By Zephyria “Oh my goodness, what happened!”
Sam, who had hurriedly opened the door, cried out in surprise upon seeing Yu-jin and Angela standing in front of it. Quickly ushering them inside, she busily warmed up some coffee and milk, turned up the heater, and prepared a bath.
“My, your cheeks are so cold.”
Sam, alternating between touching Yu-jin’s and Angela’s cheeks, spoke with a voice full of pity. Instead of answering, Yu-jin managed a weak smile, and Sam continued kindly.
“Don’t worry and rest a bit. I’ll lend you some of my clothes for now. Is this all your luggage?”
Her voice rose in surprise at the last question. That was because Yu-jin and Angela had nothing with them. Except for the large teddy bear that Angela was holding. Even that was only because Yu-jin had told Angela in advance to take one doll that she really wanted. Angela hugged the doll tightly in her arms as if it would protect her. Sam stroked the child’s head with a feeling of pity and said.
“Aren’t you cold? Go wash up quickly. Dinner is almost ready. If you come out and drink some warm soup, your body will feel much warmer.”
“Thank you, Sam.”
Yu-jin thanked her and took Angela to the bathroom. It was his first time visiting Sam’s house, where she lived alone. Looking around the cozy house, Yu-jin headed to the bathroom, took off his clothes, and went inside with Angela. After a quick wash, he got into the tub, feeling all the tension melt away. With a sigh that came out involuntarily, he closed his eyes, and as expected, Winston’s face came to mind.
He must be furious right now.
He imagined him pacing around the room in anger and shouting, but he didn’t feel any satisfaction. Rather, anticipating that the anger would be directed at him sent a chilling shiver down his spine.
It’s okay.
Yu-jin tried to calm his feelings and reassure himself. There’s no way Winston can find me.
Since he knows about Sam, he will soon come here as well. Of course, Yu-jin didn’t plan to stay long either. He just needed a place to catch his breath for now.
He still had money left from the publisher, so he was thinking of going to a cheap hotel first. But when Sam heard about it, she immediately objected.
“Taking a child to a place like that is too dangerous.”
She scolded him sternly and soon promised to find him a place with cheap rent.
“Thank you, Sam.”
On a roll, Sam contacted a real estate agent she knew and even made an appointment right away. They decided to meet the agent as soon as morning came, and the topic was put to rest for now.
“I’ll do the cleaning, Sam.”
Yu-jin actively offered, but Sam shook her head and stopped him.
“It’s okay, just sit down. You can read a fairy tale to Angela.”
“A fairy tale?”
Sam only reads romance novels. Knowing this well, Yu-jin asked, and Sam replied with a smile.
“I went to the bookstore this morning because Angie was coming over. The bookstore owner recommended that book. He said it was very interesting.”
Yu-jin, who had been scanning the direction she pointed to, paused when he saw the title of the book on the bookshelf.
“The bookstore owner recommended this book?”
He asked without taking his eyes off it, and Sam said yes.
“He said it’s going to be a huge hit soon. You can trust his judgment. Angie will enjoy it too.”
His heart, which had seemed to stop for a moment, slowly began to pound. Feeling the throbbing of his heart as if it would burst through his ribs, Yu-jin raised his trembling hand and grabbed the spine of the book.
The publisher had told him that he could have any of their publications as he wished, but Yu-jin had refused. He didn’t want the people at the mansion to know what he had done, and he especially didn’t want Winston to find out. Therefore, this was the first time he was seeing the actual book.
My book.
Yu-jin was so moved that he couldn’t breathe. He never imagined that the day would come when he would see his book with his own eyes. So much had happened from the time he signed the contract to the time he handed over the manuscript that he couldn’t feel a sense of reality. He had even prepared himself for a call saying, “I’m sorry, but it won’t work out after all.” Because his life had never gone smoothly. But.
It really came out.A prickling sensation hit the tip of his nose, and his vision blurred. Sniff, he hastily blew his nose, trying to swallow his tears as he looked up at the ceiling. From below, Angela tugged on his pants, puzzled.
“Daddy, Daddy? What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
Yu-jin forced a smile and picked up the book. After checking the very first page, he took another deep breath and turned around.
“Shall I read you a book, Angie?”
“Yes, please!”
The child nodded, her face lighting up. Yu-jin sat side by side with Angela on the sofa, put his arm around her, and turned the page.
“There was a cute girl with long brown hair walking down the street…”
* * *
Bang! The secretary jumped back in surprise at the loud noise that echoed through the room. The hand that had struck the desk was white-knuckled and trembling slightly. His bloodshot eyes, fixed on one spot as if he could barely contain his rage, made the secretary unsure of what to do, and she glanced at him cautiously. Soon, silence filled the office. Winston continued to stare into space without a word.
Where the hell did he go?
Of course, Yu-jin had gone to Sam. After confirming that he had taken the train the day before, Winston was immediately able to guess his destination. It was fortunate for him that Sam was the only person Yu-jin could rely on, but conversely, the problem was that he couldn’t find any trace of where he might have gone without Sam. And the pursuit soon hit a snag.
“He’s gone.”
Sam, who greeted the bodyguards Winston had sent, said with a calm face.
“I don’t know where he went. I told him I’d find him a cheap monthly rent, and he left with the child in the early morning.”
Then, she added as if to sneer, crossing her arms.
“It seems he guessed you guys would come looking for him like this.”
Winston couldn’t contain himself and cursed when he heard the report. He had to find him no matter what. He would definitely contact Sam. After ordering Sam to be monitored, he continued to track where Yu-jin might have gone. But there was no trace of him buying or renting a car anywhere.
Daddy can’t ride in cars.
Angela’s words from some time ago came to mind. If so, he couldn’t have gone far. Somewhere near where Sam lived.
Where the hell is he?
To make matters worse, heavy snow began to fall from dawn. He felt like he was going crazy imagining Yu-jin wandering the streets alone with his child. He couldn’t stand it and got up from his seat.
“Mr. Campbell? There’s a meeting soon…”
The secretary said urgently, but Winston tried to leave without even answering. Just as he was about to grab the doorknob, he gasped and collapsed forward from the shock that ran through his entire body.
“Mr. Campbell!”
The secretary rushed over and checked his complexion anxiously. Haa, haa. Rough breaths escaped him repeatedly. The wound on his back spread throughout his body, causing him pain as if his entire body was being squeezed. With trembling hands, he took out the medicine he always kept on hand and poured it into his mouth. The secretary quickly ran and returned with a glass full of whiskey. Winston shoved a handful of pills down his throat with the alcohol.
“Are you alright? Mr. Campbell, should I call the doctor?”
She had seen him take medicine from time to time, but this was the first time she had seen him in such agony, as if he were having a seizure. Winston spat out between rough breaths to the secretary, who asked anxiously.
“I’m, fine.”
His voice was also trembling, perhaps because of his erratic breathing. Winston stood still, panting, then slowly got up. The secretary watched him stagger back to his seat, unable to do anything.
“…The meeting.”
“Yes, Mr. Campbell.”
The secretary answered quickly to his strained, painful voice. Winston continued in a hoarse voice.
“Tell them to postpone it for an hour. And report on the search every 30 minutes.”
“Understood.”
The secretary answered immediately and left the office. Left alone, Winston closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, waiting for the medicine to take effect. Strong painkillers often clouded his mind that much. The hallucinations he had seen countless times came to him again.
Winnie.
The image of Yu-jin hugging him appeared on his retina. Unfortunately, hallucinations were not as strong as reason. Winston knew all too well that it was a mirage created by his own desires.
Why.
Unable to hide his miserable feelings, he covered his eyes with one hand.
Why the hell did you leave me?
He couldn’t understand it at all. He clearly thought things were going well.