Winston’s expression froze for the first time.
“…….Liar.”
He spoke in a dazed voice, as if he were in shock.
“Pregnant? That’s a lie… Whose child is it?”
“It’s yours, of course.”
Seol Yu-jin shamelessly lied, his voice trembling ever so slightly.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me. We can just do a DNA test, right? These days, you can even do it during pregnancy.”
His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst. It’s fine. I just have to leave this house before then. And I’ll never see this man again for the rest of my life. Yu-jin had decided—he wouldn’t tell Winston a single truth from now on. He had done enough. No matter what he said, Winston would never believe him. So what difference did it make if he lied?
Winston looked completely dumbfounded. Even if Yu-jin had slapped him with all his strength, he wouldn’t have looked this shocked. The same arrogant face that had constantly humiliated him was now frozen in bewilderment, and it was deeply satisfying. His lie was ridiculous, his heart raced with anxiety, but inside his head, it felt like dopamine was exploding in bursts of fireworks. Yu-jin couldn’t stop. His lips kept moving.
“I have no reason to stay in this mansion anymore. Angie and I will leave first thing tomorrow.”
“Leave?”
Winston, who had been staring blankly at Yu-jin, suddenly shot up from his seat. His face had gone deathly pale from the shock, and at that moment, Yu-jin was certain—he had fooled him completely. How ironic. When he had begged Winston to believe the truth, the man hadn’t budged an inch. But the moment he lied, Winston swallowed it whole.
Yu-jin stood up as well and glared at him with all his might.
“Yeah, there’s no need for me to sleep with you anymore, is there? We can just meet at the hospital on the day of the paternity test. I’m so sick of you, Winston! I don’t want to be around you for even a single second longer!”
“Wait, where do you think you’re going?”
Winston grabbed him as he turned to leave, but Yu-jin wrenched his arm free with all his strength.
“I told you, I’m done sleeping with you! Tonight, I’ll be with Angela. And tomorrow, I’m leaving for good!”
“That’s complete nonsense—”
“Did you forget? The terms of the will.”
At Yu-jin’s sharp retort, Winston faltered. Seizing the moment, Yu-jin confidently recited the will’s terms, enunciating each word.
“You have to provide me with every convenience I require. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be staying at a hotel. Financial support is, of course, included in that. You have no right to object.”
I can’t believe I’m speaking this well!
Yu-jin was amazed at himself. Maybe I really do have a talent for writing. He recalled the praise he had received from the editor earlier that day, and a sense of pride swelled within him. Seeing Winston completely at a loss for words only bolstered his confidence further.
“Well then, good night, Winston. Sweet dreams.”
Yu-jin grabbed the doorknob and gave Winston a final farewell.
“I hope we never see each other again.”
He even flashed a smile at the frozen Winston before opening the door and stepping out. Left alone in the quiet hallway, a shiver ran through his entire body. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his excitement, but it wasn’t easy.
I will never cower or walk on eggshells around anyone ever again.
He made that promise to himself, raising his chin high with confidence. Without hesitation, without looking back, he walked to Angela’s room and quietly opened the door. Carefully, he lay down beside the child, making sure not to wake her, but he was still too keyed up to fall asleep easily.
What should I do once I leave this place?
Staying in a hotel would give him more freedom. The contract would be sent via email, so there was no issue there. The only thing he needed now was a bank account. He had never owned one in his name before—he had neither the means nor the need. His jobs had always been unstable, and he had always been paid weekly in cash. In some ways, that had been more convenient. Only recently had he secured a place of his own, even if it had been small and shabby. Not that it mattered now, since it had burned to the ground.
At least I got the advance payment.
‘Normally, this is only paid after the contract is signed, but I wanted to show you how serious we are about this project. So, I’m personally giving you this check in advance.’
Remembering the editor’s words, a deep sense of gratitude swelled within him. How could someone be this kind? Just getting his work published was already more than enough, but they had given him an advance—even before signing the contract.
Part of him wanted to keep that check as a lifelong memento, but realistically, that wasn’t an option. Instead, he held onto the joy of the moment and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he would leave this mansion.
Sam, I did my best.
With his eyes shut, he thought of him. No matter what happened from here on out, he would never regret not trying harder to convince him. He had abandoned every last bit of lingering attachment. He was free now.
***
Winston sat alone on the sofa, lost in thought. His mind had been stuck in the same place for a while now, unable to move forward.
Yu-jin is leaving? Leaving this mansion? Leaving me?
Again?
The idea had never even crossed his mind. The family, the wealth—everything now belonged to him. And yet, Yu-jin was saying he would walk away from it all. Walk away from Winston, too.
Yu-jin’s pregnancy wasn’t the issue. It had caught him off guard, but as Yu-jin had said, a DNA test would confirm the truth. If it were a lie, it would be revealed soon enough, so there was no reason for him to lie about it. What mattered was that Yu-jin was leaving. And he was using the pregnancy as a reason to leave Winston behind.
What he said wasn’t wrong. From the very beginning, they had married to fulfill the conditions of the will, and they had slept together countless times. That was something Winston had insisted on himself. So there were no flaws in Yu-jin’s reasoning. Winston should have accepted it without hesitation.
But something about this felt terribly wrong.
This wasn’t what he had planned. Yu-jin leaving—this was completely outside of his calculations. He had assumed Yu-jin wouldn’t be able to give up the money, that he would inevitably stay in the mansion.
Yes, that was what he had wanted.
Only now did Winston reluctantly acknowledge the desire he had buried deep inside him. What he truly wanted was to have Yu-jin back in his grasp. More precisely, he wanted him to be his alone—never to be taken by anyone else. This time, he would make sure of it.
He had thought he could do that.
So why had things turned out this way? He couldn’t make sense of it. There was only one answer—because Yu-jin had found another man.
Why? He had satisfied him every single day.
He had done everything to ensure Yu-jin wouldn’t even think of looking at another man. They had dinner together every night, had sex, and he had filled every spare moment, leaving no room for anything else.
Could it be that he had gotten tired of sleeping with him?
The realization hit him all at once. Of course. This was probably the first time Yu-jin had ever been with just one man for so long.
Yes, that had to be the reason. And now, the moment he had found a new man, he was trying to throw Winston away. The thought of the man Yu-jin had met earlier in the day made everything crystal clear.
So, what should he do now?
By tomorrow, Yu-jin would leave with the child. And then, he would never see him again. He would simply return to his old life. A life without Yu-jin—empty and unbearably dull.
And Yu-jin… with another man…
A crack formed in the glass he was holding. Winston clenched his teeth, his gaze fixed on a single point.
Hadn’t he sworn never to fall for the same trick again?
He wouldn’t let himself be so bewitched by Yu-jin that he made a foolish mistake like before. But that didn’t mean he was willing to let him go either.
Then…
If that was the case…
Setting down his whiskey glass, he ran a serious hand over his lips. The night was growing deeper.
***
“……”
For the first time in a long while, he had fallen into a deep sleep. Yu-jin let out a contented sigh, shifting in the bed. The soft texture of the sheets made him exhale in quiet bliss. His consciousness slowly stirred awake. With his eyes still closed, he reached out across the bed, naturally expecting to find his beloved daughter beside him.
But no matter how far he stretched his hand, he touched nothing.
…Huh?
His eyes fluttered open, rolling dazedly before he suddenly jolted upright in shock.
And then—something happened that he could never have imagined.
Where… was this?
This wasn’t Angela’s room, where he had fallen asleep. Nor was it any other room in the mansion. The unfamiliar sight of the room left him utterly bewildered.
The only sound filling the space was the faint ticking of a clock.
The next thing he became aware of was the steady, rhythmic sound. Then, the moment his eyes caught sight of the endless expanse of the deep blue sea beyond the wide-open glass doors of the balcony, he froze completely.
oh my, the misunderstandings just keep piling up. I can’t wait for the revelations to unfold.