"Pfft… hahahaha!" Jiho laughed openly, clutching her stomach slightly as though she couldn't contain her amusement. The sound of her laughter, so carefree and mocking, reverberated off the walls.
Her stepmother, who had expected Jiho to react in anger or fear, now found herself staring in utter confusion. She didn't understand why Jiho was laughing, and that confusion only deepened her humiliation.
Jiho gradually calmed, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye. "Ah…" she exhaled, her voice still tinged with residual mirth. She looked down at her stepmother, who remained frozen in disbelief, and said in a voice that turned sharp and cutting, "Do you really think breaking your precious vase is the big thing I've done?"
Her stepmother's confusion deepened, but before she could respond, Jiho raised her hand and gestured toward the wall. Her finger pointed directly at a photo frame hanging there, a family portrait.
