บท 89: The Right Person, the Wrong Time

A few days passed and Hyuk was finally well enough to go home.

Dr. Heo Woo Seung saw them off at the entrance.

"If anything happens, do call me," he told the woman.

"Thank you, Doctor." Han Yeoreum bowed. He had given her his number in case she needed his assistance. Also, they both enjoyed each other's company, and didn't want to end the friendship so quickly, so they both agreed to keep in touch.

Han Yeoreum walked to the bus stop, each hand holding her sons' hand. Hyuk was on her right, and Gun was on her left. "Let's go," she told them.

At the Lees' house.

The house was a mess, and soju bottles littered everywhere.

Lee Do Joon waited impatiently for his wife and kids to come home. He had been away breaking his back to earn money for the family, but when he came home, the house was empty.

He jumped from his seat the moment he heard the door open. "Where have you been?!" He shouted.

Han Yeoreum flinched at his voice. She braved herself to speak up. "Hyuk's fever wasn't going down so I-I took him to the hospital."

The two kids hid behind her. They knew through conditioning that the man was about to beat them.

"Then you should have told me!" Lee Do Joon grabbed her by the hair, throwing her to the ground.

"Mom!" Gun ran to her side, almost crying.

Lee Do Joon swept his eyes to the two kids. "Mom?" He scowled. "Who says she's your mom? You little brats, nothing but a waste of space!" He kicked the little boy away, sending him flying. Hyuk ran to catch his little brother, but he barely made it.

Seeing his brother's trembling figure, he whispered harshly, "Don't cry! He'll hit you more if you cry!"

Gun nodded, stifling his tears.

"Darling, please don't touch the kids!" Han Yeoreum begged. She slowly got up, trying to appease the man. "Please?"

"Don't ever do anything without my permission again, you hear me?" Lee Do Joon warned. Then, as if he was a different person, he stroked her cheek lovingly. "I'm sorry, Yeoreum-ah. I only wanted to teach you a lesson. I didn't mean to hurt you," he spoke gently, an apologetic look on his face.

"I-I know. I'm sorry too, darling," Han Yeoreum forced a smile. Deep inside, she was trembling from fear. The man was getting increasingly aggressive.

Just a year ago, she would have never expected to be mistreated like this by the man. She was so stupidly in love that she willingly jumped into his arms and elope. Now, she had to suffer the consequences.

Lee Do Joon was abusive.

Rumours in the neighbourhood said that he had beaten his first wife to death.

In the beginning, she couldn't believe it. Lee Do Joon was such a gentle and suave man; how could he do something like that? But as days turned to months, he was beginning to unravel his true self in front of her.

His children, born from his deceased first wife, were practically sandbags to him. She had warned him to stop, but if she got in the way, then the one to be on the other side of those cruel hands was her. Her life had become so miserable that she was already contemplating to run away. That was why she had been so happy to meet a new friend like the doctor.

Han Yeoreum's desire to run away increased day by day. But, she was scared. If she ran away, what would happen to Hyuk and Gun? They were so young. If she took them with her, then how can she take care of them? Just a year ago, she had been a carefree and unrestrained young woman aspiring to be a celebrity. Now, she was a housewife with two small kids. How was she going to fend for them? Even back then, she only made enough to make the ends meet.

One day, because she was so distracted from her thoughts, she had cut her finger while cooking. The gash was too big to be healed with a bandage, so she requested to go to the hospital.

Lee Do Joon was too hungover to deal with the woman, so he simply waved her away.

Han Yeoreum went to the hospital. She had left her two sons in the care of the neighbouring grandma. At least, she didn't need to worry about Lee Do Joon hurting them while she was gone.

"Han Yeoreum-ssi?" Heo Woo Seung spotted her at the reception desk, a surprised look on his face. "What are you doing here? You didn't even contact me."

Han Yeoreum smiled at him, showing her now-wrapped up finger. She had gotten two stitches on it, which showed how terrible the cut had been. "I accidentally hurt myself while I was cooking," she said. "Sorry. I haven't had the time," she grimaced. She had been meaning to give him a call, but she was too scared. Lee Do Joon was a rather jealous and controlling person, she had discovered. If he found out that she had been contacting a male friend, then he might hurt her, or even her friend.

"I understand," he nodded in understanding. Taking care of two kids must surely be a tiring task, especially since they were both boys. "Do you have time? I'd like to have a cup of coffee," he says, grinning in amusement.

Yeoreum was reminded of their first conversation, and she couldn't help but share his grin. "If it's only for a little while..."

Just like that, the start of their secret meetings began.