Chapter 54
by GideonDong-yeong sighed deeply as he found Yundo, a complete wreck, amidst the empty liquor bottles.
“You’re here?”
“Isn’t it time you stopped? You’ve been shut in here drinking for fifteen days! You’re going to kill yourself like this.”
Yundo offered a faint smile and drank the whiskey straight from the bottle.
“That wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Stop drinking and get a grip!”
Dong-yeong strode forward and snatched the bottle from his hand. The rough tug sent Yundo’s limp upper body swaying violently. His head, heavy with a chaotic swirl of thoughts and sensations, felt like a lead weight compared to his jellyfish-like body. As his head lolled back and forth, his vision spun.
“Sunbae, are you okay?”
I don’t think so. His mind clouded over like a thick fog, and then everything went black.
“Sunbae!”
Dong-yeong’s shout sounded miles away. Yundo slipped into unconsciousness.
When he finally came to, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar IV drip. His gaze followed the tube down to the needle inserted in his arm.
“Sunbae, are you awake?”
Dong-yeong leaned in close.
“How much did you drink to go into acute alcohol shock and pass out? Do you really want to die? It’s a good thing I was here. If you’d gone into shock alone, you would have died!”
Yundo, barely registering Dong-yeong’s furious words, called his name.
“…Dong-yeong.”
“What? What is it!”
“Tell Lawyer Kim… to do whatever Hyewan wants. Tell him to settle it out of court.”
Dong-yeong was speechless. Is this guy for real? He’d just woken up from a shock-induced blackout, and the first thing he does is ask about Hyewan?
He’d lost. He’d truly lost.
“And…”
Yundo continued, his concern for Hyewan unwavering despite his obvious struggle to speak. “Chairwoman Kang is blocking Hyewan from seeing me, isn’t she?”
“She is! You’re the one who needs to focus on getting better!” Dong-yeong shouted. Who’s worrying about whom right now?
“Alright, I get it. Just go. I want to be alone.”
“Are you crazy? How can I leave you alone in this condition?”
“Just… come back tomorrow,” Dong-yeong said, his tone resigned.
“Fine! I’ll be here first thing in the morning!”
The door closed, leaving Yundo alone.
It was dark outside. He glanced at the clock—two in the morning. He remembered the sun being up before he passed out… Dong-yeong must have stayed by his side for a long time. He was truly grateful, but he was too exhausted to even express it.
The night was agony.
Drunk and drifting in and out of a stupor, he woke repeatedly from nightmares, drenched in cold sweat. Each moment he had to endure felt excruciatingly long and bitterly painful.
He couldn’t just fall asleep.
Insomnia. Hyewan must be suffering through this too.
Even indulging in self-pity felt like a luxury. He had been a bystander and a liar. Intoxicated by his own solitary joy, he hadn’t considered how much Hyewan would suffer when the truth was revealed. He had believed she would understand because she loved him. He never dreamed that very love would only amplify her sense of betrayal.
How foolish of him.
Hyewan moved mechanically. She fought with all her might to remain unfazed.
As she settled into the wheelchair to be taken to the rehabilitation clinic, a nurse appeared instead of her usual caregiver.
“The madam suddenly had an urgent need to use the restroom, so I’m filling in. Is that alright?”
“It’s fine, but I can go by myself. You’re busy, so I’ll just handle it.”
“Oh, no, you can’t. It’s still too dangerous for you to move around alone. Come with me.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you. Thank you.”
Everything was fine until they got into the elevator. But suddenly, they got off on a floor above the rehabilitation clinic.
“Where are you taking me?”
“I don’t want to hurt you. Just stay still.”
The nurse, her expression now a mask of cold resolve, pushed the wheelchair forward with a threat disguised as a request. Before Hyewan could even scream for help, she was wheeled into a nearby supply closet.
Chairwoman Kang and Chief Ma were waiting inside.
Seeing the Chairwoman seated with an air of haughty composure, Hyewan glared at the nurse, her voice trembling with fury. “You’ll pay for this. I won’t let this go!”
The nurse ignored her and shut the door. Chief Ma, standing behind the Chairwoman, turned the lock.
“What is the meaning of this?” Hyewan demanded.
“I didn’t want to resort to this,” the Chairwoman replied coolly. “But you’ve left me no choice with your stubbornness.”
Hyewan glared at her. A monster. Even animals care for their young.
“Let’s talk,” the Chairwoman said.
“I have nothing to say to you. Leave.”
As Hyewan tried to turn her wheelchair, Chief Ma grabbed the handles, pinning her in place.
“Take your hand off me!”
“I’m sorry.”
“I said, let go!”
“Dear, calm down,” Chairwoman Kang soothed Hyewan, her voice dripping with a gentle, practiced sweetness.
Hyewan found the woman’s feigned kindness utterly revolting.
“Since we’re already here, let’s speak openly. I’ll grant you whatever you want, so just tell me.”
Whatever I want?
“I’m getting a divorce. The agreement’s already been finalized and the paperwork filed. Had you not heard?”
“A divorce? You dared to do such a thing without my permission?”
The news struck Chairwoman Kang like a thunderclap, her composure instantly shattering into rage.
“This is why I can’t stand people with no proper upbringing. They have no respect for their elders!”
Yes, this is who Chairwoman Kang truly was. She was a woman who believed in a strict social hierarchy—one where she stood at the very top, entitled to all the power and authority it afforded.
“A divorce is out of the question. I’ll pay you instead. Sell me three years of your life.”
“No, I refuse. I didn’t live my life just to become a scapegoat for your grandson.”
“How much are you offering? No amount of money will buy my time or my life.”
“My dear, you and Yundo were both born human, but you don’t live the same way,” Chairwoman Kang said, her voice cold and final. “Only a few people truly run the world. The rest of us just live out our usefulness and fade away.”
She drove the point home. “Doing your best in the position you’re in—that is the key to heaven.”
“Shut up! Just shut up!”
Respect for elders? She could shove that up her ass.
“I am not someone you can just mess around with! Don’t you ever say that to me again!”
Just then, a voice called out.
“Ms. Hyewan? Ms. Hyewan, are you in here?”
The caregiver knocked urgently on the door. Hyewan viciously bit the hand of Chief Ma, who was covering her mouth, and screamed.
“I’m here! I’m in here!”
Chairwoman Kang sighed. “Chief Ma, how could you be so careless?”
“My apologies, ma’am.”
At that moment, the supply closet door swung open. Security guards in black suits rushed in first, followed by the caregivers and nurses.
“Are you all right? Is everything okay?” a caregiver asked, crouching down in front of Hyewan.
“Please, just get me out of here,” Hyewan pleaded hysterically. “Take me somewhere away from them! Please!”
The caregiver quickly wheeled her out of the supply closet. Behind them, the muffled sounds of an argument broke out between the security guards and Chief Ma. Hyewan covered her ears, gasping for air.
As soon as they returned to her hospital room, her attending physician rushed over and prescribed a sedative. Even then, she couldn’t calm down.
“Nurse Kim suddenly called me and told me to go to the pharmacy. She said Hyewan’s medication had changed, but I thought that was strange, so I went to the nurse’s station to ask about it. While I was gone, they just… took Hyewan away. My heart nearly stopped. I’m so sorry.”
The caregiver apologized profusely.
“Bora-ssi specifically asked me to be extra careful, too. I have no excuse.”
“I-It’s okay,” Hyewan stammered, her jaw trembling so much her teeth chattered.
“They would have found a way to get here eventually.”
They were the kind of people who would do anything to achieve their goals. A sudden chill washed over Hyewan, perhaps as the medication began to take effect, and she pulled the blanket tight around her.
“I’ll be right here by your side, not moving an inch. So please, just rest and don’t worry.”
Hyewan squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to sleep—to escape a reality more terrible than any nightmare.
After receiving the call from the caregiver, Bora was absolutely furious. She tried calling Cha Yundo, but when he didn’t answer, she called Dong-yeong.
– Bora…
“What the hell are you trying to do? Do you really want to watch Hyewan die?”
– What? What are you talking about?
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