OMS 88

Entering the warehouse, men in black suits scattered to both sides. Kim Jun-han walked through them. He frowned at the sight of Kim Tae-han and Lee Seon-jae hanging upside down from ropes. However long they’d been hanging, their faces were nearly bursting like tomatoes due to the blood rushing to their heads.

“Seung-hyun.”

Secretary Choi stepped forward and bowed. “Yes, Chairman.” Kim Jun-han gestured at the two men hanging from the ceiling.

“What’s this?”

“Sir?”

“Are they fish? Why are people hanging upside down?”

“In that movie, during interrogation—”

“Get them down.”

“I’m sorry.” While people were lowering Kim Tae-han and Lee Seon-jae, Kim Jun-han brought a chair and sat down. Soon, the two men were kneeling on the floor side by side, hands and feet bound, tape over their mouths.

With a gesture, an employee removed the tape from their mouths. Then, as if by agreement, everyone except Secretary Choi left the premises. The heavy warehouse door closed firmly, and Kim Jun-han took out a cigarette and put it between his lips.

Secretary Choi came to light it and stepped back. Kim Jun-han exhaled smoke into the air along with a sigh. He’d planned to quit smoking for the kids, but his damn brother wasn’t helping matters.

“Kim Tae-han. Say what you need to say.”

Kim Tae-han ground his teeth through his swollen face.

“Go to hell.”

“Is that your last words?”

“This would’ve been fine if you’d just listened to my request from the start!”

“What? You’re setting up Hee-soo with that affair?”

Kim Tae-han shouted, rage building intensely behind his eyes.

“No! Everything from the beginning! When I begged you not to marry him, what did you say? You said you had no feelings! No interest whatsoever and treated him like a vase in the house! You knew about his affair partner but ignored it! I still endured it. Because you said you’d divorce him. So I waited! I only held onto hope that I could start over with Hee-soo! You ruined everything! You son of a bitch!”

“Is that really so?”

Kim Tae-han stubbornly closed his mouth and glared, while Kim Jun-han took out his phone. Secretary Choi put on an earpiece and turned away. Soon, unexpected moans played from the phone, and Kim Tae-han’s face contorted.

“What is that?”

Kim Jun-han went to Lee Seon-jae and held the video in front of his eyes. Lee Seon-jae’s cheeks trembled and his eyes darted around unfocused. Now voices could be heard from the video.

[Hee-soo. Lee Hee-soo. You’re really sexy. Your hole is incredibly tight.]

Kim Tae-han shouted in rage.

“Fuck, what is that?!”

Lee Seon-jae hastily averted his eyes, and Kim Jun-han tilted his head to one side, staring intently at his face.

“I found this on his phone while he was sleeping. You know what this is, right?”

Kim Tae-han beside him struggled violently against his bindings.

“I asked first! What is that?!”

Kim Jun-han fixed Kim Tae-han with a cold stare.

“Want to know?”

Kim Tae-han glared back with reddened eyes. He looked like he wanted to strangle Kim Jun-han right then and there. Kim Jun-han brought the screen to his face. His eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock. It was an expression rarely seen on the usually glib and playful Kim Tae-han.

“This…this…”

“The face is cut off, but it’s someone you know. Right?”

Kim Tae-han shook his head in denial, looking dazed.

“…That’s impossible…”

“Park Jae-min blackmailed me with this.”

Kim Tae-han was breathing heavily, his eyes reddening.

“No. I definitely…just comforted Hee-soo…asked for help with the divorce…I…”

He stopped mid-sentence, his face turning ashen.

“Was Hee-soo…blackmailed too?”

By this point, Kim Jun-han wanted to know. How far did Kim Tae-han’s sincerity go?

“Yes. Thanks to that, he tried to kill himself by jumping into the water.”

Kim Tae-han asked, in a half-daze, “Who…?”

“The Hee-soo you love so much.”

“…”

“He didn’t slip—he deliberately jumped into the cold sea. I confirmed it on video and covered it up, but Hee-soo definitely died that day. Can you say you have no responsibility for that?”

Kim Tae-han froze like a paused video. He was so shocked he could only move his lips. 

“That can’t be…no…Brother must be misunderstanding something.” 

Kim Jun-han continued regardless, “There are more people who were blackmailed with videos. Isn’t that right, Mr. Lee Seon-jae?”

Lee Seon-jae flinched with his head down, while Kim Tae-han struggled to breathe, only exhaling repeatedly.

“Lies. This is all your manipulation, right? That’s not Hee-soo in the video. Seon-jae, you tell him. That’s you, isn’t it? Fuck, didn’t you make this to mess with Hee-soo?!”

Lee Seon-jae remained silent, and Kim Jun-han pressed him, “I’ll ask again. Did you send this, Mr. Lee Seon-jae?”

Lee Seon-jae shook his head, his lips trembling. “N-No…it wasn’t us. Really. It’s true that my older brother found what mom had, and he did try to blackmail with it, but it wasn’t sent to Lee Hee-soo. Please believe me.”

“Then who did you send it to?”

“…”

As Lee Seon-jae trembled in fear and teared up, Kim Jun-han threw his cigarette to the ground.

“I’ll ask one last time. Who did you sell the video to?”

***

Chairman Kim stared intently at his phone, his wrinkled lips pursed tightly. The message that arrived a few hours ago made no sense. Butler Yoon, sitting across from him, observed his expression and asked worriedly.

“What’s wrong, Chairman?”

“Butler Yoon. Something strange has happened.”

“Pardon?”

“The video I sent has come back to me.”

The video showed Lee Hee-soo moaning beneath another man. Ironically, the sender was Lee Hee-soo’s older brother, who had sold him the video.

[Hello. Is this person your former daughter-in-law? If this spreads, it will be a huge blow to Daesan Group. What we want is 50 billion won in dollars. Just prepare the money and leave it at the designated location. We’ll determine the place and time. However, you must not breathe a word of this to anyone. Know that if you do, it’ll be the end of Daesan Group.]

Chairman Kim couldn’t hold back a laugh at how cleverly they had modified his own message.

“So 10 billion has multiplied into 50 billion.”

“I apologize. I’ll look into it.”

“Who do you think is behind this?”

“I’m not so sure…”

“First, bring me Lee Hee-soo’s older brother. If we rough up the one who sold it, something might come out.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock at the door. Madam Song appeared with a tray carrying a bowl of herbal medicine. Butler Yoon bowed and left the study, and Madam Song placed the tray on the table, moving it in front of Chairman Kim.

“Please drink this.”

Chairman Kim gulped down the medicine, and Madam Song unwrapped a candy for him. He snatched it away with a scowl.

“Showing me your wrinkled hands, tsk.”

Madam Song bit down on her lower lip and turned away. As she got up to collect the dishes, Chairman Kim suddenly clutched his throat, making choking sounds. Madam Song startled and stepped back.

“I- *cough*!”

After continuous coughing, the candy shot out of his mouth and rolled on the floor. 

Madam Song’s fingertips trembled. Chairman Kim, breathing heavily, yelled at her.

“Where did you get such terrible candy from!”

Coming to her senses belatedly, Madam Song hurriedly bent down to pick up the fallen candy. Her hands shook so much that the candy kept slipping away. Instead of picking up the candy, she stood up with clenched fists.

“Your husband is choking to death, and you just stand there staring. Some wife you are.”

Madam Song forced out a smile.

“I-I’m sorry. I thought you were just choking.”

“Choking my foot. Were you hoping I’d die?”

“How could you say that…? I’m sorry. Next time I’ll bring smaller candy.”

Madam Song left the study with her head bowed like a criminal. As she walked down the corridor after closing the door, she staggered sideways after just a few steps. Leaning against the wall, she stared fearfully at the bowl that had contained the medicine.

At the same time, footsteps approached from afar. She thought it might be Butler Yoon, but it was the second son, Kim Tae-han, striding toward her in disheveled clothes.

“Tae-han. What happened to you—?”

“Is Father inside?”

“Yes, but right now—”

Before she could finish, Kim Tae-han burst through the study door. While she stood there anxiously with a bad feeling, there was a loud crash. Madam Song rushed to the study. Opening the door, she was horrified to see Chairman Kim lying on the carpet with Kim Tae-han on top of him, strangling his father.

Madam Song screamed and tried to stop Kim Taehan.

“Tae-han! Kim Tae-han! What are you doing! Are you crazy! Kim Tae-han!”

Kim Tae-han gritted his teeth and tightened his grip. Veins bulged in his neck, and his bloodshot eyes made him look deranged. Chairman Kim struggled to break free from his hold, and Kim Tae-han spoke through tears, each word coming out painfully.

“Fuck! Let’s die together. Neither you nor I deserve to live. So let’s just die, us both.”

“Tae-han, please stop! Kim Tae-han!”

Despite Madam Song’s tearful pleas, Kim Tae-han paid no attention to her.

“This is because I inherited your blood! Just like brother said, doing dirty tricks behind people’s backs! Knowing it’s wrong but unable to stop tormenting people! It’s all because I take after you!”

“Kuh, you bastard…you!”

Tears finally fell from his reddened eyes.

“So come with me to hell.”

As Chairman Kim’s eyes rolled back, Madam Song, overwhelmed, stood up to call Butler Yoon. Just then, there was a sharp cracking sound. Turning around, she saw Chairman Kim panting with a crystal ashtray in his hand, and Kim Tae-han lying on the floor, bleeding from his head.

Madam Song screamed and collapsed to the floor.

Chairman Kim, clutching his reddened throat, flashed murderous intent in his eyes.

“You bastard…you! How dare you!”

Chairman Kim raised the ashtray, and Madam Song quickly grabbed her husband’s arm, screaming. 

“Don’t do this! Don’t hurt my son!” 

Just then, Kim Taehan, who had been lying down, staggered to his feet and started laughing, “Haha.”

Madam Song and Chairman Kim turned to look at their son in shock. Despite the blood from his head staining his face and shirt red, Kim Tae-han laughed like a madman. He alternated between laughing and crying like someone who had surely lost his mind, totally unaware of the blood pooling at his feet.