OMS 79

Lee Hee-soo’s mother dragged Park Dong-sik to a quiet cafe near the hospital. Taking a seat in the most secluded corner, he removed his sunglasses and gulped down some cold water. After putting down the cup, he looked Park Dong-sik up and down with utter disbelief written all over his face.

“Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you since the divorce news? How could you deceive people so perfectly, living hidden in Seoul while pregnant?”

Park Dong-sik checked the time. Looking outside, he could see the security guard Kim Jun-han had assigned watching from a distance.

“Why see an unwelcome face often? I’ll give you five minutes to say whatever you need to say.”

His mother gestured to someone. Thinking he was calling a staff member over, Park Dong-sik instead saw two men approaching.

One was short and fat, while the other was pretty, similar to Lee Hee-soo not only in looks but also in style. As they sat across from him, Park Dong-sik asked quizzically.

“What’s this? New boyfriends?”

The mother looked dumbfounded.

“Even if you lost your memory, how can you not recognize your brothers?”

The fat man crossed his arms and snorted.

“You’ve grown a lot, Lee Hee-soo. From someone who couldn’t even look people in the eye to holding your head up high.”

What’s this pig saying? Must be the eldest.

“You know you’re causing trouble for me and Seon-jae? What are you going to do? If you were going to divorce, you should have secured something solid. How could you just leave like an idiot? I never imagined you’d be this stupid.”

“Stop it. Lee Hee-soo must have his reasons. Right, Lee Hee-soo? The baby is CEO Kim’s, right? Do they know about it there? I was thinking of meeting Daesan Group’s madam, but couldn’t get in touch. Could you arrange it? It wouldn’t be good for their family if certain things leaked to the media.”

So they’re threatening to spread rumors now?

Park Dong-sik looked at the three of them with contempt in his eyes.

“I was wondering where the parasites were, and here they are.”

Their faces distorted simultaneously, and the eldest brother showed his teeth threateningly. “You little shit, what did you just say?” Bang! He slammed his fist on the table, making the water in the cups sloosh over. The mother seemed annoyed but showed no intention of scolding her sons.

Park Dong-sik sighed through his teeth.

“It seems like you all expected to get a piece of the pie, but listen carefully, all three of you. This isn’t Kim Jun-han’s baby. I got kicked out for having an affair. Father is dead, so don’t embarrass yourselves by causing trouble. Live quietly like dead mice. You won’t find any money no matter how hard you look. Whether you get a job or sell your bodies, that’s your business. Let’s not contact each other anymore, okay?”

As he tried to leave, the eldest brother grabbed hold of his arm.

“Want to die? Where do you get off acting so arrogant?”

Looking at this guy’s build, he wasn’t to be taken lightly. Without hesitation, Park Dong-sik moved behind him and applied a rear naked choke. As he applied pressure, the panicked man flailed his arms trying to break free. 

“What the! Let go!” 

The more pressure applied, the more his face turned tomato-red as he choked, and the shocked mother came to separate them. 

“Are you crazy! Let go!”

“Keuheuk!”

The man made a sound like a squealing pig, banging the table with his palm. When Park Dong-sik released him and stepped back, everyone was staring. The man coughed and jumped up from his seat. Though he looked ready to charge, he seemed to notice the others and sat back down cursing. His eyes remained fixed on Park Dong-sik.

“Lost your memory and your fear too? Want me to remind you of the old days, you little shit!”

Park Dong-sik snorted and showed his middle finger.

“Stop talking nonsense and eat this. Keep acting up and I’ll fold your neck.

“Though I’m not sure if it’ll fold with all that fat.” 

Then he walked out. Footsteps followed as the door opened. Thinking it was the eldest brother, he turned ready to fight, but surprisingly, it was the man who resembled Lee Hee-soo standing there dejectedly.

The security guard who had been keeping his distance approached, but Park Dong-sik signaled that it was okay. Come to think of it, they’d first gone to the obstetrician under his name. What was it again? Lee Seon-jae? The half-brother one year older who looked remarkably similar to Lee Hee-soo.

“Did you follow me out wanting to get hit too?”

Unlike the eldest brother, Lee Seon-jae hesitated.

“That’s not it…couldn’t you help just this once…? I’ll even get a part-time job next time. As you know…neither I nor our eldest brother ever struggled growing up. After Father died, we only relied on you…I’m sorry…”

His eyes were brimming with tears. Park Dong-sik stared at his face. When living as Park Dong-sik and collecting debts, he met various types of people. Those who told him to go to hell, those who pleaded with tears. While people who act recklessly might seem scary, there were others you really had to watch out for.

When Park Dong-sik held out his hand, Lee Seon-jae looked up.

“Give me your phone.”

A slight smile crossed his face. “Okay.” When he quickly handed it over, Park Dong-sik entered a phone number and returned it. Lee Seon-jae asked hopefully.

“Is this your number?”

Park Dong-sik replied flatly.

“No, it’s an employment agency.”

“…”

“If you need money, go work. Construction day labor pays well these days.”

Just as Park Dong-sik turned around, he heard quiet cursing behind him. While considering whether to teach him a lesson, he froze. In the distance, someone in a suit was walking while on the phone, t turned out to be Park Chun-bae, Park Dong-sik’s father.

He had a wealthy-looking woman on his arm, and his face looked different, more polished, it seemed like he’d found a good source of money. Damn. Why is he here? Instinctively turning to avoid him, Lee Hee-soo’s mother came out of the cafe at that moment.

“Lee Hee-soo, are you going to be like this? CEO Kim must have given you alimony—”

His face turned pale as he backed away mid-sentence. What’s wrong with him? Then he quickly disappeared back into the cafe. Park Dong-sik looked around. Did he see a ghost? Or was a debt collector following him? He completely hid behind a pillar inside the cafe.

Just then, Park Chun-bae passed right by. Though there was no way he’d recognize him, Park Dong-sik held his breath. As he watched Park Chun-bae’s retreating figure and headed toward his car, he noticed Lee Seon-jae still lingering nearby.

“Why aren’t you leaving? Follow your mother.”

“I’m curious about something.”

“What?”

“That baby…it’s not Tae-han’s, right?”

“It’s not. Why? Are you close with Kim Tae-han?”

“If not, never mind. See you later.”

Lee Seon-jae went into the cafe without asking anything more. What’s with that guy? Feeling suspicious about the whole thing, Park Dong-sik checked the cafe once more, and again in the direction where his father had disappeared. Ah, what bad luck today. Meeting all these awful people in one go.

As soon as he got in the waiting car, Kim Tae-han called. When he didn’t answer, Kim Jun-han called next. Instead of answering, Park Dong-sik invited both Kim Jun-han and Kim Tae-han to a chat room. Then he sent one message:

[I have something important to discuss, so I want both of you to come to the house after work.]

Then he switched his phone to vibrate. Fatigue was settling in. They say when you’re pregnant you should only eat good things and see good things, but now that he wasn’t seeing Chairman Kim anymore, he was meeting all these detestable people in groups instead.

“We’ll depart now.”

As the security guard spoke and the car started moving, Park Dong-sik looked out the window and saw Lee Hee-soo’s mother in the cafe. He was anxiously biting his nails while his two sons sat across from him, talking.

***

Humming a tune, Kim Tae-han got in his car. As he started the engine, someone knocked on the window. His eyes widened briefly before returning to normal. He had thought it would be Lee Hee-soo. When he lowered the window, a clear-faced man stood there, emanating a fragrant pheromone scent.

“Long time no see. They said you went into the company, so it was true?”

“Hello, former in-law. It’s been a while. When did you come to Korea?”

Lee Seon-jae circled around the car and got into the passenger seat without a word.

“I waited so long. My legs were killing me.”

“Well. I didn’t invite you in.”

Lee Seon-jae leaned slightly toward Kim Tae-han.

“Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Keep it short and get out. I need to go somewhere.”

“Where? To see Lee Hee-soo?”

“None of your business.”

“I guess you don’t need me anymore? I used to be Lee Hee-soo’s substitute.”

When Kim Tae-han turned his head, Lee Seon-jae smiled slyly.

“Ah, is this something Lee Hee-soo shouldn’t know?”

“Go ahead and tell. I don’t care.”

“How about this then? That you deliberately set Lee Hee-soo up with a lover. Can I tell that too?”

Kim Tae-han’s eyes turned not just cold but murderous. He licked his upper teeth and smiled. Lee Seon-jae, sensing danger emanating off the other man, backed off a bit.

“Just kidding. I don’t really plan to tell. I just want us to go back to how we were before. Lee Hee-soo doesn’t have feelings for you anyway.”

Lee Seon-jae stroked Kim Tae-han’s thigh, then subtly moved his hand inside to fondle his cock. Haa, he breathed lustfully and released his pheromones without hesitation. Kim Tae-han was equally aroused by the omega’s pheromones. As the zipper came down and Lee Seon-jae was about to take him in his mouth, Kim Tae-han roughly grabbed his hair and pulled him away.

“Ack!”

He touched his pulled hair with an incredulous expression on his face, while Kim Tae-han smiled as he zipped up.

“Sorry. This one has an owner now too.”

“…”

“Would you get out? Oppa has somewhere to be.”

“Are you really meeting with Lee Hee-soo now?”

“Get out while I’m asking nicely.”

“I asked if you’re meeting Lee Hee-soo?”

“Seon-jae. Lee Seon-jae.”

Kim Tae-han turned and suddenly reached out to roughly grab Lee Seon-jae’s chin. Ugh, Lee Seon-jae’s eyes widened at the sudden threat. His tearful eyes resembled Lee Hee-soo’s. They already looked alike, but after Lee Seon-jae’s plastic surgery, they became even more similar.

That was why he had once kissed this face and explored this body as a substitute for Lee Hee-soo. As he tightened his grip painfully, Lee Seon-jae struggled to remove his hand.

Then Kim Tae-han warned him in a low voice, “If Lee Hee-soo comes to hate me because of you, what do you think will happen?”

Looking at Lee Seon-jae’s reddening eyes, Kim Tae-han smiled brightly.

“So keep your mouth shut and live. You should at least preserve that pretty face. Who would want you if your mouth is torn and your tongue cut off? Right?”

He threw his face aside and gestured for him to get out. Lee Seon-jae glared viciously before getting out and slamming the door hard enough to break it. Ignoring him, Kim Tae-han drove off, seeing in his mirror Lee Seon-jae angrily stomping the ground. Regardless, Kim Tae-han’s thoughts were entirely focused on Lee Hee-soo, who must be waiting at home.