OMS 59

Park Dong-sik hurried to the main house while Madam Song was out. He glanced at potential camera locations as he walked along this path. Fortunately, there were none in the bedroom or study where Chairman Kim usually stayed. It seemed Kim Jun-han had installed cameras around the house to monitor who came and went.

Kim Yoon-ah had once explained that there had been much talk when Kim Jun-han inherited the CEO position at a young age, and there were still old fox-like executives targeting him, so the cameras were likely meant to keep them in check. As Park Dong-sik opened the door, Kim Yoon-ah jumped up from her seat.

While they were talking, a staff member brought tea, and Kim Yoon-ah offered it to Park Dong-sik.

“Please drink this. It’s supposed to warm you up.”

Park Dong-sik fidgeted with the gold-leafed teacup.

“Did Madam Song say anything special?”

“She confided in me today…”

Park Dong-sik asked with an incredulous expression.

“Everything?”

“Yes. I was surprised too. I thought she would keep it a secret.”

“Did you do as I instructed?”

“Yes. I said I’d follow Madam Song’s wishes. I also said we should do whatever Lee Hee-soo asks to avoid gossip. This morning, I instructed the lawyer to liquidate the land in Namyangju and the building in Seoul.”

A smile spread across Park Dong-sik’s face. So Madam Song took the bait I threw.

“Please proceed as quickly as possible.”

Chairman Kim hesitated.

“After having the baby…do you really plan to leave?”

“Yes.”

At the firm answer without the slightest hint of hesitation, Chairman Kim decided not to ask any more questions.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get your share too. That’s only right.”

“That’s not it…”

“Then what?”

“Won’t you miss your child? If you give up both custody and visitation rights, you’ll never see them…”

“That’s fine.”

“…”

“Why are you making that face, Ms. Kim Yoon-ah? I’m the one having the baby.”

“I’m worried you’ll regret it…”

“No. Not at all. Don’t think about anything else. Just keep your schedule clear two weeks from now. I told you before, I found a way for you to return to normal. Ah! You know, that shaman we saw before?”

Chairman Kim’s expression darkened. “Wasn’t that the person who performed an exorcism claiming Lee Hee-soo was possessed?” Noticing her anxiety, Park Dong-sik tried to reassure her.

“It turns out she’s a really famous shaman. Remember our car accident? I think we survived because of the charm she gave us.”

“Lee Hee-soo…I don’t believe in superstition…”

“Neither did I. But look at our situation now? How else would you explain being stuck in old Chairman Kim’s body?”

Chairman Kim’s expression suddenly turned gloomy. As she tried to hide her wrinkled hands by pulling at her cardigan sleeves, Park Dong-sik felt guilty and fumbled his words.

“I’m just saying. You’re not actually that old. I’m just worried about staying there too long and not being able to return…There’s no guarantee your body in the hospital will keep holding on.”

Kim Yoon-ah was still lying unconscious in the hospital. The shaman said the rest of her soul was essentially trapped there. A ritual would return everything to normal. Back to being that sleazy old man who threw suggestive glances at his daughter-in-law.

“Could we…postpone the date? As you said, I think I need to be here to transfer the assets to the child…”

“I decided not to get involved in that matter. Regardless of who the father of the baby is, it’s still this family’s only grandchild—they’ll treat them well enough. So stop worrying about the baby and let’s think about our future.”

At Park Dong-sik’s firm attitude, Chairman Kim bit her lip hard. Complex emotions were plainly visible in her cloudy eyes. After some consideration, Park Dong-sik carefully probed.

“Is it…because of Madam Song?”

Kim Yoon-ah finally fell silent. Park Dong-sik wanted to tell her not to misunderstand, that it wasn’t love or anything like that, that she just craved affection because she lived without family for so long, that he had been the same. But deciding against mentioning any of it, he simply forced out a smile instead.

“When we get the money, want to go to Hawaii?”

“Hawaii?”

“Yeah. We can sunbathe and live comfortably.”

Chairman Kim fell silent again. Park Dong-sik grew slightly anxious, worried that Kim Yoon-ah might change her mind. Of course, it wouldn’t be bad for Park Dong-sik if she decided to stay permanently in Chairman Kim’s body. She could even become a strong support for Park Dong-sik’s growing child. But would that be good for Kim Yoon-ah? Though she might regret it at first, once she adapted to a new place, Kim Yoon-ah would forget about life here.

“Actually, Lee Hee-soo…I…”

Chairman Kim stopped mid-sentence, clutching his chest and grimacing. Park Dong-sik watched his complexion with concern.

“What’s wrong? Stomach hurting?”

“I think I have indigestion. My chest has been feeling tight, like it’s constricting…”

Park Dong-sik’s expression turned serious.

“Want to go to the hospital?”

“No, I’m fine…It’ll get better if I stand up and walk around.”

Chairman Kim stood up. As she walked toward the bedroom, her gait was strange. Unable to walk straight, she tilted sideways and started to fall. Park Dong-sik jumped up to catch her but was a moment too late. With a thud, her body collapsed, going completely limp.

The startled Park Dong-sik shook Chairman Kim. “Yoon-ah! Kim Yoon-ah!”

Damn it. What’s happening?!

He put his hand to the nose—no breathing. Park Dong-sik rushed out and shouted downstairs. 

“The Chairman has collapsed! Hurry! Hurry!” Before he finished speaking, he could hear commotion below. Returning, Park Dong-sik immediately began CPR.

I’ve seen this on TV, but am I doing it right?

Park Dong-sik placed his interlocked hands’ heel on the upper chest and started pressing hard. One, two, three, four, five, six—as he compressed the chest at regular intervals, the door burst open and Butler Yoon and the resident nurse rushed in.

The nurse took over CPR after checking Chairman Kim’s condition and gave instructions to Butler Yoon. The butler, who had disappeared urgently, returned with a defibrillator. As they were opening his shirt and attaching the device, Madam Song, who had been out, came running amid the commotion outside.

Her face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

“Honey!”

Park Dong-sik caught her first as she ran in, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Wait. Not now.”

“Let go! Honey! Honey! Wake up!”

Park Dong-sik desperately held her back. He’d always thought she was quite strong. As he struggled to hold her, she thrashed about demanding to be released. His face got hit and his cheek was scratched. Just then, with a gasp, Chairman Kim’s breathing returned. While the nurse attended to Chairman Kim, the sound of ambulance sirens grew closer outside.

“Chairman. Are you conscious? Do you know who I am?”

Though breathing heavily, Chairman Kim struggled to speak. Madam Song took the opportunity to grab his hand and shed tears.

“Are you alright? Dr. Jung is here, so just hold on a little longer. Oh my, look how pale you are. Thank you, Nurse Park. You saved our Chairman.”

The nurse glanced at Park Dong-sik.

“It wasn’t me—the daughter-in-law found him and performed emergency treatment. It could have been serious without that.”

Madam Song looked at Park Dong-sik with her tear-stained face. That gaze contained all sorts of emotions—hatred, gratitude, sorrow, and even suspicion. Then paramedics and a man in a doctor’s coat rushed up.

While the nurse took his blood pressure, the man shined a light in Chairman Kim’s eyes and asked several questions.

“Chairman, do you recognize me?”

Chairman Kim’s brow furrowed.

“Why am I here?”

“Do you remember what just happened?”

Chairman Kim’s eyes moved side to side. He raised his hand to press his temple and complained irritably that he had a splitting headache.

“I remember being in front of the stairs in a wheelchair…”

Madam Song and Park Park Dong-sik’s expressions suddenly hardened.

“That was quite a while ago. Don’t you remember what happened today?”

Chairman Kim snapped in his characteristic gruff voice.

“Are you treating me like a dementia patient already? As if I wouldn’t remember what happened yesterday!”

As he looked around at everyone’s faces, his eyes met Park Dong-sik’s. The same eyes, but completely different. Park Dong-sik knew instinctively. Kim Yoon-ah never looked at him with such gleaming eyes.

Then that means…

Ah…

Park Dong-sik sprang up like a coiled spring and rushed out of the reception room. There was no time to contact Driver Oh or anyone else. He grabbed his car keys, started the engine, and began racing toward the hospital where Kim Yoon-ah was admitted. Just then, a phone call came in. It was from Kim Yoon-ah’s hospital.