Chapter Eleven: Choices

“Hello, Ms. Hyesoo. How have you been?”

Sitting in front of the man that my family has done damage the most—I can’t help but push myself to think straight. I can’t back down, I can’t tremble, and I can’t be afraid. I had to tell him everything and that is today.

We were in a restaurant near his company and now, he is sitting in front of me, all smiles as he thought I was the girl that will never do anything harmful. Guess I wasn’t, but my father did. “I’m doing just fine, Mr. Jeon.”

He looked down, “I know that you’re my son’s ex-girlfriend, I’m sorry that he had to end up with your sister.”

“It’s something that I understand.” I smiled guiltily, “But I am no longer going to take this any longer. I am here to give you something.”

He grew confused of what I just told him as he watched me taking out a folder. I placed it on the table and slid it in front of him. “What is this?” he asked.

“It’s something that you need to see for yourself, sir.” I told him.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant grew tense as I watched him slowly opening the folder, reading every single detail written on it. As time passed by, as he tried to finish whatever is written, his face grew more and more rigid and stern. Before he could even go halfway through the documents, he placed it back on the table, closed. He looked at me for a long while quietly, as if observing me and asked, “You know, I’ve always given my full trust on the Hans, even to your father. Everything changed when Mihyun told me I had a huge debt to her because of the project that we worked on together. Now, I don’t really know who to trust in your family.”

“This is when you should trust me.” I told him, “I know that the past year has been the hardest for you, and for Jungkook. That is why when I found this, I know I needed to give it to you. You have to get what your family deserved all this time.”

“Is this the part where I ask why you’re doing this?” he gave me a questioning look, “You’re doing this for Jungkook.”

“Sir, I’ve seen how hard it was for him.” I looked at him sincerely, “I’ve seen how he tried to balance it between me, Seolhyun and you. He tried his best to keep me while saving your family. I don’t want to see him suffer.”

“But what if I tell you, that you too, young lady, have a choice to make?” he said, looking at me as if I have to hold on for my life. I think this is the reason why Jungkook doesn’t like to be around him. He can make you feel afraid, with the strict aura of his. Maybe he is indeed a strict father to Jungkook, and that he does everything to make his stubborn son follow him. “Look, I just want the best for my son, and I think that him sticking with you isn’t a great idea at all. After all, your father has been one of the lead suspects in this case. Wouldn’t it look like a great news knowing that the daughter of Cha Byunghun, an accountant to did the misleading statements of Han Group is marrying the son of Jeon Corporation, the victim? This is also for your image, miss.”

My breath hitched. When I thought everything will be back to normal for me and Jungkook, it was all just a thought of mine. His father is still a hindrance to all of that. But what he told me next made my heart drop a thousand ton. “If it weren’t for your father’s idea of misleading the statements, Mihyun’s plan wouldn’t even be a success. After all, Mihyun could always find another accountant, but it looks like your father had planned this. If it weren’t for you, then all of this will end drastically for us.”

“It was all Mihyun’s plan, not his.” I told him in defense.

“But how will Mihyun think about that?” he said, crossing his arms on his chest, “Let me remind you that the Han Group was originally a company of Mihyun’s deceased husband. She basically remarried your father, who was a senior accountant that time before he finally get to build his own company.”

I couldn’t even feel my hands as they went numbed from everything that I just heard. I know all about Mihyun and her deceased husband, and all else that he told me. But the idea that my dad would do such thing, it just made him even more less of a man, more less of a father. How could he do that?

“I don’t want to stop the both of you, Jungkook and you.” Jungkook’s father stood up as he carried the folder with him, “But the best thing is for you to talk to your father, ask him everything that he knows. After that, the choice is up to you. Thank you for giving me this, I hope you will stay well.” He bowed at me then finally left the restaurant, leaving me with all the questions in my head.

I know this is the time to fight for Jungkook, I know this is finally the time for our happy ending. But does Jungkook deserve this? Does Jungkook deserve to be with me, when I am a daughter of someone who made a terrible mistake to his family?

Do I deserve to be happy with him after this?

My knees are so weak, and my face is so numb. I can’t feel anything, I might faint any time. I wanted to cry, is this tears of joy? I don’t know. I felt so numb I couldn’t even walk.

“Hyesoo!”

I looked up seeing Jungkook running towards me. I was already halfway to the middle of the park, in front of the restaurant where I met his dad, and he was on his way to meet me. He finally arrived in front of me and held me by the shoulders. “Why did you talk to my dad? Have you seen it? Have you found anything?”

“Have you?” I asked, smiling.

He shook his head. “Have… you?”

I smiled, finally pulling him into a hug. I hugged him tight like it was my last time hugging him. I buried my face on his chest as I said, “It’s over, Jungkook. It’s over.”

Jungkook just continued to hug me as he asked, “What do you mean… it’s over? Are we finally free?”

“You’ll know, very soon.” I smiled at him as I pulled away from his hug. “For now, I need to go meet my dad. I have questions to ask him.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” he asked, looking at me with utmost concern.

I shook my head, still smiling at him. “No, I brought a car with me. Are you going anywhere?”

The boy scratched his head as he shyly told me, “Well, I made my way here immediately when dad’s secretary told me he’s going to meet you. I thought I need to hear all of it, but then it looks like everything has ended.”

“Yes, it has ended.” I smiled at him. “I’ll be going.”

“O-Okay.” He said as I passed by him. I stopped at my tracks, turned back at him as I see that he was watching me leave. I smiled at him and shouted, “Jungkook, I love you!”

Then I turned back without looking at his expression. He must be so happy, but my heart is slowly breaking.

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“Hyesoo, you’re supposed to be in Mihyun’s—”

“Why did you do it?” cutting anything that my father was supposed to say, I asked him a question that may sound confusing, but very obvious. I entered his office, not letting any of his staff stop me.

“Hyesoo…”

“Why do you have to do everything that Mihyun wants to do? Why are you so under her? Why, dad? Why do you live like your life has depended on her so much?”

Dad stood up from his seat and walked near me. Still acting innocent, he looked at me with a fatherly smile on his face, “My daughter, I don’t get what you’re trying to say.”

My face stayed cold and stern, not going to be fooled by the expression my father has given me. “I know everything, dad. From the plan to just take away Jeon’s money to throwing Jungkook away after the marriage? I know it all. Now, why are you a part of this? Why are you doing all of this for Mihyun?”

He was speechless, look