Home / Romance / The Price of Hidden Sins / Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

All Chapters of The Price of Hidden Sins: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

33 Chapters

21. Where were You Today?

When Josh stepped into the house, the first thing he saw was his mother, seated stiffly on one of the sofas in the living room.She was facing the entrance—the door that separated the foyer from the rest of the house—as if she had been waiting for him all this time, ensuring he would catch her expression the moment he walked in. Sour and tense.Josh’s steps faltered. He still couldn't guess what he was about to face at that moment. As far as he knew, there was nothing wrong within the family. He also felt that he hadn't done anything wrong lately, especially to his mother. In fact, compared to his older siblings, he was the most obedient, the most reliable.Yet his mother’s piercing gaze cut through him. Her eyes unblinked. With her arms crossed in front of her chest, she watched Josh approach her in silence, without saying a word.Josh swallowed hard. The air in the room was thick with something unsettling, something oppressive. It was eerie and cold, despite the lights still burning
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-31
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22. Accidentally Met?

If his mother was asked a question like this... The biggest possibility was that she had already found out. Although Josh himself didn’t know how.Maybe someone had seen him with Sharon as they spent the day outside together. Maybe it was his own mother who saw them—no, his mother would've immediately confronted them both—especially Sharon—not called him alone at this time of night. Or maybe Jason had seen him with Sharon at the restaurant this afternoon? Although he was sure Jason hadn't seen Sharon at the restaurant, there was still a slight possibility.Or—Could Ashley have complained to his mom?His mom didn’t just ask about today. But she mentioned last night. If it was really Jason or someone who knew him, they wouldn't know that he stayed at Sharon's apartment last night.Was this all Ashley's doing?Clearly, right now he had to answer very carefully.The probability for him was fifty percent for an answer. One to tell a lie, and one to tell a little lie.Because as bad as it
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-31
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23. Kneeled by Mother's Feet

Josh was frantic. He couldn't answer anything. His voice suddenly disappeared as if swallowed by a complicated life dilemma. It was as if his entire body was swallowed by quicksand with thousands of leeches eating away at his body.His current situation was really difficult. Being forced to choose between the interests of his family and his feelings for Sharon, was like telling him to commit suicide. There was nothing he could choose. There was nothing he could prioritize over the others. Everything was important to him.That's why he kept in touch with Sharon despite agreeing to break up with her. He had done everything he could. He was even willing to spend a lot of time making plans and being more careful so as not to get caught by anyone.But Min Jinah was really a surprise. He hadn’t thought of her at all, as his mother had never mentioned her. He believed it was all over since the incident from years ago had been resolved and faded over time.He suddenly felt incredibly naive
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-31
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24. The Real Fire Starter

"Then how about last night. You haven't answered where you were last night?"Josh again swallowed his saliva with difficulty.“At home,” he replied softly. “Of course I was home with Ashley.”His mother glanced at him without interest. Even though she didn't actually know whether her son was lying or not—she herself had asked this one question only because Min Jinah was babbling incoherently about how she wasn't sure if she'd seen Josh or someone who looked like Josh going out late at night from his apartment on the wedding night."I hope you're not lying. I heard something uncomfortable, but I don't know if it's true or not... But leaving a woman alone on the wedding night—that would hurt her a lot. You have to understand that."Josh's jaw hardened.Remembering that he not only left Ashley last night, but also fought and was rude to her, made his guilt tingle again."I also want you to keep your other promises. We can't wait too long,“ her mother thought again, ”should I legalize our
last updateLast Updated : 2025-03-31
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25. The Evidences

"Yes. Interesting, isn't it?"“That brother of yours seems really stupid, huh.”"He's just blind. That girl is very good at clouding his common sense. Sometimes I wonder what it is about that girl that makes Josh cling so tightly, as if he’s incapable of letting go—as if her presence is inescapable. Like it's impossible to let go of the shadow," Jason paused."That girl is like a leech, Mr. Lim. That's why your brother has a hard time letting go of her. Just like a person with a severe addiction, for him she acts as both a parasite and a source of opium."Jason was quite impressed by the former journalist's reasoning and judgment. He couldn't disagree against it—because what she said was so true. Her words were disturbingly accurate."You sound like an expert. No wonder you used to be such a great journalist.”“Used to be? What about now?” Jinah’s voice held a tinge of irritation."Of course you've become more skillful and professional. If you weren’t reliable, I wouldn't have reached
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-01
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26. Self Reflection

Tonight Josh was forced to return to his own home. After his very intense conversation with his mother, it was clear that he didn't dare to go straight back to Sharon's apartment.In fact, he was unsure whether he should be determined to stay away from Sharon for a while, or whether he should be stubborn enough to meet her secretly as usual. Which of course came with consequences that were far worse than before.If he took the first option, compromised with Sharon and kept their distance—even though the girl would explode in anger and refuse to part with him without listening to any reason, as he had tried in the past—maybe he would be able to delay a little time to find a way to get back together with Sharon without having to worry about any sanctions.But if he took the second option, by continuing to prioritize Sharon and breaking his own promise—which he had even said with a face full of guilt less than an hour ago—then, he really had to be ready to accept a punishment that would
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-03
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27. Sleep in the Same Bed

There was no need to think too hard right now, because no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts kept spinning in the same endless vortex. There was no light at the end of the tunnel. Nor did there seem to be any easy way out. Everything was dark—as if he were trapped alone in a labyrinthine abyss, with no light, no clues, no hope of escape.The more he sped up his running, the more he amplified his screams, or the more desperate he was to find the exit... all he found was the deeper he got lost.Maybe he didn't need to solve everything right now. Maybe, tomorrow, he would find a miracle—something that he hadn't thought of yet.Josh decided to clean himself up after sitting there for a while.Still only half-aware of his actions, he wandered toward the master bedroom. It was pure instinct—a reflex from his body seeking the most natural place to rest. Even after Josh realized he was standing in front of the door, he didn't immediately turn around or back away. He didn’t panic. He just
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-04
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28. Ssshh

Josh woke up in a much better condition than before. As his consciousness rose to the surface, and his eyes peered open, he could feel the fatigue that had previously settled over his body had now vanished. Perhaps not entirely, but it was enough to make him feel lighter and more comfortable.He turned her head to the side—just because before going to bed he remembered Ashley was there—and found emptiness. The lighting in the room was also still the same as last night, the curtains were still closed, and it was so quiet. It certainly piqued her curiosity, about how long he had fallen into a deep sleep and what time it was.Slowly, he got up from the bed and sat himself on the edge. Then he swept his gaze across the room as he recalled where he had last placed his cell phone.After a few careful head turns, his eyes found the phone lying on the coffee table by the window.Josh then stood up and walked towards the location of his cell phone. Intending to check the time and if there were
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-05
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29. An Agreement

After carefully watching Ashley's gestures, facial expressions, and the look in her eyes, Josh was finally able to translate what she meant.His mouth then automatically formed the letter ‘Aah’ as a response that he understood.Then, Josh tried to hold back and postpone everything he had planned before—looking for Ashley because he wanted to continue their conversation yesterday. Although it couldn't be denied that the intense turmoil in his head, in his chest, at the base of his tongue—all of them—wanted to be spewed out and resolved as soon as possible, just to alleviate the suffocating pressure caused by the pile of problems with the other party. Which had not been resolved at all, but rather grew, and grew.But no matter what, he still has to be able to control himself. In order not to be caught off guard by something that could harm him as it has in the past. He, also, had to be calm. That way, he would be able to see the big picture of the position at least, after the unknown wo
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-06
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30. No Reason to Refuse

But Josh still didn't move.His eyes did seem to follow the direction where his father pointed to a folder with his chin. But as soon as he dropped his gaze on the inanimate object, his imagination and hopes about the future of his life with Sharon died.The sound of his father's cell phone broke the short silence between them. After checking the identity of the caller, his father's finger slid over the button and answered briefly. A “Hello” was followed by a few “Hm-hm” and finished with “Yeah, I'll be right there.”Josh watched his father's movements from the tail of his eyes in silence. With his mouth tightly shut and head still bowed, he stared at the folder that held the record of how his life story would end.The man who had almost the same facial lines as Josh glanced at the woman beside him for a signal. The woman, Josh's mother, nodded while flashing a faint smile.“Don't try to make trouble, or even spoil it,” the old man stood up as he straightened his suit, "We've already
last updateLast Updated : 2025-04-07
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