AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 76

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2017

 

"On one hand Sun-Mi loves me, but on the other, she wants nothing to do with me. You tell me what that means." -- Yoon Hyung-Chul

 

 

MBS HQ, YEOUIDO, SEOUL...

 

"It was like being shark bait during a feeding frenzy..."

 

Hyung-Chul makes his assessment of the evening's impromptu news conference as he drops into his leather upholstered executive chair.

 

"What did you expect? Didn't I warn you?" Sun-Dal chastises his boss. "It's best to keep a low profile once blood is in the water. Delaying to tomorrow morning wouldn't have hurt anything."

 

"By the morning, the story would have broken wide open. I'd rather take the cuts now, and get our message out ahead of the media spin," Hyung-Chul makes his point. "Plus, by waiting until after the nightly news broadcasts, it almost buys as much time."

 

"Where do you have Park So-Won holed up?" Sun-Dal asks. "I heard her apartment building is under siege now."

 

"I suppose I can tell you since things are settling down a bit... Early this morning, I took her to the company's penthouse suite at the Mun-Yung Diamond... and told her to stay put until I came back tomorrow," Hyung-Chul describes his actions immediately after hearing the news from Sun-Dal. "She'll be safer there until the storm blows over."

 

"This one isn't going away soon," Sun-Dal predicts. "Director Kim will see to that."

 

"I'd guessed he's behind the scandal in the first place," Hyung-Chul states. "The timing is too suspect."

 

"So you never had a clue?" Sun-Dal reiterates his incredulity.

 

"We'd both had too much to drink, and things just happened. I never gave the possibility a second thought," Hyung-Chul thinks back. "So-Won never said anything, or showed any symptoms before she left London. How was I to know?"

 

"Many women would try to use something like that to tie a man down," Sun-Dal voices his opinion, "not run away and hide it."

 

"Speculating on past motives is useless, we need hard facts. What were you able to find out about the child?" Hyung-Chul asks.

 

"Customs records show Park So-Won entered the country accompanied by an infant girl with an American birth certificate," Sun-Dal shares his findings. "Investigators are checking her apartment and financial records to see if we can find out what she did with the child, but it'd help if she just agreed to tell us."

 

"Maybe, after she is over the shock of being found out, she will," Hyung-Chul says hopefully. "Since your call this morning, So-Won has spoken hardly a word. I called Doctor Wu to have a talk with her tomorrow."

 

"That psychiatrist?"

 

"She's had a rough time. I'm worried that this might put her over the edge."

 

"You seem to be taking especially good care of Park So-Won these days," Sun-Dal observes.

 

"I'm her boss. Isn't that how it works?" Hyung-Chul reminds Sun-Dal of his previous advice regarding Young-Mi when she was hospitalized.

 

"Yes, but what about Sun-Mi? I heard Director Kim is supposed to interview her today for the joint venture. He'll go to any length to sway her over to his side," Sun-Dal warns. "Shouldn't you do something to reassure her, too, before the news get there?"

 

"Like what?" Hyung-Chul shrugs. "Whatever happens, it's out of my control."

 

Seeing the dismal expression on Hyung-Chul's face, Sun-Dal worries, "Is something going on again between you two, that I should know about?"

 

"The more precise way to put it, is something going 'off' again between us," Hyung-Chul corrects him.

 

"Then the paparazzi report about you and Sun-Mi, in Paris..."

 

"It's not what it seemed," Hyung-Chul clarifies the situation. "On one hand Sun-Mi made it clear she loves me, but on the other, she wants to focus on her career, and wants nothing to do with me. You tell me what that means."

 

"I'd say, it means she broke up with you," Sun-Dal concludes, "because of Michael Atwater, but is too kind to say it to your face."

 

"Sun-Mi didn't mention Atwater at all, so where are you getting that?" Hyung-Chul disagrees.

 

Sun-Dal scoffs, "Do you really expect her to tell you straight on? She's not so cruel as that."

 

"Is there something you haven't told me?" Hyung-Chul asks suspiciously. "Come on, out with it!"

 

"You didn't know? Sun-Mi just moved into Atwater's apartment, to live with him," Sun-Dal answers. Then seeing Hyung-Chul's stern face, he adds defensively, "I just got the news myself. Sorry to be the one to break it to you."

 

Hyung-Chul is still digesting what this means for him, when his mobile rings...

 

"Yes... I see... yes," he says, responding to questions from the caller, "I'll be there right away..."

 

He tells Sun-Dal excitedly, "That was the manager at the Diamond... Park So-Won is up on the parapet, threatening to jump, unless I come..."