“Just following orders.”
“That defense quit working after the Second World War,” I mutter.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing.” It isn’t Mr. Choi’s fault Mom’s being so controlling. She’s probably flabbergasted that I’ve managed to survive without a bodyguard or an assistant for three weeks.
When I arrive at the Aylster, Ms. Kim’s waiting in the lobby. She takes me to the spa on the seventh floor. Mom’s already in a gown and sipping a glass of herbal tea. A spa receptionist is answering her questions.
I change and let Mom choose the treatment, since it’s her money and she’s determined to get my skin back to its usual condition. But for me, this facial isn’t even about my skin. I just miss being pampered and having time to de-stress. The masseuse expertly strokes and massages away all the tension in my face and scalp, which makes me feel more optimistic about life in general.
After we’re done, I apply some makeup. I’m impressed with the spa staff—they’ve left me absolutely glowing. And that mud scrub mask was the bomb.
I go to a huge resting area, which is empty at the moment, and take a table. A uniformed spa receptionist brings out a cup of warm herbal tea that will apparently help me to “detox.” I don’t really think I’m toxic, but the tea is good.
Mom joins me minutes later and receives a cup of tea as well. “We should go shopping,” she says after a few moments. “You need new clothes and shoes. Possibly some accessories, too. I can’t believe Eugene deprived you the way he did.”
I shrug. “It wasn’t too terrible. I mean, other than not having a car, not having a driver, not having any money to buy gifts for Ivy and Tony’s babies, and not having a bodyguard to stop a crazy woman from attacking me. Aside from those tiny incon—”
“Somebody attacked you?” Mom’s eyes are wide and her voice is awful.
Oh, crap. Now she’s going to want to know who it was. Even if I lie about it—well, not exactly lie, but withhold certain information, like who Ella really is, so Mom won’t consider Declan guilty by association—Mom’s going to find out. “She wasn’t very good at it. She fell. And broke her nails.”
“Still. Attacking you? My God. This is why you have to have bodyguards! Especially in a city as dangerous as Los Angeles. It’s full of animals.”
Better yet, my family could have not tried to force me to marry. “Eugene shouldn’t have taken away my people.”
“He shouldn’t have, but… He’s been distracted.”
Oooooookay. This is weird. She was horrified about the attack and she should be mad at Eugene for leaving me unprotected. But instead, she’s behaving like Eugene’s some poor little victim. “Why are you trying to defend Eugene?”
Mom looks around to make sure we’re still alone. One of the spa receptionists is Korean-American, and you never know. “Things aren’t…calm at the moment.” Her voice is low.
“Not calm how? What happened?”
“A minor incident.”
“I’m not getting the impression it’s minor. Did Eugene do something?”
She lowers her voice even more. “He’s getting divorced.”
The shock feels like a literal slap in the face. “What?”
“Keep your voice down,” Mom hisses.
I immediately comply because otherwise she isn’t going to say another word. “Why?”
Eugene’s marriage is a merger marriage. He can’t divorce his wife unless he plans to untangle all the joint ventures.
Is he that unhappy with his wife? After all, he was so proud of the fact that they had a son. He made it sound like that was a sufficient reason to maintain his marriage.
“Sera…” Mom sighs, shaking her head.
Oh no. She didn’t call Eugene’s wife aga or any of the other affectionate words she often uses. The last time Mom called Eugene’s wife by her name was when she received a detailed dossier on her before Sera and Eugene met for the first time.
“…has a lover,” Mom says. “Well, she’s had him since even before she married Eugene.”
Outrage surges through me like a tidal wave. What the… That bitch! “She met Eugene while she was with another guy?”