looked into Junseo's eyes as he clung to me... and it dawned on me how easy it is to conquer a man who's already broken.
I realized that I'd become irreplaceable to him... just by extending my hand... while he was drowning in sorrow after losing both fathers at the same time. Poor Junseo. He's still stuck in that bathroom.
"It's me, Mr. Lee. Are you there already?" I whispered into the phone after stepping out of the room.
"Ah, yes. I just arrived at Junseo Yun's house."
I grabbed his toothbrush... and replaced it with a new one so he doesn't notice anything.
"Good. Now... please come meet me at my place," I instructed. Thud. The door clicked shut as I left.
I met Mr. Lee by his car. "No one was following you, right?" I asked, checking our surroundings.
"Yes, Ms. Baek. I made sure there weren't any journalists tailing me."
"Take this before you go, Mr. Lee. It's some hair. Please hold onto it along with the toothbrush."
He hesitated. "Uhh... I don't mean to be rude... But do you really need to go this far, Ms. Baek...?"
Poor Junseo. He was still stuck in that bathroom, drowning in sorrow after losing both fathers at the same time.
I needed to move fast. "It's me, Mr. Lee. Are you there already?" I whispered into the phone, standing outside the room.
"Ah, yes. I just arrived at Junseo Yun's house."
I grabbed his toothbrush and replaced it with a new one so he wouldn't notice anything. "Good. Now... please come meet me at my place," I instructed. Thud.
I met Mr. Lee by his car. "No one was following you, right?" I asked.
"Yes, Ms. Baek. I made sure there weren't any journalists tailing me."
"Take this before you go, Mr. Lee. It's some hair. Please hold onto it along with the toothbrush."
He shifted uncomfortably. "Uhh... I don't mean to be rude... But do you really need to go this far, Ms. Baek...?"
I fixed him with a steady gaze. "Why? Do you think I'm taking this too far?" I paused. "I know that... it's illegal to do a prenatal paternity test on a fetus... even if I do get pregnant."
He remained silent, so I continued, explaining my plan. "He wants a son more than anything. The minute he hears that I'm pregnant, he'll want to make sure that it's his." I leaned forward slightly. "His family isn't exactly dissuaded by the law."
"Then why...?" Mr. Lee asked, his eyes wide.
I looked away, remembering my previous encounter with the woman. "Yumi Cha, his ex-wife, told me... that Dohyeok isn't a good person and to be careful of him."
My own eyes narrowed, the ruthlessness of my plan settling in. If I was going to do this, I needed iron-clad proof. It was the only way to be safe.
"He wants a son more than anything," I stated, staring ahead. "The minute he hears that I'm pregnant, he'll want to make sure that it's his. His family isn't exactly dissuaded by the law."
Mr. Lee remained silent, his nervousness palpable.
"..." I continued, my voice firm. "You're awfully silent so I must be right. You knew all this, didn't you? That's why you chose to stand behind me, not Dohyeok."
He quickly scrambled to apologize. "I'm sorry. I was out of line. I'll hold on to the toothbrush and hair."
I gave him a sharp look. "Jeez, you've got gall. How could you even dare to do that at a school Dohyeok sponsors? Or did you think to do it because it's a school he sponsors... since his name will carry far more weight there?"
Tears began to well up in his eyes. "P-please don't tell Mr. Mun! If he ever finds out, my family will be ruined!!" His voice was desperate. "You know I'd never betray you—"
"Calm down, Mr. Lee. I won't either," I interrupted, cutting through his panic. I leaned back, a chilling calm in my tone. "Think of your daughters, Mr. Lee. You bribed and pressured their school in Dohyeok's name and asked them for copies of exams in advance, right? I promised I'd keep your secret. I'd hate for your adorable little daughters to have their futures ruined because of you."
He swallowed hard, wiping a tear from his eye.
"Thank you. You know what to do next, right?" I asked.
"I'm just happy that I ended up in the same boat... with someone as capable as you," he conceded, defeated.
"So stop fretting and let's get going. I need to be there before Dohyeok wakes up."
Hong Kong: A Side Job
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, a different conversation was happening.
"What are you talking about? I thought you were flying back with me," one man asked.
"I've gotta wrap stuff up with Mr. Ahn before I leave," the other man replied. "They're closing down the business here 'cause... it's not bringing in enough to offset the expenses."
"I'm sorry. I was out of line," Mr. Lee stammered, his hand clutching the steering wheel. "I'll hold on to the toothbrush and hair."
I continued to pressure him, my voice cold and calm. "Jeez, you've got gall. How could you even dare to do that at a school Dohyeok sponsors? Or did you think to do it because it's a school he sponsors... since his name will carry far more weight there?"
Tears streamed from his eyes. "P-please don't tell Mr. Mun! If he ever finds out, my family will be ruined!!" He pleaded, "You know I'd never betray you—"
"Calm down, Mr. Lee. I won't either," I said. "Think of your daughters, Mr. Lee. You bribed and pressured their school in Dohyeok's name and asked them for copies of exams in advance, right? I promised I'd keep your secret. I'd hate for your adorable little daughters to have their futures ruined because of you." His face was pale with fear.
"Thank you. You know what to do next, right?" I asked.
"I'm just happy that I ended up in the same boat... with someone as capable as you," he replied, accepting his position.
"So stop fretting and let's get going. I need to be there before Dohyeok wakes up."
Hong Kong: The Business Closure
HONG KONG
"What are you talking about? I thought you were flying back with me," one man asked the other over a meal.
"I've gotta wrap stuff up with Mr. Ahn before I leave," the other replied. "They're closing down the business here 'cause... it's not bringing in enough to offset the expenses."
"It sounded like you've been keeping in touch with Jaewoong. You were on the phone with him for a while," the first man noted, looking at a plate of dumplings.
"Oh, it's my uncle's birthday the day I arrive in Korea. He phoned just to tell me that he's flying back that day too," the second man said. "It's all thanks to you. He really likes you, you know."
"I think he's really grateful to you for teaching those bullies a lesson," the first man offered with a smile. "He asks after you once in a while when I'm catching up with him."
"If he's grateful, he should text and thank me himself," the second man grumbled, before adding, "No can do. He's smart, unlike me. He's got a great future ahead of him. If you rub off on him in any way, my aunt is going to flip out."
"Ha. Is that so? Do you think your family will let you come around again once you're back in Korea...? Your aunt and uncle, I mean," the first man questioned.
"I'm sorry. I was out of line," Mr. Lee said, chastened. "I'll hold on to the toothbrush and hair."
"Jeez, you've got gall. How could you even dare to do that at a school Dohyeok sponsors? Or did you think to do it because it's a school he sponsors... since his name will carry far more weight there?" I pressed him, ignoring his apology.
He grew frantic. "P-please don't tell Mr. Mun! If he ever finds out, my family will be ruined!!" He cried, trying to reaffirm his loyalty. "You know I'd never betray you—"
"Calm down, Mr. Lee. I won't either," I stated, a cruel calm in my voice. "Think of your daughters, Mr. Lee. You bribed and pressured their school in Dohyeok's name and asked them for copies of exams in advance, right? I promised I'd keep your secret. I'd hate for your adorable little daughters to have their futures ruined because of you." He was completely broken.
"Thank you. You know what to do next, right?" I asked.
"I'm just happy that I ended up in the same boat... with someone as capable as you," he conceded.
"So stop fretting and let's get going. I need to be there before Dohyeok wakes up."
Hong Kong: A Question of Loyalty
HONG KONG
"What are you talking about? I thought you were flying back with me," the older man asked.
"I've gotta wrap stuff up with Mr. Ahn before I leave," the younger man explained. "They're closing down the business here 'cause... it's not bringing in enough to offset the expenses."
The older man asked, "Ha. Is that so? Do you think your family will let you come around again once you're back in Korea...? Your aunt and uncle, I mean."
"I dunno... We barely talk," the younger man replied. "They say thank you whenever I send them money, but that's it. If Jaewoong's okay with things as they are now, I don't mind it."
The older man shook his head. "You've been working like a dog for three years for them. Jeez, you're too soft. Have you been staying in touch with Broomstick?"
"Stop calling her Broomstick," the younger man snapped.
"I don't understand the two of you," the older man said, perplexed. "You call her, sit in silence for a while, and hang up. Broomstick is weird too. If she's not gonna say anything, why does she even pick up? Is it platonic love or something like that...?"
The younger man smiled faintly. "I asked her to promise me two things before I left. One was not to change her number, and the other was to keep in touch with me."
"And?" the older man prompted.
"She's kept her promises. In the last three years, she never changed her number and has always picked up my calls. That's all I need."
"Hey... I'm only asking 'cause I'm curious... but when you land in Korea, are you gonna go see your brother first... or Broomstick first?" the older man challenged.
The younger man just stared down at the table, a troubled look in his eyes. "Who're you gonna run to?"
Three Weeks Later
3 WEEKS LATER
A pregnancy test was held up. The result was positive.
DING DONG DING DONG
The doorbell rang.
DING DONG
"Rrrring, rrrring".
I looked at the man across from me. "I should get this..."
"What did you just say...? Come again?" the person on the other end of the line asked.
"I did a pregnancy test today," I announced. "It was two lines, for sure".
"Hi, Dohyeok. How was dinner?" I asked my boyfriend. "I actually have something to tell you..."
"Where does Ajin keep the band-aids?" he suddenly asked.
I watched as he held his hand over the stove, a knife next to his thumb. "Oh... I'm bleeding... I should put on a band-aid if I'm going to keep cooking". I saw him chopping and slicing whatever he was preparing.
"I think they're in the bottom-most drawer of her dresser," I told him.
3 WEEKS LATER
I held up the pregnancy test. It was two lines, for sure.
DING DONG DING DONG
The doorbell rang.
DING DONG
"I should get this..." I murmured, still looking at the test.
I picked up the phone. "What did you just say...? Come again?" the person on the other end of the line asked.
"I did a pregnancy test today," I announced. "It was two lines, for sure".
Then I heard a noise from the kitchen. Dohyeok was by the stove, chopping and slicing whatever he was making.
"Hi, Dohyeok. How was dinner?" I asked him as I walked in. "I actually have something to tell you...".
He suddenly noticed the cut on his finger. "Oh... I'm bleeding... I should put on a band-aid if I'm going to keep cooking," he said, holding his hand over the stove with a knife next to his thumb. "Where does Ajin keep the band-aids?".
"I think they're in the bottom-most drawer of her dresser," I told him.
The phone in my hand chimed with an incoming call.
"I can't talk right now," I told the person on the line.
"What's wrong?" Dohyeok asked.
"Nothing," I lied, quickly ending the call.
Dohyeok continued to chop a vegetable. "I heard you talking on the phone with someone. Who was that?" he pressed.
"That was Mr. Lee," I explained. "He called to ask me a quick question about Junseo".
Dohyeok didn't stop cooking. "Why would he call you for that? Didn't you tell him that you're busy tonight?".
"I did," I assured him. "But it must have been urgent, since he's in the middle of preparing Junseo's dinner right now".
He finally looked up at me, a soft, warm expression on his face. "Did you feel hurt by what I said earlier? About you not knowing about band-aids?".
I looked into his eyes and smiled. "No. I've only been living here for a few months, so it's understandable that I don't know where everything is".
"Let's move out," he said suddenly.