CHAPTER 14

*

Taeheon pressed their bodies closer together again. His thigh brushing between Yeonseo’s legs.

“This is your way of pushing me, huh?”

“Even if you try something, I won’t be scared of you.”

“Shall we see about that? I’m curious about what how far I can go too.”

“…Mr. Taeheon.”

Yeonseo’s eyes widened as something hard and blunt rubbed against her lower abdomen.

What was that?

“I can’t tolerate anyone picking up what I’ve discarded.”

“Whom did you discard… ugh!”

His probing knee boldly pressed between Yeonseo’s legs. She blushed and tried to push him away, stuttering in protest.

But the rush of pleasure was overwhelming. Gradually, her resistance weakened, and her body grew limp as she succumbed to the sensation.

“You should think about Mrs. Kang, whom you truly love. To avoid any trouble, you should know that it’s more convenient for you to be on my side, don’t you think?”

“Ah!”

“Do you think Woo Seungbin could betray Director Woo?  If you were a woman more valuable than her own bloodline, he wouldn’t just go around involving himself with just any woman, right?”

Taeheon shook her mercilessly, causing Yeonseo’s waist to twist as if having a seizure.

Despite feeling tormented, she couldn’t understand why she was allowing herself to be swayed without resistance. She felt dizzy, as if the steam from the bathroom had reached her head.

“Grandmother likes you, Han Yeonseo.”

“…Ugh, you’re a blackmailer.”

“Open your mouth. So that you won’t even think of going to that jerk, I’ll give you pleasure.”

“I-I’m bad…”

“That’s right, you’re a bad girl. I want to torment you until you’re completely under my control.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“I’m not sure, but it seems that way.”

How many times did their lips meet? Only after Yeonseo pleaded and apologized did she manage to break free from Taeheon’s embrace.

Taeheon, leaning against the bathroom wall, gently withdrew his lips. Yeonseo sobbed as she gave him the answer he wanted.

“Hmph, I won’t have any more private, inappropriate affairs with Seungbin… I- I promise.”

“Yeah, you do that well.”

“Hmm, yes.”

“Just know that I can’t stand lies.”

“I understand, I do… I get it.”

His large finger that stroked Yeonseo’s neck felt hot. She quickly lifted her gaze, which was looking downwards, trying to avoid his arousal.

As if betraying the intense emotions on display, Taeheon remained expressionless. He still appeared calm. As much as she resented that, Yeonseo realized she couldn’t hold it against him.

After all, in order to be of help to Mrs. Kang, she had no choice but to firmly grasp his leverage. Her attempt to preserve her pride resulted in submission.

*

Last night, before midnight, Director Woo had contacted her first.

He asked her about Taeheon’s decision to transfer to Shinju Hospital instead of Gukhan Hospital, but there was only so much she could say.

When she recalled the incident with Seungbin, Yeonseo felt gloomy, as if she was sifting through unorganized papers. She couldn’t help but feel hesitant to confront Seungbin as she was worried that unfavorable rumors might reach Mrs. Kang.

Mrs. Kang gave in to Taeheon’s wishes. Yeonseo spent the morning organizing Mrs.  Kang’s belongings.

During Mrs. Kang’s nap time, Yeonseo rushed down to the first floor of the hospital after handing over her place to Yoonhae, who had rushed over after hearing the news.

She used the ATM to transfer a large amount of interest and a small remaining principal from her account. The deadline for repaying the loan interest was today, so she couldn’t delay any longer.

“Done.”

When she saw the completion message of the transfer, the heavy burden on her chest felt slightly lighter. The envelope Taeheon had given her contained a large sum of 50 million won, but she hadn’t touched that money yet.

She was torn between using it to repay her debts or returning it to Taeheon. If she used the money, she felt like she would be caught up in a deal involving Mrs. Kang, which troubled her conscience.

But when she thought about her overwhelming debt, she wanted to cast away her integrity. Money can sometimes make people do wicked things. Yeonseo’s father was an example. She didn’t want to become like him, so she hesitated.

Leaving the noisy area, Yeonseo headed towards an outdoor bench and took the opportunity to call her father, Han Moon-sik.

He had been admitted to a hospital specializing in alcohol addiction in Incheon three months ago. He caused a disturbance with a weapon while under the influence of alcohol and was detained, ending up in the hospital.

The phone rang for a long time, and she became anxious as he didn’t answer immediately.

What if he got into another accident? Why isn’t he picking up? What is he doing and not answering?

Suddenly, panting, Moon-sik answered the call.

• Yes, Yeonseo. My daughter

“Were you in therapy? You’re took so long to answer the phone.”

• Oh, no, I was just talking with some people. Did you eat?

Who says that? Just because he doesn’t drink now, he thinks he’s a good husband and a good father.

Han Moon-sik was like that. As long as he wasn’t drunk, he was a caring person. It’s ridiculous.

“Oh, and I just sent you something.”

• Oh my daughter has struggled a lot. She keeps suffering because of her lousy father.

Cough, cough. The sound of her father’s dry cough reached Yeonseo’s ears.

“Are you catching a cold?”

• No, it’s nothing. It’s just… It’s so stuffy in here.

“Maybe you should get checked, just in case.”

• I know my body. I just need to get some fresh air to feel better.”

“But still, hold on a little longer. They said it’s too early for you to be discharged, right?”

Though Moon-sik was a jerk, Yeonseo couldn’t completely turn her back on him. Not because she loved him, but because she was afraid that if he got into trouble with loan sharks again, she would be burdened with the consequences, even if it meant being in a terrible situation.

Yeonseo had been burdened with guilt her whole life, so she repaid the debts and supported her father out of that feeling. Could she love a father like him?

• I want to get out of here so badly. Yeonseo, can I leave now? I won’t drink anymore. Okay?

“You’ve said that before too. You made the promise, but you couldn’t even last three days without drinking.”

This wasn’t the first time he had been hospitalized. The last time, he had used the same begging tactic to convince her to let him leave, and she had fallen for it.

However, once he was out of the hospital, he not only drank but also headed straight to gambling dens. In the end, he only increased his gambling debts.

• It’s so tough here. People are terrible… and the food is terrible.

“Dad.”

• And now, I also need to earn money and pay off the debts. I can’t rely on my daughter forever, can I?

He acts like a responsible father only during times like this. Moon-sik had never earned money properly even once. It was Yeonseo’s mom, and then her grandma, who took care of the family. Both of them were no longer in this world and Yeonseo couldn’t help but feel that their early deaths were somehow Moon-sik’s fault.

Added to that, with Yeonseo’s difficult situation, the future felt suffocating and dark. Whenever she tried to pinpoint where things went wrong and search for the cause, only the vivid memories of her past emerged and the thoughts of her pitiful mother became more prominent.

“Just endure for just one more month. Hold on for one more month. If you do well, it will give me strength too.”

• Yeonseo, Dad is really struggling here.

The words weighed heavily on her, but she tried not to let them weaken her. She’d seen this trick of appealing to her emotions and then getting away with it, one to many times, in all her life.

She must not fall for it again. The doctor in charge of him had said that she needed to be firm this time. Especially for Moon-sik’s sake.

 “I’m ending the call now. There’s a call coming in.”

Ignoring his response, Yeonseo ended the call. She wasn’t lying, her friend Hyeonho was really calling.

Baek Hyeonho was her childhood friend. They grew up in the same neighborhood and had been like family since they were five years old. Although they hadn’t been able to meet as often since Hyeonho started working as a fashion model, they were still close.

When Yeonseo couldn’t afford her university admission fees, Hyeonho readily lent her money, and he had been a great help when she moved to Seoul for her career.

Hyeonho was not just a friend, he was like a close friend and a confidant. Unlike her friend Jiyeong, who lived a luxurious life, it was easier to confide in Hyeonho about difficult circumstances. Especially in times of hardships, he was the one person she could rely on.

As Yeonseo’s life was tough and Jiyeong wouldn’t understand her difficult situation easily, Hyeonho was the only friend she could open up to completely. With a bright smile on her face, Yeonseo answered the call.

“Hello?”

• Your call took so long. Are you dating someone?

“Didn’t you say you went to Japan, Hyeonho?”

• I’ve been back for a while now. You didn’t even know when I came back. How disappointing.

The familiar comfort of Hyeonho’s deep voice eased her mind, and Yeonseo let out a light laughter.

“You didn’t even tell me when you were coming back.”

• I came back yesterday. Oh, this time I almost died for real.

Lately, his agency had been putting too many schedules on him, he’s complaining that they were pushing him too hard. It seemed like this time was another forced march. Being in a profession where he had to keep his body fit all day and stand in front of people without eating properly, the stress must have been extreme.

Feeling sorry for Hyeonho, Yeonseo’s eyes softened with concern.

“Take it easy for a while. You must be exhausted.”

• When are you coming up to Seoul? Or should I come down there?

Hyeonho would often visit Yongin to have a good meal with Mrs. Kang and then return back home.

“It’s a little difficult right now. I’m in Seoul, but…….”

• Where in Seoul? What’s going on?

“It’s hard to explain in detail, but I’m just at the hospital.”

• Is Mrs. Kang not feeling well?

Hyeonho was quick to catch on.

“No, she’s doing fine. If I can see you before I go down, let’s meet.”

• When are you going down?

Well, that depended on Taeheon. Even if the test results were good, she had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy to get discharged.

“I’ll let you know when it’s decided.”

• Hospital food sucks so if there’s something you want to eat, just text me.

“Lobster?”

• Are you really buying some?

Yeonseo chuckled saying it was a joke.

• I’m free for a while, should I visit your father?

“No, don’t do that.”

Yeonseo replied with a sighing voice. Even though Hyeonho didn’t have any particularly positive feelings towards Moon-sik, he still insists on visiting him.

“Really, please don’t. I don’t want to feel embarrassed in front of you.

• Ah, I’m doing it on purpose. I plan to tease you later and have some fun with you.

Yeonseo laughed again. It had been a while since she heard Hyeonho’s voice, and somehow, it made her feel better.

Looking up at the sky, Yeonseo stiffened when she saw someone coming out of the hospital.

It was him. The ruler of disaster.

“Hyeonho, I have to hang up now.”

• Sure, send me a text. Do it often.

“Yeah.”

Yeonseo quickly hung up the call and hid herself. She didn’t want to be noticed by Taeheon. The memory of what happened in the bathroom was still fresh in her mind.