By Zephyria “That’s good. It’ll eliminate any chance of Yu-jin doing anything stupid. If that happens, it’ll be good for everyone.”
George was delighted and agreed. As those gathered all looked at Mrs. Campbell with excited expressions, she cleared her throat briefly, looking not displeased, and then opened her mouth after deliberately pausing.
“Not bad.”
“Great, let’s get started right away.”
No sooner had Mrs. Campbell finished speaking than Gordon stepped forward. He immediately rattled on about how to get Evelyn and Winston to meet, when would be a good time, and who would contact them. As if all the problems would be solved as soon as the two met, Mrs. Campbell listened to the excited and noisy words and thought.
To think that it would come back again.
She secretly gritted her teeth. It was all Harold Campbell’s fault. From the moment she found out that he had put its name in his will until now, Mrs. Campbell had been suffering from constant migraines. In the first place, the start of this mess was because her husband had brought a young, infatuated lover into the house. When she thought about it that way, the root of all the disasters was one thing. Mrs. Campbell prayed that her husband wouldn’t go to heaven.
3.
The train slowed down as it approached the platform. Yu-jin stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery beyond the back of his daughter’s head, who was glued to the window. Just the fact that he had returned to this city made him break out in a cold sweat and made his breathing naturally quicken.
He had vowed never to come here again.
The moment he saw the name of the station in the distance, he even felt dizzy, so he closed his eyes, leaned his head against the back of the seat, and took several deep breaths.
As his breathing slowly calmed down and he regained his composure, his mind gradually became clearer. When he slowly opened his eyes, his daughter, who had already fallen away from the window, was looking at him.
“Daddy, does your head hurt again?”
Yu-jin forced a smile and shook his head at her question, her face full of worry.
“No, I’m fine now.”
“Don’t hold it in, take your medicine. Holding in the pain is bad for you.”
Angela, his daughter, advised him in a manner that was unchildlike and mature. Yu-jin replied, “Okay.”
“When we get off the train.”
Just then, the train stopped at the platform, and an announcement was made. Yu-jin got up from his seat, took a small carrier from the overhead compartment, and held out a hand to his daughter, who was waiting quietly.
“Come on, Angie, let’s get off.”
“Okay.”
The girl, holding Yu-jin’s hand tightly, followed him. When they arrived at the stairs, Yu-jin came down to the platform with a trunk in one hand and his daughter in the other arm.
Standing on the ground and breathing in the fresh air made him feel a little better. Yu-jin put the child down, took a deep breath, and took his daughter’s hand again.
There were quite a few people coming and going at the train station, but of course, no one recognized him. Nevertheless, every time someone passed by him indifferently, he was startled and kept shrinking back, because the memories of when he left this place, despite the passage of so much time, were vividly revived as if they had happened just yesterday.
It’s okay.
Yu-jin looked straight ahead and repeated.
It’s been five years already. I’ve forgotten everything.
Holding his child’s hand and moving his feet, he vowed. Hadn’t he repeatedly vowed that he would never be hurt by anyone again? He had only one belief that he had kept from the moment Angela was born and he held her in his arms for the first time.It was only for Angela that he had set foot in this place he had sworn never to return to. If he didn’t have his daughter, he would have rather wandered the streets and starved to death than come back, regardless of any will. But now, he needed money for Angela, and he was willing to accept even a small amount of help from Harold, who had so cruelly driven him out, as a final act of kindness. He had no room to stand on pride now.
Two months ago, a large fire broke out in the old, dilapidated apartment where Yu-jin lived. The fire, which started in the lower unit, quickly spread, leaving black soot all over the walls before it was extinguished, but ultimately left several families homeless.
Unfortunately, Yu-jin’s home suffered the second-most damage. He woke up late at night, hurriedly grabbed his daughter, and ran out with nothing but the clothes on their backs, becoming utterly destitute. It was fortunate that they had survived with only minor burns on his back, and that it was he, not his daughter, who was injured, but their luck ended there.
To make matters worse, he was laid off from the restaurant where he worked, citing financial difficulties. Why did misfortune strike all at once like this? Yu-jin, who pleaded with the church and ended up sleeping huddled in the empty chapel with his daughter in his arms, shed tears that night for the first time in a long time.
He saw a small glimmer of salvation when he returned to the apartment, hoping that something might have been left behind. As he was searching through the waterlogged ashes, someone approached him and spoke.
“Excuse me, are you by any chance Mr. Yu-jin… Sol?”
It had been a long time since he had bothered to correct people who mispronounced his name as ‘Sol’ instead of ‘Seol,’ and he didn’t have the energy to do so now. Yu-jin straightened his back, looked directly at him, and replied.
“That’s me. What’s this about?”
“Ah, I knew it! I was hoping, but there you are.”
The man visibly brightened and quickly took out his wallet from his pocket to find a business card.
“I’m Joseph Brown, an attorney. Wow, this has been tough. I thought I had finally found you, but then I saw the house was completely burned down, and I didn’t know what to do. I came back just in case, and to meet you like this, I’m really lucky.”
Yu-jin stared at him with an expressionless face as he laughed heartily. The sound of his laughter gradually subsided, and the lawyer coughed awkwardly, as if embarrassed. Only then did Yu-jin open his mouth.
“I don’t know why you were looking for me, but as you can see, I’m in this situation, so I don’t have any money to give you.”
“No, you misunderstand, Yu-jin. It’s quite the opposite.”
The man, who identified himself as a lawyer, waved his hand with a generous smile. He continued to speak to Yu-jin, who was still looking at him suspiciously.
“Do you know Harold Campbell? He passed away and left a will.”
Yu-jin paused for a moment. The memory of seeing Harold Campbell for the last time vividly resurfaced, and at the same time, his heart raced wildly.
The man was dead.
Should he remain calm, or should he feel even a little bit of sadness? Yu-jin hesitated for a moment, unable to decide which reaction would be appropriate. The last memory still haunted him, but it was also true that Harold had been his benefactor. He was the one who had taken in Yu-jin, who had become an orphan overnight and had nowhere to go, and raised him. Moreover, Harold had cherished him quite a bit, and Yu-jin had been very fond of him as well.
That was until that incident happened.
Yu-jin put aside the bitter memory and tried to remain as calm as possible as he waited for the next words. The lawyer looked around, but finding no suitable place to sit, he looked troubled and asked.
“Is there a cafe or somewhere nearby where we can talk for a moment? Or should we look for one in the car together?”
“No. Let’s just talk here.”
Yu-jin replied curtly. The lawyer seemed to want Yu-jin to take a moment to mourn for Harold, but Yu-jin had neither the reason nor the time to do so. He had left his child at the church and needed to return quickly. If this man wasn’t going to tell him that he would give him money, he didn’t want to waste any more time. The lawyer seemed to sense Yu-jin’s thoughts, and after clearing his throat, he began to speak in a businesslike manner, unlike before.
“Your name is in the will. You need to attend the reading of the will after the funeral, and I need you to come to Delight within three days.”
He couldn’t help but show a reaction to those words. The exact name of the mansion was ‘The Most Perfect Delight.’ It was the name of the largest main house on the property, but it also referred to the entire Campbell estate.
To return to that place again.
Yu-jin barely managed to regain his composure, his mind momentarily blank at the unexpected situation.