 
### Unwanted

By Jennifer Park

Edited by Rachel Guerrero

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2015 Jennifer Park

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

### Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Dedication

About the Author

About the Editor

Chapter One

Su Jin was tired. Exhausted, actually. Today had seemed endless. As the 38-year-old fell into bed, her gaze fell on the framed photo on the night stand. Ji Hoon's unsmiling face stared back at her. Tears of frustration came unbidden to her eyes. Some days, the pain of widowhood still seemed unbearable. She longed for Ji Hoon's comforting arms, for his calm assurance that everything would be all right. She wanted to pour out all her frustrations and fears to him. But like so many nights before this one, she was alone. Su Jin knew well that exhaustion worked a magic far stronger than that of sleeping pills, and grateful for that, she quickly slipped into the blessed oblivion of sleep.

She woke early the next day. Shaking off the depression of the evening before, she steeled herself to face a day that would require her to be in complete control of her emotions. Today, Min Sang was returning from America. Today, her world would surely be turned inside out and upside down. Min Sang was her...her what? Sometimes she thought of him as her eldest child (he wasn't). Sometimes she thought of him as her archenemy (do people really have archenemies?). Sometimes she thought of him as a younger brother, or as an uncle to her kids. Sometimes she thought of him as a charity project, a troubled youth any do-gooder might decide to mentor. Min Sang was not even a blood relative. But in a very real way, Min Sang was to Su Jin more than any of these things. And today he was coming home. Su Jin was not easily frightened or disturbed, but today she was both.

Attempting to shake off the feeling of impending dread, she went to make sure that her 12-year-old son, Min Soo, and 8-year-old daughter, Min Ji, were well on their way to getting ready for school. Su Jin found them in the kitchen eating their breakfast. Immediately, the sight of them came close to lifting the heavy fog that she had woken up under. Min Soo was a carbon copy of his fierce father. He was tall for his age, and his serious manner made him seem older than his years. Min Ji was not a bit like her father, instead, she was bright and warm and flighty. In spite of his youth, many people found themselves slightly intimidated by the quiet and stern Min Soo, but everyone loved the small and elfish Min Ji. Min Ji was everything her brother was not. She smiled easily and made friends effortlessly. Where Min Ji welcomed all into her heart, Min Soo seemed to have room in his heart for only three living people: his mother, his sister, and his childhood hero, Min Sang.

"Min Sang comes home today?" Min Soo asked, as if he were not sure of the date.

"Yes, he arrives at 2:00 pm, so you will see him when you get home from school." Su Jin answered her son.

"Min Sang likes japchae, can we have that for dinner?" Min Soo asked with uncharacteristic care.

"And hotteok for dessert? Please!" Min Ji eagerly suggested.

"Yes, Ajumma will make it. I have already asked her." Su Jin felt a slight relief at the thought of Ajumma, her helper who had worked for her family since Min Soo had been born. She was in her sixties now. But she could out-work most ladies half her age. She was well-known for her cooking and she loved this family as if it were her own. When Ji Hoon passed away and Su Jin gave birth to Min Ji just weeks after, it was Ajumma who held everything together. She thought of herself as the real grandmother of this grandmother-less family and she loyally cared for each one.

Su Jin went to her home office to work on email until she needed to leave for the airport. She tried to concentrate, but she could not focus on her inbox. Her mind kept wandering to distant memories of Min Sang. It had been four years since he had left to study in the United States. She had not seen him or heard directly from him during that time. As each year passed, she wondered if Min Sang would grow out of his great hatred toward her. And each year, his continued silence proved he hadn't. Su Jin had spent countless hours wondering "Why? Why does he hate me so much? Why does it get worse instead of better? When will he tell me what I can do to fix things?"

No matter how many times she thought about it, she could never understand. When he was younger, she thought his attitude was because of the terrible way in which he lost his mother and the fact that he'd seemed to think that Su Jin and his father were both partially to blame. But surely by now, he knew that the accident had nothing to do with Su Jin. Surely, after all these years, he had grown out of his youthful rage against an unfair world in which mothers die.

Su Jin stopped fighting the memories that bubbled to the surface of her mind. She gave herself the freedom to turn from her computer, gaze out the window, and remember. She needed to remember. She'd pushed away all thoughts of Min Sang for years now, but it was time for her to recall everything about him—right now, before his plane landed. After he arrived, there would be no more quiet moments for reflection, so she eased herself fully into her chair, stared out at the cold morning, and remembered.

It all started...

When? When did the story of her and Min Sang begin? At his birth? No, it was before that. With his parent's marriage? No, it was before that. When did it start? With Grandpa? Yes, it was indeed with her grandfather that the story of her and Min Sang began. So Su Jin set herself to remember it all, just as it happened, hoping to give herself the courage that she needed to face what was coming today.

Harabaji was a short man and rather average in every way. He had an average personality, average intelligence, and average looks. He had been born into a somewhat wealthy and educated family and he had married into a much wealthier and more educated family. His life should have turned out differently. He should have lived long and happily. But tragic events that were far beyond this average man's ability to handle would cause his average life to end sooner than anyone would have expected. His misfortune began when his only daughter, Young Hee, became pregnant with a married man's child. Grandpa sent his daughter away to friends who lived in the countryside until the baby was born. A little while after Young Hee returned home, he officially adopted his new granddaughter, whom he named Su Jin, as his own. He thought his Young Hee would now be able to have a normal life without the burden of an unwanted child, but he had underestimated the emotional damage she'd endured. When Su Jin was 4 months old, Young Hee took her own life. That was the beginning of the end for Harabaji. His wife blamed him for their daughter's death and would not accept the baby girl that had killed her precious Young Hee in the prime of life.

Harabaji, left to care for Su Jin alone, tried to make a life for his little granddaughter. But no one understood why he insisted on keeping the infant. Both his family and his wife's family were against it. So, at 60 years old he found himself bereaved of his only child and the sole parent of an illegitimate baby girl. If he had been above average, maybe he could have found a way to handle the situation better. But he wasn't. He wasn't overly wise or clever or hardworking, or really anything of any special mention. But he cherished an unwanted infant and because of that, he lost his family, his friends, and his home.

Su Jin got up and began to pace the room. She did not want to remember Harabaji or the terrible situation that led to her birth. She felt strangely guilty to all involved. To the mother that she never knew, to the unknown relatives that drove her grandfather away, to the grandfather that gave up everything to care for her. None of it was her fault. But for most of her life, she had felt like she needed to apologize for existing, because her very existence meant that she'd hurt a world of people that she had never known.

Harabaji had loved Su Jin, but did not really know how to handle the situation he found himself in. He nursed his grief with soju. When Su Jin was 10 years old, and her grandfather was 70, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He knew he did not have long to live, and at that point, he didn't have much reason to cling to the life he had. Harabaji took Su Jin to meet his childhood friend, Moon Ho.

That was how Su Jin came to live in Moon Ho's family. Moon Ho was many things, the least of which was average. He was tall, he was clever, and he was still handsome even though he exceeded 70 years in age. Shortly after Su Jin arrived at his home, her grandfather passed away. Su Jin never knew just what kind of relationship her average grandfather had with his childhood friend, who was himself in poor health when she joined the family. But Moon Ho firmly declared that Su Jin was to be taken in and cared for even after his death, and at no time and for no reason was she ever to be cut off from the family. Moon Ho lived seven years after Su Jin came, and when he passed, she became the responsibility of Bong Soo, his son. He and his wife, Ji Young, took in Su Jin. At that time, they had a 4-year-old son named Min Sang. That was the beginning.

Moon Ho, when on his deathbed, called Bong Soo to his side and used some of his last moments of life to divulge the secret that had weighed on him for years—the truth behind why he'd taken Su Jin in when his old friend Harabaji had asked him to. In the very end, Moon Ho carefully told Bong Soo not to treat this girl, this Su Jin, as a daughter.

"Rather, make this unloved and unwanted nobody into a warrior's horse or a hunter's dog; highly skilled, and unwaveringly dedicated to her master. Treat her well, train her well, make her loyal, and never let her leave. Make her wholly and completely yours," the dying Moon Ho commanded.

Bong Soo did not completely understand the magnitude of his father's command, but he knew him well enough to trust that it was what was best for all involved. After the funeral, Bong Soo took Su Jin home as his dying father had commanded.

Su Jin smiled as her mind recalled many different firsts. The first time she saw Bong Soo, the first time she met Ji Young and Min Sang. She had been silent in the face of their stares. For the first time in her life she sensed that someone in that room wanted her. This wasn't the guilt that led her grandfather to take care of her, or the sinister self-interest that led Moon Ho to accept her. This was the pure, unadulterated want of another who knew what it was to be unwanted. She looked first to Bong Soo and knew that it was not him that wanted her, at least not that way. She gazed at Ji Young and felt only hate. Certainly, it did not come from the stern-faced woman who looked like she would like to strike her. Finally, she looked into the eyes of little Min Sang and felt the call to want him, to like him, to love him. She made a decision then and there, a decision that she could not at that point in her life articulate into words, but one that was real nonetheless. She gazed back at Min Sang and tried to tell him with her eyes, "I will want you. Always."

### Chapter 2

Su Jin stood up to stretch and brew herself a cup of tea, then let her mind return once more to the early days. Su Jin had always wondered at the family dynamics of her new "home." She did not judge them. She had never had a real family and certainly had no right to judge anyone's family. But she wondered deeply about the people she now lived with. As Su Jin watched Ji Young from a safe distance, she observed how Ji Young never seemed to notice her only son. It was as if Ji Young were obsessed with Bong Soo. She was always talking about Bong Soo or getting ready to go visit him at work or preparing for him to come home.

"What kind of mother does not love her own son?" Su Jin wondered.

"What kind of mother kills herself simply because she has a baby?" Her own history rebuked her.

Both Su Jin and Min Sang had mothers that seemed to find it difficult to love them, perhaps that's why they found themselves irretrievably connected from their first meeting onwards.

Min Sang was a cute and lively youngster. Full of mischief and wonder for life. In those early years, those precious early years, the years before the accident, Min Sang had loved Su Jin as only a 4-year-old can love. The 17-year-old Sun Jin relished the affection and attention. Su Jin tried to sooth the heart of the ignored and forgotten youngster. Slowly, Su Jin and Min Sang became for each other what was missing in their lives: the key person willing to mark the value of their existence.

Soon after Su Jin came to live in Min Sang's family, Bong Soo was contemplating how to fulfil his father's command. How does one create a war horse, exactly? A hunting dog? Why did his father, even on his deathbed, insist on making illustrations instead of speaking clearly? How was he going to make Su Jin forever loyal? Bong Soo was, in many ways, like his father, and as he thought, he came up with a plan that would ensure that Su Jin could not easily leave his family.

Bong Soo came home one evening and announced at dinner that Su Jin would go to his office every day after school. That was how she would earn her keep. Bong Soo explained that he would be training Su Jin to someday become his personal assistant. Ji Young was against it. She did not like Su Jin. Not that Ji Young actually knew much about her; Ji Young did not like anyone who her husband showed any interest in. She did not want Bong Soo spending time with this nobody of a teenager. Ji Young complained heartily, but to no avail. Bong Soo had decided and, in this case anyway, that was the end of the story.

Twenty-one years. Su Jin sighed as she calculated how long it had been. Twenty-one years since her first day at the company. Moon Industries had been such a large part of her life. It was like one of her own childrens. It was as important to her as Min Sang himself. Her first day had been terrifying. She was dressed in her most grown-up and professional clothes and she had tried not to seem as terrified as she truly was. It was also on that first day that she met the love of her life, Ji Hoon.

Ji Hoon was 38 years old at the time. He was the CEO of Moon Industries and the older brother of Bong Soo's wife, Ji Young. Su Jin was terrified of Ji Hoon. He was tall, stern, and quiet. He stared at her as his mind silently filled with questions. He could not understand what Bong Soo was thinking in bringing a teenager to the office. Ji Hoon made it crystal clear that he thought children had no business in the work place. Ji Hoon was worried about what people would think about the company. Had they inexplicably begun a program to help out orphaned teenagers?

Bong Soo tried to explain that Su Jin was there to learn how to work and to earn her keep as a ward of his family. Ji Hoon thought Su Jin would be better off working at a gas station or a mini market. Why change out of a school uniform and pretend to work in the real world? Bong Soo and Ji Hoon argued quite a bit about Su Jin in the early days. Eventually, Ji Hoon came to realize that Bong Soo would not change his mind in regard to Su Jin. Ji Hoon knew that Bong Soo would be a difficult opponent to beat, so he decided that if he could not make Bong Soo change his mind, he would have to live with the teenager, for now.

Bong Soo brought Su Jin to every afternoon meeting he attended. He made her read every document he read. He sent her to every seminar the company held. He made her work in every department. Slowly, ever so slowly, her understanding and usefulness grew. Ji Hoon watched this from afar. Su Jin remembered him scowling at her when he saw her at a meeting or in the hallways. Su Jin worked one year part-time after school, and then she graduated. Su Jin had never asked, but she had assumed that Bong Soo would send her to university after she graduated from high school. Ji Hoon had assumed the same.

It came as a shock to Su Jin when Bong Soo said, right after graduation, that she would be starting at Moon Industries full-time. Ji Hoon objected sternly to the idea. What was Bong Soo thinking? They could not put a high school graduate into any real job. What about Su Jin's future? What future would she even have without a university degree? Bong Soo and Ji Hoon were in the office arguing about Su Jin while she put together paperwork in the copy room next door, and she overheard Bong Soo say, "If she has a college education, she can leave. If she doesn't, Moon Industries will be the only place that will give her a real job without the needed qualifications." Su Jin did not understand why Bong Soo was worried that she might leave, but the thought that someone would go so far to contrive a way to keep her, twisted though it might be, gave her a sense of comfort.

"Why can't she leave? Why does she need to stay?" Ji Hoon questioned.

Bong Soo ignored the deeper meaning of the question and said something about becoming attached to Su Jin. He stated that he had come to rely more and more on her instincts. The protective brother in Ji Hoon rose to the surface and he sternly questioned his brother-in-law, "Are you attracted to Su Jin?"

Bong Soo nearly choked on his tea. "What? No!"

Bong Soo realized that what he had said made no sense to his brother-in-law. How could he be relying on a recently graduated high school kid? As Bong Soo felt Ji Hoon's rising suspicion, he knew needed a new angle. His mind scrambled as he searched for something that would put Ji Hoon at ease. "Ok, let me explain. Just between us, you know how Ji Young is, she can get really jealous. I know if I invested in something like a college education for Su Jin, Ji Young would resent that for the rest of our lives. So, I thought this would be the best way to keep the peace."

Ji Hoon eyed Bong Soo suspiciously. He knew that Ji Young's jealousy was not something to trifle with. So the story was plausible. Still, there was something in Su Jin's and Bong Soo's relationship that was unsettling. He did not want to see them spending any more time together.

"I have an idea. I'll take Su Jin as my assistant. That way, it will suit everybody."

"I thought you did not think she should even be working here?"

"I don't. But you don't seem to be changing your mind, so from here on out, Su Jin will be mine." Ji Hoon tried to read Bong Soo's reaction, but Bong Soo simply nodded his head in agreement—agreement tinged with relief, perhaps?

"That should work." Bong Soo agreed.

That was how Su Jin, at 18 years of age, became an assistant to Ji Hoon, CEO of Moon Industries.

### Chapter 3

Su Jin walked around her home office. Absentmindedly, she ran her hand along the book case. Everything in this room reminded her of Ji Hoon. Her management books were gifts from him, the furniture had been picked out by him. Thoughts and memories of Ji Hoon flooded her senses. She picked up the framed photo of their family trip to Jeju when Min Soo was a baby and Min Sang was 13 years old. Min Sang had a cheeky smile on his face as he held bunny ears over the unsuspecting Ji Hoon. He had "ruined" the pose, and he was quite proud of himself for doing so. Min Sang had always seen Ji Hoon as a rival in Su Jin's affections. Su Jin had always found Min Sang's undying loyalty to his childhood "sweetheart" endearing and she did little to discourage him. She also found it amusing to see how much it annoyed Ji Hoon.

On that particular trip to Jeju, Ji Hoon had had enough of Min Sang and told Su Jin rather sternly to "Set that boy straight! You are my wife, not his!"

"Honey, Min Sang is just a little boy who needs attention, you have nothing to worry about." Su Jin tried to console her husband.

"I think you underestimate that young man. He is in dead earnest, and you encourage him. Someday, you are going to hurt him if you don't let him know right now that he is just a little pest that you feel sorry for and nothing more," Ji Hoon complained.

Su Jin had wanted to reassure her husband, but when she heard Min Sang referred to as a "little pest," her motherly feathers were ruffled and she rebelled.

"Min Sang is not just a little pest that I feel sorry for. He means the world to me and you know that. He is going to grow up and be a great man who does great things and I am going to cheer him on every step of the way."

Ji Hoon simply laughed at her display of eternal support for Min Sang. His laugh angered her.

"Maybe you are just a grumpy old man that I feel sorry for," retorted Su Jin.

The steely look Ji Hoon sent her stopped any more comebacks from his young and beautiful wife. Ji Hoon knew he was not simply the object of her pity, but with the 21-year age gap and his signature stern demeanor, it did sting a bit to be referred to as "grumpy" and "old."

Ji Hoon took in the stubborn tilt of his wife's chin and decided it would be best to let the matter drop. Min Sang was not a subject that it was safe to debate with Su Jin. It was as if she felt a constant need to protect him from everything. She was Min Sang's #1 fan. Min Sang's cheerleader. Min Sang's confidant. Su Jin was everything that Min Sang's neglectful parents failed to be for him, and more. Though Ji Hoon was confident in the love of his wife, he truly worried that she only saw Min Sang as the cute little neglected child of the past, and that she was ignoring his obvious growing manly feelings towards her. Ji Hoon wisely saw that if Su Jin did not heed his warnings about Min Sang, it was likely to hurt them both.

The now much older and wiser Su Jin put the dated photo down. The photo had caused her to rush ahead in her memories. But she did not want to rush. She wanted to remember it all. She needed to remember it all. Now where was she? She had been trying to remember how things had become the way they were. How it had happened that the Min Sang who was as dear to her as her own life had become someone to dread.

Su Jin stopped pacing around the office and sat down. She stared fixedly at the photo and forced her mind back. Back before Min Soo was born, before she and Ji Hoon were married. Back to her early days of working as an assistant to Ji Hoon.

The anxiousness of those days still brought a physical reaction and she wiped her clammy hands on her skirt. Oh, those had been intense days. Bong Soo had told her that from now own, she would be reporting to Ji Hoon, and she was terrified of the stern CEO who always scowled at her.

Her first day, she was called into Ji Hoon's office. He had been pondering how to prepare an unskilled high school graduate to become his right-hand man. He felt cornered into a situation he did not want to be in and he was more than a little frustrated at his own confusion regarding the matter. That morning Ji Hoon had found himself spending nearly half an hour deciding on his what clothes to wear. Normally, that was a two-minute job. He had changed his tie three times—from red, to blue, finally settling on silver. He was almost as nervous as the clueless girl that sat before him. As she sat there, and he silently gazed into her eyes, he imagined he could read what she was thinking. The fact that she seemed so afraid of him angered him and he found himself being harsher than he had originally intended.

Ji Hoon sent Su Jin to the product verification lab. It was there that all new products had to undergo a series of tests. The tests were varied. Product performance was evaluated under extreme conditions, such as excessively high and low temperatures. Products were tested as to how long they could be exposed to moisture without undergoing irreversible water damage. These experiments would allow Moon Industries the information necessary to plan for product failure. They might decide to sell a product only in moderate climates and not ship to the tropics if heat proved too problematic. Or when cold caused brittle plastics to break, a new material was sought in order to prevent damage to the company's reputation for quality.

Su Jin would come to work and first report to Ji Hoon. He would ask her about the day before and give her assignments, and she would go off to the lab.

The no-longer young and clueless Su Jin could not stop herself from smiling as she thought of her days in the lab. In her many years at Moon Industries, no other task had been as interesting or enjoyable as designing and running tests on their own products. The product testing lab was located next to new product design and the two departments often helped each other. Once a month, they met outside of work for a meal. At Su Jin's first time attending a company dinner, she was presented with a lab coat with her name sewn onto the pocket.

Su Jin still had that coat. Somehow, it on that day, she felt like she had finally been accepted into an extended family. She liked her colleagues. One of her seniors, Sam Dong, who had been assigned to train her, had been with the company longer than she'd been alive. He was bent with age and very traditional, considering that he worked in labs with the best in modern equipment and technology. He taught Su Jin more than how to design tests and measure data. He taught her how to get free food out of the staff that worked the cafeteria and how to know when treats were brought in by someone who worked in a different department. Sam Dong had countless informants throughout Moon Industries.

Su Jin would be diligently filling in her lab data, and Sam Dong would call her to come on an errand. He would walk down the hallway at a pace she could barely keep up with. He always walked like he was on an important mission. They would arrive in the advertising department, which just happened to be celebrating the retirement of their department leader. He would greet everyone, give his respects, take a plate, and start eating. It was by this means that Su Jin came to know each and every department in Moon Industries. Because of Sam Dong, Su Jin soon had her own informants throughout the company. They told her of births, deaths, promotions, and other details that were important for her to know if she wanted to grow in her career. In later years, people wondered at her seemingly effortless way of knowing what was going on everywhere. Little did they know that it was an old man and his love for free food who taught her how to create an unbreakable network of connections within her own company.

Ji Hoon began to notice how well-liked the kid of Moon Industries was becoming. Each place she was sent to work seemed to welcome her and teach her whatever they could. Su Jin was aware that her survival depended on her performance, and that the eagle eyes of Ji Hoon missed nothing. A mutual respect for the abilities and determination that each possessed was growing between Ji Hoon and Su Jin, and he found that he stopped resenting her presence in the company.

Su Jin remembered the day that had changed everything. It had begun as normal as any other. After Su Jin had been working as the CEO's assistant for about a year, she found herself giving a presentation to department heads. Ji Hoon was supposed to have given it. Su Jin had helped him prepare it and she knew the material well. Just before they left for the meeting, Sam Dong from the validation lab stopped by. In intimate whispers he told Su Jin of the fabulous treats brought in by a new father in the accounting department and told her to make sure to drop by before they were gone. As Ji Hoon watched Su Jin smile wholeheartedly up into the old man's eyes and whisper some secret reply, he snapped. Why was this geezer being so friendly to Su Jin? When she was off to the lab, was it this guy that she spent all her time with? Ji Hoon seemed to have lost his capability of reasonable thought at this moment. Her smile at this bent, white-haired scientist made him see red and he lashed out with the cruelest punishment he could think of at that moment.

"Su Jin. Let's go, you will be giving the presentation." With that, he was out of the office and storming down the hallway.

Su Jin stood frozen for a second, stunned. She thought she would be sick. Was he out of his mind? Today's meeting was a big deal. They had spent weeks preparing. It was not a good idea for this key presentation to be given by the know-nothing kid, as she knew she was still considered. After the initial shock, she ran after Ji Hoon. She caught up to him and in her fear of the outcome of giving the presentation on her own, she forgot her fear of Ji Hoon and grabbed his arm.

She was out of breath from chasing him, and she was panting as she said, "No...please...I can't..."

Ji Hoon felt no pity for the trembling girl before him. In his mind he could still see that cheerful grin on her face—the grin for Sam Dong, the grin that had never once in this last year been shown to him.

"You will give the presentation and you will do it better than I would have done, or you will face the consequences." Ji Hoon surprised himself with the harshness in his tone. They stared at each other for a brief moment. Ji Hoon temporarily felt triumphant as he held her complete attention. Su Jin shook herself and released the hold she had on his arm. Ji Hoon immediately regretted his cruelty as soon as he felt her arm drop and her gaze leave his face. She looked as if he had just slapped her and he knew in his heart that in a way, he had. Ji Hoon wanted to take everything back, but just as he was trying to form the words, Bong Soo appeared in the hallway and the sight of him angered Ji Hoon all over again. Why was Su Jin so important to Bong Soo? Ji Hoon turned and went into the conference room.

The MC of the meeting was a bit flustered as he introduced Su Jin. She knew a feeling beyond terror as she took her place in the podium. She knew every part of the presentation. She had written most of it. Still, the unfriendly looks of leaders more than twice her age made her blood run cold. She took a deep breath and began.

Su Jin could not remember what she said or how she said it. She did remember that slowly, while she was speaking, she began to see heads nod in agreement and notice smiles of comprehension. This gave her more confidence as she continued. Then, after the presentation, came the dreaded question and answer session. What if they asked a question she did not know the answer to? Some people are talented at making up answers that seem satisfying but cleverly evade actually answering the question asked. But Su Jin had not that skill or experience. She silently prayed that, should she not know something, the floor would open and swallow her.

The first few questions were easy and politely stated. Mostly, they were questions of clarification regarding the content of the presentation. These she handled with ease, and she almost began to feel that perhaps she would survive this ordeal. Until the notoriously cranky head of marketing asked his question regarding the suitability of the auto alarm installed in this particular product update. Oh no. Su Jin inwardly cringed. Up to this point, Ji Hoon had been watching his assistant with mixed feeling of guilt and pride. He felt guilty for putting her into a situation far beyond her and proud of how well she was handling it. His mind scrambled for a suitable answer to pacify the questioner. But he was not up-to-date on the stats for that aspect of this product. As he was still thinking, Su Jin spoke up and began to answer the question. Because of her work in the lab and her frequent visits to departments throughout Moon Industries, she just happened to know the answer.

And that's when it happened. After Su Jin successfully handled the sticky situation with diplomacy, her eyes sought Ji Hoon's for approval. "Have I done the right thing?" Her eyes asked.

"I love you. I am proud of you," his eyes seemed to shine back.

Su Jin dropped her gaze, answered a few more questions and returned to her seat. Later, she realized that she knew nothing of what had been talked about in the meeting that followed the presentation. Had she really seen what she thought she saw? Can eyes talk across conference rooms full of people? Had she imagined the whole thing?

Four years into their marriage, Ji Hoon told her what he was thinking as he left the meeting that day. He thought that all was lost. That he was a dirty old man hopelessly enamored by a girl who wasn't even out of her teens. He was insulted and frightened by his own feelings. It made no sense and things had to make sense to Ji Hoon, for he was a very sensible man.

### Chapter Four

Su Jin would have known very little of the great inner turmoil her husband had gone through when he came to realize his feelings for her, had it not become one of his favorite subjects after they were safely married. It was as if that time had scarred him. In the late hours, before they would fall asleep, he loved to describe how the sight of her had tortured him. How he missed her even when they were in the same room. How every smile and comment she made to others he perceived as a threat to himself. At that time, he was, in a real sense, losing his mind. His rational, determined self was falling prey to all manner of confusion and doubt. And it was driving him crazy.

Usually Su Jin went to work and returned home in Bong Soo's car, as they lived in the same house. Bong Soo was often on his phone or working on his computer during those rides, so they did not converse and grow close as one might have thought, that is, not until after the incident with the soccer ball.

One Thursday, Bong Soo had returned home before Su Jin. He had sent the car back to collect her and Ji Young, who was also in town for a shopping trip. Bong Soo had the rare opportunity to kick a soccer ball around the yard with young Min Sang. He was enjoying the precious time with his growing son, and that joy was evident on his face as the two ladies returned.

It takes more time to tell than it took to happen. As Ji Young rounded the corner and her husband and son came into view, Su Jin could see the distress on her face. The father and son continued to play happily, unaware that they were being watched. As soon as Bong Soo noticed his wife's presence, he stopped the game and looked wistfully at his son, then turned and walked towards his wife without even a backwards glace at the disappointed Min Sang. Su Jin caught a look as he glanced at her. She read "go...please.. play with the boy..." in his eyes.

And then she knew. Bong Soo was afraid to love his son. Afraid that Ji Young would take her legendary jealousy out on the boy. Bong Soo was not trying to neglect him. He wanted to protect him. Su Jin's small nod communicated that she understood and would help. She eagerly went up to Min Sang and began to kick the ball about the yard with him. She always enjoyed time spent with him. He was a delightful, warm child, and with him, Su Jin felt the freedom to love and to be loved, to appreciate and to be appreciated, to want and to be wanted. Her work demanded skills and experience far above what she actually possessed, and she spent her work days feeling almost constantly like she was on the brink of major failure. However, with Min Sang, she felt precious safety. He was a handful, to be sure, but Su Jin felt confident in her ability to sooth his hurts, amuse him when he was bored, and care for him in sickness. It felt good to have someone she could think of as hers. Min Sang was not really her little brother or her student or her ward. She had no real, state-honored right or relationship to him at all, but nonetheless, Min Sang was hers because his mother didn't want him and his father was scared to want him. Su Jin, who nobody wanted and whose existence had caused so much pain to everyone who might have wanted her, needed Min Sang to know that she wanted him.

After the day with the soccer ball, when Su Jin was convinced that Bong Soo did have affection for his son, on their rides to work she would tell him all the details of the youngster's life. What his favorite foods were, what shows he liked to watch, what computer games he liked to play, what he wanted for his birthday. Bong Soo was eager to have this vicarious relationship with the son that meant the world to him. Thus Bong Soo and Su Jin began a relationship that would remain constant through the vicious storms life would soon throw at them. Bong Soo would love his son through Su Jin and Su Jin would keep them connected. It was this project that brought the two into a relationship that no one understood. This relationship was a sore spot with Ji Young, and it chafed every time she saw them in conversation. It confused Ji Hoon, as he was never quite sure of his brother-in-law's true intentions towards the young woman. At times, even young Min Sang wasn't pleased by how well Su Jin and his father seemed to get along. Min Sang childishly resented anyone or anything that came close to his Su Jin. For indeed, in his own mind, Su Jin belonged to him. Sometimes, he heard his mother say spiteful things about Su Jin. It made him think that there was something wrong with the relationship between his father and Su Jin. He could not guess what wrong there could be, but in the back of the young boy's mind, his beloved Su Jin was somehow a threat to his mother. Even at his young age, Min Sang avoided his mother when possible, because her temperamental ways scared him. Yet, he loved his mother, and it disturbed his young heart to think that anyone as special to him as Su Jin might cause her pain.

Mature Su Jin recalled her long-ago unspoken pact to help Bong Soo get to know his son as a good thing. One of the best things she had ever done in her life. It was a sincere gesture to help someone who could not help themselves. Even after the years of pain that passed since, she did not regret what she'd done for him.

Su Jin's mind wandered to images of Ji Hoon after that fateful presentation. When they met in the office, Ji Hoon no longer sent her away to work in the validation lab. Instead, he required her to accompany him to each of his meetings and involved her in all of his duties. His manner towards Su Jin had changed, almost imperceptibly, but it had changed. His intention to groom her for success in Moon Industries became his obsession. To him, it was a permissible way to show Su Jin the attention he long to show her in other ways.

Ji Hoon was aware that others in the company wondered at his relationship with his assistant. She accompanied him everywhere these days. One afternoon, he overheard some gossip about Su Jin in the break room. The new hires talked as if they were reasonably sure that she was either a mistress to Bong Soo or Ji Hoon (they could not agree on which one was more likely) or that she was an illegitimate daughter born to one of them in the wild days of their youth (they had opposing opinions on which one she looked more like). Both stories appalled him, but the perception of her as his mistress hit too close to home. Ji Hoon was thinking of Su Jin more than any boss should think of his assistant. If she was late, he wondered where she was. If she was talking on the phone, he wondered who she was talking to. If she smiled at a colleague, he would be unreasonably angry with that colleague for days. Ji Hoon had always looked down on his sister for her irrational jealousy of Bong Soo, but now he began to understand her, if only a little.

Actually, Ji Hoon came from a long line of possessive and jealous lovers. It seemed a family trait that his blood relatives only had the capacity to love one individual in a lifetime. If they loved their spouse, even their children were a threat to that relationship. If they loved a parent, there was never really room for siblings, friends, a spouse, or children in their hearts. Ji Hoon's own mother had loved her brother with a fierceness that defied reason. It caused endless quarrels with his father, and he and his sister had always felt as if they were merely second-class human beings in her eyes.

As for Ji Young, there was only room in her heart for Bong Soo. Ji Hoon knew that he too was susceptible to such obsession, and his growing feelings for Su Jin scared him. Growing up as he did, Ji Hoon had sworn never to put someone through that kind of love. The love that demanded 100% percent devotion was too costly. He had always felt sorry for his brother-in-law. Ji Young was never satisfied, she was gripped with the idea of being Bong Soo's _everything_ in the same way Bong Soo was her _everything_.

Ji Hoon found it hard to go to work every day. It was an exhilarating and yet terrifying experience. Each day, he thought the torture to his heart and soul could not get worse, and each day, it did. He wanted to know everything about Su Jin, but he dared not ask any personal questions, lest his voice and interest betray him.

Ji Hoon found himself wanting the strangest things. He wanted to touch Su Jin's fingers. Her fingers held great fascination for him, and he told her so after they married. Her hands were small and her fingers were short and thin, they seemed as if they could have belonged to a doll. His own hands were large and thick and had large veins that stood out from his hand. Sometimes, when he could see her typing away at her computer, he imagined her hand wore the ring he picked out for her. He could clearly see the ring in his mind, though he had gone to no jeweler, he imagined the yellow gold ring that held a single sapphire surrounded by small diamonds. It looked stunning on her tiny hand. He wondered what size those petite fingers were. At times, he wanted desperately for her to be his and his alone. At other times, he was embarrassed of his affection for someone so obviously inappropriate for his status and age. He thought that if he waited, surely this insanity that gripped him so intensely would pass. At first he sincerely hoped it would. But as time went on, the thought that his feelings for Su Jin might pass became a thought that terrified him. He couldn't imagine a life without her, and more than that, he couldn't imagine a life without loving her.

Ji Hoon had never been a worrier. In fact, he despised worriers. But lately, he found himself worrying about car crashes, terrorist attacks on public transportation, plane crashes, and contagious diseases. He never worried about himself in regards to these matters, only Su Jin. The thought that something bad might happen to Su Jin filled him with indescribable foreboding. The world seemed full of invincible foes who conspired to take her away from him. It was irrational, he knew, nevertheless, the only thing that calmed these fears was having her within sight, always within his sight.

Besides Ji Hoon's training campaign, his interactions with Su Jin had not changed all that much. He made no overtures of affection towards her, nor did he confess any feeling of undying devotion. He simply spent every moment he could working with her and teaching her all he knew that had made him the revered leader of Moon Industries.

Su Jin often wondered what her boss was thinking about as he stared at her hands while she made notes of their meetings. She wondered if she did not type fast enough for him or if he was counting how many mistakes she made. Su Jin did not know what Ji Hoon was thinking, but it was very unsettling to have him watch her typing so closely. In fact, most everything she did with her boss felt unsettling these days. He was acting so weird. Weird was not a good word to describe it, but she could not think of another. He seemed to be watching her all the time. He was critical of every mistake she made, as if a misspelled word would put the future of Moon Industries at stake. He seemed to resent every interruption. Su Jin had almost stopped visiting all the different departments, because every time she was out of his sight, it seemed to disturb him and he would need to know where she went and who she talked to and what they talked about. Su Jin hated these conversations. It felt like she was continually defending herself against some accusation, but she did not know what the accusation was.

So life developed into a kind of uncomfortable rhythm for Su Jin. She came and left work each day in the company of Bong Soo and in the confines of the car they shared the joys of loving the same little boy. And each day at work, Su Jin was under that constant eye and relentless training of Ji Hoon. And each evening, Su Jin poured her heart and soul into a precious little boy who grew dearer to her than her own life.

### Chapter Five

Su Jin had been enjoying reflecting on some of these memories. It was fun to remember the tender moments that those early years contained. But now came darker memories, ones that she normally pushed out of the way every time they threatened to raise their ugly heads. She would need to brace herself to remember the day everything changed. The day she left Bong Soo's home for good. The average person never wakes up one morning expecting that, by the time they lie down again at night, everything about their life will be changed forever. There may occasionally be warning signs, but they are easy to miss. If Su Jin had been warned, perhaps there would have been a way to avoid everything that happened afterwards. Su Jin had wondered many times what she should have done differently that day.

It had been a normal day, except for the fact that Ji Young was not at home when Bong Soo and Su Jin had returned from work. Normally, when they were at home, they ignored each other so as not to incite Ji Young's wrath. But Ji Young had uncharacteristically taken Min Sang to a soccer game, so Bong Soo and Su Jin found themselves at home alone.

Bong Soo had been working on a presentation for work and asked Su Jin to look it over, and that is what they were doing when Ji Young walked into his office with Min Sang. Su Jin was seated at the desk and Bong Soo was leaning over her as he looked at something she was pointing out on the computer screen. When Ji Young saw them in such close proximity, she lost it. She started to scream.

"Get out! Get out right now! Is this how you repay me for opening my home to you?"

Ji Young picked up a vase and threw it at Su Jin's face. Su Jin was so shocked that she did not even move and the vase struck her forehead.

Min Sang grabbed his mother's arm as she flailed for something else to throw. Bong Soo went into a rage that matched his wife's. Normally, he indulged his wife in her sense of ownership over him. But seeing the blood trickle down Su Jin's face and the look of accusation from his son made him snap. Where Ji Young's rage was displayed through screams and thrown objects, Bong Soo's rage was almost silent and felt much more sinister.

"Su Jin is never leaving my side," Bong Soo whispered in a menacing tone that somehow felt louder than any scream. He stood, waiting, as if he had thrown down the gauntlet before his wife and dared her to pick it up. Ji Hoon had arrived, planning only to quickly drop off a gift for his sister's approaching birthday, but, hearing her screams, he had entered Bong Soo's office just in time to hear his declaration.

Quickly, Ji Hoon took in the scene before him. The 8-year-old Min Sang clinging to his mother. His beloved Su Jin's bloodied face. The solid determination of his brother-in-law. Ji Hoon was not sure what was going on, but he knew he needed to calm his sister before the situation got even more out of hand.

Ji Hoon turned his attention to Su Jin.

"Take Min Sang out of here. Thank you."

Su Jin was grateful for a reason to escape, and she grabbed the frightened Min Sang and ran from the room. Upstairs, in his bedroom, she held tightly to Min Sang. She told herself she was comforting him because he had been frightened by the adults, but, in reality, holding him close comforted her. As they consoled each other, both wondered what was happening with the group of angry adults downstairs. Only when Min Sang mentioned that the bleeding from her wound hadn't stopped, did Su Jin remember that it needed to be taken care of. Ming Sang watched as she carefully washed the excess blood away and bandaged her own ugly cut. She tried to make a joke of it. "How do I look now?" she asked, her face filled with a forced grin as she turned to him, pretending to model the latest in bandage couture. He just walked away without a word, and Su Jin knew that tonight's happenings were not the kind that could be made right with a couple of light-hearted jokes, or even sincere apologies.

Once Su Jin and Min Sang were safely out of the room, Ji Hoon asked, his voice clipped with anger, "What happened?"

Ji Young began her tirade immediately.

"That girl was seducing him in my own home, under my roof!" she wailed, and subsequently fell dramatically onto the couch and began sobbing.

Ji Hoon eyed Bong Soo. It was not as if he believed his sister. He was quite sure that Su Jin was not capable of seducing anyone. But he was not as sure of Bong Soo's character.

Bong Soo read the question in his eyes, and sighed.

"We were working on the presentation to the shareholders for the meeting on Thursday."

Ji Hoon felt instant relief, but was careful to not let his face betray his emotions. This was simply one of his sister's baseless fits. But this fit had happened in front of Min Sang and it had wounded Su Jin, if the blood that he'd seen running down her face and hand had been any indication. He would not stand by and allow either of these things to happen again. Ji Hoon went over to his sister's sobbing form. He picked her up and carried her to her room. He told Bong Soo to wait in the library and that he would be back. As he put his inconsolable sister to bed, his mind raced. He replayed the words Bong Soo had furiously whispered: "Su Jin is never leaving my side." What had he meant? Why did he say that?

Ji Hoon had known that Bong Soo's marriage had not been easy on him. There were downsides to being the object of someone's obsession. Still, Ji Hoon had always appreciated Bong Soo's indulgence of his sister's desires. His brother-in-law had done well managing his sister's preoccupation with him. Ji Hoon was aware that Bong Soo kept no close friends and had no hobbies that would be a threat to the needy, demanding Ji Young. In addition, he knew that Bong Soo largely ignored his son. Bong Soo insisted on having a keen interest and a high level of participation in the inner workings of Moon Industries, but even that he kept largely to himself. He did not speak of his work to his wife, lest she begin to see it as a rival. Ji Hoon wondered what was so special about Su Jin that Bong Soo would make such a declaration. Bong Soo had never insisted on keeping anything his wife found as a threat. What was Su Jin to him?

When Ji Hoon got back downstairs to the library, he found Su Jin had beat him there. She was seated with her tiny hands folded in her lap. The bandage she had placed on her head had bled through. He stood slightly outside the door and heard Su Jin saying, "I will leave tomorrow."

"No, that is not necessary; Ji Young is just out of sorts. She will calm down. This is just a misunderstanding," Bong Soo countered desperately.

"She does not want me here." Su Jin's voice shook as she spoke and the words came slowly and brokenly. "It is poison for me to live where I am not wanted. I want to be free now. I am thankful for everything you've done. But now it's time to let me go." Su Jin said as she looked stoically at her folded hands.

At some point in the conversation, Min Sang had joined Ji Hoon outside of the library door. Both of them started when they heard Su Jin's plea to leave. For a brief second they shared a look, a look that said they had to keep her, that under any cost, they had to keep Su Jin.

Bong Soo was a master negotiator. He kept his cool under deals that meant wealth to one and bankruptcy to another. But the usually detached Bong Soo was sweating. He could not lose her. He finally understood her value to him and his family. His war horse, his hunting dog, he could not lose her. He felt a sense of panic rising that he tried to push down.

"Where will you go?" He asked, as if he believed she would really leave.

"To university," she weakly replied.

"You have no money to go to university," he slyly pointed out.

"I have saved all you paid me since I started working at Moon Industries," came a soft reply.

At that, Bong Soo cursed himself for being a fool. He thought that keeping her uneducated would be enough to tie her to him. He had not foreseen that the rather meagre wages he had paid her could be used against him.

"It won't be enough," he hoped to scare her.

"I will take out loans, and I will be fine."

Bong Soo knew she would be. Su Jin was amazingly capable for her young age. The panic that he felt rising threatened to undo him. He decided to use his final weapon.

"What about Min Sang, can you leave him?" he asked, with barely concealed cruelty.

Min Sang? She had not thought about what leaving would mean to Min Sang. Bong Soo saw her face turn pale and knew he had only to push his point a little and Su Jin would realize she was bound by a tie that held her more than a lack of education or poverty ever could.

Just as Bong Soo was about to speak again, Ji Hoon burst into the room, followed by Min Sang. Ji Hoon was enraged by the tactics Bong Soo was using to keep Su Jin helpless at his side. He would not allow this kind of manipulation to happen. Not to his sister, not to himself, and certainly not to Su Jin.

"Get up, pack your things, you are coming home with me." He ordered Su Jin as he strode up to Bong Soo.

Su Jin looked up, startled, but she didn't move. Her inaction at his command angered him even more and he reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Get your things now!" he yelled into her frightened face.

Su Jin had been through a lot that night and the yelling caused her to lash out at the boss who had held her in his power for so long.

"No. I will not go with you." Su Jin looked steadily into Ji Hoon's eyes as she spoke the words slowly and clearly. Ji Hoon felt as if he had been stabbed. Didn't she know he was trying to help her? Didn't she know he was on her side?

Then Min Sang spoke up. It was then that Su Jin noticed he was there. She wished he had stayed in his room.

"Don't go with Uncle Ji Hoon. Stay with me." Min Sang pleaded. Bong Soo smiled. There was no way that he would lose now. But his thoughts of victory were short-lived. A disheveled Ji Young walked into the room, joining the tense group—yet one more who should have been in bed rather than reclaiming her role in the family catastrophe. She was brandishing a kitchen knife. She put it to her throat and said quietly "The day Su Jin appears in this house again, is the day I kill myself." She dropped the knife noisily to the floor and left the room.

Min Sang stared at the knife on the floor. He felt frightened of the inanimate object, almost as if it could hurt his mother of its own accord. Then he looked at Su Jin with questions in his eyes. Why did his mother want to kill herself because of Su Jin?

Ji Hoon was reeling from what he just witnessed. He made an instant decision and turned to Su Jin and said, "Go get your things. You are coming home with me. We will be married next week, that way you will be Min Sang's aunt and you can see him whenever you like, but you will not return to this house." Bong Soo was shocked at the suggestion, but instantly saw the permanence of the solution. If Ji Hoon married Su Jin, then truly there would be no way for her to ever leave Moon Industries—and keeping Su Jin tied to the company had to be his first priority.

"No," Su Jin replied. "I will not marry you. If I must leave this house, then I will leave. I can take care of myself." She said the words bravely, but she felt sick to her stomach and thought she might disgrace herself by vomiting right then and there.

Bong Soo caught Ji Hoon's eye, and said, "If you marry Ji Hoon, I will send Min Sang to live with you, his aunt and uncle, until his mother regains her mental health. If you don't, you will never see Min Sang again."

Ji Hoon was repulsed by what Bong Soo was doing. He knew it was unfair to use his Min Sang's love against Su Jin. But he also hoped that it would work. He could feel Su Jin slipping away from him. He was nervous that Bong Soo's blackmail attempt would backfire. Su Jin was not one to respond well to blackmail and Ji Hoon was not really surprised at her reply.

"I will not marry Ji Hoon. I will say good-bye to Min Sang and leave this house tonight." She said this with a confidence she did not feel. She walked slowly to Min Sang and knelt before him, then reached out and pulled him into her arms to hug him farewell. As she held him, she felt her heart breaking.

"Don't leave me," he sobbed into her hair.

"I don't want to, Honey, but I have to," Su Jin choked on the words.

"If you marry Uncle Ji Hoon, you don't have to leave me," Min Sang said. Su Jin stared hard into his young eyes. Had he understood all that had been said that night? Did he want her to marry Ji Hoon, just so that they would not be separated?

"Do you want me to marry him?" Su Jin asked.

"No, but I don't want you to leave me. If you marry him now, when I grow up I promise I will take you away from him. But if you leave now, I will never find you," he pleaded.

Su Jin smiled. "I will find you. Don't worry. When you grow up, I will find you."

"If you leave me, I won't grow up," Min Sang argued. Exhausted, Su Jin was losing her courage to fight. Both Bong Soo and Ji Hoon were silently encouraging the small Min Sang, hoping he could wear the young woman's resolve down.

"Why won't you grow up, darling?" Su Jin asked.

Following his mother's example, Min Sang grabbed the knife from the floor and said, "The day you leave me, is the day I kill myself."

Su Jin eyed the little boy who stood before her. Was he serious? What measure of fear would drive such a little one to say this evil thing? Min Sang kept his gaze steady as he waited for her response. Her eyes began to fill with tears as Su Jin wordlessly pleaded for freedom from her young captor. Min Sang remained unmoved.

"All right, Honey, I won't leave you, now put that down and don't touch it." The tearful Su Jin choked out the words. Min Sang flung himself into her arms.

"Stay with me," Min Sang sobbed over and over as she held him.

"I will. Don't worry. I will." Su Jin tried to comfort the boy.

As she held him, she looked up at Ji Hoon. Ji Hoon could not hold her gaze. He knew that, though he had not caused this situation, he had turned it to serve his own purposes. He had not planned on following through on his feelings for Su Jin. He had planned on keeping those feelings to himself. But he understood the tearful boy who would threaten to end his life if separated from Su Jin. In those moments when he feared that Su Jin would actually leave, he knew he could have added a voice of support to that decision. He could have said that he would help her to go to university. Instead, he had hoped, along with Bong Soo, that Min Sang would be able to change her mind. Ji Hoon was an honest man. Honest with himself and, usually, honest with others. He felt uncomfortable with the role he had played in deciding Su Jin's fate.

Su Jin was still looking at Ji Hoon, waiting for him to return her gaze. When he looked up, she said "I will pack some things for me and Min Sang. We should be ready to leave soon."

### Chapter Six

Su Jin still could not remember how she got to Ji Hoon's house. The first thing she could remember was being shown the guest bedroom that she would share with Min Sang until other arrangements could be made.

She fell asleep with Min Sang in her arms. As she gazed at his small face before she fell asleep she wondered how such a sweet thing could threaten her with his life.

In the morning, after she got up and dressed she went looking for the kitchen. Ji Hoon was already there. He offered her a cup of coffee and they sat awkwardly at the kitchen table. Ji Hoon had recently purchased the ring he had many times imagined seeing on her hand. He had not planned on ever giving it to her. He had imagined it so many times that when he saw, in a jewelry store window, a ring identical to the one he had imagined, he bought it. He had planned to keep the ring safely hidden away. A token to the one-sided affection he vowed never to speak of. Surprisingly, the ring would not be staying in its box. Without a word he reached across the table and took that small hand he had so often longed to touch. He opened the small box that had been on the table and produced a gold ring that held a single sapphire surrounded by diamonds. He slipped the ring on the appropriate finger and kept hold of her hand.

Su Jin stared down at the beautiful ring that felt like a shackle. She looked up at Ji Hoon and pleaded with her eyes. What was she asking for? Mercy? This was the only mercy Ji Hoon could offer. As she sat there in total silence, tears began to run down her face. She made no attempt to stop them or wipe them away. Ji Hoon knew he might relent if he continued to watch her weep, so he released her hand and stood and turned away.

As soon as he turned, Su Jin reached for the ring, intending to pull it off her offended finger. Though he couldn't see her, he knew what she was doing.

"Don't. Don't take it off. Ever." The words sounded strange even in his own ears.

"Why are you doing this?" All morning Ji Hoon had wished she would just speak, yell, or say anything to break the awkwardness of silence. But he quickly realized that speech might be more awkward than silence.

"Su Jin, please listen to me, I know last night was very difficult for us all. I want to be honest with you. I want to marry you. I am not marrying you for any other reason than I want to have you as my wife. I am willing to bring Min Sang into our home. I will try and be as good to you as I can, so please try and bear with things as they are. I think we can have a pleasant life together." There, Ji Hoon had said it, now it was up to Su Jin.

"You actually want to marry me?" Su Jin asked incredulously.

"Well...I did not want to marry under quite these circumstances, but I would like to make you my wife." Ji Hoon cautiously offered. The events of last evening had taken all the fight out of Su Jin and she just nodded her head.

There was no wedding ceremony, just some signing of documents, and on May 21st, the 21-year-old Su Jin married the 42-year-old Ji Hoon.

Su Jin had decided to show the same sincerity to Ji Hoon that he had shown her. She closely observed this fierce, stern man she now had the right to call husband. For the most part, after the first early, awkward days, Su Jin remembered that time fondly. Ji Hoon was attentive, but not smothering. He allowed her to make changes to his house and encouraged her to make it her own. He engaged in activities with her and Min Sang. The three of them went out to see a movie. The next month, they went to the zoo, and soon after, to an amusement park.

Su Jin had always admired Ji Hoon as a business man, but the more she saw him talk with Min Sang at the dinner table and accompany them on small outings, the more she came to trust him. Ji Hoon was no fool, and he did not push his young wife to accept him. One day, as they watched a VHS tape together as a family late one Friday night, Su Jin let her tired head rest on Ji Hoon's shoulder. He was scared to move, even to breathe, fearful he would scare her. He sat as still as if a butterfly had landed on him. Slowly, ever so slowly, his hand came to a rest on her shoulder, and at his touch, she turned and looked long into his eyes. He made himself look back. He felt guilty as his young wife searched his eyes, looking for...what? He wondered. Earnestly, for what seemed a long time, she continued to search his eyes. He was never quite sure that she found what she was looking for, but she nestled deeper into his embrace and laughed as she returned to watching the movie.

The next morning, Ji Hoon was on cloud nine. He was invincible. His wife loved him. Well, maybe that was an overstatement, but it was only a matter of time. She was letting down her guard bit by bit and he felt the rush that comes when the person you want just happens to want you back.

It was several months after the marriage that Bong Soo came looking for Su Jin. Bong Soo missed Min Sang. He wanted to know how he was doing. The event that incited Bong Soo to risk contacting Su Jin was a school performance that Ming Sang had a role in. Bong Soo knew he dared not go, because after that fateful incident, the ever jealous Ji Young was more watchful than ever. Could Su Jin go, and take a video of the performance for Bong Soo?

Su Jin was already planning on attending the performance. After it was over, she took her budding actor out for ice cream.

As they sat and licked their ice cream, Su Jin asked Min Sang, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I'll work at Moon Industries like Dad, and I'll marry you," was his confident reply.

"What? You can't marry me. I'm too old and besides that, I am already married, Silly!" Su Jin replied logically.

"I think it is good to have an old wife. She can drive you to the zoo and she will know how to make seaweed soup for your birthday. None of the girls at my school can drive or cook."

Min Sang explained the value of older women confidently.

"You might change your mind. Remember how you used to think that Spiderman was the best superhero of all time, but then you decided you liked Batman better? When you get older, your tastes can change."

Min Sang thought this over for a moment. "I don't think I will change. But if I do change my mind, then you can be my secretary instead."

Su Jin smiled at his innocence.

"I think it would be better if you made me your secretary."

Su Jin was pushing for a more logical conclusion to their conversation.

Min Sang mulled this over in his young mind. "No, then you would marry someone else and I wouldn't like that. So I don't think I will change my mind."

"I've already married someone else," Su Jin gently reminded Min Sang.

"That was temporary, you had to so that you could stay by me," Min Sang retorted.

Su Jin didn't want to upset Min Sang on his performance night. He was happy, and they were enjoying their ice cream celebration. Still, she thought honesty demanded that she try and bring some reality to the conversation.

"Marriage is not temporary, it is permanent," Su Jin tentatively ventured.

Min Sang casually dismissed her rebuff, "Our marriage will be permanent, but yours is temporary."

Su Jin let the matter drop. It was useless to argue.

Su Jin made it a point to try and keep Bong Soo updated about the growing Min Sang. While at the office, she showed him the video of the play, as well as pictures she had recently taken of their trip to the amusement park. Su Jin felt Bong Soo's pain when he saw Ji Hoon and Min Sang smiling happily at the camera. She knew that Bong Soo wished for that kind of relationship with his son.

"How is Ji Young doing?" Su Jin tentatively asked.

Bong Soo had never really opened up to anyone regarding the problems he had with his wife. While he loved his wife, he was increasingly becoming resentful of how she had separated him from his son and his friends. He was also beginning to resent how she had placed an impenetrable barrier between him and Su Jin. He hardly dared to meet Su Jin even at work, in case his wife found out, so it was difficult to get updates on his son. Su Jin was the only other person in the world who knew how he struggled, and somehow this made him feel like they were in it together. Increasingly, he wanted to look to Su Jin for support in his frustrations. Su Jin, for her part, never forgot the sight of Ji Young waving a kitchen knife in the air and recklessly threatening to end her own life. She handled her communications with Min Sang's father with the utmost caution.

Bong Soo was getting tired of a life without friends. A life that revolved around the insecurities of Ji Young. Su Jin tried to support Bong Soo as best she could. But she drew the line at calling him, sending him an email, or standing too closely during conversations at work. For Min Sang's sake, she needed to make sure she gave Ji Young and her unbalanced mind no more reason to hurt herself or others. Over the many years of his marriage, Bong Soo had become adept at sneaking around as any man determined to cheat on his wife would do. Bong Soo was cheating on his marriage by having a sort-of-friend in Su Jin, and by holding on to a hope of nurturing a relationship with his son. Su Jin took her role as a support system for Min Sang's father very seriously.

On the home front, Su Jin and Ji Hoon continued to grow closer. They had been married two years, two months, and five days when Su Jin first shared his bed. It had been a long wait for him. It was worth the wait. When they had been married five and a half years, Min Soo was born. Soon afterwards, they took a family trip to Jeju. They made a picturesque family, with infant Min Soo, 13-year-old Min Sang, 26-year-old Su Jin, and 47-year-old Ji Hoon. The little family got a few stares. For some odd reason they just did not seem to go together. But in other ways, ways that only they knew, they fit each other perfectly.

And so the little family did the little things that most families do. They ate, lived, and grew together, and nearly four years after Min Soo had joined the family, Su Jin became pregnant with her second child. The 17 year old Min Sang was a bit embarrassed by his aunt's growing stomach. Once was bad enough, but to watch her go through the big belly and swollen ankles of pregnancy at his awkward age was weird. He never really thought of Su Jin as "his aunt" though that is how he referred to her when talking about her to others. Ji Hoon had originally been worried about how Min Sang would react to Min Soo's birth. He wondered if he would resent the attention Su Jin would need to give the newborn but Su Jin never worried.

"He will love our baby. He will think of it as his very own." Su Jin reassured her husband.

Though she had meant to allay his fears, what she said also stirred up old concerns. Min Sang was a model teenager, bright and likeable, warm and fully devoted to his aunt. Ji Hoon had long ago accepted the fierceness of the bond between his wife and the youngster who had grown to be taller than he. Still, sometimes he saw Min Sang looking at his wife in a way that nephews don't look at their aunts. Ji Hoon never forgot that Min Sang had promised to take Su Jin away from him when he grew up. And, looking up at the tall youth, he could easily see that being grownup was not far away. Ji Hoon has always hoped that Min Sang would get interested in a girl his own age, especially as he watched his aunt go through the rigors of pregnancy and parenthood. But, true to Su Jin's prediction, he loved Min Soo as his own, and it seemed that nothing, neither Su Jin's marriage to another man nor the fact that she bore another man's child had decreased Min Sang's perceived claim on Su Jin.
Chapter Seven

The day of the accident had been hectic. Su Jin was only a few weeks out from her due date, and her feet and back hurt, along with every other part of her body, too. It had been a long day at work, and she was looking forward to going home, putting her feet up, and getting some rest. She was just clearing her desk when Bong Soo called. When she saw his name appear on her phone, she hesitated to answer. He had been increasing the frequency of their meetings lately, and Su Jin was not sure that was a good idea. She had a funny feeling that the innocent chats that kept Bong Soo connected with his son would get them in trouble someday. Su Jin was in no mood for trouble. With a seventeen-year-old, a four-year-old, and a baby on the way, she just wanted to get home and sleep.

Why did she answer? Why didn't she trust her instincts and turn off her phone? Those were the questions she'd torture herself with in the weeks to come.

Su Jin sighed, and then answered the phone. She forced her voice to smile as she said a cheery "hello."

"I need to see you." Bong Soo said urgently.

"I don't think tonight will work..." Su Jin tried to make excuses.

"Now... I need to see you now."

"Why?" Su Jin inquired.

"I will tell you everything when you get here, just come to my office."

"Bong Soo, Ji Hoon and Min Sang are expecting me for dinner, I can't just cancel." Su Jin tried to protest.

"If it wasn't important, I wouldn't bother you. Please. I only need twenty, maybe thirty, minutes." Bong Soo persisted.

"Could you just tell me over the phone? That would be faster."

There was silence on the line as Bong Soo considered attempting such a delicate conversation over the phone. He did not think it was a wise idea. Some things have to be said in person.

"Can it wait until the shareholders' meeting next Tuesday? Then no one would think it odd if I went to visit you at your office." Su Jin's feet were killing her.

"Su Jin," was all he said, in a weak, weary voice so different from his normal way of speaking that it demanded her immediate attention.

"Ok, I'll be there. Give me a while, I don't move so fast these days."

Su Jin called Ji Hoon to tell him that she would be late. When she called, she could hear her sister-in-law's shouts in the background.

"Is Ji Young there?" Su Jin asked.

"Yes."

"What is going on?" Su Jin could hear the loud, angry voices of Min Sang and Ji Young.

"Oh, nothing to worry about. Maybe it's good that you're not here. Go ahead and stay out for a while. I'll cool things down at home." Ji Hoon said.

"Are you sure? Maybe I should come straight home."

"NO!" yelled Ji Hoon. "Don't come home. Really, you would make things worse. I love you and I'll call you when the coast is clear," and with that he hung up.

Su Jin learned later from Min Sang that Ji Young had arrived at the house in a rage, threatening to kill Su Jin for having an affair with Bong Soo. What had given her that impression? Had she seen the two of them together, discussing Min Sang? No one ever knew.

When Ji Young heard Ji Hoon answer the phone, she screamed.

"Is it her? Where is she? I am going to kill her! I will run her over with my car!"

Min Sang tried to calm his mother down. He did not completely understand what was going on. He just wanted her to stop scaring the little Min Soo.

Ji Young was fast. She ran out of the house, got in her car, and sped off in the direction of the office. Ji Hoon ran after her, as did Min Sang. In Ji Hoon's car, they followed the enraged Ji Young to Moon Industries.

Before Bong Soo had called Su Jin, he had received a call from his wife. Ji Young had informed her husband of her plan to kill Su Jin. She told him that she would run Su Jin over or poison her or burn her house while she slept. No matter what, she was going to find a way to kill the woman who had stolen her husband. Bong Soo knew that his wife's fragile mind had finally cracked in a way that could cause irreparable damage to all nearby. The thing he had feared the most was coming true. Ji Young had told him she was going to her brother's house and he hoped that Ji Hoon could keep her under control until the crisis had passed, meanwhile, he had to keep Su Jin safely at the office.

Su Jin made her way towards Bong Soo's office. As she entered, she knew that something was really wrong. Bong Soo did not look up as she entered. He simply sat with his head in his hands. She thought she saw a tear slip between his fingers. That scared her more than anything. What could make the distinguished Bong Soo cry?

Su Jin approached him slowly, as if he were a wounded animal. She wanted to comfort him, but something in his tears also made her afraid. Slowly, she forced herself to move closer to him. When she was directly in front of him, he rose slowly from his chair. He looked like a broken man. Su Jin instinctively moved forward to embrace him, and he reached to hold her close and wept. He was mourning for the loss of any semblance of a happy, normal family. He'd tried desperately for so many years to keep the woman he'd married from destroying the world they both had to live in, but he knew that he'd finally lost the battle, and that, going forward, things would never be the same.

Su Jin did not know exactly what was happening, but she knew that now was not the time for questions. She would let him pull himself together and then she would listen to all he had to tell her. She was just loosening herself from his embrace when she heard a scream. It was Ji Young. She ran shrieking towards them with a tire iron she had grabbed in the car. Bong Soo lunged to block the blow that might have ended Su Jin's life, receiving a massive whack to the ribs, and though excruciating pain shot through his side, he tried to wrestle the iron from his wife's hands. She was stronger than one might have guessed, and he wrestled with her as he would with a man of his own stature. Su Jin, her instinct to protect the father of Min Sang outweighed by the instinct to protect the child growing inside her, cowered in a corner of the room and hoped beyond hope that Bong Soo could subdue Ji Young. In the fight, they jarred a bookcase so severely that a heavy ornamental bookend fell off the top shelf, just happening to graze Bong Soo's head on the way down. It looked as if the bookend had barely even hit him, but the weight and force of the blow to his head was enough to knock the great man out. When Ji Young saw the sole object of her passion lying senseless, his pale face drained of blood, she shrieked and ran from the room.

Ji Hoon and Min Sang arrived seconds later. Su Jin cried to Ji Hoon to follow his sister, and told Min Sang to call the hospital and grab something to bandage his father's head. Before they knew it, Bong Soo was coming back to consciousness, and when he saw Su Jin's bulky pregnant form bending over him in concern, he reached out and hugged her to him.

"I'm sorry. So sorry. I'm sorry." He muttered over and over. Su Jin awkwardly escaped from his embrace and looked up to see Min Sang looking at her with a confused—or was it betrayed?—expression. Min Sang wondered at this tender moment between his father and his Su Jin. What was his father sorry for? Was there actually a good reason for his mother to try to kill Su Jin?

Su Jin was trying to call for an update on how soon the ambulance would be arriving when Moon Industry's front desk receptionist called her. There had been an accident in the street in front of Moon Industries. Su Jin's first thought was Ji Hoon's safety. Min Sang tried to stop her. He said he would go himself to find out what had happened, but Su Jin pushed him aside.

She went as fast as her swollen body allowed. As she neared the scene of the accident, her knees began to give way. Min Sang was beside her and held her up as they continued together. They approached a crowd of people standing around a stopped bus. Witnesses whispered about how a woman had run in front of a bus and a man had followed right behind her and tried to push her out of the way. The familiar bodies of the brother and sister lay twisted in a pool of blood. Su Jin fainted in Min Sang's arms, and Min Sang, stunned at the sight of his own mother's dead body, and unable to wrap his mind around the horrible events of the day, gently lay the unconscious Su Jin in the grass, and turned and walked away from the whole scene. That day, he felt his heart become something completely unfamiliar to him: hard.

The days that followed were a blur. Ji Hoon had died. Ji Young had died. The funerals happened, but even when Su Jin tried to remember years later, she couldn't remember the exact order of events. She only remembered tears. So many tears. She wanted to comfort Min Sang and to be comforted by him, but she could not remember him being around much right after the accident.

She took Ji Hoon's place in Moon Industries. At 30 years old, she was both a widow and a CEO. Three weeks later, she went into labor with Min Ji. She was alone when Min Ji was born. When she called Min Sang to visit her in the hospital and meet his brand-new cousin, he had not answered.

### Chapter Eight

The Su Jin who had, by now, endured eight years of being a single mom and heading up a great company was confident in her mental toughness. If life had taught her anything, it was that she must be able to force herself to think strategically under any circumstances. Her family, Min Sang, and Moon Industries relied heavily on her ability to know what to do. Knowing what to do came from forcing herself to think, even when she could not bear the thoughts.

Su Jin brought to mind her favorite inspirational one-liners as she prepared herself to remember those days she longed to forget.

"Never give up. Never."

"Do hard things."

Cheesy? Sure, but they did their job. She picked up the family photo again and gazed into Ji Hoon's almost-smiling face. She could tell from his semi-smile that he had been worried about something when the photo was taken. He had been a man of many responsibilities, and those responsibilities never fully left him, even when at home or on vacation, there was always at least a fraction of him that seemed to stay in his office, concerned with the well-being and inner workings of Moon Industries.

After taking over his role as CEO, Su Jin's life changed dramatically. She did not bother to label her memories, to categorize them as good or bad or painful or significant. She had no time for such categorization and she did not see any value in it, anyway. Today she was trying to set a context in her mind, with the hope that that would help her find a way forward with the imminent arrival of Min Sang growing ever closer as the minutes on the clock ticked away.

Su Jin's mind went back to the changes that had happened at home once Ji Hoon was gone. Min Soo was too young to comprehend all that was going on around him. He cried for his father one minute, and the next was found playing happily on his bicycle with the training wheels. Min Soo was extremely happy when his little sister joined the family and he took great pains in noting all of her amazing infant achievements.

"She opened her eyes! She opened her eyes!" he would squeal in delight.

"She's yawning!"

"Mom, come quick, Min Ji is crying."

Min Soo could not stand to hear her infant cry. He became very good at making her smile and keeping her entertained.

Though Su Jin's relationship with Min Sang had changed dramatically, Min Sang's relationship with the kids deepened. He took seriously his role as...what was Min Sang to the kids? Their older brother? Uncle? Whatever the title, he saw himself as the number one male responsible for the youngsters and he took his job seriously. In those months, he could often be found helping Min Soo with his homework or playing gently with Min Ji.

Min Sang's relationship with Su Jin took on a strange Jekyll and Hyde type of rhythm. At times, precious few, but tender, times, Min Sang was her protector and defender. The love that he had had for her since he was barely more than a toddler came out in all its fierceness. But those times were rare enough that they mostly served to keep Su Jin in a constant state of confusion. Most of the time, Min Sang was actively engaged in what appeared to be a campaign to hurt his father, Su Jin, and himself.

Min Sang's grades fell and he began fighting at school. He was so close to graduation that this news was devastating to the adults who cared for him. It was not uncommon for Su Jin to be called at least once a week to go meet with his teacher or principle to address fights, smoking, drinking, or some other brand of mischief. After Min Sang graduated from high school, he refused to go to university for several years. During those days, he got involved with an unsavory group of friends that he took a sick pleasure in showing off to Su Jin. Now, instead of being called to the principal's office, the CEO of Moon Industries was regularly seen at the police station bringing home a Min Sang who was either drunk, beaten up, or both.

Su Jin had tried everything. She tried being patient, with the hopes that this behavior was just fallout from the tragedy, his way of coping with grief, and that time would be enough to heal him. She went to teenage parenting classes in hopes of learning how to help Min Sang. She went to grief counselors, wondering if there was a better way to help him cope. Nothing she did seemed to help.

Bong Soo was now free to love his son, but if Min Sang was Jekyll and Hyde to Su Jin, he was no one other than Hyde towards his father. Without Ji Young, Bong Soo felt there was no reason to be separated from his son, and wanted Min Sang to come back and live with him, but all his efforts at reconciliation failed. Min Sang would not consent to live with him. It was as if Min Sang regarded his father as the devil himself, the one whose actions had destroyed the happy, though complicated, family situation they'll all been wrapped up in. Min Sang could not say one civil word to or about his father, and so, it turned out that even though Ji Young's jealousy was no longer a concern, Bong Soo remained cut off from his son, only able to hear about his life through Su Jin's updates—and these days, the updates were often very discouraging.

This tumultuous time lasted four years. It seems almost comical that even phone calls to drag a loved one out of a nightclub in a drunken state can become routine. One evening in December, Su Jin remembered one of those ordinary calls. Min Sang was drunk and causing trouble at his usual club. She tried to talk the bartender into just putting him in a taxi and sending him home. She was tired, Min Ji had been sick all last night, so Su Jin had not gotten any sleep in far too long. Moon Industries was facing some tough strategic choices, and she just did not have it in her to face a drunken Min Sang again. The bartender told her if she did not come, he would call the police. For a second, Su Jin wanted to tell him to go ahead. At least then she could sleep, and pick him up at a reasonable hour. That way she could have some peace. But the routine of saving Min Sang from himself was too deeply ingrained, and she had not the heart to see him locked up if she could prevent it.

Years later, she wished she had just gone to bed. She hated to remember that night. She went to the club and hauled the inebriated Min Sang home. Su Jin was angry. Insanely angry. Angry as only a sleep-deprived mother who is worried about a sick child and then taken away from that child can be. She had no patience for Min Sang's issues that night. She drove home in stony silence. She hated the way things were between them now. She needed the old Min Sang who loved her, supported her in tough times, and would do anything for her. She was growing to hate this self-centered brat that consumed so much time, money, and energy. Normally, Su Jin tried to be reasonable. Normally, she tried to be understanding. Normally, she tried to put up with whatever Min Sang dished out. Tonight, she did not feel up to being normal.

When they got home, Su Jin helped the stumbling Min Sang to his room. When she tried to leave him at the door, he started making suggestive moves towards her. He'd recently begun a habit of scaring her by standing too close and saying rude things. When he started up tonight, something in Su Jin snapped and she struck him, hard. The unexpected blow took Min Sang totally by surprise. It knocked him off balance (not that his balance at the time was anything to speak of) and he fell to the floor. As he was rising, Su Jin too late realized her mistake. It was as if a wild animal had possessed him. She tried to run, but he caught her before she reached the door. Min Sang used his weight to pin her to the wardrobe and leaned down to force his kisses on her. Su Jin was irate at his brutality and betrayal. She fought like her life and the lives of all she loved were at stake and Min Sang reacted in kind.

Finally, his violence only cut short by the depth of his intoxication, she escaped his room. She ran and locked herself in her own chamber. She hurt everywhere. She could barely walk. She sat on the floor of her room and cried herself to sleep in a heap on the floor.

The next morning, there was a tentative knock on her door. She answered it. She knew it was Min Sang, but in the morning light, she did not fear him. She unlocked the door and turned away and walked towards her balcony. He walked in silently, but stopped short before coming close. She was wearing the clothes she'd worn the night before. Her black-and-blue body looked pitiful. Min Sang said nothing.

"I will leave for America." It was a statement, but the inflection of his voice turned it into a question.

Su Jin said nothing. He stood there for the longest time. He made no move towards her nor away from her. Every moment he stood there, Su Jin wished he would just leave. She knew he wanted her to tell him that it was okay, that he could stay, that they could still be a family. But she said nothing. She did not even look at him.

Slowly, he headed for the door. Tears came to Su Jin's eyes, and she made no move to stop him. He paused at the door. Su Jin found the resolve to stay where she was. She had no desire to be weakened by the look of pleading that she knew must now be in his eyes. She instead steeled herself to remember the evil of the Ming Sang who had hurt her night before—she saw no need to give that Min Sang any more opportunity to be near her or her children. Min Sang left, and she hadn't seen him since.

### Chapter Nine

Su Jin had thought about the day he left countless times. Sometimes, she even felt a little guilty. Was she wrong to let him go? She knew that if she'd told Min Sang to stay, he would have stayed. She knew he had not wanted to go, that he'd left because of that one horrifying night. Was one night of evil really enough to undo a lifetime of loyalty and love? They'd always loved each other, ever since they were unloved, unwanted children together. Su Jin knew that her kids, the two people most precious to her, also meant the earth and sky to Min Sang. Su Jin remembered that she hadn't even seen Min Sang leave after he'd come to her room to announce his departure. By the time she'd left her balcony, he'd already packed up all of his belongings and left—for where, she wasn't sure. It would take him some time to arrange a plane ticket and a visa and school admission, and he needed to stay somewhere until all of that was finished, she assumed, but at that point, she didn't really care where he was.

She'd dressed carefully, choosing a long-sleeved blouse and long pants to hide her wounds, and she caked her makeup on before exiting her room to greet her children that morning. Min Soo and Min Ji told her all about Min Sang's goodbyes. He had told them that he had decided to go to university in America. He said he would bring back a nice tall blond American girl as his wife, and that she would bring them candies. He told them that if they were naughty in school, he might have to forget the part about the candies.

Su Jin could have called him then. He would have answered. But she wouldn't make the call. The pain of her bruises was one thing, but Min Sang had been causing her pain ever since Ji Hoon and Ji Young had passed. Su Jin had never imagined telling Min Sang to leave, and even now, she would not have asked him to leave. But, since he had decided to leave, she was also incapable, or at least, unwilling, to ask him to stay. He had cut the tie that she never would have. Maybe Min Sang knew she would never have asked him to leave. Maybe that was why he did it. He did what Su Jin did not have the courage to do.

Su Jin shut herself back into her room after sending her children to the kitchen to ask Ajumma for a mid-morning snack. She sank slowly to the floor. She realized that the past few difficult years had replaced her once tender heart with a much tougher one. She was shocked that she'd actually managed to let him go, that she hadn't fought tooth and nail for him to stay. After all she'd been through, at this point, the only fear she felt was fear that he wouldn't really leave, that something would go wrong with his visa or university application and that she'd have to take him in once more.

It had been one and a half years before the kids heard from him. He called on Min Ji's birthday. He talked to Min Soo and told him he was attending the University of Michigan. He was majoring in International Business. Su Jin already knew that. The tables had turned, and after Min Sang left, he was forced to keep in contact with his father, who paid all of his college expenses. These days, it was Bong Soo who kept Su Jin updated with information regarding Min Sang. She knew when he got accepted into college. She knew when he broke his arm in a skiing accident. She knew when he changed his major from computers to business.

Min Sang began sending letters to Min Soo and Min Ji. He would tell them stories about his mean professors and he would tell them that he missed them.

About every three months or so, Su Jin helped the kids send a care package to Min Sang's college address. They tried to send his favorite things, like snacks that weren't so easy to find in Ann Arbor, Michigan. On the surface level, they seemed like a normal family whose eldest son has gone away to college.

Min Sang did well at school, and there was peace at home while he was away. When he finished his degree he made plans to return to Korea.

Su Jin left for the airport at the last possible minute. She felt a sense of trepidation as she strode through the busy arrival hall to wait in front of the gate he'd be exiting from. Bong Soo had been forced to leave the day before for an emergency meeting in Japan, so he had asked Su Jin to pick up Min Sang from the airport. She'd offered to attend the meeting instead, but this was one of Bong Soo's pet projects, one that had been in the works for years, and even if it meant not being able to meet his son at the airport, he wanted to see the project through. "I'll meet him as soon as I get back. He'll understand," Bong Soo said. Su Jin eyed him, and wondered if he was just as uncomfortable with Min Sang's return as she was.

Su Jin first noticed the young man's jaunty steps as he entered the arrival hall. He looked like any young man eager to be home after a long time away. His face carried a tentative smile as he looked around for a familiar face. The smile disappeared as his eyes locked with Su Jin's. Su Jin had been told before that she spoke with her eyes. She did not want her eyes to speak now, so she reached down to get her sunglasses from her bag, and slipped them on before moving forward to welcome Min Sang.

Min Sang stayed where he was, as if his legs had forgotten how to move. When Su Jin was preparing to meet him, she had imagined how she would stiffly shake his hand and, with a display of cold politeness, she would drive him to Bong Soo's house. But, as she neared him, as she saw discomfort and bad memories in his eyes, her steely heart began to melt and when she reached him, she reached out both arms for a hug—one offering peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation, as much as that might be possible for the two of them.

Min Sang did not move. Was he dreaming? Had Su Jin forgiven him? He wanted to embrace her tightly in return but the shock seemed to have paralyzed him. He did not understand what was going on. As Su Jin stood there with her arms around her precious Min Sang, she felt herself close to tears. It would be too embarrassing for the CEO of Moon Industries to cry in such a public place, so she needed to move away in order to gain control over her emotions.

Min Sang felt her release her hold. Before she could take a step back, he quickly closed his arms around her. His chest hurt and his heart was pounding. He felt ill and frightened, he felt as if something terrible might happen if he were separated from her again.

Su Jin gently tried to pull away and felt Min Sang respond by tightening his hold. She laughed. This was familiar. When Min Sang was very little, and she needed to hug him good bye, he would never let go until he was ready. The more she tried to escape the tighter he would hold her. It became a game with them. Back then, Su Jin would patiently wait for him to loosen his grasp and he would smile up at her as he released her.

Her laughter broke the spell over Min Sang. He released her and looked around to see if anyone was observing them. Su Jin was smiling up into his face and her happy expression hurt him. He had not come home to make amends with Su Jin. It was with the express purpose of hurting his father and Su Jin that he did everything he had done in his days of fighting and drinking, and that purpose remained fixed. His good behavior in the United States had caused them to think he had grown out of his mischief. Min Sang had decided to win back the trust of his father and his aunt and to use that trust to crush them both.

It was a good plan, if he could stick to it. But in his time away from home there were important details he overlooked that might upset his plans. They were details he had conveniently forgotten. He had forgotten the smell of Su Jin's hair. How the light danced in her eyes. How when she smiled at him, he felt himself to be the greatest man on earth. He had actually forgotten that he loved her.

### Chapter Ten

Su Jin drove Min Sang back to her house. When he got out of the car, Min Sang looked expectantly for Min Soo and Min Ji to run out to meet him.

"They're at school," Su Jin said.

She left Ming Sang in his old room to unpack his things. He felt a strange feeling of peace. He was home. Min Sang wandered the house, wondering if anything was different from what he remembered. Things had changed here and there in his absence of nearly half a decade. He noticed a new table in the living room. On it rested a framed family picture of Su Jin, Min Soo, and Min Ji. It must have been taken recently.

Su Jin found herself singing an old song as she cut up some fruit. She was surprised at how happy she was to have Min Sang home. She could not stop from smiling. Somehow, when he returned her hug at the airport, all her old fear of him vanished. He was still her precious Min Sang. He had grown into the great man she had hoped he would be—the man that she'd feared might be squashed out completely by his youthful bitterness. She brought the fruit to his room but he was no longer there. She searched the house for him and found him staring at the recent family photo she had just framed.

She offered him the fruit, and started updating Min Sang on her past few years of life. This was their first time speaking together after the night neither one of them wanted to remember, but conversation came almost naturally. She talked about how the kids were doing in school and how things were going at Moon Industries. She asked him questions about his life in the United States, and asked about the friends he had made in school.

But mostly, she looked at him. It was as if her eyes had been starved. She needed to drink in his appearance. He had changed so much in these last years. He had left a boy and come back a man. He was so different, in both looks and mannerisms. Gone was silly humor of his high school years. Gone was the slouching and the too-frequently eye rolling of the years after graduation.

At first, Min Sang was reserved in both his answers and his manners, but slowly, the warmth of Su Jin's reception helped him to loosen up. He found that she enjoyed hearing about all of the times he almost missed deadlines on school projects and the days he thought he would fail an exam. He liked the way her eyes stayed fixed on his face as he told her story after story. He liked to hear her laugh. Min Sang was a good storyteller, and he never let truth get in the way of a good story. As he felt her interest in all details large and small, he continued to regale her with accounts of the strange Western world she knew only from news reports, movies, and long-ago lessons in her high school classes.

He was in the middle of one of his stories when Min Soo and Min Ji came running into the house. They both threw themselves on Min Sang. Min Sang pretended he was no match for the power of the two kids and he allowed himself to be captured. However, he promised to gain his release by paying a ransom composed of gifts, carried home from the United States in his suitcase.

While Min Sang and the kids wrestled, Su Jin watched them and tears came to her eyes. If she had had faith to pray, this was what she would have prayed for. But this was beyond what she could imagine. She caught Min Sang's eye over the heads of her rowdy children. She was silently questioning him. Was he sincere? Was it over? Had he really come home?

Min Sang was not surprised that he could understand what her eyes were saying. It had been a long time, but this non-verbal communication was a normal part of life for him and Su Jin. He had prepared himself to lie to her. On the plane ride home, he had imagined this moment, when, with a smile on his face, he would look deep into her eyes and lie to this woman.

Min Sang held the eye contact as he deftly rid himself of his captors. He moved across the room and stood directly in front of Su Jin. His eyes never flickered away from hers. "I am home to stay. You can trust me," his eyes seemed to be saying. Su Jin wondered if it was true? Were those awful years so far behind them that they could have a normal life? Min Sang slowly reached his hand towards her and brushed away the hair that had fallen toward her face. He never said a word, but he was lying to her, just as he'd planned all along.

Later, as he smelled his favorite food being prepared for supper, Min Sang asked if Bong Soo would be coming for dinner. Su Jin started at the question. Min Sang had never spoken of his father to her.

"He is not back from Japan yet. Would you like me to ask him over for a family dinner after he gets home?" Su Jin cautiously ventured.

"Yes, that would be good. I'd like to talk to him about starting at Moon Industries," Min Sang said. He tried to sound casual, but didn't quite succeed.

"Moon Industries? You want to work with your father?" Su Jin asked.

Min Sang paused before replying. He needed this to work. He needed to sound believable.

"No, I don't want to work with dad, you know how we are. But I was thinking that if I am going to get started in business, there is someone I would really like to learn the ropes from."

"Who?"

"You!" he said, with a grin.

"You want to work with me? You want me to show you the ropes?"

Su Jin knew she sounded stupid repeating everything he said. But her long-ago job training had taught her to repeat things she was not sure about or didn't understand, in order to confirm that clear communication was taking place.

Min Sang was patient with her confusion. He repeated that he was ready to start his career and that he knew that Su Jin had been trained by Ji Hoon himself. It was clear that she had long ago surpassed even the legendary Ji Hoon in her abilities as CEO of Moon Industries. Her personality was warmer and she was more patient than her husband had been. Her leadership and problem-solving skills were acknowledged throughout the industry, and Min Sang made the case that he deserved the right to be mentored by his aunt. That both Bong Soo and Su Jin owed him at least that much.

"I don't know what your father will say," Su Jin was stalling for time. She could not imagine Min Sang as part of her working world. He had only just returned home. She wanted to trust that all that had angered and disturbed him these past eight years had been forgotten. That he had come to accept his mother's death. But there was something in his eyes. Something in the way he looked at her. She could not say what it was, and she hoped she was wrong in what she saw. But Su Jin had lived long enough to know that to know that when things seemed too good to be true, they were. Su Jin trusted her instincts more than she trusted Min Sang. When she looked at Min Sang, she remembered that there had been a day when she willed with all her heart for him to leave and never come back. She knew that he had long hated his father and she was unsure of how he felt about her. Could she risk trusting him at their company when the livelihoods of several thousand employees and their families would be at stake?

Min Sang smiled as he watched Su Jin's face. She should have turned away as she was thinking of a response. Min Sang was pleased that his ability to read her had not gotten rusty during his long absence.

"Dad will do whatever you tell him he should do," Min Sang tried to sound as if he was a kid asking her to get his parents to agree to let him go to a sleepover.

"I'll talk to him when he gets home from Japan," Su Jin promised.
Chapter Eleven

Su Jin was slowly getting used to the new Min Sang, who was very much like a more mature version of the old Min Sang, the one before the accident. The family settled into a familiar rhythm of meals, school, work, after school activities, and whatever else made up the rest of normal life.

The kids were happy to have Min Sang back. He joked with them and gave them sweet treats that their mother normally did not allow them to eat.

Even Bong Soo had been invited over for a meal. Su Jin had been quite nervous as she and Ajumma prepared for their special guest. She wondered if Min Sang could be civil to his father for an entire meal. But her worries were baseless. Min Sang acted the part of the dutiful son. Min Soo and Min Ji kept the conversation lively, and it was a peaceful meal shared together as a family. Su Jin tried not to stare at Min Sang during the meal, but she could not stop looking in his direction. What was she looking for? Some indication of his true intentions? But he did not show any signs of his old anger.

As their family dinner was coming to an end, Min Sang asked Bong Soo if he could start working at Moon Industries as Su Jin's assistant. Su Jin shot Bong Soo a look that said "Don't, let's talk about this first." Bong Soo did not share Su Jin's reluctance. Hadn't Min Sang done well these past four years in university? Wasn't it a good thing he was now back in Korea? Bong Soo desired to finally be the good guy for his son, to finally give him something he really wanted. Though he understood that Su Jin wanted him to reject Min Sang's request, he said, "You can start tomorrow."

To Su Jin he said, "Train him well, make sure he grows up better than you."

Su Jin felt sick. She excused herself from the table to go get the dessert from the kitchen.

Later, after the dishes were done and the kids were in bed, Su Jin paced the floor, relishing the darkness of the empty living room, a darkness that seemed appropriate for the state of her thoughts. She was thinking about what she would need to do train Min Sang. Su Jin was not convinced she could trust him. But she did know exactly how to train someone to be a great businessman. Ji Hoon had done that for her. Su Jin settled down on the couch and wrapped herself in a throw blanket.

Ji Hoon had truly been a brilliant strategist. His timing and intuition had been nearly perfect when it came to making shrewd choices for Moon Industries. As Ji Hoon watched his brand-new assistant, Su Jin, he had noticed what most people missed. Su Jin was a natural businesswoman. She instinctively knew what most never learned in a lifetime of experience. When she had periods of downtime at work, he would feed her information, assigning her to consume piles of business news magazines or department reports and then ask one simple question at the end of each day: "What is worth knowing?"

At first, Su Jin tried to remember every detail of the reports that he had given her and regurgitate as much information as she could spit out. Ji Hoon would dramatically knock the pile of papers to the floor and repeat the question: "What is worth knowing?"

Su Jin remembered being frustrated to the point of tears because she didn't understand what he was asking for. She tried her best to memorize data and be knowledgeable, but every time she answered him with answers characterized by both depth and breadth, he raged at her and sent her back to the pile.

The light began to dawn for Su Jin when she was watching Ji Hoon in a department head meeting. For months they had been working towards a joint venture with K Group. The signing ceremony was scheduled for Friday night. It was going to be a grand affair. Ji Hoon arrived right when department heads were discussing seating arrangements for the ceremony, and announced, before plans went any further, that the deal with K Group would proceed as planned. The meeting turned ugly. The department heads argued with their CEO. They thought it was far too late to back out after so much time and money had been invested into cementing this deal. Ji Hoon stood firm. No argument would move him. Su Jin watched as the argument became more heated, and as Ji Hoon was accused of trying to push a personal agenda over the needs of the company. Ji Hoon simply pulled a paper from his file and revealed that next week the K Group chairman was expected to be indicted for tax evasion and that company assets would be frozen—information that K Group had understandably tried desperately to keep hidden in their dealings with the highly-respected Moon Industries.

Su Jin finally understood his constant question: "What is worth knowing?" Su Jin realized that he wanted her to gain the ability to recognize information that demanded a response of some kind. She began to look at information in a different way.

When the next work week began, Ji Hoon passed her desk on the way into his office. Usually he passed her without stopping, but once or twice a day he either asked her questions or gave her assignments. He got to the door of his office, paused, turned back and asked, "What's worth knowing?"

Su Jin was prepared.

"The Emerald Group's stock rose 7 percent." Su Jin began.

Ji Hoon nodded. "What else?"

"Park Do Hyun is retiring."

He nodded again.

"The Olympics will be held in Brazil."

This time he actually smiled.

She had identified three of the reasons behind the next planned product launch that was not yet public knowledge. Business, Su Jin would hear repeatedly from Ji Hoon, was all about understanding current trends—knowing what is happening and how to respond. Business strategy means bringing products to market at just the right time in just the right way. It is always about knowing what is worth knowing and how to leverage that knowledge to your advantage.

Once Su Jin was on the right track, her natural instinctive abilities were strengthened by Ji Hoon's mentoring. He was proud of his protégée due to the simple fact that she never missed the significance of information. Where others heard only boring reports, Su Jin noticed when data differed from the company's best interests. When a process was not advantageous for Moon Industries' bottom line, she would the second to catch on. Ji Hoon was always the first to see problems or opportunities for growth, but Su Jin was close on his heels.

It was her business acuity that attracted the great Ji Hoon to his teenage assistant. In the early months of their working relationship, he told himself that when he was overly harsh to the kid, it was for her own good and so that she would learn to be tough. But the unflappable Ji Hoon was daily becoming more disturbed by this talented young woman. The more disturbed he became, the more he focused on making Su Jin the best businesswoman she could be.

Su Jin allowed herself a brief smile at her memories. Those days had been some of the most frightening and exhilarating days of her life. Ji Hoon was a great teacher and Su Jin relished his infrequent praise. She would work hours just to see the slight curve to his mouth when he noticed her catching on.

Back in the real world, one that Ji Hoon had long ago been snatched away from, Su Jin woke with a start, stiff and uncomfortable, wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa. She padded off to bed, determined to start the next day training Min Sang in the only way she knew how. In the mornings, he would be in the validation lab, and in the afternoons, between attending various meetings with her, he would be doing lots of reading. Too bad Sam Dong was gone—Ming Sang could have used the nutrition that the old man had so prioritized to give him energy to survive the arduous days of training that were to come.

### Chapter Twelve

Min Sang's first days at the company were uneventful. Su Jin introduced him to the team in the validation lab. He seemed to catch on quickly to what was expected of him. He was courteous and conscientious. He was not the natural strategist that Su Jin was, but he wouldn't need to be. A controlling share of Moon Industries would one day be his, and as the future leader, he only needed to surround himself with loyal individuals more talented than himself.

Min Sang was curious about the ins and outs of each department he came into contact with. Bong Soo was soon hearing favorable reports regarding his son. The heir of Moon Industries was coming along just fine, and Bong Soo felt more relaxed than he had in years.

Su Jin spent adequate time with her trainee and oversaw his development with care. Not with the obsession that Ji Hoon had shown when he groomed her, but still, she was intentional in executing her duty with excellence. She often felt a sense of pride when she observed him gaining new skills and greater confidence. But she never fully lost that underlying feeling that things weren't as perfect as they appeared to be. She knew Min Sang better than he knew himself. There were times when she noticed him watching her, and the way he looked at her made her blood run cold. His eyes sometimes seemed filled with the hatred she had seen in his turbulent years after high school, but these eyes were much more sinister. The rage of his youth had been flagrant and open, never hidden behind a smile. They filled her with dread, these eyes that smiled with so much hate.

The confusion concerning who Min Sang really was and how their future would play out constantly played in the back of her mind, but the front of her mind was occupied with Woo Jin of Invotec. Su Jin had known of Woo Jin since her days of being just a part-timer at Moon Industries. She had met him at various functions and meetings on joint projects. For years, Moon Industries had been in negotiations regarding a joint venture that would more than double their size and revenue. Su Jin was the lead mastermind behind the endeavor. The deal was in its final stages, and these were precarious times. Su Jin fully believed that this move was one of the greatest opportunities Moon Industries had ever faced, but it was also one of the riskiest.

Woo Jin reminded her of Ji Hoon. He was astute and very committed to his work. In the years before Su Jin had met him, Woo Jin had lost his wife to cancer just five years into their marriage. They had no children. Invotec had become to Woo Jin both his wife and his children. The company meant everything to him, and he was ruthless in his protection and control. No one got through to Woo Jin until he deemed them worthy, and most companies did not pass his standards. But Moon Industries was the exception. Woo Jin, as a young man, had admired the great Ji Hoon, and he was subsequently impressed with Ji Hoon's young widow as she took the lead after Ji Hoon's tragic passing.

Slowly, one successful joint project after another, Woo Jin found himself ready to listen to Su Jin's big idea. The collaboration between the two companies would mean gaining a substantial percentage of the market share and would most likely lead to a five-to-ten-year control of the launch of updated products in this specific niche. It was the opportunity of a lifetime.

As Su Jin worked on negotiations and plans with Woo Jin, he increasingly became impressed with the youthful CEO. One Tuesday afternoon, he called and asked if they could meet over dinner. Min Sang was in her office as she took the call. Min Sang's watchful eyes noticed the smile and the change of tone in Su Jin's voice when she realized it was Woo Jin on the phone. Min Sang never questioned the feeling that he was being robbed whenever Su Jin's attention was diverted from him. He had long felt himself Su Jin's real owner. It bothered him greatly to observe the obvious respect and familiarity that had developed between Su Jin and Woo Jin.

"Can I bring Min Sang? I am training him. I think it would be good for you to meet." Min Sang smiled as he realized he had not been forgotten.

"Ok then, I understand. Maybe next time." Min Sang's smile faded.

Su Jin did not try and hide her happiness at being invited to dinner by Woo Jin. She wanted to skip around her office, but she set herself back to finishing work at her desk. Still, she was beaming from ear to ear. This reaction further angered Min Sang. What was she so happy about?

"I'll be late, please make sure the kids do their homework," Su Jin said as she prepared to leave. It would take her well over an hour to get to the restaurant where she was meeting Woo Jin, and she did not want him waiting for her. Su Jin's casual dismissal of her trainee further annoyed Min Sang.

"Why can't I come with you?" Min Sang tried to be calm.

"Woo Jin said he would meet you later. He just wants to talk over some details with me and doesn't want to be bothered with a new person at this point. He doesn't have much time available."

"Will he be alone?" Min Sang asked.

"I believe so." Su Jin's full attention was on Min Sang now. What was he asking? It was the first time since Woo Jin called that she had actually really looked at Min Sang and the expression in his eyes made her nervous.

"It's nothing, just business." Su Jin felt the need to reassure Min Sang.

"Is he trying to recruit you?" Min Sang accused.

"If he was a good businessman he would. And he is a good businessman. So I expect, somewhere in the negotiations, that will come up." Su Jin replied honestly.

"What if he makes it a condition of the deal?" Min Sang put words to the fear that Su Jin had kept unspoken in her heart.

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it," Su Jin deflected.

Min Sang sprang from his seat and crossed the office. He was in dead earnest as his steely eyes bored into hers. "If that is a condition, the deal is off," he said, as if the decision were really up to him.

Su Jin was taken aback with the fierceness in his manner and tone. Since his return, he had usually been sweet and affable. She had not trusted this façade of his, but, still, it came as a surprise when it dropped.

"I will do what is best for this company, as I always have," Su Jin replied, not even trying to appease Min Sang's temper.

"You are what is best for this company." Min Sang spat out, just inches from her face.

Unnerved by his nearness, Su Jin backed away and turned. She forced her voice to be casual as she said, "There is no need to think about it. Woo Jin has not made it a condition. And he does not want this deal to fall through any more than I do. I think he would not risk it over a simple recruitment." Su Jin was not at all sure that what she was saying was true, but she hoped Min Sang would believe her.

Sensing that she had not pacified him, she tried a technique she often used with the kids. "How about we go to the beach this weekend?" she said totally changing the subject. "I think it would be good for us to get away for a day and just have fun." She smiled at him with her most charming smile.

Min Sang knew he was being pacified like Min Soo or Min Ji might be pacified. He was surprised by how effective it was. He was immediately cheered with the thought of having Su Jin and the kids to himself. He smiled and wondered logically to himself if he could be bought with the promise of a beach trip. He felt very much like a kid being told that if he stopped crying he would receive a lollipop. No wonder parents carried candy with them. He decided that being pacified was in his best interest and let the matter drop.

Su Jin rushed to her dinner appointment. Her conversation with Min Sang had delayed her. Woo Jin was at the restaurant when she arrived. He stood to greet her as she approached the table and Su Jin noticed how attractive he was looking this evening. Su Jin was taken aback by this train of thought. Woo Jin was an admirable business colleague. He was extremely successful, brilliant even. But she did not usually notice his appearance. Tonight, as they discussed the minutiae of their planned joint venture, she was taking in the details of his tailored suit and trying not to count the grey hairs that sprinkled his temples. He was not much older now than Ji Hoon had been at the time of her marriage.

During dessert, Woo Jin stated the real reason for their private dinner. He was concerned about the health of the joint venture because he was concerned about the heir of Moon Industries, Min Sang.

"Why are you worried about Min Sang?" Su Jin sounded defensive, even to herself.

Woo Jin knew he needed to tread carefully. He did not fully understand the relationship between this aunt and her nephew. Woo Jin explained that he knew Min Sang had gotten into quite a bit of trouble in his younger days, that he had suddenly and mysteriously left for America, and that he had recently returned and was already involved in the inner workings of the company. After Bong Soo, Min Sang would be the next in line. Was he a man to be trusted? Su Jin looked down a second too late. Woo Jin had already seen that his question was a question that Su Jin was constantly asking herself.

Woo Jin did not want to push Su Jin, but he needed to be clear. "I will not get myself into a long-term project with Moon Industries if the heir is not worthy." Su Jin tried to pacify him with assurances that Min Sang was grown up now, and he was doing well at the company. Her reassurances sounded hollow, even to herself.

Woo Jin reached across the table and took her hand. The startled Su Jin sat perfectly still as he spoke quietly and seriously, "I don't want to lose this deal either, but I will not let greed cloud my better judgement. I would need reliable assurance."

"What exactly would give you the assurance you need?"

The openness of her question made Woo Jin sit a little taller. He smiled inwardly. She was right where he wanted her. "I was thinking of something like you coming over to the management team of Invotec."

"That won't help you. It would be much better for you to have me on the inside of Moon Industries. Especially if Min Sang turns out as incapable as you imagine," Su Jin countered.

Woo Jin was completely enjoying the business duel that had begun, and he was not disappointed with his opponent's skill. "That would be true if you had a stake in the company or were a blood relative, but you are easily removed with a simple dismissal, and then my assurance will disappear!"

"I don't think I would be that easy to remove, but, conceding the point, what help could I be to you within Invotec? I can't help you with Moon Industries if I am not on the inside."

"True. But you wouldn't be able to stop me either. If you are not at Moon Industries, I am reasonably sure that even if Min Sang turned into a frustrating business partner, that I could handle him. But if you are there to protect him, I would find you a formidable foe. If you are on my team, I know that I need not fear anything Moon Industries could dish out."

Su Jin realized only then that Woo Jin had yet to let go of her hand.

She politely pulled her hand away under the pretense that she needed to smooth her hair, and then she placed it safely in her lap, out of his reach. She had foreseen that Woo Jin would be a shrewd business partner. She was not mistaken.

Woo Jin sensed that he had pushed his point as far it was safe to do so. He did not want to needlessly provoke Su Jin. Besides, he had another topic he wanted to broach.

"Ok, let's drop the matter for now. There is another reason I asked you out tonight."

Su Jin waited quietly for Woo Jin to continue. Woo Jin shifted uncomfortably, as if he were bracing himself.

"I'd like to invite you to my home to meet my dad and my aunt."

Su Jin's face was composed, but her mind raced. Why would he want her to meet his parents and family? It was not normal to ask business colleagues to meet senior family members.

"Sure, I'd like to meet your family," Su Jin tried to sound agreeable. "Is there a particular reason you want me to meet them?"

"Well, this may seem strange, but I have long found myself drawn to you. I'm not sure that this is attraction. If it is, it is different from any other attraction I have felt for any other woman. I think of you far more than I have any reason to. It is as if you are someone very important in my life, yet you are only a business colleague. These days, I have you on my mind almost constantly. The more I know about you, the more I want to know. Sometimes, when we are together I get the feeling you have when you try to remember a forgotten dream. I don't know why I feel this way, but I want to find out."

Su Jin was speechless. If it had been anyone else besides Woo Jin, she would think it was another recruiting tactic. But oddly, Woo Jin had put words to feelings she had sensed in herself whenever they worked together. She felt comfortable with Woo Jin, even though he was he was not a person most would describe as comfortable to be around. She felt drawn to him as well. But she wasn't sure what it was that drew her to him. Su Jin knew Woo Jin was waiting for her to say something.

"I don't know what to say."

"Say 'Yes.'"

"I'm not sure I should say that."

"Okay, let me try it this way. It would be nice to have my father's and aunt's approval to move forward with the joint venture. Think of it as a business dinner if that makes you more comfortable. I know I was rather abrupt with stating my intentions so openly. Let's take things slowly and naturally. We can learn about each other over reports and spreadsheets, how does that sound?" Woo Jin's voice sounded calm and confident, but his eyes looked worried.

"Sounds like a plan," Su Jin smiled and wondered what she was getting herself into.

### Chapter Thirteen

Bright and early Saturday morning, Su Jin was rushing about the house doing the last-minute packing for their trip to the beach. She wondered what had made her make that promise to Min Sang. She should really be reading over the 3rd quarter reports and preparing for Monday's leadership team meeting. Instead she was checking the expiration date on the sunscreen bottle and making sure her bathing suit still fit.

The ride to the beach was filled with noisy singing as Min Soo and Min Ji sang loudly along with their favorite bands. Arguments arose over whose turn it was to pick the next song. Next, the two were wondering how much longer it would be before they arrived.

Family fun times were, for them, much rarer than they ought to be. As a single mother with so many responsibilities, Su Jin thought she was doing well to make it to parent-teacher meetings at school. Day trips like this one were rare and precious.

When they arrived, Min Soo and Min Ji ran straight for the water. Min Sang helped Su Jin carry the baskets of food and towels to the beach. They staked out a location and set up their beach umbrella that would serve as home base until the setting sun signaled that it was time to leave the sand.

"Do you want to go swimming?" Min Sang asked.

"No, I think I will just rest here." Su Jin was tired.

"I will rest here too, then." Min Sang plopped himself beside the reclining Su Jin.

Min Soo and Min Ji would, from time to time, return to the shade of the umbrella in search of drinks or food. Their arrival usually meant that sand would be kicked over the beach mat and Su Jin's much desired rest was disturbed. But after they ran off for more swimming and playing on the beach, Min Sang would shake out the mat and the two of them would settle back down to rest under the shade of the umbrella. First, Su Jin joyfully watched her children playing in the distance, but as the time passed, she fell asleep. As she slept, Min Sang went to join the kids in an impromptu game of volleyball with others they had met at the beach. Thirsty, he returned to their spot and the sleeping Su Jin. As he walked he realized that he was happy. He was nearly deliriously happy. He looked back at the kids. He loved those kids. He looked forward to where Su Jin lay sleeping on the beach mat.

"I could be happy like this, always."

The thought came unbidden to his mind. He could forget his plans for revenge. He could make this family his real family. Why did he force himself to blame Su Jin for tragedies long past? Maybe there were things he didn't know. He never really questioned that his father deserved to be punished for the tragic fate of his mother. But had Su Jin really been to blame for any part of the horrible situation? That question, he didn't know the answer to.

He approached Su Jin slowly so as not to wake her up. He thought to himself that he could make her his own, and wouldn't that be even better than the revenge he'd planned to take on his father? He had been having thoughts like these more and more often lately, but the mood never lasted long. Whenever he was alone with Su Jin and the kids, as a family, just the four of them, he really thought he could allow the past to be in the past. He felt that he did not have to prove anything. Not his loyalty to a mother he barely even knew or his hatred of a dad who never showed the love he'd always wanted. He could just move on from the complicated relationship his parents had maintained, and make his own story, a story where he was the main character, unhindered by the bad choices of his elders.

Su Jin slept as Min Sang found himself lost in thought. A bug was crawling over her shoulder, and Min Sang leaned over to brush it away. His light touch aroused the sleeping Su Jin and she slowly opened her eyes. Awakening to Min Sang inches away from her face, she smiled sleepily into his eyes and a little laugh escaped her. "What?" Min Sang wondered what made her giggle.

"I'm just happy," came the sleepy reply.

The relaxing atmosphere of warm sun and sand, and blurred state between being fully awake and fully asleep left Su Jin open and expressive, more like the happy young wife she'd once been when she'd learned to love Ji Hoon.

"You're happy?" Min Sang asked, amused at seeing her in this relaxed state.

"So happy." She stretched and yawned, and then curled up to go back to sleep once more.

Min Sang was shaken by the feelings growing in him. He got up and went for a walk. He knew that he was playing with fire. Before he'd returned to Korea, he'd planned to do everything he could to regain Su Jin's trust. Now that he had it he found that it was more precious to him than gold, and he felt reluctant to stick to the plan of revenge that he had outlined. He had to give himself a pep talk. A reminder to be firm and to stay strong. But then he wondered what he was even staying strong for, at this point? What was he trying to achieve? Min Sang kept walking. Suddenly, he realized that he had walked for over an hour in the direction away from their umbrella. He knew he needed to go back, but as he returned, he wrangled his emotions back to their proper place. He was prepared once again to smile and to lie.

Su Jin, Min Soo, and Min Ji had packed up all of their belongings and had begun to wonder where Min Sang was. He finally returned as it was beginning to get quite dark. The ride home was different. Min Soo and Min Ji slept, exhausted from their day of surf and sand, while Su Jin, the driver, was alert, and seemed to be in a mood for conversation. Min Sang pretended to sleep in order to avoid chatting with her. The last thing he needed was a heart-to-heart with Su Jin right now.

Once they arrived home, Su Jin paused and looked back at her sleepy family. They were so cute like this. These were magic moments. She stared at them for quite a while before she bestirred herself to move. As she reached for her seatbelt, she saw that Min Sang wasn't sleeping, but was watching her. The look on his face seemed so pained and out of place at such a sweet moment. Su Jin wanted to erase that look of his. She grinned and leaned over to him. "You carry the kids, call it," she quipped, hoping to lighten his mood. He reached for her and held her still. She didn't struggle. She waited for him to speak. For a moment, she thought he was going to cry.

"What is it?" she whispered her question so as not to wake the sleeping children in the back seat. Min Sang just shook his head. He did not trust himself to speak.

Su Jin wanted to comfort him. She did not understand the turmoil he was going through, but she knew he wanted to be reassured.

"It will be okay," she said, about nothing in particular. With that, his tears came, and he shook his head.

"Tell me," Su Jin implored. "Tell me so I can help you."

His heart wanted to tell her, to tell her everything. But years of hate and planned revenge were not to be let go of so easily.

Su Jin heard some movement in the back seat, and quickly moved away from Min Sang. Min Ji was waking. She motioned toward Min Sang to pick up her daughter. Su Jin shook Min Soo till he was just awake enough to walk into the house on his own two legs. Min Sang made a mental note while he carried the sleepy Min Ji into the house. Never go to the beach.

### Chapter Fourteen

Su Jin was in Bong Soo's office bright and early Monday morning. He wanted an update on the joint venture with Invotec. Su Jin tried to convey a confidence she did not feel. She reassured him that there was nothing to worry about. Bong Soo wanted to know what was taking so long and why they did not appear to be making any headway. "Things like this take time," Su Jin reminded him. She did not mention that Woo Jin had offered to take her away from Moon Industries. They were still conversing when Min Sang knocked and entered. He was there to remind Su Jin that they had a meeting in ten minutes.

"Thank you," Su Jin whispered as they walked speedily down the hall.

"For what?" Min Sang asked, as if he didn't know.

"For getting me out of there. How did you know?"

"Secretary Kim forwarded me your SMS. He was stuck in traffic, so he couldn't call you out of the meeting."

"Hmmm. Now you know my secret." Su Jin felt a little chagrined.

"I'll let you pay me back with lunch," he offered.

"Done." With that, the deal was sealed.

Min Sang headed for the lab as Su Jin headed to her office. Min Sang had managed to appear completely calm throughout the encounter, but inwardly, he was seething. He hated seeing Su Jin anywhere near his father. Of course, it was perfectly logical that the CEO of Moon Industries would be seen talking with the president of the same company. But logic didn't seem like it was Min Sang's strong suit these days.

Besides the joint venture with Invotec, Su Jin was working on a completely separate new product launch. Min Sang had been helping her as a part of his training. On Wednesday, there would be a big presentation to the distributors that Moon Industries had already developed contracts with. Su Jin was considering allowing Min Sang to give the presentation. She had two reasons for doing so:

One, he seemed ready to handle a little more responsibility.

Two, Woo Jin would be present, and she wanted Woo Jin to see that Min Sang was not the spoiled heir that he thought him to be.

But to assign something this important to Min Sang, she would need Bong Soo's approval first. She hoped he would give it.

Su Jin called Bong Soo and explained her idea. Usually, asking Bong Soo's permission for things she wanted was a mere formality. He trusted her judgement and he fully supported his CEO. But today's request was a little different.

"Are you sure he is ready?" Bong Soo asked skeptically.

"Trust me, I have been preparing him myself." Su Jin hoped she sounded confident.

"It is too risky, so much could go wrong." He was hesitating.

"I'll be right there, I'll jump in if needed, but he will do a great job, I'm sure of it." Su Jin was pushing exactly as hard as she needed to.

"It's too soon, Su Jin, he is not ready. We all want to see him succeed, but if he fails, it will be bad for all of us." Bong Soo sounded firm.

"Well, I have to be honest with you, there is another reason." Su Jin revealed some of what Woo Jin had said to her the week before. If they could not prove that Min Sang was a reasonably wise business man, they risked losing the deal with Invotec. Min Sang needed to publicly demonstrate his skills, and they couldn't afford to wait.

"Do you think Woo Jin would change his mind based on one presentation?" Bong Soo still sounded doubtful.

"I don't know, but it would be a start."

"I still say we shouldn't do it. If we lose Invotec, we lose it. Min Sang isn't ready." Bong Soo concluded.

"There is another option..." Su Jin said. She had not wanted the conversation to come to this.

"What would that be?"

"Woo Jin said that he would agree to the joint venture if I promised to join his management team." Su Jin almost choked on the words.

"No."

Su Jin tried to explain the possible benefits of the move, the ways in which it would advantage both companies.

"I said no, and that is the end. No more discussion."

"Then let Min Sang give the presentation. He can do it. He can win over Woo Jin if we give him the chance. If anything bad happens, I will take full responsibility."

"Ok, I wash my hands of it, if anything goes wrong, it is up to you to fix it." Bong Soo ended the call.

One down, one to go. Su Jin called Min Sang immediately.

Min Sang felt a certain sense of satisfaction settle over him when Su Jin told him about the presentation. Wednesday was the day he had been hoping and planning for. On Wednesday, he would finally have the opportunity to seriously damage the reputation of Moon Industries. It would take years for the company to recover. Trust was absolutely essential, and once Moon Industries was suspected of nepotism, the business world would cease to take them seriously. All Min Sang needed to do was throw the presentation. That would show his father that he could never have the success he'd always wanted.

When Min Sang got home that night he found Min Soo in the living room with ice on his lip and Su Jin as mad as a hornet. "What happened?" Min Sang asked as he went over to get a better look at the bruised lip.

It was an old story. Some bully at school was always picking on small and unpopular kids. Min Soo had tried to stay out of it, but couldn't stand to see his best friend get treated cruelly. As Min Sang was listening to Min Soo's story, Su Jin was on her cell, giving the principle an earful. Su Jin could be frightening as a CEO, but as a mama bear, she was both terrifying and beautiful. Su Jin was nearly out of her mind with rage and Min Sang experienced a sudden pang, thinking of the mother who had never shown that kind of fierce, insane devotion toward him. Min Sang's logical side began to feel sorry for the principle on the other end of the line and he moved to calm his Su Jin down. She was not in a mood to be calm and she evaded his moves to take her phone from her. Soon, he was chasing her down the hallway as she was trying to give the principle few more pieces of advice on how to do her job. Finally Su Jin ran out of room and Min Sang had her cornered against the wall.

"Give me the phone, Mama Bear," he whispered.

Su Jin ducked down to evade him, no intentions of giving away her phone.

"Give." he ordered.

She was still spewing her opinions at the principle when he wrestled the phone from her and spoke quickly into the device. "Thanks for all your hard work leading the school. Good bye." He hung up.

The mama bear, having no one else to vent her rage on, began to pummel the tall, muscular young man who'd stolen her phone. Min Sang laughed as he wrestled the tiny but fierce Su Jin. Su Jin was smiling once more as she got in a final kick to his shins, wriggled free of his grasp, and ran back to the living room to comfort her son. Min Sang didn't follow her immediately. Would he really be able to betray the people he thought of as family?

### Chapter Fifteen

Su Jin was dressing for her dinner meeting with Woo Jin's family. Woo Jin would be picking her up from her home. Her dress was a navy blue sheath with a gold belt at the waist. It was not her usual business attire, which normally included slacks and blazers with brightly colored blouses underneath. She looked unusually feminine in the outfit.

Min Sang was helping Min Soo with his homework at the dining room table when Su Jin passed by.

"Be in bed by ten." Su Jin reminded Min Soo and Min Ji as she prepared to leave.

Min Sang silently took in her appearance. She didn't look like she was going to a business dinner.

"Who will be at this dinner?" Min Sang asked, sharply.

"Some shareholders of Park United. They are the parent company of Invotec." Su Jin replied truthfully, but evasively.

"Which shareholders?" Min Sang narrowed his questions.

"I believe it is Woo Jin's father and his aunt and maybe some others, I didn't really look at the guest list." Su Jin was leaning down, fussing with the strap on her shoe so that Min Sang could not look her in the eyes.

"He is introducing you to his family?" Min Sang's voice was getting louder.

"It's not like that. He is introducing me to shareholders who happen to also be his family. This is a very normal way of doing things." Su Jin hoped she sounded convincing.

Min Sang stared at Su Jin. What was she up to? Was she interested in this Woo Jin?

"Can I come? They should meet me, too. Sure, I'm young, but I am going to be a very important person at Moon Industries."

"Woo Jin does want to get to know you better. But not tonight."

Min Sang looked unconvinced. He was about to argue when the doorbell rang. It was Woo Jin. He too was dressed exquisitely, and he offered Su Jin a bouquet of flowers.

"Thank you. They're beautiful." Su Jin introduced Woo Jin to Min Sang, Min Soo, and Min Ji.

Min Sang felt that something was very wrong. This scenario looked exactly like a date. He had always thought he would be angry if any guy tried to make a move on Su Jin, and maybe with someone less, someone who wasn't Woo Jin, he would have felt angry. Tonight, it wasn't anger he felt. It was fear. He felt Su Jin slipping away from him right before his eyes.

When Su Jin and Woo Jin walked into the restaurant, heads turned. They made an attractive pair.

Woo Jin entered their private dining room where his father and aunt were already seated. They rose to greet Su Jin. After Su Jin had greeted Woo Jin's father, her attention was turned to his aunt.

Woo Jin continued with the formal introductions. "This is my aunt. Aunt, this is the woman I told you about. Her name is Su Jin."

Su Jin froze. She was looking into the older version of a face she had seen many times in photos. She was looking at her maternal grandmother. Su Jin's grandmother, a sharp woman, drew connections as soon as she heard the name, and realized Su Jin's relationship to her at almost the same moment.

She stared at Su Jin, nothing but crystallized bitterness filling her eyes. After a brief moment, she turned to her brother, "There is no need to continue with this dinner with this woman." With that she turned and made an attempt to leave the room.

Woo Jin stopped his aunt. "What is going on here? What is wrong with 'this woman'?"

His aunt seemed to hesitate, as if she were weighing in her mind how much to reveal. "I have my reasons. Let's talk at home." The elderly lady was trying to make her escape as unobtrusively as possible. But Woo Jin would not let her leave.

"Tell me," Woo Jin insisted.

So frustrated that she no longer made any pretense of caring about propriety, his aunt blurted, "She killed my daughter. She stole my husband. Do I need to explain further?"

Woo Jin's father understood immediately. "Wait, this is Young Hee's daughter?" he asked, desiring confirmation.

The shock had been too much for Woo Jin's aunt, and she looked physically ill. Her brother took her arm, and told Woo Jin that he would take her home immediately.

After they left, Woo Jin turned to Su Jin. She looked rather sick herself. He led her to a seat and ordered some tea.

Su Jin sat silent for a long time. Woo Jin was curious about the scene that had unfurled before him, but age had taught him patience, and he waited till Su Jin was ready to explain.

When Su Jin spoke, she started with a question.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No. I am an only child."

"Why does your aunt live with your family?"

"She is my dad's older sister. She had two daughters, the daughters were about eighteen or nineteen years apart. The older one died and after that, her husband took the younger daughter and ran off and was never heard from again. After my mother died, she came to live with me and my dad. I think the idea was that she could be a mother-like influence and help dad out with me."

Su Jin put her face in her hands. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Woo Jin was her first cousin. The closest thing she had to a sibling.

"Why did Aunt say you killed her daughter?" Woo Jin's patience was wearing thin.

Su Jin slowly and methodically explained the situation surrounding her birth and her early childhood being raised by a lone grandfather. She explained how she came to live with Moon Ho and his family.

Woo Jin listened with a mixture of bewilderment and anger. Was this the reason he'd found himself so drawn to Su Jin? Was the aunt that had always been kind to him the same person as the grandmother that had refused to show any kindness to Su Jin?

Su Jin finished her story and looked fixedly at the design on the table cloth. Woo Jin reached out and took her hand.

"Su Jin, I mean, Sis," he smiled and paused. He had always thought himself alone in the world. No siblings. No cousins that he could remember meeting. His older cousin, Aunt's first daughter, had died when he was very young.

"I still don't understand everything that has happened tonight. But I am sure of one thing. I am glad to know that you are my cousin. That you are someone I can think of as mine in some way. I can't predict how this mess with our family will turn out. But you and I will go through this together."

Woo Jin moved to Su Jin's side and pulled her into a hug. She cried as he held her close. Woo Jin was worried about what his aunt might try to do to Su Jin. Apparently, she had always known where Su Jin was and what she looked like. She had recognized Su Jin immediately. Aunt had always said she did not know what had become of her "younger daughter," but she must have had some way of getting updates.

Woo Jin was wondering why his aunt had even come to the meeting in the first place. Then he remembered that he had not said too much about who he was introducing. He had said merely that he wanted them to meet a woman that he was interested in. He had not told them about her position as CEO of Moon Industries.

Woo Jin took Su Jin for a walk. They both needed to move. They walked a long while in an odd kind of comfortable silence. Both of them were reveling in the fact that they were not without kin. They had each gained a family member that night. It was an odd but comforting feeling.

It was very late when Woo Jin brought her back home.

"Don't worry, just get some sleep," Woo Jin advised.

"Will the joint venture go through?"

"I don't know. This revelation puts things in a whole new light. Let's sleep on it and keep talking. Don't let Bong Soo or Min Sang in on this yet. I am still trying to get my head around it."

"Good night...Oppa." Su Jin laughed as she uncomfortably referred him to as her "older brother."

### Chapter Sixteen

Min Sang had struggled with his tumultuous thoughts most of the night. He thought perhaps he should delay his revenge, that a more opportune time would present itself at some point in the future. Even as he thought it, he knew he was merely trying to make excuses to himself. He paced his room, unable to stay still as his thoughts raged. He was coming to realize that he would never be happy if he really hurt Su Jin. And he was coming to the realization that he would always feel guilty if he manipulated her in such a way as to finally make her his own. His dilemma had no solution. No matter how many times he tried to find a way forward, he just couldn't. Towards dawn, he finally reached a conclusion. Today he would do the presentation. He would do the best job he could. Then he would move out of the house and move on with his life. He would start at a new company, find a nice girl, and have nice children and maybe, many years in the future, he would bring his family to back to visit. Well, maybe the part about returning for a visit was a little too optimistic. He might not ever be able to visit. His return after his four years in the United States had taught him that it was dangerous to go back. He might be able to forget Su Jin while he was away. But her presence was would always be a danger to his sanity.

Su Jin woke to find Min Sang already in the kitchen, dressed in a stylish grey suit. He greeted her with a cup of coffee. Grateful, but suspicious, she asked, "What do you want? You never make me coffee."

"Can we talk?" His nervousness was evident in the tone of the question.

"Sure. Always. What is it?"

Min Sang sat at the kitchen counter with Su Jin directly facing him. He explained that he wanted to leave Moon Industries soon. Now that he had gained some work experience, he wanted to start a more independent life, get his own apartment and start his own career. He said he was grateful for everything Su Jin had done for him and that he would try and make sure he visited the kids from time to time. He told her that he had already set things in motion for the move, and he thought he would be able to move out by the end of the month.

Su Jin heard the words and understood their meaning. But her shock was so complete that she could not reply. Her hands shook a little as she raised the coffee cup to her lips to give her a few extra seconds to think. Where had this come from? At first, her mind rebelled at the thought of Min Sang leaving again. He'd only recently come back, but it felt like he belonged at Moon Industries, he belonged with the only family he'd ever had. Slowly, she lowered her mug to the counter. Her fingers traced invisible circles on its granite surface. She felt tears beginning to form. She knew she needed to say something. She was scared at betraying her true feelings about this development.

Su Jin was thankful for her professional training that helped her regain her slipping composure. Instead of giving a reply that would reveal her true feelings, she simply asked inane questions to fill the silence.

What kind of apartment was he looking for? Which companies was he applying to? Su Jin assured Min Sang that finding a job would be easy. She had friends who owed her favors in every major electronics company in the country. Su Jin would be happy to make some calls and introduce him to key people.

Min Sang knew that he had hurt her. But this was a wound from which she could recover. He felt guilty as he watched her try to hold back her tears. He was a bit disappointed that she was successful in doing so. He was also proud of her composure. He played along with her display of interest in the details of his plan.

He wanted to say that this was the best plan possible for all of them. That he was only leaving because Su Jin, Min Soo, and Min Ji meant everything to him. But he could never confess that he had planned to hurt her and his father in a way that could never be forgiven. He wanted to say he loved her. Instead, he said he was that he was planning to get an apartment with three bedrooms so that the kids could come over to spend the night when she needed to travel for business.

Su Jin rose, with the pretense that they needed get to work early to prepare for the presentation. She dressed with care, not that she had any particular need to look extra nice that day, but because she needed to distract herself from the grief that threatened to overwhelm her. Min Sang noticed again what an attractive woman she was as they walked out to the car together. Su Jin didn't allow for a moment of silence on the ride, instead opting to deliver repeated reminders regarding last minute preparations for the presentation. Min Sang knew his presentation thoroughly, but he let her talk so that he wouldn't have to.

Min Sang practiced the presentation in an empty conference room. He was in a nostalgic mood. He felt peace regarding his decision, but he knew that he had difficult days ahead. He was 26 years old, and for all of the life that he could actually remember, Su Jin had been a part of it. A huge part. She had been his first real friend. She had started out as something between a sister and a mother to him. After the accident, she became the object of his grief-induced wrath, but she had been a constant presence in his turbulent youth. She was also his first love. Would life without Su Jin in it be a future that he could really face? He felt keenly aware of her loss, even though it had yet to actually take place. But he felt hopeful. He thought he would finally be able to move on, finally be free of the guilt that had haunted him ever since he had realized, only after his mother was killed, that he'd always loved Su Jin more than the woman who had given birth to him. Min Sang thought that if he had a chance at starting over he ought to take it. Today, in spite of the somber conversation in the kitchen, he was feeling lighter than he had in years.

Min Sang packed up his materials and headed for Su Jin's office. They would make their way to the actual location of the big presentation together. He was just about to enter her office when the sound of two muffled voices stopped him. His father and Su Jin were talking. Min Sang hated seeing those two together. He was about to open the door and interrupt the conversation when something stopped him. It was Su Jin's laugh. He slowly cracked the door open and peered in at the sliver of the room it allowed him to see. He saw his father leaning over the seated Su Jin. They were both looking at something on the computer screen. Su Jin's laugh looked to be in response to a comment his father had made. Min Sang saw Su Jin turn her face up to Bong Soo and say something. He responded with a friendly chuckle of his own. Min Sang started at the unfamiliar sound. His grim father could laugh?

Min Sang continued to observe the two. He could tell his father was happy. What was he happy about? Did this happiness have something to do with Su Jin? Min Sang felt the well-known hatred he'd lived with for so long seeping back into his heart. He tried to argue with his own dark thoughts. Min Sang was desperately trying to get his raging emotions under control. All those years of practicing hate and planning revenge were not so easily overcome. He could feel himself losing his grip on the peace-filled young man with hope for the future that he'd been that morning. It wasn't too late yet. He could have his revenge and then move on with his life as he'd planned. Maybe it was just the sunny influences of the beach or the sight of Su Jin as a mama bear that had put him in his previously philanthropic mood. He was grateful that this cozy little office scene had reminded him why his father needed to be punished. He had so nearly let him off the hook. Min Sang's thoughts were interrupted. He overheard Bong Soo saying, "You are sure he's ready? You trust him? You know I am doing this because you have given me your word."

"You have nothing to worry about. I told you I would take the responsibility for whatever happens today. And later you will have to give me the praise I deserve for how well he does."

"We'll see," Bong Soo passed his son on the way out. Bong Soo gave Min Sang an uncharacteristic pat on the shoulder as he passed. He was humming a tune as he moved towards his office.

Su Jin looked up and saw Min Sang in the doorway. She smiled and asked him if he was ready. Min Sang did not answer. He just stared at Su Jin.

Su Jin knew something was wrong. "Is everything okay?" She asked anxiously. "Are you feeling all right? Don't get nervous, you'll do fine, I'll be there with you the whole time."

"Can I do it by myself?" Min Sang asked.

For two reasons, he was not quite sure if he could do what he wanted to do with her there. First of all, if she were there, she might be able to stop him. Second, he might not be able to go through with his plans if he had to see her face.

"You don't want me there?" Su Jin was shocked.

"I'll be more nervous if you are watching, plus Woo Jin will know you really trust me if you let me handle this completely on my own." Min Sang hoped he sounded convincing.

"That's true, he will think I trust you if I am not there. The question is, do I really trust you?" Su Jin said, in a carefree tone.

Her joking encouraged him to push his case, "Come on! Trust me, and I will do a great job. Woo Jin will be impressed, you will get your joint venture, and tonight Min Soo and Min Ji will eat too much ice cream as we celebrate my success."

"I do trust you, and I'm proud of you."

"You can't be proud of me yet, I have not done anything," Min Sang protested.

"I wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you before the meeting. Whatever happens in there, I want you to remember that," Su Jin smiled.

If Su Jin knew how much her words hurt him, she would not have said them, because she was not a cruel woman.

"Call me as soon as it is over."

"I will." He added another lie to his long list.

### Chapter Seventeen

Min Sang stood outside the conference room greeting each guest by name. He was the perfect host. He made personal comments to each one, letting them know that he knew exactly who they were and why they were at the meeting.

As the meeting began, the MC introduced Min Sang, and he took the podium. His legs felt indescribably heavy as he approached the front of the room. The podium appeared to him almost like a gallows. He felt strangely as if he were walking towards his own death. Woo Jin thought he seemed overly nervous, but he was not worried. If Su Jin had left this youngster on his own, he must be very capable indeed.

As Min Sang took the podium, his eyes scanned the room. He paused, closed his eyes, and as he pushed a button on his computer, music began to play and he loudly began to sing one of EXO's greatest hits. The room was quiet, but strangely, not overly disturbed at this unconventional start to the meeting. They seemed to think it was the beginning of a uniquely creative presentation. Woo Jin was watching in interest, and his first thought was that Min Sang had a strong singing voice.

After the first song ended and he began another one, the theory that this was merely a creative introduction lost all credibility. Something was highly out of place. Attendees began to feel disgruntled that they'd made time in their busy schedules to attend what appeared to be a ridiculously inappropriate ode to pop music. Secretary Kim called Bong Soo, and Bong Soo called Su Jin.

"Meet me at the conference room, something is wrong," Bong Soo ordered.

Su Jin ran towards the conference room. As she was approaching, she saw the attendants milling around in the hallway, looking confused and dissatisfied. Her heart sank. She saw Woo Jin and asked breathlessly, "What happened?"

Woo Jin didn't answer, he just pointed to the doorway of the conference room. Min Sang was still at the podium, and he was still singing. Secretary Kim was trying to drag him away from the microphone, but Min Sang was twice the size and half the age of Secretary Kim and he would not be moved.

Su Jin stood as if frozen, not comprehending what she was seeing. She remained in a state of shock until she caught sight of Bong Soo. The look in his eyes spoke of dark things in store for his son. Her protective instincts took over and she ran and placed herself between Min Sang and Bong Soo. Min Sang stopped singing when he saw his father. Bong Soo looked wild with anger. "Secretary Kim, close the door," he ordered menacingly.

Secretary Kim got to the door seconds after Woo Jin entered. He first attempted to usher Woo Jin out, but decided it was better to get the door shut before the crowd outside could see what would shortly take place.

Min Sang glared at his father, willing him to start a fight he couldn't wait to have. Su Jin stood her ground in front of Bong Soo. "Move!" Bong Soo thundered as he returned his son's glare.

"No, I told you whatever he did, I would be fully responsible. This is my fault. I'll fix it." Su Jin was not at all sure how she would fix it, but she felt as if her life depended on stopping Bong Soo from damaging his son in any way.

Bong Soo moved his glare from Min Sang to Su Jin. He had no more patience for diplomacy, and years of frustrations with his failed family bubbled up as he struck her to the ground and strode toward his son. Su Jin was not expecting the blow. Her head hit the side of conference room's table as she went down, and she remained stunned on the floor where she fell. Woo Jin was at her side in seconds. When Bong Soon realized that the three other men in the room were just moments away from bringing swift vigilante justice against him for his needless display of brutality and anger, he turned and stalked out of the room. "Fix this," he commanded over his shoulder.

Min Sang was horrified. If he'd loathed his father before, there was no word to describe his feelings toward the despicable man now. His Su Jin lay with blood streaming down her head. Woo Jin was pressing his handkerchief to her wound. "You need to get to the hospital" he said.

"No, just help me to my office," Su Jin replied weakly. Su Jin tried to sit up, but the room began to spin.

"Give me a minute, first."

Secretary Kim was sent to make sure the halls were clear, and then Woo Jin helped Su Jin to her feet. He held his arm around her to keep her from falling. Su Jin looked over at Min Sang and he could hold her eyes only for a second before he dropped his gaze. Su Jin allowed Woo Jin to help her back to the office.

Woo Jin had no idea what was going on, but he knew that now was not the time to ask. Su Jin was reclined on the couch in her office with her hands covering her wounded face. Woo Jin was an opportunist as well as a friend, and he saw his shot.

"Come to Japan with me and we will have this settled in three days," Woo Jin offered. Su Jin was stunned and she found it hard to comprehend what he was saying.

"Why Japan?" was the only coherent question she could think of.

"Because you need to get out of here and you need time to fix this mess." Su Jin nodded. She was allowing Woo Jin to tell her what to do and she knew it. She didn't care.

Secretary Kim was sent to Su Jin's home to pick up the bag that Ajumma would pack. Su Jin would leave on the 2:30 flight to Tokyo, and Woo Jin with her.

Later that evening, in her hotel room, Su Jin's head ached with more than residual pain from her injury. She kept trying to make sense of what had happened, but she couldn't. She kept replaying the events of the day in her mind. Why had she let Min Sang go to that meeting by himself? She knew she had not really trusted him, she had only told him she did in order to encourage him. She should have known that something like this might happen.

Su Jin needed to be able to think, her mind felt numb. She began to pace her room. She needed to calm down. She decided to talk things over with Ji Hoon. Ever since Ji Hoon had passed away, when she was facing a major difficulty, she would set herself down in front of an empty chair and imagine herself in conversation with her husband. She would carefully explain all the details of the situation at hand, answering all questions that she knew he would strategically ask, and, sometimes, answers that were in line with the master negotiator's way of thinking would come to her, helping her to resolve the situation successfully. These "conversations" usually brought much comfort and clarity to otherwise overwhelming circumstances.

Tonight, as she thought to begin her imaginary conversation with Ji Hoon, she broke down in tears. "I miss you," she began. "If you were here, my life would have been so different, you could have protected me and Min Sang all these years. Why did you leave me alone?" Su Jin usually avoided reproaching her husband for his early death, the temptation of many a young widow. She knew he had wanted to live, to be with her, to see the kids grow up. It was on bad nights like this that she allowed herself to pity herself

Pulling herself together, she started to recount the day's events. The imaginary Ji Hoon seemed unflustered. He seemed to think that something like this had been inevitable. Hadn't Min Sang made it quite clear in his youthful days that he would do anything to harm his father? He was just older and wiser now. His methods had changed but his intentions had remained the same. Ji Hoon had always been able to see the reality behind situations before Su Jin did, a trait that she had occasionally found annoying during his lifetime.

Su Jin asked Ji Hoon about what could be done to resolve the entire situation with Min Sang. She could not keep living like this. There had to be an end, and, hopefully, a good one.

Su Jin could clearly see Ji Hoon in her mind. In her mind, he took his time responding to this query. Slowly he leaned forward and took her hand, after what seemed an eternity, he looked up into her eye and said slowly and clearly, "You must seduce him."

### Chapter Eighteen

Su Jin started at her husband's recommendation. "Hear me out," The imaginary Ji Hoon continued, "Min Sang has always wanted two things in life, to have you and to hurt his father, and this messy situation won't be over until he has done both."

"On your part, your lifelong goal has been to protect Min Sang and his father. This is the only way to accomplish both."

"I don't understand."

In reality, Su Jin understood well enough, but didn't want to.

"How would Bong Soo feel if you married his son?"

"He would be horrified. More than horrified. It would seem like incest. I am Min Sang's aunt by marriage. I raised him. I have already been married. I have two kids by another man. I am more than a decade older than Min Sang. Bong Soo would never allow it. He would kill me first."

Su Jin was still incredulous at the preposterous idea.

"And how would Min Sang feel if he were to annoy his father in such a way?" Ji Hoon's questions were planned to help Su Jin follow the logic.

"Min Sang would be tremendously pleased with himself. He would know that the mere sight of me or the kids would forever bring Bong Soo pain." She was beginning to see the point of how it fulfilled Min Sang's goals, but she had no desire to become a hated daughter-in-law. Especially not the daughter-in-law of Bong Soo.

"If you were Bong Soo's daughter-in-law, what actual harm would come to him?"

Su Jin considered this for a moment. "No real damage that I can think of, other than to his pride. I would be an embarrassment to him, but Moon Industries would not be harmed."

"So, you would stop Min Sang from attempting to destroy Moon Industries and you would be protecting Bong Soo from receiving any further harm from his son."

Su Jin was beginning to see the brilliance of this countermove, but she still had questions.

"How does this really help Min Sang? I don't think helping him achieve his immature goal of hurting his father is truly a good idea."

"You would be stopping him from hurting himself any more than he already has. Min Sang needs to feel he has the freedom to stop living in hate."

"Won't he be content with what he's already done? It might take Moon Industries years to recover from today."

"No, he won't. He won't for two reasons, the first being that you will find a way to fix what happened today. Thus, he will feel the need to cause some other kind of disaster in the future. And the cycle of him causing disasters and you fixing them will go on indefinitely. Second, should he succeed in causing the fall of Moon Industries, he still won't be content. Deep down, he doesn't care about Moon Industries. He cares about you. The question that tortures him is that he doesn't know how Bong Soo really feels about you. As long as he wonders about his father's feelings towards you, Min Sang, Bong Soo, and Moon Industries will never be safe."

Ji Hoon saw her hesitating. He pushed harder. "It is the only way to save all involved."

"What about me?" Su Jin wanted to save Min Sang. She even wanted to protect Bong Soo if she could. Moon Industries was as precious to her as a child, but did she really have to lose herself to do it?

So real was Ji Hoon in her imagination, she thought she saw a tear of compassion fall on his stern cheek. Indeed, this was asking too much of Su Jin. She had already given a huge portion of her life to Min Sang. Was it fair to ask her to give the rest of life? More than that, was it fair to ask her to give her heart and soul to the kid that was acting like a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum that, after eight long years, still showed few signs of coming to an end?

Ji Hoon was open to other options for Su Jin.

"You could walk away," she imagined him suggesting. "You could move, take the kids and start over, maybe at Invotec. Woo Jin would take you in a heartbeat. You don't have to be Min Sang's savior. At some point, the kid has to take responsibility for himself."

Su Jin put her head in her hands. This was also true. She was not a prisoner. She had choices. She had to think about what was best for everyone. She tried to imagine the life she wanted for Min Sang. She wanted nothing more than for him to have a normal life. Much like the life he had described to her this morning. Had that breakfast conversation really taken place this morning? It seemed almost a lifetime ago. She wanted him to have his own place, find a nice girl and have a nice family. What she wanted for her own life was to enjoy the kids as they grew up. She wanted to be there to help them succeed. She felt more than a little bitterness towards Min Sang who had made her simple dreams seem almost impossible to attain.

Su Jin acknowledged that she had choices available to her, but she also knew what she would choose. She would choose to do whatever she needed to protect Min Sang, just as she always had.

"Will I be able to do it?" Su Jin questioned Ji Hoon.

Ji Hoon nodded. "Yes, you will. I feel a bit sorry for Min Sang, he won't stand a chance." Her husband smiled.

Su Jin was not so sure. "I don't know how." The words came out as a whisper. She was embarrassed to be having his conversation with the memory of the man she'd been married to.

"Just do the same thing you did to me."

"I didn't do anything to you. You scared me." Su Jin smiled.

"You did do something, something irresistible."

"What did I do?"

"You let me know that if I asked you, your answer would be "yes." Nothing is more seductive to a man who is in love than the knowledge that, should he gather the courage necessary to ask, you would be there to meet him."

"I never told you that. Ever." Su Jin argued.

"In little ways, you told me every day. I knew that you would never make one tiny move towards me, and I also knew that you would accept every move I made towards you. It made me curious. It drove me crazy. You would never come to me, but how could I stay away from you when your whole self beckoned me? You made it so that I was not dueling with some other suitor, but with myself. Each day I prepared myself to fight, and each day I found myself hoping I would lose the battle."

Su Jin loved this side of her husband. She relished memories of the sweet words he used to whisper to her in the darkness before they had fallen asleep. Ji Hoon always liked to talk as if his wife had some kind of supernatural powers that had bewitched him.

"Once he knows that you could be his, he will resist with all his might. When a man knows he can have the woman he loves, he begins fighting a losing battle within himself. Let him battle. Don't give him an ounce of help. Ignore him. Smile at other people. Laugh with others. Remark on the cleverness of some other man. It will infuriate him. When he comes to you, welcome him. When he stays away, don't call. Don't care. Make it totally up to him. He will feel lonely, even when he is with you. Nothing less than complete ownership and control will satisfy him. He will make you his own no matter what the obstacle. This is seduction. And in this I know you to be the expert."

Su Jin protested, "I did not do any of that on purpose. I only knew that you scared me to death, but you intrigued me and I've never known how you had any idea that I loved you too."

Ji Hoon smiled, "That's because you can't see your own eyes."

### Chapter Nineteen

Su Jin slept more peacefully than she had thought possible under the circumstances. She had taken the battery out of her phone, so no calls or notifications interrupted her rest.

Her head still throbbed, but she was feeling much better. She had a plan, and she knew that was the hardest part. Now she just needed to carry out the plan.

After she dressed, she put the battery in her phone so that she could call Woo Jin. She had thirty missed calls. Many of those where from Min Sang. She called Woo Jin. She asked if they could meet for breakfast. They agreed to meet in the hotel restaurant in half an hour.

Su Jin braced herself for the meeting. Woo Jin had every reason to refuse her request. He would be justified if he refused her. She hoped he wouldn't.

After they finished their breakfast and were sipping their coffee, Su Jin decided it was time to make her case. "I hope you will decide to close the deal on the joint venture. If you express that level of confidence in Moon Industries, others will follow and yesterday will just be considered merely a bad day, and not a statement as to the health of the company."

Woo Jin was a little taken aback by the boldness of her request. She wasn't apologizing for Min Sang. She wasn't begging him to understand. Even with the bruised lump on her temple, she was pushing to close the deal with Invotec.

If she was going to pretend that nothing notable had happened, so would he. He went back to his original proposal. "Well, you know my concerns regarding Min Sang, which I feel were proven justified yesterday. I told you the only way I would move forward was if you were to leave Moon Industries and come to Invotec. Are you saying you're ready to do that?"

"Actually," Su Jin countered, "you said that if I were a relative of the leadership of Moon Industries, that I would not be so easily removed, and you would feel more comfortable with the deal. What if I said that I plan to become a relative?"

"What?" Woo Jin said. "How will you accomplish that? Has Bong Soo proposed?"

Su Jin took a deep breath before she continued, "I am planning to marry into the family within the next year. I will not be marrying Bong Soo. I will be marrying Min Sang."

Woo Jin, who had been sipping his coffee, choked. When he could speak, he asked, "Has he asked you to marry him?"

"No, but he will."

"And I am supposed to take your word on that?"

"No, I realize that Moon Industries has regrettably lost some of its credibility in your eyes. So, I am prepared, if you help us in our current difficulties, to leave Moon Industries after my engagement and come to work at Invotec."

"Why after your engagement?"

"Because you need me to be an actual relative of the president of the company. And I need time to gain that status."

"What assurance do I have that you will come to Invotec if I help you?"

"I will sign a contract."

"How do I know that you will be getting married to the heir of Moon Industries?"

"Because I intend to," Su Jin kept her eyes steady on Woo Jin. She knew that this was precisely the weak point of her pitch. She had no way to prove it. No way to guarantee it. Woo Jin would either decide to trust her or not. She was not sure which way he would decide.

"When do you need an answer?"

"I would like one immediately, but I could wait two hours. I am sorry to rush you, but you know the situation we are facing. This is the best solution I can come up with. If you don't see this as beneficial to the futures of Moon Industries and Invotec, I will understand, but I would need to start working on my Plan B."

"Will marrying Min Sang be part of your Plan B?"

"Yes. Marrying Min Sang will be a part of any plan to help Moon Industries."

Woo Jin was silent for several minutes. He was trying to read the woman who sat in front of him, his cousin who he'd only just come to recognize as such. What was she up to? Why was she agreeing to leave Moon Industries? He could not tell what exactly she was planning, but the deal she proposed sounded like one that would benefit his own company immensely.

"I'm in." Woo Jin replied decisively. "I'll have quite a bit of work getting around Dad and Aunt. But Invotec is mine. I don't want to anger them needlessly, but they don't get the final say in who I place on my leadership team. I want to be able to help out my little sis, especially if she will be joining me at Invotec." Woo Jin knew he was taking a risk. He knew that Su Jin could not predict the future nor could she control the volatile Min Sang. However, he also knew if he were a gambler, he would place all he had on Su Jin for the win.

Su Jin had hoped with all her heart he would say yes, because she did not really have a plan B. The rest of the morning they spent working on details. Su Jin was suggesting they return to Korea and start signing papers and moving forward immediately when Woo Jin suggested they spend the rest of the day doing some sight-seeing in Japan's capital city and return in the morning. It would be good if Su Jin's bump got another day to heal before she was back in the office and Woo Jin was not ready to return her so quickly.

"Let them sweat it out another day," Woo Jin was saying, "Min Sang deserves to worry a bit."

Su Jin agreed. She would appreciate another day before she had to face Bong Soo and Min Sang.

After that fateful presentation, Min Sang had followed Su Jin to her office. Secretary Kim proved his loyalty in preventing Min Sang's repeated attempts to get into her office. Min Sang had decided to wait for Su Jin at home.

He stayed in his room, waiting for Su Jin's return. When it was the dinner hour and she still had not returned he found out from Ajumma that Su Jin had sent home for her bag and passport. Ajumma did not know where Su Jin was going, just that she was leaving for a few days. Min Sang went back to his room with a sinking feeling. He was not looking forward to actually facing Su Jin, but now that he didn't know when he would be able to see her again, he felt a keen sense of panic. He tried to call her and he was not surprised when his calls went unanswered.

Min Sang thought about leaving. He could pack his bags and go before Su Jin got home. He had nearly talked himself into running away when he remembered Su Jin standing between him and his father that morning. Su Jin was tiny in comparison to the father and son pair. Why did she interfere? Why did she let herself be hurt because of him?

When Min Soo and Min Ji had returned from their evening tuition classes, Min Sang was hiding in his room. He couldn't face them yet. He had a feeling that Su Jin would make up some alternate story for the lump on her head. She would not reveal the part Min Sang or their Uncle Bong Soo had played in it. Yet, he still could not bring himself to look at her children.

### Chapter Twenty

Su Jin went directly from the airport to Moon Industries. She had parted ways with Woo Jin, who was on his way to Invotec. "Good luck!" he wished her as they parted. Su Jin thought that she would need it.

"I'll call you later and let you know how it goes," Su Jin promised.

Su Jin called Bong Soo from the taxi. She asked if she could meet him as soon as he was available. He told her to come directly to his office after she arrived.

Su Jin was wearing a scarf and sun glasses as she walked towards his office. Her injury was barely noticeable.

Bong Soo stood to greet his CEO. He was ashamed of his violence, yet he was very angry over the situation they were in and the fact that Su Jin had disappeared and not returned calls for the past two days. He knew he owed her an apology, but he did not offer one immediately. Instead, he invited her to sit down. Bong Soo felt uncomfortable in Su Jin's presence. He honestly regretted striking her.

Su Jin sat. She kept her sun glasses on as she explained that the signing of the joint venture with Invotec would occur as soon as the papers could be drawn up and that Woo Jin had personally committed to meeting with each of the other companies that had been at the presentation and announcing the new joint venture and his confidence in Moon Industries. They would be able to hold a press conference by the end of next week and there would be a formal celebration of the partnership, held at Woo Jin's Imperial Hotel, at the end of the month.

Bong Soo was surprised with what he was hearing. He had great confidence in his CEO. She had made more than a few miracles happen in her time at Moon Industries. But this was more than he could quite believe.

"Why did Woo Jin agree to do all of that for us?" Bong Soo asked.

"The terms of the draft of the joint venture were already approved by you months ago," Su Jin evaded his question.

"There were no other terms?" He pushed.

"None that concern Moon Industries" Su Jin answered.

"Were there any additional terms? I want to know what you promised him, whether it concerns Moon Industries or not."

"Woo Jin knows this will be good for Invotec. He is a businessman. That is why he agreed."

"Have you talked to Min Sang?" Bong Soo ventured.

"Not yet."

"He didn't call?"

"He called. I didn't answer."

"I see."

"Well, I have a few emails to catch up on, so you'll have to excuse me." Su Jin was rising from her seat and was already leaving the room as she spoke.

Bong Soo reached towards her, then deciding that a touch would be inappropriate, given the circumstances, cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry."

Su Jin didn't even turn around as she walked from the room. She would save his company, but she would give him no sign of forgiveness for his actions. Any feelings of friendship that they'd formerly maintained had been extinguished.

She stayed late at work, and it was after ten when she arrived home. Min Soo and Min Ji were already in bed.

Min Sang met her in the kitchen as she was pouring herself a glass of water.

"Can we talk?" Su Jin asked.

"Sure."

Su Jin walked towards her room and motioned Min Sang inside. Min Sang was not often in her room and she read the question in his eyes.

"This is a private conversation. I wanted to talk here in case Ajumma or the kids wake up."

"I see."

"Let's sit on the balcony." Su Jin motioned to the small balcony attached to her room. They sat in the cool night air, silence hanging heavy around them. Min Sang was waiting for her to speak, but was afraid to hear what she had to say.

"I want you to wait until I am completely finished before you speak," Su Jin began. Min Sang nodded his agreement. "I came to some conclusions while I was in Japan and I want to tell you about them."

Su Jin paused and took a deep breath. Could she really do this? She knew she had to.

"I can remember the day I met you. You were the cutest 4-year-old. I remember, in the years that came, teaching you how to ride a bike. I remember teaching you how to catch a ball. I remember helping you with your homework."

Min Sang shifted uncomfortably. He hated it when Su Jin talked about him as a little kid. He sometimes thought that he would be forever a 4 year old in her eyes. It was as if he would never be a grown up to her.

"I remember all the times I got called into your school. I remember the trips to the police station. I remember...I remember feeling so, so glad when you left for America."

Min Sang was grateful for the darkness that surrounded them. He did not understand where this trip down memory lane was going. But he was realizing that he had not given her too many happy things to remember about him in recent years.

"I remember being scared when you returned, and I remember hoping that you had really changed. I wanted to enjoy life with you and the kids. That day on the beach? I wanted to cry, because it was the best day I could remember spending with you in years."

Min Sang was struggling to remain silent as she talked. He wanted to explain how sorry he felt. That he knew he was wrong. That he wanted her forgiveness.

"Before I tell you of my decision, I wanted you to know that originally, I had no intentions of harming you, ever. I was always sincere in my affection for that dear little boy I met so long ago."

The last sentence sounded sinister to Min Sang.

"I also wanted you to know that I have chosen to do what I am going to do because I want to protect you, your father, and Moon Industries."

Min Sang was getting nervous and impatient. He wanted to tell her to get to the point, but he knew he needed to let Su Jin say it as she felt it needed to be said.

"What I have planned is rather cruel, so for the sake of the little boy I once cared so much about, I am going to give you one last chance. Tonight, you can decide to move out and move on to a company other than Moon Industries. You can decide to have your own life and leave me, your father, and Moon Industries alone. You will be fine without us and we will be fine without you. If you decide not to do that, I will move ahead with my plans."

"If you choose to stay," Su Jin found the words difficult. "If you stay, then I will seduce you."

Min Sang tried to stop his nervous laugh, but the awkward noise escaped him.

Su Jin held up her hand to stop him, if he had been planning to speak.

"I think it would be much better for you to move on than to end up married to a widow thirteen years your senior who already has two kids." Su Jin was aware that she was betraying her cousin Woo Jin by giving Min Sang an avenue of escape. But her conscience would not allow her to attack with such severity an opponent she considered unable to defend himself. It was the best concession she could make under the circumstances. She would find a way to make up to Woo Jin in the future if Min Sang took the olive branch she offered.

Min Sang was entirely confused and slightly amused. Did his aunt just say she was going to seduce him? He couldn't suppress his giggles any longer. He had been so nervous and had expected a serious tongue lashing. Su Jin had begun this conversation so seriously, but now she was claiming that she planned to seduce him. Was she crazy? Images of his aunt sashaying around the house in a revealing blouse or standing suggestively close as she handed him his morning tea made him laugh out loud.

Su Jin was not fazed by his reaction. "You may speak now" she allowed.

Min Sang could not take this conversation seriously. He laughed and asked, "So, just how do you plan to seduce me? I am most curious."

"I won't tell you my methods, because that is not the point of this conversation. The point is that this is your opportunity to save yourself. I beg you to take the chance I give you. It is your last chance. I will never apologize for what I do after today. I want to always know that I gave you every chance of escape."

Min Sang was totally confused. She seemed so earnest in her plea, yet her plea was so ridiculous. How did she expect him to respond? It was as if she were giving him some dire threat, but he was not at all scared of the threat. The whole situation seemed ludicrous. He knew she was upset and that she seemed desperate to spare him from a cruel fate.

"So, let me see if I am understanding what you say. If I stay here, I will be forced to marry you and that will be a fate worse than death, so I should run for my life while I still can. Is that the gist of it?" Min Sang could not hide his amusement.

"That sums it up rather well." Su Jin was disappointed that he was totally missing the significance of her message.

"I really can't see the downside for me here." Min Sang teased. "I think it would be great fun to be seduced. I also don't think you stand much of a chance getting me to marry you. So in my mind this is a win-win situation."

Su Jin tried again. "I'm not joking. You have your whole life ahead of you. Don't let me ruin it."

Min Sang did not doubt her sincerity, just her sanity. "You would never purposefully hurt me. Why are you trying to scare me with such a silly threat?"

"I am trying to tell you that I am planning to hurt you. I am planning on entrapping you, so that I can control you for as long as I live. It is premeditated and it is calculated and I think I will never be able to forgive myself afterwards, so please listen to me. Enough is enough. I want to be free from you and I want you to be free from me. I want us both to enjoy our lives."

"I still don't see how this could hurt me, even if you succeed, which I doubt you will. If you succeed, then I have a hot, successful wife, and two great kids. Where's the problem?"

"The problem is that, with me, you are going to find yourself living a life you didn't choose and don't want."

"What is the life I want? I've never thought of the life I want. Since Mom died, I've only remembered wanting the people around me to hurt as much as I do. Maybe this would be the best way to hurt everyone, including me. Dad would hate it. You would never be rid of me. I'll risk it. The probability that you'll succeed is small, and I think the challenge would be fun."

"I warned you, so don't ask me stop or ask me to change my mind. This was your one and only chance."

"Give me a little bit of a head start," Min Sang teased. "Tell me what your favorite technique is so that I can avoid it. Should I stay away from your good cooking, or beware when you're wearing a red dress? I've never been seduced before, so you should give me a heads up."

Su Jin was tired and angry. Angry that Min Sang did not understand the situation they were in. Or if he did, he did not care enough to save himself or her.

"I'll tell you this, beware of the answer 'yes.'"

"What? That's it? Why?"

"That is all you get. Goodnight."

Su Jin had known her offer of escape would most likely be ignored. Still, she had to try. She could not face Min Sang or herself in the future if she had not offered him a way out.

### Chapter Twenty-One

Min Sang awoke the next morning a little disturbed and oddly, excited. He was planning fun ways to thwart this supposed seduction. He had already decided that he would send any love letter back to her unopened. He would throw her offered chocolates in the trash, right in front of her. He would turn his face away should she try and kiss him. He enjoyed planning these rebuffs and refusals. Nothing had amused him like this in a long time.

Min Sang was thinking that maybe this morning a special breakfast awaited him on the dining table or that maybe Su Jin would greet him in the kitchen clad in only her pajamas. But Min Sang had slept past his alarm and was disappointed to find that the kids and Su Jin had already left, and Ajumma had prepared the most ordinary of ordinary breakfasts.

Min Sang's thoughts were of a complaining sort. "Seduction? Yeah right. I knew she would suck at this. I don't know how she ever got married in the first place."

That wasn't true. Min Sang knew she had married Ji Hoon precisely because he, Min Sang himself, had said he would have killed himself if she didn't. He never let himself think of that. He had been just a little kid. Kids say stupid stuff. It worked out good for her in the end. He had found ways to forgive himself as the years had passed. Deep down, though, he knew that Su Jin had always sacrificed herself for him and that he had never once shown her the gratitude she deserved.

Min Sang hurried to get dressed. He had not gone into the office since his purposefully failed presentation, but today, he wanted to go in, because he simply had to see what Su Jin would be up to.

When he got to the office, he was told that Su Jin was in meetings with Woo Jin. Min Sang sat at his desk pretending to concentrate on some documents he was supposed to read. How long was the meeting going to take? Min Sang needed a distraction, so he decided to go to the validation lab and check out the results of a test that he had been a part of designing before last week's disaster. He made sure he was back before lunch, so that he would be around to refuse Su Jin when she asked him out for a meal.

When he got back to his desk, he asked Secretary Kim where Su Jin was.

"She is on her lunch break."

"With who?" Min Sang inquired.

Secretary Kim just glared at the young Min Sang. He was not about to reveal the identity of his boss's lunch companions, especially not to this troublesome young man.

Min Sang felt like lunch was taking an outrageously long time. "Seriously, how long does it take to eat?" Min Sang wondered.

When Su Jin finally returned, it was well past 3:30.

"She should not be abusing the privileges of her position like that," Min Sang fumed. "Someone should tell my dad what his superstar of a CEO is really up to."

She passed by his desk with a simple smile and wave and closed the door of her office.

"Really? After all that talk about seduction, the best she's got is a smile and wave and a 'I'm so busy I can't talk to you' air to her walk? I am going to have to get her a tutor. This is just embarrassing."

Min Sang had thought of little besides Su Jin that day. Where was she? What was she doing? Who was she doing what with? It wasn't because he wanted her attention, it was because he wouldn't get the chance to creatively thwart her attention if she never paid him any.

When Min Sang went to bed that night he was sorely disappointed. Su Jin had paid little attention to him at work, but at home it was worse. She did homework with the kids. They watched a new DVD and did not even ask him if he wanted to join. When bedtime came, she kissed the kids, each one on the nose, right in front of him and wished them a good night. Then she turned to Min Sang, and his heart jumped. He thought, "She's going to try and kiss my nose like one of the kids and I can push her away and yell out in disgust."

He was so pleased that his turn had finally come. Su Jin turned and walked towards him. She said, "I need to leave for work early, so unless you want to go in at 5 a.m., you will have to come on your own again tomorrow. Goodnight!" And with that she turned and walked towards her room.

Min Sang spent half the night wondering how anyone as smart as Su Jin could be as bad at something as easy as making a move on a guy. Should he buy her a book? It's not like he had been expecting her to send him a text mentioning the color of her underwear, but was it too much to ask for a little attention?

Well, it was just the first day. Maybe she needed to work up some courage. Maybe she had been a widow so long she forgot how this dating stuffed worked. Maybe he should help her get started. Min Sang seemed to come back to his senses, and scolded himself. "I should be happy she is terrible at this, I shouldn't try and make her job easier." Finally, the disappointed young man fell asleep.

The next day, Min Sang took extra care to dress well, and he stopped by Starbucks on the way into the office. He didn't really like coffee, but he hadn't bought it for himself. It was for Su Jin. He would offer her the coffee, and she would probably reciprocate by offering to have lunch with him. He was very pleased with himself. Poor old Su Jin could use a bit of a hand up, if he didn't help her out at the beginning, she might never get far enough along in her seduction for him to refuse her advances in a spectacularly grand way.

Su Jin was in the hall outside her office, speaking with Secretary Kim, when Min Sang greeted her and presented her with the coffee. Su Jin smiled warmly, thanked him, and returned to her conversation. Min Sang hung around. He was thinking that she hadn't said anything because she didn't want to ask him out to lunch in front of Secretary Kim, but maybe when the old guy left, she would ask. It was early in the day, but he was already feeling hungry for Italian. There was something romantic about Italian food. He'd heard of a particular restaurant where it was difficult to get seats. But he had a friend on the inside who could probably get him some seats at short notice. Su Jin interrupted his thoughts, "Min Sang!"

"Yes?"

"Could you go to the lab and rush this test?" She said, handing him a stack full of papers covered with data, "There were some concerning quality issues with this new model and I want to know if the adjustments that were ordered resolved the problem. Call me as soon as you know anything."

Min Sang felt annoyed. Was this really how you seduce a guy? First ignore him, then order him around? And now that he had been thinking about it, he really did want Italian.

"Do you have time for dinner tonight? There's this nice Italian place I wanted to try..." he heard himself asking.

Su Jin looked at him a moment.

"Yes, that would be nice. I probably can't get away until eight tonight, though."

"That's fine. I'll try and get reservations."

"Ok. Please get me the results of the test ASAP," Su Jin said, then rushed off to a meeting.

Min Sang felt ridiculously pleased with himself. He called his friend and told him there was an emergency, and that he needed a reservation for that very night.

"How can dinner be an emergency?" His friend wanted to know.

"It just is," Min Sang answered impatiently.

Su Jin had not expected things to move this fast. She understood Ji Hoon's view of seduction, but she had not really expected it to work on anyone as well as it had on her husband.

She was more nervous than she thought she would be. In reality, she had the easy part, merely following Min Sang's lead. But, in the past, she had always been the leader in their relationship. She was the older one. She had forever been the caregiver and the protector. It felt strange to limit her involvement to positive response instead of initiation. But it also felt good.

### Chapter Twenty-Two

Min Sang woke with a smile. He was way, way better at this seduction stuff than Su Jin. The restaurant last night had been awesome. Soft music, candle light, great food and wine. It was a scene right out of a stereotypical romance novel. He was the perfect gentleman. He was charming and amusing the whole night. After dinner, they had taken a walk before getting in the car to return home. Now that's how it's done!

Su Jin had been sweet. She seemed to really enjoy the music and the atmosphere. Min Sang had asked her when the last time she had been on a date was. She thought for a really long time before she responded.

"If this is a date, then this is the first time."

"What? Didn't Ji Hoon take you on dates?"

"Well, we never dated before we got married, and afterwards, we worked together, so sometimes we went to work dinners together, but when we weren't working, we really needed to get home to you, and then Min Soo."

"But what about your birthday or your anniversary?"

Su Jin tried to remember. Had Ji Hoon ever taken her out for a special occasion?

"I don't celebrate my birthday. It wasn't considered a happy occasion in my family."

"How could a birthday not be a happy occasion?" Min Sang asked.

Su Jin looked at him. Did he really not know? She knew everything about Min Sang. Did Min Sang know nothing about her?

"That is a long, sad story and this is a lovely evening. I don't want to spoil the night."

"I'd really like to know," Min Sang had persisted.

"I'll tell you someday, someday when we are in a dark and dingy place where it is raining and cold, and where the food is terrible, but not tonight. I'm too happy tonight."

Min Sang had felt a deep sense of satisfaction at making her happy and at having the honor of taking her on her first date. He already wanted to plan their next date.

Min Sang got dressed and made his way to the kitchen. When he got there, he found Su Jin was teasing Min Ji about some boy at her school. Min Ji was giggling and blushing and Min Sang felt a sudden dislike of some preteen boy he had yet to meet.

"All boys are evil," Min Sang announced as he neared the table.

"Oh, really?" asked Su Jin.

"Yes, except for me and Min Soo."

The little family laughed together as they ate their breakfast.

And so it continued. Su Jin treated Min Sang with kindness, but as far as he could tell, she never made a single move towards him. Min Sang would wait for her to do something, anything, and then give up and make a move of his own. Slowly, they found themselves making time to go to the movies or out to museums. Each time, Su Jin seemed to enjoy herself, and Min Sang was learning many things about this lifelong friend of his. He had fun dreaming up different activities to ask her to join him in next. So far, he had not used any of the rebuffs that he had initially planned.

At this point, Min Sang knew exactly what kind of date they would go on next. He wanted to go to a dark and dirty place that was cold and had bad food—and it had to be raining, too. He was not sure how to get the weather to cooperate. He decided he would first find such a place, and then he would wait for it to rain. Then, no matter what she was doing at the moment, he would find a way to rush Su Jin to the dingy little hole-in-the-wall of a restaurant so that she could tell him the story she was so unwilling to tell in a happy place.

It took him two weeks to find just the right place. Close to the fish market, there was a shop exactly like the one Su Jin had described. The tables were sticky and grimy. The old man who ran the shop alone was cranky, and the food he ordered, he felt sure, would give him an upset stomach later. It was perfect. Now all he needed was rain.

Min Sang experienced a sudden obsession with the weather forecast. How long would he have to wait for rain? The first week he was looking for rain, it rained twice. Once on Monday night, from 12 p.m. to 2 a.m., there was a light drizzle. Then again on Saturday, it rained, this time from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. This was really frustrating. Min Sang was beginning to wonder if he'd have to wake Su Jin up in the middle of the night in order to convince her to tell him why she didn't celebrate her birthday.

Finally, his prayers for rain were answered and there was a steady drizzle one Thursday afternoon, three weeks after he'd started looking for it. He knocked on Su Jin's office door.

"Can you take off early today? There is somewhere I'd really like to take you." Min Sang asked.

Su Jin was a bit hesitant to leave in the middle of the work day.

"How about later this evening? We can go out for dinner." Su Jin made a counter offer.

"No, it needs to be right now, come on, I have spent a lot of time and energy planning this," Min Sang whined.

"You're asking me to take off during company time," Su Jin chided.

"Please!" Min Sang drew out the word longer than it had to be for effect.

"Fine." Su Jin decided to pacify him.

"Great!" Min Sang was ecstatic. Su Jin had no idea what he'd planned.

Min Sang drove them both out to the fish market and led her along the back alleys until he came to the shabby shop he had picked out. Su Jin had been walking under an umbrella, but she had still gotten a bit wet. When they arrived at the shop, Min Sang turned to her with a grin and asked," Are you cold?"

"Yes."

"Good. Is this place dirty?"

"Filthy."

"Good. And the food is terrible. Let's order"

Su Jin was wondering whether Min Sang had lost his mind. He had dragged her out of the office for this?

After their food had arrived, Min Sang settled back in his chair and looked at Su Jin, now looking slightly bedraggled after their long walk through the rain.

"Now, tell me about your birthday," he ordered.

Su Jin was initially shocked at the question before she remembered what she'd said at that beautiful Italian restaurant where he had asked her about her birthday. She had told him that only in a cold and wet and dirty place she would be able to tell him the sad tale. She had said that only to put him off for the evening, and hadn't expected her excuse to be taken so seriously.

"My birthday is August 21st. My mother's name was Young Hee. She died four months after I was born."

Min Sang had never before even noticed that Su Jin didn't have parents, like most. He'd always just accepted the fact of her existence without wondering where she came from.

"How did she die?"

"She committed suicide. She jumped from her 5th floor balcony. I was in a baby cot in her room. I was told that my grandmother heard my cries and came to the room to see what was wrong, and then found the balcony doors open. She walked out to the balcony and saw her only daughter's broken body lying crumpled on the ground. My grandfather told me that my grandmother went momentarily insane and picked me up and tried to throw me off the balcony after my mother. He was there just in time and tried to wrestle me away. Their cook came running when she heard the commotion and helped hold my grandmother down. Finally, the two of them pried me free of her arms. Grandfather gave me to the cook and told her to take me far away, and that he would come for me as soon as he could."

Min Sang heard the words. He understood their meaning, but still found himself confused. What had his precious Su Jin gone through? He already felt a great hatred toward this unnamed grandmother. He tried to keep his emotions under control because he wanted to hear the whole story, and he was afraid that Su Jin wouldn't continue if he showed too much of the anger she felt.

"Why did your mother commit suicide?" Min Sang had to know.

"Grandfather told me that my mother was very pretty and very spoiled. She did not want to listen to her parents. She began hanging out with the son of one of grandfather's friends who lived in the same town. He was older and married, too, but he got my mother pregnant. My grandparents thought that the best thing was for her to go away for a while, come back after she had me, and act as if nothing had ever happened. Grandmother wanted me put in an orphanage, but Grandpa said after my mother had been home for a few months, he would go and get me, and they would raise me in her house as an adopted daughter. He thought that later my mother would regret throwing away her firstborn child, and he thought that if she got to watch me grow up, even if just as an adopted sister, at least that would be a comfort to her."

Su Jin looked up at the smoke-stained ceiling as she tried to control the tears that threatened to fall. "Young Hee, my mother, never once held me or looked at me. My grandfather said that he tried to encourage her to build some kind of connection to me, because he thought it would make it easier on her if she saw what good had come from a bad situation. But my mother thought only of my father. She wanted him to leave his family and come to her. He told her that would never happen, and on that day, she killed herself."

"Who is your father?"

"I don't know. I don't want to know."

"Didn't your grandfather ever tell you his name?"

"No."

"How did you come to my family?"

"When grandfather turned seventy, I was ten years old. He began to feel sick and went to the doctor and they said it was cancer. Grandfather was worried about who would take care of me, so he took me to Moon Ho, your grandfather."

"Why didn't he take you to his family or your grandmother's family?"

"After my mother died, my grandmother clearly felt that I was to blame for her death. Once she'd had some time to calm down, Grandfather asked the cook to bring me back to their house and once more, he tried to keep us together as a family. But it was not to be. Three times, Grandfather caught his wife trying to smother me. She told him every single day that one of these nights, she would kill me. He decided he had to run away with me, to save my life. He didn't see any reason for both his daughter and granddaughter to die."

Su Jin was telling her story as if it made sense. As if mothers commit suicide and grandmothers try to kill their grandchildren.

"Why did he give you to my grandfather?"

"That is something I don't know. I lived seven years in your grandfather's house, and when he died, I came to live with your family."

"But why? I don't really remember my grandfather. Was he the kind of man to take in random children in his old age? If he was, then my father is nothing like him."

"I don't know. I don't know why your grandfather took me in, and I don't know why your father kept me after your grandfather died."

"Did my mother agree to take you in?"

"I don't know that either. I have a feeling that your father insisted, because she never seemed to want me there, but I don't really know."

"Why didn't you ever try and find out? Aren't you curious?"

"I already hate everything I know about myself. Is it possible that I would be happier if I found out more? My very existence caused tragedy. I have ruined many lives. You, as a young boy, were the first person who was ever happy to know me. When you were young, you used to cry whenever I had to leave. You were the first person I could love freely. Grandfather was kind, but I know I caused him so much pain. With you, I never felt like I needed to apologize for my existence." Su Jin was crying now.

Min Sang did not know what to say or what to do. He felt himself to be such a terrible person. He remembered the grief he had caused Su Jin for seemingly endless years. He recalled that it was his fault she was forced to marry Ji Hoon, and that he'd behaved terribly ever since his mother died. How he had he ever thought that Su Jin might have been involved with his father? Min Sang felt sick, and not only because of the disgusting food. He needed to get some fresh air.

"Let's get out of here." He pulled Su Jin to her feet and out the door.

### Chapter Twenty-Three

Min Sang held Su Jin's hand as they walked back to the car. Su Jin tried several times to pull her hand away, but he just held on tighter.

He was too upset to go straight back to work. He wanted to think through what he'd just heard. Su Jin was trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey, let's stop and get some ice cream for the kids," she suggested.

Min Sang kept driving. He had not even heard her.

When they arrived at home, Min Sang went and locked himself in his room. His mind was swimming. How could all of that have happened? How had he not known anything about her this entire time? He was angry with himself and he was angry with Su Jin. Why hadn't she ever said anything?

He had so many questions. Su Jin might be content to never know who she really was, but now that Min Sang had been introduced to her tale, he wanted to know everything.

Min Sang decided that his father would be the best place to start. He was probably the only one who knew exactly who Su Jin was.

Min Sang called Bong Soo, "Appa, can I come over and talk with you tomorrow?"

"Why? What's wrong?" Bong Soo was not used to receiving requests for conversations from his son.

"I want to talk to you about something important. Can I stop by after work?"

"Why don't you just come by my office?"

"I'd like to talk with you at home, if that would work?

"Sure."

Bong Soo wondered why his son wanted to talk to him. They had only spoken the briefest of greetings ever since Min Sang's disastrous presentation.

Min Sang arrived shortly before eight the next evening. It had been years since he had entered the home his parents had shared. Not much had changed.

Bong Soo met his son at the door, and the two went into Bong Soo's home office and closed the door.

"So, how can I help you?" Bong Soo asked.

"I want to know everything you know about Su Jin."

"What do you mean? What do you think I know?" Bong Soo was shocked at the inquiry.

"Su Jin came to Grandfather when she was ten, and then she came to live with us when she was seventeen. I need to know why."

Bong Soo tried stalling, "Can I first ask why you need to know?"

Min Sang had known his father would not just answer his questions. He was prepared for this.

"Because I plan to marry Su Jin, and I don't want to find out after we are married that we're half-siblings or something like that."

Bong Soo was startled, first by Min Sang's announcement of marital intentions, and then by his suspicion that they could be related.

"Take a DNA test if you want to know if you are related or not."

"I plan to."

"Then why ask me?"

"Because I think you know, and Su Jin and I have a right to know who she is and if you don't tell me..." Min Sang left his threat unspoken, partially because he wasn't exactly sure yet what it might be.

"Okay, trust me, you are not brother and sister. My father, Moon Ho, was married for many years, but could not have children. He and my mother adopted my older brother. But there was always something wrong with him. My father tried to raise him well, but he was mean, selfish, and vicious when he didn't get his own way. He ran off and got married as a very young man to a young woman who had some money of he own, and my father thought that would be the end of his troubles. But after he married, he got involved with other girls. One of those girls was Su Jin's mother. When she was pregnant, he told her if she aborted the baby, he would leave his wife for her. She wanted to abort the baby, but her father wouldn't allow her to. It was years later that my father learned that the girl who bore my brother's child had committed suicide."

Min Sang waited for Bong Soo to continue.

"I was born long after my parents had adopted my brother. They were completely surprised, as they had been told that children were impossible. As my father got tired of dealing with scandal after scandal with my brother, he decided to send him away, so that Moon Industries and I would not be adversely affected. He paid my brother a great deal of money to leave permanently, but he was afraid that one day, if his wife's fortune ran out, my brother might come back and try to claim his right to Moon Industries. He was the eldest, after all. So, when Su Jin's grandfather brought her to my father, he kept her as insurance. Su Jin is a direct heir of Moon Ho himself. I did not know anything about all of this until my father was dying, then he told me the whole story. He told me that I must always keep Su Jin by me. He said that as long as Su Jin was with me, then, if my brother ever showed up, I could use her against him."

"You kept Su Jin to use as a weapon against your brother?"

Bong Soo raised a hand to his forehead, as if he was in pain "It sounds awful, I know. But that is exactly why I did it, at first. I had wondered from the beginning why my father had brought this child into his house. For seven years, he never said anything about her to me. I began to wonder if she might possible be my own younger sister."

"Why did you never tell her who she was?"

"My father told me that I was never to let her leave. I was afraid if she found out that it was our family that had caused her family so much pain, she would leave us as soon as she was able."

"But Su Jin married Uncle Ji Hoon, surely after she was part of the family, it would have been all right to tell her."

"I told Ji Hoon, I told him everything right before they married. I thought he should know who she was and why I fought to keep her from leaving. Ji Hoon had suspected that we were carrying on an affair, so I had to tell him the truth behind why I kept her near, although your mother's actions meant that Su Jin had to be taken away."

It hurt Min Sang to hear Su Jin spoken of first as a weapon, and then as an old piece of luggage that had to be stored in someone's closet. Ji Hoon had known the whole time, and he had never said anything to Su Jin. How could he tell her what Ji Hoon had never had the courage to say?

Bong Soo saw the turmoil on his son's face. "She doesn't need to know. She has never asked me who she is. She is a smart woman. If she wanted to find out, don't you think she would have by now? Maybe there is a reason she doesn't want to know."

"What reason? What reason can there be for not knowing who your father is?"

"My brother-in-law was a wise man. He really loved Su Jin. He never told her what he knew about her. There must be a reason for that."

Min Sang did not know what to think. He did not know what to do. Should he have just left everything alone? Had he made a mistake by asking his father about Su Jin?

Min Sang left for home. He needed to think. Was Ji Hoon as great as people always seemed to think he was? What was his motivation for hiding the truth from the wife he loved?

Su Jin didn't yet know that her father was the son of Moon Ho. Min Sang and Su Jin shared a grandfather. Though they were not related by blood, it seemed odd to finally realize that they shared the same grandparents.

### Chapter Twenty-Four

Life seemed bizarrely normal as Min Sang ate breakfast the next morning. Min Soo was being picked on by his little sister. Min Sang found it interesting that Min Ji, who was so much younger and smaller than her brother, could hold so much power over the serious Min Soo.

Min Sang felt pensive. He kept stealing glances at Su Jin. She seemed almost like a different person to him now. He was slowly coming to the realization that he was, to put it bluntly, a jerk. He had always considered himself a very important person in Su Jin's life, but as he thought about it, he had never really done anything for her. As he was learning just how difficult the circumstances of her life had been, he was regretting much of the way he'd always treated her.

Min Sang had never really considered himself a child in comparison to Su Jin. Even when he was quite young, he had expected to be the boss of her. She was something between a friend and a servant. He had never questioned the lack of justice in this way of thinking. Everyone he knew had always treated Su Jin as less than equal, and he was coming to realize that he had done exactly the same thing. He had always thought of Su Jin, not as herself, but as a tool that could be used to his benefit.

He did not know what her favorite food was, let alone her favorite color, or her favorite book. He didn't know what her dreams for life were. What had she hoped to grow up to be? Had she once dreamed of being a ballerina? A princess? Had she ever dreamed, or had the tough circumstances she'd been born into stolen that from her, too?

For as long as he could remember, Su Jin had been working and taking care of others. Did she enjoy her job? Did she like the people she cared for? Did she have a choice?

Min Sang felt uncomfortable, and he didn't know what to do with this uncomfortable feeling. Usually if something bothered him, he complained about it to Su Jin. He didn't tend to dwell on things that required too much reflection. He tended to think he was always in the right. But now, he was wondering where the idea that everything he thought must be right and true and good came from? Was he always right because he was the only son born to a wealthy family? No one had ever made him question the life he'd led. He'd thought of himself as abused and underprivileged—with parents who never gave him the love and attention he'd wanted. He was motherless, and still suspected his father of being somehow to blame for her death.

The reality was, in spite of the tragedy he had experienced, his was a life of privilege. Min Sang had always considered himself deserving of the pity of others. Now he understood that he did not even understand what pitiable meant.

Su Jin noticed Min Sang was in a pensive mood. She thought it was strange to see him so quiet and thoughtful. She decided she should try and shake him from his doldrums.

"How about we go to the movies as a family tonight?" she suggested to all at the table.

"I can't, I have a study group to go to, our group project is due next week." Min Soo answered.

"I can't either, I am going over to Su Young's house after school," said Min Ji.

Min Sang decided to follow the kids' example, "I can't, my boss is really mean and is going to make me work late."

"You have a mean boss?" Su Jin raised an eyebrow.

"The absolute worst boss in the world," Min Sang cheekily replied.

The kids were giggling at the exchange and Su Jin was happy to see Min Sang smile.

At the office, Min Sang found that his work did not provide enough of a distraction. His thoughts kept going back to Su Jin. He tried to concentrate, but the efforts proved fruitless. He was tired of thoughts that had no conclusion, so he decided to think about the seduction Su Jin had announced a few months ago.

Now that he was learning more and more about her, the plan intrigued him. How had she come up with such an idea? And why exactly was she doing it? But the thing that bothered him most was the fact that she was so bad at it. Seriously, if it had not been for him, they would not have gone on one date yet. Just what was her plan, exactly? Min Sang tried to analyze Su Jin's actions. She was giving him much more work than she used to, and she was consistently agreeing to any invitation that he offered her. That was it.

Min Sang felt like giving Su Jin a piece of his mind. She had made such a big deal out of this whole seduction thing, and then she'd dropped it totally in his lap. Did she think this was a matter that could be so easily delegated? The more he thought about it, the madder he got.

Was she just making fun of him? Min Sang concluded that Su Jin had tricked him in some way he couldn't yet quite identify. Min Sang didn't like being threatened, but he felt it was even worse when someone didn't even have enough integrity to follow through on their threat. Min Sang had nearly worked himself into a seething rage by this point.

Su Jin had been wondering what was making Min Sang so moody ever since their afternoon at the horribly dingy restaurant. She was worried that her tale had upset him needlessly, and thought he was in need of cheering up. The kids had claimed to be busy, but maybe she ought to plan a fun outing for the two of them. She picked up the phone and called Min Sang into her office.

Su Jin could tell he was in a surly mood from the moment he stepped in. She didn't bother asking him what was wrong. He was the type who would pout and say "Nothing!" when questioned. Su Jin smiled inwardly. When he was like this, it reminded her of when he was little and she had to work hard to pacify him.

Su Jin crossed the room. She smiled as she approached. Min Sang was pleased to see her, but he was still angry.

"I want Italian food. Can you work your magic and get us a reservation?" she asked.

Min Sang wanted to be difficult. "I don't think so, my friend doesn't work there anymore," he lied.

"Well, I could go for a steak. The Imperial Hotel has a really great steak. I am sure I can get us in. It's Woo Jin's hotel." Su Jin continued.

"I think I am too busy tonight for dinner," Min Sang lied again, and she knew it. He knew he was being childish, but tonight, he was going to make her do her own work for once.

Su Jin was not dismayed at his sudden stubborn streak. She had practically raised him, and she had two children of her own. She recognized a tantrum when she saw one. Su Jin stepped closer. In fact, at this point she was considerably closer to him than she needed to be.

She smiled up into Min Sang's face and asked, "What exactly will you be busy doing?"

It was not the words that completely unnerved Min Sang, it was the way she said them. She was so close to his face, enunciating each word as if it were part of an inside joke.

Min Sang knew that, finally, she was flirting. His heart began to race. What was she doing? Could she read his thoughts? Did she know he had been mentally denouncing her skills as a seductress? Su Jin reached out to straighten his collar and moved in even closer.

"I asked you a question. What is going to keep you busy tonight?"

Min Sang wanted to yell "I take it all back, let me go!"

He felt as if he'd been paralyzed. His life seemed to depend on his ability to escape her charms. And for the life of him, he could not force himself to move away.

Su Jin was having too much fun tormenting Min Sang like this. He deserved it. It had been a long time since she done anything of the sort. Ji Hoon had been gone nine years now. She had no one to flirt with, and she was finding it quite fun to make Min Sang so obviously uncomfortable. She should have stopped there, but she was amused by how successful she was at making him squirm that she moved in to close the tiny gap that separated them and asked a third and final time, "What will you be busy doing tonight?"

She whispered it into his ear, and her lips brushed against him.

Min Sang panicked, his legs found the ability to move, and he jumped away from Su Jin and ran from her office. Su Jin laughed out loud. She thought that ought to be just what he needed to shake him out of the doldrums. She went back to work, extremely pleased with herself. She felt not an ounce of pity for Min Sang. She'd already given him his chance.

After Min Sang had rushed from her office, he just kept walking. He had left the building and was several blocks away before he even slowed down.

"What the hell was that?"

Min Sang was scared. He felt as if he had barely escaped with his life. He could hardly admit it, even to himself, but if he had not run, he would have disgraced himself forever by kissing his boss in her own office.

### Chapter Twenty-Five

Min Sang was eventually able to calm himself down. He knew Su Jin was just playing around. But how could she joke with him like that? And what about dinner tonight? His stomach was already growling, and now he had no dinner plans. Min Sang had too much pride to go back and ask Su Jin to eat with him. He was about to order some tteokbokki from a street stall when his phone rang. It was Su Jin.

"I'm sorry."

Min Sang could hear the non-apologetic smile in her voice.

"How about I take you for pizza and the arcade?"

Min Sang was pleased that she still felt the need to appease him.

"Sure," he replied. He wasn't in the mood to be difficult anymore.

Su Jin was out of her element in the noisy arcade. She didn't know how to play the games, and the flashing lights and noise gave her a headache. Min Sang, however, enjoyed himself immensely.

Su Jin was glad when they ran out of tokens and left.

Early the next morning, Bong Soo called Min Sang. He asked him to come straight to his office when he got to work.

Min Sang could tell his father was quite disturbed. He sat and waited for him to begin.

"Last time you told me you were going to marry Su Jin. That was why I needed to tell you who her father was. Is that true? Have you set a date?"

Min Sang was dumbfounded. Was Bong Soo really encouraging him to marry Su Jin?

"Actually, I only said that to get you to tell me what I wanted to know," Min Sang confessed.

"Could you? I mean, could you get her to marry you?"

Min Sang was taken aback by his father's question. "Why do you ask?"

Bong Soo sighed and ran his hand through his mostly gray hair.

"My older brother has returned. He met me at the house last night. He said that his wife passed away some time ago, her money is gone, and he is planning to sue me for his inheritance. My father was worried about this, and because of that, he didn't leave his controlling share in Moon Industries to me outright. He made me the executor, but he left his shares in trust to one grandchild from each of his sons. He left it in trust, under my care, to you and Su Jin."

"What?"

"Yes. My father thought that if he left his estate solely to you, then his will could be contested as unfair. However, if the will demonstrated that the same inheritance was left for children from both brothers, that one grandchild from each branch of the family was named as inheritor, then any argument of unequal inheritance would have no chance of standing up in court."

"Su Jin and I were named as the inheritors of Grandfather's estate? And you were going to tell us this when?"

"When you needed to know. Which is now."

"I could take issue with that, but it's far too late now. I fail to see the problem, though. It seems Moon Industries is safe because of Grandfather's clever will."

"My brother is threatening to make the contents of my father's will public. If others suspect that divisions of the company will be sold off or that there is a family feud over the leadership of the company, the prices of our stock will spiral downwards. We are just in the early days of our joint venture with Invotec. If we could hold a wedding and make it a big deal—put nice photos in the paper, then there would be no loss of confidence in the company."

"But how would we do that? Su Jin will find out that you've known who she is all along. And she'll know that I know, too."

"I'll tell her. I'll tell her everything, except I will leave out the part that you know as well. I'll convince her that this is best for all involved. She will do anything to help this company, I know that."

"Appa, what if I don't want to marry Su Jin, or, more likely, what if Su Jin doesn't want to marry me?"

"We need to move fast, we can't worry about what either of you want right now. Leaders lead, and you both need to lead this company right now. I'll let you know more after I meet with Su Jin."

"No." Min Sang's voice was firm.

"What do you mean? This is not the time for you to be stubborn."

"I mean you will not be the one to ask Su Jin to marry me. I will talk to Su Jin and I will let you know what she says."

Min Sang's head was spinning. He needed to make an emergency proposal. How does one say "Will you marry me and will you hurry up about it?" Min Sang was terrified. Maybe he should go back to his dad and say that Bong Soo should be the one to talk Su Jin into it. Bong Soo had said to ask Su Jin today and then start the process of registration tomorrow. They needed to move with utmost haste.

Min Sang went back to his desk. He could not think of a good way to do this. He decided if there was not a good way, then he must simply do it in a bad way, because the important thing was that it get done.

Min Sang went to Su Jin's office.

"Can I talk to you? It's important."

"Sure."

Su Jin moved from her desk to the seating area in her office and motioned for Min Sang to take a seat next to her.

"What can I do for you?" Su Jin inquired.

Min Sang took a deep breath. This was going to be hard and awkward. He decided it was best to just jump in.

"Can you marry me?" Min Sang replied.

Su Jin started and then laughed.

"Ok. I'll marry you. When would you like to get married?" She was sure her affirmative answer would teach him a lesson about reckless teasing.

"Tomorrow. We need to get married tomorrow, at least we need to work on the registration of our marriage, then maybe have a service this weekend."

Su Jin wondered how far he would take his joke. There was something in his manner which wasn't consistent with a joke at all. Was he serious?

Concerned now, Su Jin ventured another question. "What's the rush?"

"I'd prefer not to explain right now. I know that is asking a lot, but if you could, I'd like you to just trust me and believe me when I say that I want you as my wife. Your seduction, the one you threatened me with, was entirely successful."

Su Jin was earnestly worried now. She reached to take Min Sang's hand in hers.

"Tell me what's wrong. Why are you saying this? Tell me," Su Jin pleaded.

Min Sang knew he was going to lose it. He held her hand in both of his and rocked back and forth on the edge of his seat. He felt tears beginning to fall. When he spoke again, he sounded like he was sobbing.

"Please, please don't ask me. Please, just marry me. I will be good to you. I will be good to the kids. Please do this. You're the one who threatened to seduce me. Just let me be seduced. Don't ask me why. Just say 'yes.'" Min Sang was choking on each word.

Su Jin was frightened. What was wrong with Min Sang? What had brought this up all of a sudden? Su Jin's motherly instincts wanted to comfort him, and she moved forward in her seat and put her arm around his shoulder.

"Ok, I'm not saying 'no,' I just don't see why we should rush. Let's think about this. We should ask your father's permission and we should talk this over with the kids, we should..."

Min Sang interrupted with a pained yelp. "There isn't time. We need to do this tomorrow."

Su Jin was starting to get angry now.

"If you want me to marry you tomorrow, you need to tell me why." She said it in the especially strict voice she used with misbehaving children.

"Remember when you said that you hated everything you know about yourself and that you didn't want to know any more? That no good could come from knowing who your father is? Remember? I don't want to tell you what you don't want to know. I don't want you to have one more reason to hate who you are."

"You know who my father is?"

"I know who he is and I know he would hurt you if he could and I know that I can protect you if we get married, right away."

Su Jin smiled at his youthful desire to protect her. It was sweet.

"You don't need to protect me. I'm a big girl. Whoever my father is, he can't hurt me now."

"Yes, he can. He can hurt you, and he can hurt my father and he can hurt me and he can hurt Moon Industries."

"Who is he?"

"Just say you'll marry me."

"And you can stop my so-called father from doing all these terrible things by marrying me?"

"Yes."

"Does that make sense? How could a marriage be the answer?"

But even as she asked the question, she remembered that marriage had been her plan to protect Min Sang and Moon Industries all along. If she agreed, even if it did not accomplish what Min Sang was after, at least she would achieve what she was after, and be able to keep her promise to Woo Jin.

"Min Sang, marriage is hard. And I won't divorce you. I can't help how old I am and I can't change my background. You need to be sure. Absolutely sure. For some choices in life, you can't change your mind later. Even when both people commit to do their very best, it can be really hard."

"I know. 'Till death do us part. That's what I want. I won't change my mind."

"Are you sure?" Su Jin was looking intently into Min Sang's eyes.

Min Sang leaned forward and hugged her. He did not speak. There wasn't time to be sure. They needed to act. He would work on being sure later.

### Chapter Twenty-Six

Min Sang's wedding day was most uneventful. He really did not feel all that married. Even with the documents safely filed and a ring on his finger, he felt surprisingly single. This married life would take some getting used to.

Su Jin had taken the morning off from work to get married, but she had meetings in the afternoon that she could not get out of on such short notice, so, after the signing of documents and a short private lunch with Min Sang, she was back in the office. The gold ring with the sapphire, the one that Ji Hoon had asked her never to take off, had been put away in its box. She felt the sting of betrayal when she took it off for the first time—even as a widow, she'd obeyed his wish, until it was no longer possible. The ring had been replaced by a plain white gold band that Min Sang had hurriedly purchased the evening before. She'd said that this time, she didn't want any stones.

Su Jin had asked Min Sang that they wait to tell the kids. Min Sang said that they would have to tell them soon, because the kids would need to know before they made the public announcement of their marriage in the papers, and they would need to get photos out to the press as soon as possible.

"What photos?" Su Jin wondered.

"Our wedding photos. I will get a studio booked and we will get our wedding photos done. They can get at least two or three shots edited within hours. Then we will make a press announcement."

"I would like some of the photos we take to include the kids—not photos for the newspaper, though, just for us," Su Jin suggested.

"That's a good idea. We had better tell them tonight, and I'll try and get the shoot scheduled for tomorrow."

"Do we really have to rush like this? I know the kids love you, but this will be quite a shock to them. Children sometimes don't take kindly to the thought of their mother getting married. Especially when she gets married without giving them any time to get used to the idea."

"Wife," Ming Sang addressed Su Jin in a stern voice, "you must be brave. We will be dealing with shocked and scandalized people for some time to come. The kids will be all right with it after a while. It is like pulling off a bandage, the best way is to close your eyes and get it over with quickly. It will hurt at first, but the pain goes away fast."

Su Jin was shaken, as much by being called "wife" as by her fear of how her children would take the news. The thought of being a wife once more was strange and foreign. She knew she signed the papers, but she didn't feel like Min Sang's wife. But at this point, it didn't matter what she felt, because that was the truth of what she was. Su Jin was suddenly hit with the magnitude of her rash decision and she couldn't imagine trying to explain it to Min Soo and Min Ji.

"Husband, I am too scared to tell the kids. You tell them for me."

"No, Wife, we will do this together. From here on out, we face all that life throws at us together."

Su Jin felt herself close to tears. On rare occasions, her Min Sang could be kind and considerate and wise. During these rare moments, he seemed to her a grown man, but it would be hard for her to ever fully banish her impression of him as a child, always desperate to get exactly what he wanted.

Later that afternoon, when it was time to leave for home, Su Jin kept finding additional pressing tasks that needed her attention.

"You're stalling," Min Sang accused, "Let's go. We need to get home."

"I just need to send one more email." Su Jin was busy typing away on her laptop and Min Sang came by and closed the lid.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because it is time to go. It has been time to go for the last hour. Let's leave." Min Sang was packing her things. Suddenly, he stopped and turned to Su Jin.

"You aren't embarrassed to tell the kids were married, are you?" Once again, Min Sang felt like kicking himself. He never considered the matter from Su Jin's point of view. What would it feel like to tell your own children that you had gotten married? Did she feel that she had somehow betrayed their father? Did she feel like she had betrayed her children?

"It's not exactly that I'm embarrassed. It is just so sudden. I am afraid they will feel hurt and shocked. No mother wants her children to be hurt by her. Mothers don't want to disappoint their children. I am most worried about Min Soo. He is very mature for his age. He won't be easy to pacify. Min Ji will be thrilled with the idea of dressing up or eating wedding cake. But Min Soo is old enough to know what marriage means. He is going to want to know why I am doing this. I don't know what to tell him."

"Tell him you love me. Tell him we are going to be a great family. Tell him whatever he needs to hear to set his heart and mind at ease."

"I don't want to lie to my son."

"It's not a lie. You do love me and you have loved me since you first met me. We are going to be a great family. Just because we have an unusual arrangement doesn't make it untrue that this is a marriage based on love and commitment."

Su Jin teared up once more. It was a surreal experience to see Min Sang seemingly becoming a man of kindness and wisdom overnight. She thought it a great improvement. Su Jin took a deep breath and said, "Okay. I'm ready to go."

As Min Sang walked to the car, he realized he had no idea what it was like to be a parent. He had known these two kids since they were born. He loved them. But he didn't know how their thoughts and opinions would affect Su Jin. He didn't want to cause a breakdown in Su Jin's relationship with her children. For the first time, he wondered if they had made the right decision to rush into this marriage. Really, it was the best solution to the current dilemma. But the fact that he had not even considered how the kids would feel about the marriage made him realize that he himself had a lot of growing up to do. He made a commitment to himself that, in the future, he would try to think about how his actions and decisions would affect Min Soo and Min Ji.

"How should we tell them?" Min Sang asked, while they were driving home together.

"I'm starting to think that maybe I ought to tell them on my own, though I don't really want to...I think maybe they would feel better if they had a chance to get used to the idea before they see you." Su Jin said the words tentatively, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

"We'll do what you are most comfortable with." Min Sang felt a slight sting at Su Jin's request. But she was probably right. It would be better if she told them alone, because they would have the freedom to express what they really thought. Min Sang tried to make his voice sound much more lighthearted then her felt.

"We'll be home in just a few minutes, Wife."

Dinner was just like dinner on any normal day. The kids talked of school and complained about their teachers' demands. Min Sang tried to engage in lively conversation with Min Ji. Every once in a while, his eyes would stray to Su Jin. He was wondering how she planned to bring up the fact that they had gotten married that morning. As the dinner dragged, on he realized that he needed to leave before she could even broach the subject.

Min Sang rose from his chair and announced "I'm going to go out for a while, I should be back in an hour."

Min Sang grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. What should he do? He was too nervous to stay still. He decided to walk around the neighborhood. It felt like the longest hour of his life. Would Su Jin be able to follow through on telling them on her own? How would they react?

After what seemed like an eternity, Min Sang decided it was safe to return home. He didn't even make it inside the house. Min Soo was waiting for him at the door. The stern, serious Min Soo looked angry.

"Let's talk." Min Soo's voice was deceptively calm.

"Sure." Min Sang tried to sound confident and carefree.

"We'll talk outside." Min Soo led Min Sang back out into the street. Min Sang fell into step with the teenager. Min Soo continued to walk for several blocks without saying anything. Min Sang began to wonder if he was simply too angry to speak. As they continued to walk in silence, Min Sang decided it was his responsibility to break the ice.

"Did your mom tell you?" Min Sang inquired.

"Yes." Min Soo replied. They continued to walk in the semi-darkness and silence. It was several more blocks before Min Soo asked, "Why did you marry my mom?"

Min Sang stopped walking and look straight into Min Soo's eyes.

"Because I love her and I wanted her to be my wife."

Min Soo stood silently. His eyes were fixed on Min Sang's as if trying to determine the truth of this statement. Min Soo let the statement stand without question and proceeded with a statement of his own.

"My father was a great man."

Min Sang knew that to be true. Ji Hoon was an extraordinary man, and Su Jin had loved him very much. When Min Sang objectively compared himself to Ji Hoon, he understood the boy's feelings. Min Sang could not fill Ji Hoon's shoes. Even if he spent his life trying, he would never be able to be what Min Soo thought his father had been. And Min Sang honestly did not want to spend his life trying to live up to the legacy Ji Hoon was gone. How can anyone compete with a memory? Min Sang was struggling. Min Sang wanted to be a part of this family, but not as Ji Hoon's replacement. He simply wanted to be himself, Min Sang, and he truly believed that he had a place in this family.

"I know your father was a great man. I owe a great debt to him. He died trying to save my own mother. I know that I am not the man your father was. And I never will be. But I do love your mother and your mother loves me and we are going to be the best family we can."

Min Soo bristled at the idea that his mother would love any man that was not his father.

"My mother loved my dad. She pities you, and it's not the same," Min Soo replied coldly.

Min Sang felt the sting of the statement keenly. He knew that Su Jin had admired her husband. Min Sang also suspected that Su Jin still saw him as something of a child to this very day. Though there was more truth in the angry teenager's statement than Min Sang wanted to acknowledge, Min Sang thought it best to let him vent his anger in the hopes that it would not harden into hatred.

"Even if it is pity she feels for me. I'll take it. Love has many beginnings. It's not only the great that are loved. Sometimes the pitiable are loved too."

When Min Soo realized that Min Sang was not going to fight back, he began to soften.

"Why didn't you tell us? Why did you marry so fast? Is Mom pregnant?

Min Sang was totally taken back by the last question.

"No, your mother is not expecting...yet."

Why had he added "yet" when a simple "no" would have sufficed? He had never thought about Su Jin having another baby. Could she still have kids? Did she want more kids? Did he want more kids? Why was this youngster considering things he had not yet even thought about? Min Soo seemed to be growing into a person very like his father.

"Dad would want me to protect Mom and Min Ji from anyone who tried to hurt them, even if that person was you." Min Soo seemed to be throwing out another challenge.

"I have no intentions of hurting your mother or Min Ji. I want to be a part of this family. I'd like to be a father to both of you kids."

"We had a father."

Min Sang sighed. Su Jin had been right. This was not going to be an easy adjustment.

"I know. I didn't mean that I would take your father's place. I meant that I want to be there for you, like fathers are there for their own sons and daughters. Please accept me, at least as your mother's husband, if not as a father."

Min Soo did not answer. Min Sang did not think he would. It was too early. He hoped Min Soo would come to accept him as time went by.

Min Soo said he wanted to walk some more. Min Sang left him and returned to the house alone. As Min Sang was about to open the door, he thought of Min Ji. He did not want to face another scene like he had just gone through with Min Soo. If Min Ji gave him a hard time, he thought it possible that he might break down. The conversation with Min Soo had shaken him far more than he would have ever expected. Min Sang steeled himself and slowly opened the door. Min Ji had been waiting in the family room. She threw her arms around him and told him she was very glad that he had married her mother and would be a part of their family forever. She also informed him that she wanted a pink dress and pink shoes for the photo shoot. Next, just as Su Jin had predicted, she asked if there were any plans for a wedding cake. Min Sang agreed to every one of her requests and tried to hide the tears that came unbidden to his eyes. Later, as lay in bed and tried to sleep, he had to laugh to himself at the vastly different reactions between the two children.

### Chapter Twenty-Seven

Su Jin woke to the sound of her cell phone ringing. It was four in the morning. The caller was Woo Jin.

"Your grandmother had a serious heart attack and the doctors have told the family to prepare for the worst. You had better get down here."

"I don't need to be there," Su Jin replied.

"Su Jin, she is your grandmother. And she is my aunt. I want you with me," Woo Jin pushed.

Su Jin sighed. "Fine. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Su Jin's grandmother passed away before she even arrived at the hospital. She did her best to comfort Woo Jin in the passing of his aunt. But his sorrow meant little to her. She had no love for the woman who had never loved her, not even for her husband's sake.

The funeral was quickly arranged, and Park Han Ji's estate needed to be settled. Her will stated that she left everything to her children, or, if her children were to predecease her, her children's descendants. The will had been written before Young Hee had ever become involved with Su Jin's father, and had never been altered.

Park Han Ji's estate included a 30% stake in the Park United conglomerate. With the shares headed to an "unknown" inheritor the stock value was beginning to plummet with rumors of a sell-off in the imminent future.

Woo Jin called Su Jin. "We need to make your relationship with Park United public. If people know that you are the heir of the holdings in Park United the investors will stop selling off stock."

"I don't want my story in the papers."

"We don't have to tell the real story. We can keep the story as I learned it. You are the younger daughter. We will take a few photos together, that will be all. Come on Sis, I need you."

Su Jin knew she would do whatever Woo Jin needed her to do.

The next few days, the papers were full of pictures of Su Jin. Some had photos of her and Woo Jin as both cousins and owners of Park United. The photos showed them happily posing in an office setting. The other photos were the studio's wedding portraits of her and Min Sang. Their marriage made headlines in the business world. Now, everyone knew that Su Jin, formerly merely a CEO of a creative technology company, had family ties as well as significant holdings in two of the region's most successful and well-respected business organizations.

Alone in a small apartment, Su Jin's father followed with keen interest the news and photos of his daughter. Hyun Jae felt bitterly thwarted by Moon Ho's clever move to leave everything to his two grandchildren instead of directly to his two sons. The fact that those two grandchildren chose to marry each other to keep Moon Industries and its reputation intact was a surprise that even the brilliant Moon Ho could not have foreseen. It seemed to Hyun Jae that the gods themselves were looking after Su Jin. Hyun Jae wanted to punish Su Jin and the gods as well.

Hyun Jae felt he deserved a share of his daughter's wealth and social status. He knew his claim to Moon Industries was not a battle he could win, legally. But perhaps he could appeal to her personally and get her to give him what he wanted of her own accord.

Hyun Jae needed a plan. He needed a way to get Su Jin to agree to see him. What could he offer? Would she be curious enough about him to want to meet her long-lost father? Hyun Jae was clever enough to know that curiosity would not be something that could lure Su Jin. Perhaps he could use her devotion to Min Sang. Su Jin obviously threw caution to the wind when it came to Min Sang.

Hyun Jae called Su Jin, but took care to obscure his true identity.

"Hello, this is Mr. Lee. I am the legal representative of Lim Han Joon. Mr. Lim is seeking damages from an injury that he says was caused by your nephew five years ago at a bar. A police report was filed at the time, but no settlement was made to the victim. The victim is willing to settle out of court. Can you come to discuss the matter? I can text you the address."

Su Jin had had this type of call more times then she wanted to remember. She asked Secretary Kim to clear her morning of meetings and set off to meet with Mr. Lee.

On her way out she met Woo Jin, who was on his way in to see her.

"Sorry, I have an appointment. I'll call you later."

"I'll drive you and we can talk on the way."

"Okay, that works for me."

They talked mostly of the joint venture and a little about the planned 70th birthday party for Woo Jin's father. Woo Jin asked, "How long will you be? I can wait at that coffee shop over there. I have some reports to read."

"Okay, I shouldn't be long. Hopefully about 20 minutes. In fact, how about you come get me if I I'm not back by then? I expect this to be an unpleasant meeting and I could use an excuse to cut it short."

"Where will you be?"

"Apartment 22–E."

"Ok, I'll call in 20 minutes, and if you don't answer, I'll come running."

"Sounds like a plan. See you soon."

Su Jin made her way to the 22nd floor of the high-rise building, and her knock was answered by an elderly man with a shabby appearance. Something in the way he looked at Su Jin made her feel uneasy.

The old man motioned her inside and led her to a sitting area. As she looked around an apartment that was as shabby at its owner, her uneasiness grew. Why would a lawyer be conducting business in this location? She would get this over with quickly. She was glad that Woo Jin was close enough to come to her aid if needed.

Hyun Jae cleared his throat and began, "I will get straight to the point, I'm afraid I called you here under false pretenses. I am not Mr. Lim." Here he paused for effect. "I am your father."

What? Su Jin's mind raced. This shabby old man was her father? The man who had seduced her mother? Why had he contacted her now? What did he want? Su Jin forced herself to remain calm. She tried to make her voice sound steady as she asked, "My father?"

"Yes. I'm your father. Years ago I was married, but still I fell in love with your mother Young Hee. I tried to leave my wife when I found out Young Hee was expecting you, but my in-laws threatened me. I felt awful when I heard about what happened to Young Hee, and shortly after she died, you disappeared with your grandfather. I lost both of you in a matter of weeks. I was devastated. I have been searching for you your entire life and now I've found you."

Su Jin thought she even saw tears welling up in his eyes. She wondered what he was trying to pull. She wanted to get away from this man as fast as she could. She knew Woo Jin would be on his way before too long. She felt it was best to just let him keep talking and hope that time passed quickly.

"I hear you are married now and have children. I saw your pictures in the paper with your cousin and your husband. My prayers have been answered and I've finally found you. I can't wait to meet my grandchildren. I am all alone now. My wife passed away last year. I am so happy to finally find family who can take me in."

Su Jin had been planning on keeping quiet, but at this point, she snapped.

"You will never meet my husband or my children. I will have nothing to do with you. You are not my father. You are a predator who preyed on my mother. She was a victim. Womanizing does not make you a father. My mother committed suicide because of you."

Hyun Jae became enraged. He felt this last chance for a comfortable life slipping away. As Su Jin rose to leave, Hyun Jae blocked her way.

"You aren't going to leave me with nothing. I am your father. I deserve something for giving you life."

"You didn't give me life. If it had been up to you, I never would have been born. My mother at least gave me life, you gave me nothing. And I owe you nothing."

"Well, in that case, you will have nothing as well." Hyun Jae reached out and grabbed Su Jin. He was pulling her towards the balcony. She fought to get free. As he dragged her closer to the railing he whispered menacingly, "You may as well know this: I killed your mother, and now I'm going to kill you."

Su Jin temporarily stopped her struggles. It was as if she hadn't even heard the second part of the threat. "You killed my mother?"

"I did. That wasn't my plan. I would have married her. I could have divorced my wife and married her—after all, I had only entered my marriage for my wife's inheritance since my father refused to settle any of his fortune on me, and your mother was set to inherit a large portion of Park United. I could have worked with a deal like that. But her father twisted her mind against me. By the time I snuck into her rooms to try to convince her to run away with me, she had already begun to bond with you. She told me that she would choose you, and her parents, before she would ever choose me. I decided not to give her the choice. No one ever knew. Since she had so recently gone through such trauma, it was easy for her family to assume suicide—no one even considered the possibility that someone else had been in the house at the time."

Su Jin heard her phone ring—the sound muffled. Her phone was back in her purse on the coffee table where she'd left it when she had initially sat down. If only Woo Jin would arrive in time. Had the door to the apartment been left unlocked when she entered? She couldn't remember. She hoped so. She thought she would have noticed, would have regarded it as an ominous sign if the man had locked the door behind her. Regardless, she stalled, desperate for more time.

"You don't have to do this."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I do. As far as I'm concerned, you should never have been born in the first place. Might as well do now what your mother wouldn't let me do all those years ago."

Back in the coffee shop, Woo Jin wondered why Su Jin wasn't picking up his call. She'd indicated that this wasn't a meeting she wanted to invest a lot of time into.

Just as Woo Jin had initially arrived at the coffee shop, Min Sang had called to ask if he knew where Su Jin was. Someone at the office had mentioned seeing her leave in the company of Woo Jin, but Min Sang was concerned as to why his new wife would suddenly cancel all meetings and leave without giving anyone exact information as to where she would be. Woo Jin told him that she was in a meeting and that he could come and meet him at the coffee shop if he so desired. Min Sang had arrived just as Woo Jin was making his call.

"She asked me to come in and get her if she took too long—come along, it will seem as if she is being taken away for a very serious matter indeed if two people are sent to find Moon Industries' illustrious CEO," Woo Jin joked.

The two men chatted casually as the elevator rose, neither of them having any idea of the danger that the woman they both cared for was in.

When they got to the apartment door they both heard Su Jin's screams. Min Sang's heart felt as if it froze in his chest. He tried the door and was relieved to find it unlocked.

Min Sang and Woo Jin charged into the apartment together and sprang into action. They saw a robust elderly man wrestling with Su Jin on the balcony. The two of them threw themselves into the fight. Hyun Jae may have been an intimidating opponent to the petite Su Jin, but the two much younger men quickly overpowered him and pinned him to the ground.

Su Jin, breathless, but thinking clearly, grabbed her phone from her purse and immediately called the police. Hyun Jae was furious with himself for not foreseeing that Su Jin would have had friends nearby—he had assumed that since the spurious affair that he'd lured her here to discuss was so sensitive, she would have come alone, and not told anyone where she was going.

The police arrived promptly and took the old man away in handcuffs, while the other three gave statements of exactly what had happened. After it was all over, the three of them stood in empty doorway of the apartment building, Min Sang holding Su Jin as Woo Jin stood by, all three shaken by the unexpected events of the morning.

However, Su Jin realized as they made their way toward Woo Jin's car together, that her heart felt lighter than it had in a long, long time. For the first time in her life, she was absolutely sure that the mysterious father she'd never known would never be able to pop up unexpectedly and take away the happy, normal life she'd fought for.

The newlyweds got in the backseat, letting Woo Jin play chauffeur for them. Min Sang wasn't willing to let go of Su Jin after what she'd just experienced. She was leaning on his shoulder, when, all of a sudden, she looked at him, eyes starry with unshed tears, and the smile that had recently begun to mesmerize him spread shyly across her face. There, in the backseat, with utterly no regard for propriety or the feelings of Woo Jin, who chuckled when he glanced in the rearview mirror, the two shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

### Chapter Twenty-Eight

One year later.

Su Jin sat in a beach chair under a spacious umbrella, holding her infant son, Min Ho. He had finished his feeding and was sleeping contentedly in her arms. Min Sang, Min Soo and Min Ji were playing in the waves. Woo Jin and Bong Soo were lost somewhere among the shops that lined the beach, trying to find ice cream to buy for the crew.

Su Jin was totally blissful. She loved days like today. No office. No emails. No meetings. No school. Just family. On days like today, she sometimes couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry. Sorry for Ji Hoon who never got to have days like this, and sorry for her mother, too.

Su Jin had spent most of her life trying not to hate the spoiled young girl that had been her mother. She had thought of her mother as someone who would have happily left her own daughter to die if it meant she could be with the man she loved. The truth, told to her by Su Jin's father when he had every intention of ending her life himself, allowed Su Jin to have compassion for her young mom.

"Thank you, Mom." she whispered, "Thank you for having me. Thank you for choosing me. I know now that you did want me, in the end, and I'm so sorry that you didn't even get a chance to live. But, I know why you did it. I've been a mother for a long time—long enough to know you don't regret what you did. And I know you have been watching over me all this time. I hope you are proud of me, and your grandkids, too. I love you, Omma."

###

### Dedication

To the producers, writers, and actors of the Korean drama industry. Thanks for highlighting the loves, joys, laughs, struggles, and sorrows that make up life. Your passion is worthy of admiration.
About the Author:

Ms. Park prefers to maintain her anonymity, hence the pen name, but reader feedback of all sorts is greatly appreciated. As of the publishing date of this book, she has already begun work on a second novel and hopes to have it published by the end of the year. She would be grateful if you left a review of this book at your favorite online retailer! She can be contacted via email at jenniferparknovels@gmail.com
About the Editor:

Rachel Guerrero is an indie author herself and relished the opportunity to be a part of bringing Su Jin's and Min Sang's story to life. She does not share Ms. Park's commitment to anonymity, and blogs regularly at The Random Writings. You can also check out her author page and published works here.
