Chapter 26
Bora-ssi! What on earth happened?”
Kangyun, who had rushed over at Bora’s trembling call telling him to come to the hospital immediately, sat down beside Bora on the corridor bench.
Bora, her face drained of all color, leaned her face heavily against Kangyun’s shoulder and let out a deep sigh.
“Kangyun-ssi….”
“Bora-ssi, are you okay? Please tell me what happened.”
“Brother-in-law… Brother-in-law really….”
Kangyun’s expression hardened as he looked down at Bora’s long eyelashes fluttering.
As if her heart was still pounding violently, Bora pressed a hand to her chest, her lips trembling as she spoke about what had happened earlier.
“H-Han Gangmun finally lost his mind….”
“I was so shocked… I froze and couldn’t move, you know? Both Elder Madam and I were really, really shocked…. Thankfully, the butler called 119 right away, so we came to the hospital.”
“How is Grandfather now?”
“Fortunately, there’s nothing seriously wrong…. But he went into shock, so they said he needs deep rest. No one’s allowed into the room yet, so we’re waiting.”
“What about Han Gangmun?”
“…He’s probably at home. He was so drunk he probably doesn’t even remember what he did. Elder Madam must be heartbroken.”
“Ha…. That man is hopeless. Han Gangmun is beyond saving.”
At Kangyun’s muttered words, Bora slipped her fingers between his large hand that was holding hers, interlacing them tightly.
“It’s just so strange.”
“What is?”
“You and Brother-in-law, Kangyun-ssi…. You have different mothers, but you were born with the same father’s genes. And Elder Madam has such a good character—she’s elegant and kind—so who did Brother-in-law take after to turn out so reckless? I’ve felt this for a long time, but he’s far too self-centered. Even if it’s uncomfortable for you to hear, it can’t be helped. Earlier, I was so shocked and angry that if I could have, I really wanted to hit him.”
Her slightly protruding lower lip looked like a sulky baby duck.
As if agreeing with everything she said, Kangyun tightened his grip on her hand. Then he gently leaned his head against Bora’s head, which was resting on his shoulder.
“In a situation like this… do you really think I can just leave you behind and go to Dubai?”
“What should we do to make Brother-in-law come to his senses?”
“If there were a way, he would’ve come to his senses long ago. He’s beyond redemption.”
At Kangyun’s words, Bora let out a weak, breathy laugh.
Just then—
“Are you the guardian of patient Han Taesu?”
“Yes!”
“Yes.”
At the nurse’s call, Kangyun and Bora jumped up at the same time.
“The patient has regained consciousness. You may go in now.”
“Ah, thank you.”
They exchanged a glance, then entered the hospital room hand in hand.
“Grandfather, are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I really thought I was headed to the afterlife earlier.”
Chairman Han blinked his hollow eyes as he took a sip of water.
“I raised a beast. That crazy bastard—he actually knocked his own grandfather over?”
“We have to stop him from drinking.”
“Yeah. Every time he drinks, his drinking habits are awful…. Tsk. I really don’t know who he takes after.”
As Chairman Han clicked his tongue, deep wrinkles etched into his forehead.
“Grandfather. I’ll stay right by your side, so don’t worry. Since it’s come to this, just think of it as a chance to get plenty of rest and do some thorough health checkups.”
“Nonsense. There’s a caregiver here—why should you exhaust yourself taking care of me? Both of you go home.”
“No. I’ll be too worried otherwise. I’ll stay here tonight.”
At Bora’s stubborn insistence, Kangyun gently persuaded Chairman Han.
“You won’t win against Bora-ssi. Just let her stay tonight. Even if we go home… it’ll be awkward if we run into my brother.”
“Hai… yeah. That’s true. Tsk…. To think I’d end up like this in my old age…. I won’t even be able to face my ancestors when I die.”
Chairman Han nodded with a deep sigh.
The next day.
After undergoing various tests, Chairman Han stared discontentedly at the injection marks covering his body.
“I told them this wasn’t necessary. What does it matter if an old body has a few illnesses? At this rate, I’ll die from all these needles.”
“Oh, Grandfather.”
Bora placed a fork on a neatly cut plate of fruit and held it out to him.
“You already had your porridge, so you should take your vitamins too. The doctor said you can be discharged tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Honestly, there was no need to be hospitalized in the first place…. But once I get home, what should I do about that brat Gangmun?”
His thick, powerful eyebrows twitched.
Bora couldn’t help worrying whether Kangyun, who had gone home the night before, might have gotten into a fight with Gangmun.
He said they wouldn’t fight, but… Kangyun-ssi won’t tolerate Han Gangmun’s behavior anymore. Still, I worry that Kangyun-ssi might get hurt by Gangmun’s nasty words.
Gangmun never hesitated to throw rude remarks at Kangyun—calling him illegitimate, saying he came from some unknown womb—and even though Bora knew it stemmed from Gangmun’s inferiority complex and insecurity toward the capable Kangyun, it still wouldn’t be easy for Kangyun to hear.
“Grandfather, please don’t worry too much. Elder Madam probably scolded him thoroughly.”
“Haah…. I’ve lived too long. Far too long.”
Chairman Han thumped his chest with his fist, lamenting.
After clearing away the fruit plate and tucking Chairman Han in properly, Bora quietly left the room.
At the rest area near the end of the hospital corridor, a vending machine stood beside a large glass window that offered a clear view outside.
Because it was rush hour, the lights of cars filled the high bridge completely.
“From far away, it looks so pretty. But the people inside the cars must be bored.”
They said life was a comedy from a distance and a tragedy up close.
Bora found it newly startling that even Chairman Han, the head of a famous conglomerate, ultimately crumbled into a frail man when faced with blood ties.
That blood tie…. The one thing Kangyun-ssi doesn’t have is that bloodline. But if there really is a secret about his birth… maybe, just maybe, another opportunity could come to Kangyun-ssi.
In dramas, babies get switched, or children are sent away for adoption due to circumstances too painful to speak of—it happens all the time.
If life were really a drama, that would be nice. I hope that for Kangyun-ssi… the days he has yet to live will be happier than the days he’s already lived.
As the warmth slowly faded from the vending machine coffee cup in her hand, Bora stared out the window, thinking of Kangyun.
“Oh dear, I’m sure I saw it around here somewhere.”
Bora’s mother was rummaging through the bookshelf on Bora’s desk for the first time in a long while.
Even after Bora got married, her room had been left intact so she could rest comfortably when she visited her parents’ home, and Bora had left most of her books behind.
“Here… somewhere around here….”
Ever since she was little, Bora had a habit of slipping allowance money or secret letters between the pages of thick books on her bookshelf.
She clearly remembered seeing the bankbook here.
“Oh! Found it!”
After searching for quite a while, she discovered a well-worn bankbook tucked between old textbooks.
“Let’s see…. One, ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million, ten million…. Look at this. It’s here. Acting like it wasn’t—trying to fool who?”
It was the bankbook where Bora had saved all the allowance money she’d received from relatives and acquaintances since she was very young.
Bora had always said she would keep saving it and use it later when she got older.
“I’ll use it for now and put it back later.”
Smiling as she tossed those completely unreliable words into the air, her mother then noticed a document envelope sealed in an unmistakably suspicious way behind the books.
“What’s this…? Why is it wrapped up so tightly?”
Curious, she carefully opened the firmly sealed envelope. It came apart with a soft tearing sound.
“Hmm… let’s see…. A marriage contract? What is this? A contract?”
Her eyes widening in shock, she skimmed through the document before hesitating for a moment—then letting out a hollow laugh.
“These kids… had a contract marriage? And they hid it from us perfectly?”
