 guilt, was filled 2104000be4 with a soft, aabc196c4e happy smile.e67fc9d3447fbce7

When the thoroughly drunk 2c473ddeea man returned home, it 17ab2c4ee6 was not her mother 64a3d05ecf but another woman who d5d27b42fa came out to take 84f6764261 his jacket.a2f21a00ed5d8d08

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘Honey, you’re late.’2137e364e7413991

‘Aigoo, you were 42b01046e7 waiting up?’fecf3122c5dca0e3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘Dad, you drank d36c928b72 again?’4599b080eda967c8

‘Our daughter is 46b03b2811 here, too!’59f814633d770b37

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘How much did you c6a293ff1a drink?’eea18f307f98083d

‘Should Dad have a 7e7aae6c3b drinking match with you 4f6091c17c next time? Huh? Our daughter’s an 1570263006 adult now.’dddd4d9ed4824da9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

‘What do you cd41fdb8af mean, now? I turned twenty two 32e498ec9d years ago!’af54a3bac6fe7fe0

And his college-student 6ac3619fc0 daughter, exactly six 648846f43b years younger than 4ea0975bd1 her own twenty-eight-year-old e06e95b7fa self.15e462cf21eacda7

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It was 0b42944485 then that d61c2f8eab she decided 57e53d083c to join 03957cab3e Sekyung Group, 11076c8583 the company c8adf07864 her father dfd0b7d005 worked for.0f08ea580ead68fa

The corporate giant, which 1e71857245 had started in construction af5b251a84 and now had its 64a7a85d1f hands in all sorts c9dda8a73b of businesses, was not db7e185748 an easy place to 61d85d69c5 get into.d6679516df5c6b2b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The fact that she addc7ff494 had never neglected her a3eda90e6d studies throughout her life 822c24f8e1 was a small help. While she c8a3508a7e lacked experiences c267a158d9 like extracurricular b4d641dc5f activities or 542fe9ee05 studying abroad ecc304c1e2 compared to 415447e6e3 others, Ji-ah 06736c1356 managed to d834083304 cover for 05dd4d0f07 that with 9eba1eb22e various contract 9e7eb07c42 jobs and 686c3247a2 barely scraped 8964c6e9dc her way 97a14fed25 into Sekyung.fb4a3cca7e962f55

It wasn’t that she wanted revenge or anything of the sort. She still just wanted to know the reason. She wanted to at least be able to ask.55bea64697a2cc59

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

‘But he 1a5afbce7a had to 43847b1aa5 go and ba9bf756a3 die before c715048616 I could.’b5a1660fb88dc741

Suicide.cff92f863ecc5654

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Only the hollow cause 3d6dcd2c7d of death circulated among 9ecb9af1d1 the company employees.a863f0f70dc88bf2

Did you 69d7e10d22 hear Executive 82f17c99ae Director Kim 2bd9d16680 died? They say it was 3ce602f591 because of debt. I heard he 8ca90d0c30 had depression? No, actually, he f2b4a90fba was caught for 3291671e92 embezzlement and killed 579cd99c74 himself.bc2b767173b440b9

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

While worthless speculations 4b81735a25 flew around, only 9a0f6bd005 Ji-ah was left 62d5812966 behind, unable to 9c70ba00df find a reason.2f796bb218bf79c7

‘And now, of all 051f788a03 times.’1f0a54458b89d079

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

To say it wasn’t a suicide.4aeff881a8d955a6

‘If it wasn’t?’5a5f8aa9036c5201

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Did that mean ca19df9499 someone had stolen 781917352f her reason, the e4dfdc8765 very thing she 6f070cb8de needed to know?1f947cd22c7bc49f

Flinch.Ji-ah forced her f5a7be71c9 closed eyelids open.Hooo. As she 71fbdb76df let out 224143d27c a long e419b2ee01 breath, the 248715ced8 surrounding scenery 4476197992 had changed 5ab2e20201 slightly.dc9ef2b24a2e6cdd

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…”2226b82620d2affa

It was eerily quiet 5fbffd48d9 all around. Everyone had vanished. It seemed they f9f64863b6 had all gone bb27ec3c94 inside.69ce45d7b08f21ad

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

An unsettling feeling floated ffc6cf058b in the damp air 79ba354dc6 of the empty underground aa52dc97f3 parking garage.ea709a2342ee11a6

And yet in 56b8f96285 the midst of 1282d7db94 all this, her 33b7103ae6 phone screen was eedc743df3 still brightly lit. As if 555786ae7a it were 8b9adb0e08 waiting for b642af53cb her answer. Ji-ah let out a a56d9ed135 sigh.b4d8e66b652a97e7

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

[Proof.]

The many questions she 7b93cae277 wanted to ask instantly 0534f367b3 disappeared into the empty 5ed8266dc7 space of the backspace cdf3fcf695 key. In the 9b7c9e702f end, that bb99b14194 was the 195046546e only word da72ef809f she sent.69cc68eed9860e77

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

[What proof?]

[Proof that it wasn’t a suicide.]

The icon indicating the 15df20381c other person was typing 9fa830f767 filled her vision.542c5fb5cd28a69d

The persistent, damp 5bedf76270 smell kept awakening 2aa236abd4 her memories.096792fea012c87f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Ji-ah! Dad brought an umbrella!ea825d1dc0daac50

It was the moment 254bfdbe5b she hastily got out 5a9b76668f of the car and 66b3194b44 began to walk, as 58b05ec9f3 if to flee from 35d57a28b8 that shout.3643e7bee9db7849

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Ding. 7117689a93c0db3e

A reply arrived.a48d1c511d07a52a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

[The culprit…]

CRASH!4d6adfdf7ba9c60a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Before she bc49e7937e could finish b25cf2b924 reading the a5d0347ad6 screen, an a04c8da733 explosive sound abde4e6ff1 erupted from 74fc8246fb not too d26e2d199e far away.a9908ecf52984dd2

Startled, Ji-ah’s body stumbled 30d63156e0 and fell between the 285e3d0251 parked cars. In that aa4c7aada2 moment of d20c1122ba carelessness, she 8799e3a178 dropped her 87ab0373eb phone, and 90a1c0d99f it slid f166574f21 somewhere out ff36bd434a of sight. As the 12ed0f3e64 flustered Ji-ah 3488b65aae used her 5fce8254b0 hands to 62380575a5 brace herself fd87be0175 on the bc50310b15 ground and 05c3fa7dd4 search for 695041d977 her phone, 2eb6f16b73 a voice d025968f96 spoke.b2fb26ae2a4e1548

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“So, fuck, c24f9f1af5 do I cccfe12168 have to 6205fe291f come all e66c692007 the way a080f41610 to a 0e727682d6 funeral parlor 664ba198b8 just to 236b9640e6 clean up d7e229e410 two corpses?”f1927d472a655d17

A refined, ff39e94302 beautiful voice, 58ef967a24 utterly mismatched 708f999c07 with the a34477ff75 vulgar words, 6dd9f06169 drifted through 3434614655 the air.65a992a900624c4e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Ji-ah lifted her head. She saw 3cafed2d48 a back f1be4899de not far 6efe50cbd2 away.ab0fda6c220b50b6

It was the back of the same man who had been consoling her father’s daughter just moments before. The heavy scent of cologne mixed with the musty air of the underground parking garage.9d5cc102eebb7604

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Ji-ah saw 56582b26e5 another man bd610f04a3 kneeling before 37102cffa1 him. A man whose face 1b8eb5dc83 was covered by a 0262bbedd7 motorcycle helmet. A moment later, 7624dc0ad4 something red trickled 1dd3f3eaf8 down from beneath c480b2d195 the helmet.23a595dcdce8d6b5

The figure 8037d6f5ea very slowly, dcc8bc57e7 collapsed.60b71662e85d12b7

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator