“For the first time in my twenty-five years daddy wrote me a letter”

I said out loud “From Park Yeong-Gyun”. As I stood there in the kitchen my knees started to buckle and a shiver rode up my spine. I felt repulsed and I immediately dropped the letter and tried to wash my face to get me out of this state of shock, but nothing helped. I fell and cried for the next thirty minutes feeling terrible that I couldn’t do anything to help myself. 

There was nothing I could do for now but to keep on living my life. So, I got my bag and left to go work out. At the gym, multiple tv’s showed the daily news saying…

“Good morning today on SB* we have some sudden shocking news about events which occurred last night at 4:17am. The priest Park Yeong Gyun who was found out to be leading a cult has died. The cult has been found to extort mass amounts of money from their followers that has accumulated to 12 billion won. Before the police got to the church, there was a mass sucide from all of the followers including the leader, believing to have said that they had the “gateway to heaven”. The group suicide was an idea from the leader as last resort to hide from the police, as found from a letter sent to the police from Park Yeong Gyun’s assistant who has currently fled from the country. In other news…” it projected.

I fell off from the treadmill but instead of feeling pain, I felt nothing because of the adrenaline running through my body. Years of pain suppressed suddenly flooded my brain and I went blank. All my senses were blurred now and all I could hear were voices yelling at me saying “Are you happy now?… ARE YOU?!?!”. I could see nothing. Everything was dark. I couldn’t tell what I was feeling relieved? Sad? I couldn’t think. Slowly it felt like everything was coming back to me bruises, cuts, blood. 

“Blood? BLOOD! Are you okay? Your leg is bleeding? Do need to go to the hospital? Hello can you hear me?!?” a woman cried. The women woke me up and I could see multiple people starting to crowded around me and staring at me in concern. All my senses started to come back and the sudden smell of sweat made we want to throw up. 

I got up and looked down. There was a big scrape covered with blood all over my leg, but I couldn’t feel anything. As I was trying to get up, the woman tried helping me but I just shrugged her off. All eyes were on me as I slowly walked to the lockers to get my bag, but I didn’t care. I left and walked back to my apartment. As I was walking people looked at me with different expressions. People came up to me to ask if I was okay but weirdly enough, even as they had showed me compassion I felt alone and scarred. I didn’t know how to feel and I ignored everyone.

When I got to my apartment, I rushed to open the door. I went to the kitchen and I stared at the floor looking at the letter. I was still reluctant to read it but I was curious. I slowly picked up the letter and carefully opened the envelope. I took out the letter and saw a couple marks that looked like someone cried on it. After struggling to read the letter for a good minute I finally looked at it and it said…

“My dear daughter, are you happy now? I know what I’ve done and I’m sorry. I’ve repented for my sins over the past 12 years. God has made be become this way for a reason but, everyday I’ve been trying to make it up to you by praying. For the past 5 years I’ve found others who would come and join me to our path of salvation and I think you should come. Tonight at 3:30 at the church* we will go up to heaven and reach salvation. I know you must hate me, but this might be your chance at redeeming yourself at life. I hope you can come and save yourself. 

                                                 From your father.”

I was flabbergasted and I just stood there trying to process what I had just read until I lashed out. “That BAST*RD! What are you even sorry for? This is what I get after all these years! You trying to MURDER ME! The fact that you waited for me to come because you thought I cared. You don’t get to be my father. I hope you rot in hell!” I shouted.

*VRRRR… VRRRR I jumped a little. I looked for my phone and saw it was an unknown number, but I still picked up. “Hello?” I said. “Hello? Is this Park Ye-eun?” a woman said. “Yes” I spoke softly. “Your biological father has passed away and he has no other family members. We would like for you to come see him to decide what to do with the body. Can you come in now or we can schedule a time that works for you.” she stated. “I can come now can you send me the address?” I said quickly. 

The woman gave me the address and I took the bus to get there. When I arrived they escorted me into a room where they held his body and I stared. The people there left the room and waited outside so I could mourn alone, but there was nothing to mourn for. As I stood there my face slowly grew into a smile and I laughed. It felt great knowing he was gone and that he had no one that would care for him.

 From a distance I heard something and it slowly grew louder. I was startled for a bit until I realized what the noise was coming from. I ignored it though and my smile just grew. The sound kept getting louder until I finally deciphered what it was trying to ask me.

“Are you happy now?”