章 34: Chapter Eighteen - Live For Yourself (Part 2)
Two weeks later, I'm discharged from the hospital. Goodbye, bland hospital food and hello burgers! Pizzas! Fried chicken! Iced latte! I'm already salivating with want. My daydream gets interrupted when Hyeon and Nari arrive to help me pack up while Mom consults the doctor. Now that I'm semi-recovered, she's able to focus on Dad, though I'm concerned about her recent jumpiness. She startles easily and her attention span is terribly short-lived. When I confront her about it, she brushes me off. "You're just overthinking it."
Firstly, my gut is never wrong. Secondly, I know just who to grill for answers.
"You're not allowed to come into work for another week." Chang-Min forbids me over the phone.
"At least let me coordinate your schedules from home. I have my laptop. My fingers aren't broken!" I insist stubbornly from my living room couch. It's Monday morning, and I'm restless. Chang-Min has benched me for an entire week, and now he's adding another seven days to my 'house arrest'. I'm not taking no for an answer.
"Fine." He relents in a heavy sigh. "I'll get Secretary Do to contact you."
Disconnecting the call, I twist and beam at Nari. "And that's how it's done."
She rolls her eyes while preparing lunch in the kitchen. "I'm glad you're back to work. I need more alone time with Chang-Min. He's rarely free these days. So please, make it happen."
I laugh, cradling my aching ribs. "I can't believe I was right about you two. When did you make it official?"
"About a month ago." She casually slices an apple, looking indecently smug. "I'll have you know, I popped his cherry."
"Ewww! TMI!" I fake gag, turning up the television. "Keep your sex life to yourself."
"It's true what they say about the honest ones being a beast in bed." She sings over the volume, ignoring my blatant protest.
Shaking my head, I quickly change the topic. "Hey, have you noticed anything strange about my mom's behavior lately? I think something's bothering her."
Nari becomes suspiciously quiet.
"Spill it before someone gets hurt." I glare intimidatingly from the couch. She knows better than to keep secrets about my family's affairs.
Releasing a burdening sigh, she sets down the knife. "Look, I don't know the whole story, but it was a testosterone drama that day you were hit." Nari visibly shudders. "I thought the men were going to start punching each other."
"What the hell are you talking about?" A natural scowl grips my face.
Nari rounds the kitchen counter, holding out her pinkie to me. "Pinkie swear you will not - I repeat - not - tell anyone that I told you this, alright?"
"Okay." I curl my little finger around hers. Nari settles into the couch, hands on my thighs. "That day, while you were undergoing surgery, Minister Wang made a surprise appearance. I think he knows your mom and dad in the past. Your mom looked like she had seen a ghost. They didn't talk but he offered to donate his blood to save your life."
My brows shoot above my hairline. "That's weird…right?"
"Absolutely!" She agrees fiercely. "But that wasn't all that happened." Hesitation marks her and she chews on her lip. "I'm not sure if I should be telling you this...".
I frown impatiently.
"Forgive me, Hyeon, Chang-Min." Nari murmurs indistinctly before blurting out. "Yun Kang-Dae was there too."
I suck in my breath, mixed feelings of joy and sadness washing over me. Dae was there?
Nari watches me closely. "He saved your father's life. I thought you'd want to know." Then, she fidgets. "Chang-Min and Hyeon expressly forbade me to tell you. They didn't want it to interfere with your recovery. Plus, Hyeon started the fight though no one got hurt because President Kang didn't retaliate."
My heart is about to explode. Dae was there! He cares! Happiness and heartache are synonyms in my vocabulary of Dae. A thought occurs to me. "Did he meet my mom?"
"They had a few words but nothing significant. Your mom isn't blind. She figured he's the reason why you've been moping about like a zombie." She cracks up at her own joke. "Hey, lighten up will you. It's been months. And God knows I'm not a saint. Does it really matter if he's married? You love him…he loves you…and most importantly he doesn't love his wife. The way I look at it, the answer is simple."
"It's not, Nari. If I make the decision to be with him, a lot of people are going to get hurt."
"Listen carefully." She grabs my shoulders firmly. "Are you going to be the good martyr and live miserably without love forever? Don't live for others. Live for yourself! I'll be the first in line to defend you if anyone says otherwise. You're not happy. Period. You've been walking around with a cloud over your head. And I hate it. Thanks to you, I've got Chang-Min now. So, you need to get your own Chang-Min."
I snicker at her self-made metaphor.
"I'm serious." She continues, eyes boring into mine. "Some things are worth fighting for, even if the whole world is against you. Don't care what others think, especially not Hyeon or Chang-Min. They're never going to change. I'm not asking you to go public. Life isn't always a bed of roses. If you don't want to be judged, then don't put a label on your relationship. If President Kang is willing to fight for you, then you should meet him halfway. All the bad things that come along, handle it together! No relationship is going to be perfect."
Nari suddenly looks sheepish. "In fact, I rang up some friends to dig some dirt on President Kang's marriage. Apparently, he married Joo Mun Hee to secure her father's support. Ultimately, it won him the Presidential title of Yun International Group and it'll remain his for five years if their marriage produces a legitimate child. The situation was messed up. What's odd is that President Kang moved out of the family estate the day he got married. He and his wife have been living separately for six years." Her lips twist with undisguised loathing. "The first rule about elite marriages like his? Faithfulness and love don't mean a thing. Money, fame and saving faces are the only currencies they communicate in so, no one truly cares if you're dating President Kang. If the affair isn't publicized on media, and wifey doesn't know...," She shrugs negligently. "Then you're all set."
"You're a bad influence, Nari." I cluck my tongue in disapproval. Nari's the kind of 'rotten apple' parents warn their children away from. "Trust me. I know what you're saying but I'm not brave. It's scary and getting burned is one of the worst feelings ever."
"Just think about it. You don't even have to make a decision." She simply waves her hand. "Several years down the road, you'll feel better and meet another man. I'll be happy for you if you're truly happy then."
"I'll sleep on it." I touch my wrapped ribs. "I'm more worried that someone's trying to kill me. I'm not ready for any kind of rigorous action - man or no man."
Our peals of laughter echo around the room at my insinuation. "It's a relief to get that off my chest." Nari gets up, returning to the kitchen. "I didn't agree with the guys when they...,"
I pretend to listen while my best friend chatters on about trivial matters, my mind and heart are warring with everything Nari said. I wonder...how did Dae know about the accident? Did he feel sad or sorry for me? Did he think he would gain something by saving my father's life?
And I'm curious about Minister Wang's appearance. Who is he to my parents...and why did he bother to save my life?
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