We had just arrived at the car Baek Woojin had parked when Hyeol suddenly pulled my hand.
“I want to ride with daddy.”
“Huh…?”
I was troubled. Even though I was with the child, if we both got in the back seat, it would really seem like I was making Baek Woojin play the role of a driver.
“You can both sit in the back.”
Then Baek Woojin readily gave way and opened the car door for us. I put Hyeol in first and spoke to Baek Woojin.
“Woojin-ssi, thank you so much. Coming all the way here to find us… You must have been working…”
“Don’t worry about my work.”
“Yes… I don’t know how to thank you for helping us twice.”
It might sound like empty words, but it’s absolutely not. I was truly moved by Baek Woojin’s actions in taking care of us this much even though I had no ulterior motives. I absolutely can’t let go of such an in-law. Even if there are some questionable parts, he’s no different from an angel.
“Chae Seungyeon-ssi.”
Just as I was about to get into the car, Baek Woojin called me quietly.
“Does that mean… I can take it that you want to express some kind of gratitude to me?”
“Huh? Oh, well… that’s… right.”
What did I say wrong? Since I received help, I wanted to express my gratitude in return… Strangely, the look in Baek Woojin’s eyes as he stared at me intently was not ordinary.
On the other hand, he seemed satisfied with my answer as he raised the corners of his mouth considerably.
“I understand, I’ll remember that.”
“……?”
Saying that, Baek Woojin put me in the back seat and closed the door.
“He’s not a friend, right?”
While Baek Woojin was making a phone call to someone before sitting in the driver’s seat, Hyeol asked about his relationship with Baek Woojin. I quietly looked into Hyeol’s eyes.
Hyeol-ah, that’s your future father-in-law…
Since I couldn’t say that, I had no choice but to answer that he was indeed a friend.
“Hmm…”
Then Hyeol looked back and forth between me and Baek Woojin with suspicious eyes, then rubbed his chin with his hand. His serious thinking expression was so cute that I let out a small laugh.
“…You’re laughing?”
Then Hyeol asked with a serious expression. I was momentarily flustered and stumbled over my words.
“Huh…? Yeah, no… because Hyeol is cute…”
“You’re doing it again.”
“Huh?”
“Laughing.”
Hyeol said that to me and then fastened his seatbelt by himself.
“…It looks good.”
As he turned his head the other way and spoke, the car door opened with a thud behind Hyeol.
“I see you have your phone, so it looks like you stopped by home, is that right?”
Baek Woojin, who sat straight in the driver’s seat, asked me. I nodded slightly and leaned toward Baek Woojin a little.
“Actually, I…”
“Yes, please tell me.”
I spoke in a small voice, whispering in Baek Woojin’s ear.
“Today… something tremendous happened…”
At my words, Baek Woojin stared at me for a moment, then nodded.
“So you suddenly disappeared because of that tremendous thing.”
“Yes, yes, it’s a bit difficult to talk about now… I’ll explain everything to you later.”
Since Hyeol was present, I couldn’t let anything about possession or that I wasn’t Chae Seungyeon slip out. I couldn’t give such a shock to a child who truly regarded me as his father, so I thought I should tell Baek Woojin to keep this matter absolutely secret.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Baek Woojin, who smiled slightly by raising the corners of his mouth, started the car.
I had been very worried, but it was really fortunate. The fact that the only person who believed my words and listened to me seriously would become my in-law… was really reassuring.
“Please fasten your seatbelt.”
“Yes!”
I answered energetically, fastened my seatbelt, and checked Hyeol’s seatbelt once more.
“The seats will warm up soon too.”
Baek Woojin, who had turned on the heater in the car, immediately turned the car around and pulled out onto the road. Just in case, I lowered my head and looked around outside the car window. Considering my mother-in-law’s temperament, she might be desperately looking for us right now.
“You can’t be seen from outside, so don’t worry.”
“Yes…”
Then Baek Woojin spoke as if he knew exactly what I was worrying about. He added that the journey wasn’t that far, so I should relax. But I couldn’t easily stop worrying. Especially now that I had Hyeol with me.
Gasp, come to think of it, she knows Baek Woojin’s house too…?
I belatedly felt sorry for dragging Baek Woojin into an unnecessary situation. But it was too late to regret it now, and it seemed like I would have to pack Chae Seungyeon’s things tomorrow and find a place that could help. Now that I had to raise the child alone, I needed to find a way to make a living.
Thud.
Then Hyeol’s head bumped into my arm. Not long after the car started, Hyeol had nodded his head several times drowsily and quickly fell asleep. The face of the child sleeping against me showed deep fatigue.
He probably couldn’t sleep well from dawn when daddy disappeared until now…
Feeling sorry, I stroked the face of Hyeol who had fallen fast asleep, then took off the coat Baek Woojin had given me and covered him with it.
How long had I been regaining stability in the warm car like that… I was also gradually getting heavy eyelids.
Screech.
Suddenly Baek Woojin turned the steering wheel and took a side road. Just as I was startled by the bumping noise and about to call Baek Woojin.
“We’re being followed.”
“What?”
At Baek Woojin’s sharp eyes reflected in the rearview mirror, I hurriedly looked behind us. Indeed, three black sedans were chasing us at a terrifying speed.
I was instantly dismayed.
Do they really have to go this far…!
Right after that.
Bump!
The car that had been running breathlessly went over a bump, causing the car to shake violently. Baek Woojin quickly turned the steering wheel and shouted at me that it was dangerous and not to move.
Only then did I grasp the seriousness of the situation and frantically checked on Hyeol.
“Hyeol-ah! Hyeol…”
“…Mmm, I want to sleep…”
Despite this situation, Hyeol was completely drunk with sleep and wouldn’t wake up. In a way, I felt this was quite impressive too.
Bzzzzzz.
[Mother-in-law]
As if to prove who the culprit behind this incident was, a call from the mother-in-law was coming to Chae Seungyeon’s phone.
“Don’t answer it, she’ll just talk nonsense anyway.”
Did Baek Woojin have eyes on the back of his head? Even while driving roughly, he acted as if he knew exactly who was calling. I had no intention of answering anyway. The mother-in-law was predictable. Like a typical trashy drama development, she would probably threaten or shower me with curses.
“Hold on tight!”
The car that had been running on an unpaved road was now passing through a secluded path and entering some vacant lot. It was a place you’d only see in noir movies. I wondered how Baek Woojin knew to go to such a place.
No wait, isn’t a place like this more dangerous?
“Um, Woojin-ssi? Wouldn’t it be better to go to the police station…?”
I tried to calm my anxious heart and carefully asked Baek Woojin. But even though I suggested it myself, I worried that going to the police station might make things worse. The reason for acting so brazenly despite committing such blatant crimes was probably because, being a chaebol family, they believed they had something to fall back on.
“Just trust me.”
At that moment, Baek Woojin spoke calmly as he parked the car in the center of the vacant lot. Finally, when the shaking stopped, I quickly checked on Hyeol. Hyeol was sleeping so deeply that someone could carry him away and he wouldn’t know.
In a way, I thought it might be fortunate.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, Hyeol seems to just be sleeping too.”
“Stay in the car for now.”
“What? But by yourself…”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
