CHAPTER 3

*

Surely, she was just making a passing remark, trying to make a lighthearted joke.

Looking at Yeonseo, who was deep in thought, Mrs. Kang asked.

“Yeonseo, aren’t you having fun?”

“Could that be possible? Grandma, I really enjoyed it. Especially the shrimp sauce, it was delicious.”

Yeonseo replied confidently with a smile. However, her mind was in a turmoil.

It’s not possible that Taeheon will be returning to Korea for good, right? He must have stopped by here for a short while only. Taeheon’s not the kind of person who is free enough to stay here for a long time.

“I’ll get up first.”

Taeheon pulled out his chair and stood up first, which was good to hear. He was holding his cell phone with a bright screen as if he was getting a message.

Yeonseo’s expression, as she looked at him, turned pale.

“I’ll be staying here for a while.”

Taeheon stopped and turned his head slightly to look at Yeonseo. Yeonseo’s lips, which were smiling a moment ago, stiffened.

What?

“So, you’re really in Korea for good? What about the work you were doing in the United States?”

“It’s in the final stages. I’ll finish it in Korea.”

As Yeonseo weakly smiled, her eyes met with Mrs. Kang who was smiling brightly.

This was definitely a bad sign.

*

Mrs. Kang finished her meal and went to her room, saying she was tired. Yeonseo took out her medicine and stayed by her side until Mrs. Kang fell asleep.

If all goes well, Yeonseo will be able to sleep until dawn. Mrs. Kang was going to bed earlier and earlier and waking up before dawn, so Yeonseo had to move accordingly.

Leaving Mrs. Kang’s room, Yeonseo headed for the small room adjacent to it. Her living quarters were arranged in the closest room so that she could rush to Mrs. Kang at any time.

“Ms. Han.”

Woo Taeheon?

It was a low voice. She stiffened like an animal caught in a trap and when she turned around, and sure enough, there stood Taeheon.

He was wearing lightweight slacks and a t-shirt. He was dressed more casually than before and there was a faint scent of shampoo coming from him.

It was a cool and refreshing scent, not the peach fragrance that Yeonseo wore. It reminded her once again of the fact that he was a stranger.

“Yes, did you call me?”

“Do you have a resume?”

“A resume?”

“Answer the question. Don’t make me ask twice.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t have a resume.”

Why the resume all of a sudden?

Yeonseo tilted her head slightly.

Could it be that he wants to confirm if I am suitable as a caregiver?

Yeonseo, who was hired without an interview through Director Woo, didn’t need to submit a resume. So Taeheon might be curious.

“If you don’t have one, write it and bring it. My room is upstairs at the end.”

Before Yeonseo could respond, Taeheon turned and walked away, his flip-flops clicking down the silent corridor.

Left alone, Yeonseo went into her room. She turned on her laptop, printed out a resume.

She graduated from a normal high school, went to nursing school in Seoul on a scholarship, got a job at a large hospital. And now, she was twenty-eight years old.

Lacking outstanding qualifications, Yeonseo’s confidence dwindled. He wouldn’t ask me to leave, would he? Losing my job once was enough.

Yeonseo nervously took her resume and went up to the second floor, where she rarely stopped by, and felt a strange chill. Surely, it was because Taeheon was there.

According to Mrs. Kang’s words, a house resembles its owner. If Taeheon were to stay here for a while, the second floor might become a cursed sanctuary, steeped in darkness. With caution, Yeonseo cautiously lifted her foot.

*Knock knock knock*

“Come in.”

His voice came immediately, as if he’d been waiting, and Yeonseo flinched at that. It felt like she was stepping into something she shouldn’t have.

Taking a deep breath, Yeonseo pushed open the door and entered. The clean room, with a large bed, a desk, a built-in wardrobe, and a sofa, seemed a bit small to accommodate Taeheon.

It was about three times bigger than the room Yeonseo was staying in, but he was a man who would be more suited to a luxurious hotel than a place like this. She wished he would hurry and go to such a place.

“Sorry for being late.”

Yeonseo added the apologetic words as a gesture of goodwill.

“Bring it here.”

Taeheon, sitting on the sofa near the window with his legs crossed, tilted his head while Yeonseo politely handed him the resume.

“Sit down.”

“Okay.”

Yeonseo, who had been standing still, slowly moved back and sat down with her butt on the one-seater couch diagonally across from him.

As Taeheon attentively looked through the unremarkable resume, he smirked.

“It’s quite amateur compared to Director Woo’s standards.”

“Pardon?”

“How much did you receive from Director Woo?”

Feeling unsure if it was okay to reveal such information, Yeonseo hesitated and tried to buy some time.

“How much did you receive?”

“…Five million won a month.”

“You’re earning better than when you were working as a nurse.”

“…Yes.”

“Considering Director Woo’s network, the compensation is low.”

Director Woo’s network?

“I heard that you’re being chased by loan sharks. You have a debt of 300 million won, and the monthly interest alone is 4.75 million won. It seems that you’re barely able to cover the interest.”

How did he… know that?

“Do you know that the price of a conscience is cheap?”

Unable to organize her confusion, Yeonseo struggled to find words to respond.

“I apologize. I don’t quite understand what you’re referring to, sir.”

“There must be something special that Director Woo wants from you.”

“…Are you referring to reporting about my work?”

Every day around midnight, she would send a message to Director Woo with details about Mrs. Kang’s meals, sleeping hours, and any notable information.

Taking his eyes off the resume, Taeheon lifted his chin to look at Yeonseo.

“Whether it’s reporting or passing on Director Woo’s words to Grandma, unnecessary information must have been exchanged.”

Reporting to Director Woo once a day about Mrs. Kang’s health was part of her contract when she was hired. It was natural for children to be concerned about their parents’ well-being and she had never questioned it.

It was a necessary check, she thought, since Mrs. Kang’s health was dependent on who she was seeing, and her immune system would plummet when she was stressed.

“Did Director Woo said that if you fulfilled your role properly, he would give you more money after grandmother passes away?”

To hear the term “fulfilling one’s role properly” caught Yeonseo off guard. She had never interpreted her role in such a way, so she honestly felt bewildered.

Yeonseo’s pupils shook anxiously, putting strength into her hands.

“Either you’re pretending not to know, or you’re really stupid enough to not know. Whichever way, it’s disgusting, honestly.”

Curling her cold fingers into a tight ball, she tried to organize her muddled thoughts.

“Are you going to report like this today? Mrs. Kang had an increased in appetite since Taeheon arrived, and she seemed to be in a better mood than usual.”

“……”

“But there weren’t any significant changes in her health.”

It was similar to what Yeonseo usually reports. She felt like a bee in honey, quietly listening to Taeheon’s words.

“On other days, you would say something like this. Mrs. Kang gives land in Yongin to someone. She gives a building in Gangnam to someone.”

The words coming out of Taeheon’s mouth were frighteningly true.

“Do you still not get it?”

Yeonseo believed that conveying Mrs. Kang daily activities to Director Woo was simply a son’s concern for his mother, who couldn’t keep her mother who was not in good health by his side.

She had simply regarded Director Woo’s filial piety sympathetically and had diligently reported Mrs. Kang activities in meticulous detail…

Was that wrong?

“Are you saying that I’m acting as a spy?”

Yeonseo’s voice was trembling uncontrollably. Taeheon drummed his fingers on the armrest of the couch, counting down the seconds.

“When Grandma passes away, who do you think will benefit the most?”

“Benefit? Such… a person has passed away, so does that make any sense?”

“At least Director Woo Jang-hyeok would be happy. If he manages the inheritance well, he will be quite satisfied. And to do that, he would need to investigate around Grandma and he’ll need someone to keep a close eye on her, right?”

“Are you… implying that it’s me?”

“Are you finally starting to catch on when it’s spelled out for you?”

So, Director Woo intentionally monitored Mrs. Kang…through me.

But… the two of them clearly had a good relationship. Mrs. Kang always greeted her eldest son with a smiling face.

It was hard to imagine that Director Woo had any ulterior motives, given his friendly face.

“You’re saying that Director Woo received such a report from me because he had ulterior motive? It doesn’t make sense…”

There was no conviction in Yeonseo’s voice. The more time passed, the less certain she was that she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“But you two are family.”

“Ms. Han, your relationship with that person who didn’t hesitate to borrow money from loan sharks isn’t exactly harmonious too, is it? There are many kinds of relationships in the world, and you shouldn’t jump to conclusions, think about it rationally.”

“I… I really didn’t know.”

“Well, it’s refreshing to see you this clueless.”

Taeheon’s rebuke felt unfair.  However, more than that, Yeonseo was worried about Mrs. Kang.

She wondered if she had caused something unfavorable to happen to Mrs. Kang due to her actions.

“Better to be greedy than being stupid.”

He gestured towards the coffee table. On top of it was a white envelope.

“What’s this?”

Yeonseo asked in a trembling voice.

“It’s the price for your life, Han Yeonseo. It’s time to use your head wisely.”

Trembling, Yeonseo reached out her arm and opened the envelope, then froze. It was a check.

If it was my life’s worth, it had to be a cheap price.

But for some reason, she was afraid to see the amount.

She was convinced that the more zeros there were, the heavier the burden she would have to bear. Yes, this was the price of Yeonseo’s ignorance.

“In the future, report to me before contacting Director Woo.”

“Are you telling me to continue reporting to Director Woo?”

“Yes. But report to me first, and then to Director Woo.”

If Yeonseo had been playing the role of a spy, then this meant she would become a double agent in the future.

The suggestion to use her head wisely probably meant that if she didn’t accept this proposal, she would be rejected.

Yeonseo’s mind seemed to be thinking now. She let out a heavy sigh.

“I’m sorry. I never intended to cause harm to Mrs. Kang… or to anyone…”

“Are you going to take care of your conscience?”

Taeheon mocked. Her heart sank.