The Price of Hidden Sins

“Ashley, cous,” she heard the greeting as her glass was clinked by another champagne glass.

Her head turned toward the source of the voice. And her eyes caught a familiar figure she last saw around five years ago—as a surprise guest at her home in New Zealand. That girl had arrived in pieces then, heartbroken and a mess, if memory served her right. And her following days had been forcibly filled with listening to the girl's non-stop cry.

The corners of Ashley's lips were drawn wide without realizing it. She warmly embraced the eccentric girl standing before her. Dressed in a bright yellow babydoll dress paired with a hot pink blazer, fifteen-centimeter heels of the same color, and an array of piercings sparkling on her face and ears.

Sera Song, her cousin. Who had a similar fate to her, though their circumstances weren’t entirely the same.

The one person in their family who could be just as annoyingly stubborn as she was. And yet, ironically, the only family member who always bothered to keep in touch with her.

Even though Sera often brought chaos into her life, and their interactions caused her inconvenienced or frazzled, Ashley didn’t mind. Instead, she felt happy and entertained. Sera’s presence, for all its trouble, indirectly made her feel like she still belonged to the Song family.

Because the rest of her relatives, including her own parents, barely spoke to her unless it was strictly necessary. Aside from urgent matters, they would rather ignore and treat her as if she were an invisible ghost.

“You lucky girl,” Sera teased, a mischievous grin playing on her lips, "You’ve got a reason to stay in Korea forever.”

"Is that what you think?" Ashley’s smile faded slightly.

She didn’t mind the idea of 'staying in Korea forever'. But whether it would bring her happiness or simply add to her burdens, she was still uncertain.

Even though Joshua Lim—who had officially become her husband an hour ago—had been treating her very well so far, she couldn't just take that for granted.

Considering that what they are doing is a political marriage.

Everyone has their own motives. And everyone, perhaps, wore a mask.

“I almost thought you wouldn’t show up. You missed the ceremony, and the party is already halfway through.”

Sera leaned closer to Ashley’s ear. Her hand that was not holding the glass was cupped near her mouth. “Sorry. I'm stoned. I drank too much last night.”

She followed with a crisp chuckle. “My mom doesn’t even know when I got to Korea.”

Ashley's eyes narrowed to hear Sera whisper.

“As if that’s a secret?” she teased, striking back at once.

Sera responded with a glance full of annoyance. Though there was nothing she could deny from Ashley’s two-sentence statement.

First, everyone knew Sera was a heavy drinker. Her parents had even struggled to prevent the news of her addiction and mischief from spreading. Secondly, because of her uncontrollable behavior, her parents had sent her away from Korea immediately after high school graduation. In order to minimize news that could potentially affect the company's stock.

Their shared story of exile is probably what made Ashley open enough to accept and tolerate all sides of Sera. And according to her, for Sera, being friends with her might be like having an ally.

Two girls who were forced to live away from their own families. To the Song family, they were thorns rooted in the flesh. There was a risk of rotting, but even if the thorns were pulled out a thousand times, their roots would still remain.

“Thanks, though, for coming,” Ashley sighed, ”Seeing you makes me feel less alone.”

Sera clicked her tongue.

“How pathetic,” her gaze sweeping over Ashley from head to toe. "So that’s why you’re standing here all alone? No one in the family wants to claim you, and no one out there wants to be your friend either?"

Sera's expression was made up to look exaggeratedly shocked with widened eyes and a gaping mouth—prompted a mix of irritation and amusement.

“You do realize, don't you, that you have such a nasty mouth,” Ashley countered, half-annoyed but unable to suppress a laugh. Sera had a way of delivering harsh truths as effortlessly as a joke.

Ashley raised her glass, gesturing toward the buffet table.

“I managed to get approval to bring two people. You've met one of them. Bella. Remember?”

Sera's eyes followed the direction. Spotting a person she had often quarreled with over trivial matters, back when she ran away to Ashley's house.

“How could I forget?” Sera grumbled, “I’ve never met anyone with such a horrible personality."

Ashley grinned slightly. As much as she hated to admit it, Sera wasn’t wrong. Bella—her childhood friend, next-door neighbor, and probably the person who sided with and protected her the most—could turn into a monster at one time, but could also have the tender heart of an angel at another. It took a long time to truly understand that girl, indeed.

“Also there are some friends from middle school I still keep in touch with. You might recognize some of them," Ashley added, nodding toward a small group of guests not far from where Bella was.

“The blond guy next to Bella,” Sera’s eyes lit up, more interested in the first piece of information than the latter. “Is that your other friend? Is he Bella’s boyfriend?”

“Yes… and no.”

Hearing that, Sera immediately put her glass down on the cocktail table in front of them. Then quickly took a mini mirror from her bag, touched up her makeup, dabbing on powder, and fixing her lipstick.

Ashley watched the whole scene with resignation while sighing repeatedly. As if she knew exactly what Sera was up to and where this was headed. “Whatever. But if you get hurt, don't come looking for me.”

“You said he's your friend,” her hands were busy putting her things back into the bag, ”That means the percentage of him not being a jerk is about fifty percent. The rest, it's your responsibility.”

“What resp—”

Her words were not even finished, but Sera already took a few steps away. Her head was shaken faintly and her grin stretched thin. No matter how much she was warned or threatened, nothing would stop Sera. So she just let her cousin go without moving an inch from where she stood. At least, as far as she knew, her friend was not a jerk.

Left alone, she sipped two to three mouthfuls of her drink as she looked around again. Looking to see if Josh was still laughing with his friends or had moved on to another place to make small talk with family acquaintances.

Without any meaningful intentions, Ashley had done this several times since they parted ways to greet guests. It was almost like a reflex, though she didn’t understand why. It could be because she was subconsciously curious about what the man was truly feeling behind that ever-present smile. Or, she simply wanted to confirm his whereabouts—nothing more.

Once she found him, Ashley cast her glance quietly near the fountain. The place where the man was currently chatting with his other friend.

Then went back to sipping her drink with a wandering mind. When will this boring event end? Why was time moving so slowly? What if she ended it herself?

The thought impulsively urged her to cross the garden and head to her room. But her plan suddenly slipped her mind as she passed through the restaurant door that connected the hotel’s garden to the lobby. Ashley accidentally caught the figure of Josh who had already walked into the restaurant from another door. His face looked flustered with an equally agitated look in his eyes, repeatedly checking his phone screen and circulating his gaze around the room in turn.

Then when the man stopped his repetition and hurried to the point of almost running towards the lobby, Ashley's curiosity got the better of her. She lifted the dangling tail of her sheath dress as she walked quickly to follow him.

At the far end of the lounge, the figure in a jet-black suit disappeared behind the rows of palms that served as partitions. Showing a faint silhouette between the gaps of the not-so-lush leaves.

The closer Ashley got, the more clearly she heard the sobs of a girl’s voice. So she slowed her steps, careful to keep her shoes from tapping too loudly, and making sure she did not hear wrong.

“Why did you come? You shouldn't be here.”

Josh's deep voice softly broke through the muffled cries.