Chapter 2.3

A moment later, she stood at the sink after leaving the restroom. Her reflection in the mirror was pale, devoid of any color.

Even though she had thought it might be the case, confirming her pregnancy left her feeling empty. It was as if the ground beneath her feet had disappeared. The thought of raising a child alone was something she had never even considered.

Suddenly, the man’s face vividly came to mind. Despite that wretched night, his neat and composed face had never faltered.

Yoon-jae tightly closed her eyes and shook her head vigorously. Whatever the situation, she had to deal with it on her own.

He probably wouldn’t even believe her.

She kept imagining the man sneering coldly. He would surely ask if the child was his. She could even hear his icy tone vividly.

If she were going to be treated coldly, it was best not to get involved again. Yoon-jae let out a small sigh and stepped outside.

The OB-GYN sign prominently displayed on the building’s directory caught her eye. She could go straight to the hospital, but for some reason, her feet wouldn’t move.

She put on her helmet and started the scooter. Her mind was restless and confused. No matter what decision she made, she would have to visit the hospital.

But for now, she didn’t want to do anything. Yoon-jae twisted the throttle hard and left the spot. She needed to return quickly, finish the dishes, and clean up to have some time to rest before dinner.

When she returned to the site, she saw the container full of dishes. Yoon-jae got off the scooter and lifted the box.

She securely fastened the container with straps and got back on the scooter. By the afternoon, the direction of the setting sun had changed, making the icy roads harder to see.

Yoon-jae frowned and carefully examined the road. She planned to avoid the icy spots. As she scanned the road, her gaze landed on people walking in the distance.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. She instinctively turned her body away, avoiding the man who had come into view.

Why now, of all times?

Her heart pounded. Her hands and forehead grew cold. Seeing the man appear out of nowhere felt like her breath had stopped.

Han Baek-geon stood next to Cheong-o. While she wasn’t sure about Baek-geon, she feared Cheong-o might have seen her.

She desperately hoped he wouldn’t remember her. The contempt in his gaze, as if she were lower than an insect, was still vivid in her memory.

Her chest tightened. She thought she’d feel anger, but instead, she felt fear. Tears threatened to fall, so Yoon-jae lowered her gaze and bowed her head deeply.

She hurriedly tightened her helmet and sharply turned the handlebars. She was filled with the overwhelming urge to leave the area immediately.

It wasn’t something she’d normally do. That’s why it caused a problem. The dishes in the container rattled, and the lid must have opened because the smell of stew wafted out.

“Ugh.”

A sudden gag reflex hit her. Yoon-jae instinctively let go of the handlebars. Despite carefully checking for icy roads earlier, her impulsive action caused the scooter to veer off course.

“Aah!”

With a scream, Yoon-jae fell to the side. The scooter, which had just picked up speed, slipped on the ice and tilted, pinning one of her legs underneath.

She closed her eyes tightly and searched her pocket. She was trying to find her phone when she heard murmuring voices and saw people rushing toward her.

“Move the scooter first. We need to help her.”

The familiar voice belonged to Cheong-o. Yoon-jae kept her eyes tightly shut, ignoring him.

Those surrounding the man hurriedly lifted the scooter at Cheong-o’s command. The weight pressing on her leg disappeared.

“Are you okay…? Huh? Yoon-jae…? You’re Yoon-jae, right?”

At Cheong-o’s voice, Yoon-jae turned her head to the side and remained silent. Of all times, why did it have to be now, in the worst situation? Her desire to pretend she didn’t know him kept her lips sealed.

“Well, I was wondering where you’d gone, and here you are, stuck in a place like this.”

Cheong-o muttered as if he understood the situation. Yoon-jae bit her lip hard. The pity and sympathy in his voice stirred up more anger than sorrow.

This is all because of him.

Fortunately, those words didn’t slip out. In truth, it wasn’t Cheong-o but the man behind him she needed to confront.

Instead, her vision burned with anger. At the same time, fear slowly took hold of her heart. She took a deep breath.

“Well, fine. Let’s talk about that later. First, let’s deal with the accident. How’s your leg? Can you stand?”

It would’ve been better if he had pretended not to know her, but Cheong-o, now certain she was Yoon-jae, asked casually. There was no choice. Yoon-jae nodded slightly and got up.

“Ow.”

“Your leg was pinned, right? Are you okay?”

Cheong-o supported her and asked with concern. Yoon-jae suppressed the urge to push his hand away and stood upright.

Her leg appeared fine on the surface. But when she cautiously took a step, she felt a dull ache.

Cheong-o promptly offered support. She subtly brushed off his hand. Limping slightly, she took a few steps and found she could manage.

“I’m fine. Thank you.”

She spoke in a distant tone, as if addressing a stranger.

“Hey, So Yoon-jae. If you act so cold…”

Cheong-o seemed surprised by the cold reaction, expecting her to acknowledge him. Yoon-jae awkwardly stood, pretending not to notice him.

“Yoon-jae, can we talk for a moment…?”

Cheong-o turned his head as he called her. Yoon-jae felt a long shadow partially covering her and instinctively stepped back.

The man was the same as ever. Seeing his broad shoulders wrapped in a suit and his tall, lean body made her swallow dryly.

She was confused about where this tension was coming from. Yoon-jae lowered her head to avoid meeting his eyes.

“What are you doing, Chief Gong?”

Baek-geon called Cheong-o with a low, reprimanding voice. Cheong-o scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“Well, she just suddenly popped up here. After disappearing without a trace, what is she doing at the apartment site?”

Cheong-o quickly replied as if making an excuse, then supported Yoon-jae by the shoulder.

“I was thinking of taking Yoon-jae to the hospital. Would that be alright, CEO?”

“I’m fine.”

Yoon-jae shook her head in fright. When she tried to shake him off, Cheong-o’s grip on her shoulder tightened.

“I can’t just leave you like this. CEO, I’ll take care of Yoon-jae for a while.”

Baek-geon turned his eyes at the request. His gaze landed on Yoon-jae. She flinched and unintentionally met his eyes.

In a brief moment, it was Baek-geon who looked away. His gaze naturally and indifferently passed over her.

There was no movement, not even an expression. He looked at her as if glancing at a banner on the street and then turned his head.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t hurt by that composed expression. Yoon-jae bit her lip. She had prepared herself and vowed to return his indifferent gaze, yet she couldn’t help but feel pained.

The painful realization poured down like hail, leaving marks on her heart. It hurt to know she couldn’t say a word to him despite knowing he was the cause of all this pain.

Perhaps she was more conscious of it because of the unfamiliar presence in her belly. She couldn’t deny that the man had been vividly on her mind since confirming her pregnancy.

“Why are you asking me?”

A cold voice interrupted. Cheong-o scratched his head awkwardly.

“I thought I should get your permission, CEO…”

“It’s fine.”

Interjecting between Cheong-o and Baek-geon was a rather impulsive action. However, the reason behind it wasn’t impulsive.

In fact, she was more clear-headed now than ever. Anger and resignation had sharpened her mind.

Even if she told him she was pregnant, he would surely ignore her.

She had expected this. She didn’t know why she felt so disappointed when she hadn’t even hoped for anything. Even the brief moment her breath caught felt foolish and stupid, bringing tears to her eyes.

“I’m busy with work. I’ll be going now.”

Yoon-jae nodded to Cheong-o, who looked at her with a worried face, and limped toward the scooter.

She received the scooter from the men who were staring blankly. Quickly mounting it, she started the engine and turned the handlebars.

She didn’t look back. Instead, she increased her speed to leave the place as quickly as possible.