Chapter 4.5

By the time Yoon-jae returned to the kitchen, the trembling in her body had subsided. She tried her best to maintain a neutral expression as she looked around for something to do.  

“We’re done here, so change out of the uniform and return it.”  

The manager, who had approached her without her noticing, adjusted his glasses and spoke coldly. Yoon-jae quietly walked into a small room, changed out of the uniform, and came back out.  

“Borrowing clothes, hiring someone who can’t even work, and now we have to pay her too. And she doesn’t even know how to fold clothes properly.”  

Even though she had folded the uniform neatly, the manager’s expression turned sour, and he immediately began complaining. Yoon-jae pretended not to hear him and bowed her head.  

“Wait here. You’ll need to finish cleaning up before you get paid. Since you’re not one of our employees, there’s a lot of paperwork involved in transferring the payment. Just finish up here and take your pay directly.”  

The manager handed her a pair of gloves, which she put on before starting to clean up. She loaded dishes into the dishwasher and began organizing the leftover food.  

While she worked alone, the catering staff left with the manager. No one paid any attention to Yoon-jae.  

Hyun-kyu was nowhere to be seen either, having left already. Even if he had stayed, he was a guest; she couldn’t have asked him for help.  

After finishing the cleanup on her own, Yoon-jae finally slumped down, exhausted. She removed the gloves and dragged her swollen legs as she walked, only to be approached by Butler Song.  

“You worked hard today.”  

His voice was polite but not warm, as always. Yoon-jae shrank back slightly as she looked at the envelope he held out to her.  

It was undoubtedly sent by Baek-geon. She had already received her pay, yet here was more. She recalled Baek-geon’s earlier words about giving her a billion won.  

The mere thought of using that money to abort the child, as he had insinuated, left a deep wound in her heart.  

Thinking about it, Yoon-jae couldn’t accept the money. She shook her head and refused.  

“Just take it.”  

“I heard I’m supposed to stay and serve until later.”  

Even in the face of her defiant response, Butler Song calmly waved his hand.  

“It’s fine. From now on, the CEO will be spending time privately with close acquaintances in a private room, so there’s no need for you to stay. Don’t worry about it.”  

Yoon-jae tried to return the envelope, but Butler Song had already turned and disappeared.  

She felt utterly drained. Still, she tried to console herself that accepting the money wasn’t wrong if it was for the sake of her child. If it was enough to rent a small studio apartment, it would be a relief.  

Lowering her head weakly, Yoon-jae stepped out through the kitchen’s back door. She saw the path leading around the garden.  

The party in the distance was clearly winding down. She slowly made her way toward the main gate, only to bump into a man.  

The collision was so forceful that she stumbled back a few steps. Startled, her face turned red.  

“Hey, you b*tch.”  

The rough-looking man was clearly a gang member. Yoon-jae’s face turned pale.  

“I-I’m sorry.”  

“Sorry? What the f*ck are you saying, you stupid b*tch?”  

Even though she hurriedly apologized, the man, clearly offended, grabbed her hair violently.  

“Kyaa!”  

She let out a short scream as the man smirked. He reeked of alcohol, clearly drunk.  

“Now that I look at you, you’re pretty decent, huh? Hey, how about you let me have a go? Judging by how you’re sneaking out the back of this house, you must know the owner, right? Let’s see how he likes it when I f*ck you right in front of him.”  

The man laughed wickedly, dragging Yoon-jae by her hair. Her scalp burned, and stars danced before her eyes.  

With a loud slap, he struck her cheek, then began dragging her toward the entrance.  

“Where’s Han Baek-geon? Huh? That bastard. Get out here before I rip all your teeth out!”  

The commotion caused a stir. The remaining guests in the garden murmured and gathered in groups. The house staff rushed out.  

The man raised his voice with a relaxed demeanor.  

“What? Not coming out? Han Baek-geon, I’m telling you nicely—come out now. Or else, I’ll cut up this woman right here.”  

The direction he had come from grew noisy. Men who appeared to be his subordinates poured into the garden.  

They immediately began flipping tables and breaking objects. Guests who couldn’t avoid the chaos screamed and fled toward the gate.  

The front door opened, and Baek-geon’s subordinates rushed out. In Yoon-jae’s line of sight, she saw Cheong-o. His face, usually calm, now looked fierce and sharp.  

“Oh? Wow, Chief Gong, you were inside? Were you hiding like some helpless woman with a stick up her as$, whining and complaining?”  

“Yook Chang-myung, you bastard.”  

Cheong-o ground his teeth as he glared at the man. At that moment, Baek-geon stepped out to the front door. He crossed his arms leisurely and opened his mouth.  

“I was wondering who was making such a fuss, and it turns out we have an uninvited guest. I didn’t invite you because I figured a lowlife like you would cause trouble, and you didn’t disappoint.”  

“Hey, you son of a b*tch. Han Baek-geon, today’s the day you die by my hands. Get ready to be beaten like a dog in front of your men.”  

The man suddenly smirked as if he had just remembered something, then threw Yoon-jae forward.  

“After that, I’ll have a good time f*cking her right in front of you. You’ve been busy acting all noble, sucking up to Chairman Sungjin Construction’s daughter, haven’t you? Haven’t had time to see how real men do it, huh? I’ll give you a show before you die—a proper send-off to the afterlife. This woman looks like she’s built for it; she’ll probably grind just fine.”  

Baek-geon’s gaze shifted toward Yoon-jae. For a moment, a cold light flickered in his dark pupils. However, he responded with ruthless composure, showing no sign of emotion.  

“I’m not interested in a stinking used-up c*nt. If you’re so eager, go do it with your wife later. After I take the life you owe me, I’ll make sure to send her off with you too.”  

“You son of a b*tch.”  

The man pulled something out of his chest pocket and charged toward the front door. His subordinates also began pulling out weapons and rushed forward without hesitation.  

Yoon-jae realized what the man was holding—it was a knife. The gleaming silver blade caught the light and shone menacingly.  

“Ah…”  

She swallowed her scream, instinctively curling up to protect her belly. All she could think about was protecting the baby inside her.  

“Move!”  

Someone’s voice rang sharply in her ears. Yoon-jae reflexively crouched lower and began crawling in the opposite direction.  

Suddenly, the lights went out, plunging everything into darkness. She had no idea what was happening, but she kept crawling and crawling.  

The feeling of grass scraping against her hands and knees was vivid. She hadn’t yet made it out of the garden—it was clear. Gritting her teeth, Yoon-jae kept moving forward.  

She prayed that no one would come her way. After crawling for what felt like forever, her hand finally touched stone. It was the paving stones lining the perimeter of the garden.  

Only then did Yoon-jae feel a slight sense of relief. She crawled over the stones toward the shrubs, pulled her knees up, and curled herself into a tight ball.  

Screams and shouts filled the air around her. Yoon-jae covered her ears and shut her eyes tightly, as if she could block it all out. She wanted to pretend she neither saw nor heard anything.  

It was just like before. All she had to do was stay quiet, hold her breath, and disappear without a trace—like she wasn’t even there. She imagined herself vanishing completely as she lay still. 

How much time had passed? The chaos around her faded, replaced by an eerie silence. Amid the stillness, Yoon-jae heard Baek-geon’s voice.  

“Turn on the lights and find her!”  

Moments later, someone grabbed her arm and yanked her up. Yoon-jae, drenched in tears and sweat, finally looked up to see a man’s face.  

“Ha, sh*t.”  

With a low exclamation, Baek-geon pulled her upright. He clicked his tongue as he took in her disheveled state.  

“Too stupid to even escape properly.”  

Only then did her body begin trembling. His scolding, though not truly harsh, sparked a sudden surge of resentment within her. When Yoon-jae raised her head, Baek-geon slipped his hand behind her knees and scooped her up.  

“I’ll leave the cleanup to Chief Gong. Take care of it for now.”  

The subordinates bowed their heads in unison. Lastly, Cheong-o, his eyes still glinting with excitement, bowed deeply.  

Without another word, Baek-geon carried Yoon-jae into the house. She closed her eyes tightly, letting herself be held in his arms.  

Amid the familiar scent of him, there was an odd smell. It was raw and primal. Suddenly, Yoon-jae realized it was the smell of blood coming from Baek-geon.  

Her stomach churned violently. She covered her mouth with her dirty hand.  

“Just hold on a little longer.”  

Baek-geon’s voice was calm as he carried her into the elevator in the foyer. After a short ride to the second floor, he walked straight to his bedroom without hesitation.  

“You’re safe now.”  

After laying her down on the bed, Baek-geon spoke in a firm, emotionless tone. His gaze lingered on her face, which was trembling even with her eyes closed.  

He wanted to wipe away the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes and tell her to stop crying—that everything was okay now.  

His hand reached toward her face but stopped mid-air. He noticed the dark, dried blood on his fingers. In that instant, Baek-geon quickly withdrew his hand. He couldn’t let someone else’s blood touch her.  

He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. Instead, he spoke in a tone even colder and more detached than before.  

“Rest for a while.”  

He forced himself to walk away, his footsteps heavy.  

Even after hearing the door close, Yoon-jae couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes. The smell of blood made her stomach churn again, and she felt like she might vomit all over the bed.  

Trying to calm her roiling stomach, she fumbled in her pocket. Her trembling fingers found the anti-nausea pills. She quickly pulled one out, shoved it into her mouth, and swallowed it dry before closing her eyes again.  

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop her body and mind from shaking. Every time she closed her eyes, painful memories from the past came flooding back.  

Today, they were particularly vivid and relentless. She wanted nothing more than to escape the memories that clung to her like shadows.  

But they wouldn’t leave her. The events of the day must have triggered her trauma. She breathed heavily, unable to stop the tears that continued to flow, her small sobs filling the room.