Ignoring the stares given by my father’s assistant, I directly enter my father’s office. Slamming the door closed after being inside and just to be greeted by my father with his smirk.

“I am here. So explain to me now. Why you are sending your people to follow Song Nara, to scare her, to stalk her every day?” Without anymore waits I shoot the questions to my father.

“Himchan, my lovely son is here finally. So you are really don’t want to ask how I am doing? To ask if am I living well, eating well? And how are you, son? Are you living well?” my father replies, trying to play nice as father.

“Don’t pretend that you are actually cares about me. I know you don’t. Now just answer me. Will you please, father. Why you are doing this to her. It is all about me, right?”

“See, you just really care about her. Not even asking your own father about how the conference was going on. Did we manage to secure any new contract or not? How our competitor is doing? Are they catching up with us? You just really don’t care about the company. Isn’t it Himchan. How can you really ignore me and company and just going straight asking about her?”

“I can see. You are doing well. The report from the conference already being sent to my email and I read that all thoroughly. I know you secured another 3 to 4 new contracts. And I don’t really care about our competitors anyway. Now please answer me, father. You are doing that because of me, right? What more you want me to do? Is it what am I doing now really not enough for you? Please. Answer me.”

It is hard to see me begging to my father, the last one begging that I did as long as I can remember was when I ask him to let me befriend Yongguk and the boys. I never thought I will beg him once more after years.

“Ohhhh. See. I told you. Great mind think alike. I like how you can really thinking like how am I thinking. Tskkk. Or it is just so obvious that the girl have nothing worth to chase for except the fact that he is friend with you or maybe a little bit more than ‘friend’, Himchan?”

And again here he is. Downgrade my friend like he is the royal or something. I really have no time for this. I just want the answer. I need to get Nara out of this mess.

“Actually Himchan, I really surprised when they reported to me that you encountered them by yourself. What a brave son I do have here. So I guess I should just go straight to the reason. Before that, let me ask you, now you are still working on that project with Mr. Andrew right? How is the progress?”

Again. He is still trying to buy his time. What is wrong with him? Normally he is the one to cut off any side talk and go straight to the point.

“That project is in the last stage. Everything is being carried out according to the timeline. No need to be worried. Everything is fine. You should put more believe in me.” As angry as I am right now, I can’t avoid not answering when it comes to the work related because that is the only connection between my father and I.

“Let me be clear, the last stage is the project development on site. I need you to be there, for the whole development process. As in ‘to be there’ is for you to stay in California to monitor the process until the project is complete.”

“What do you means?” This is ridiculous. According to the timeline that project development will be taking around 2 years and now the process is only at 10%. Still have a long way to go.

“Yes. I am saying the right thing. You will need to be there with Mr. Andrew and the whole California’s team as representative of our Korea’s Headquarters. You will get to learn a lot more if you are there. You are leaving in a week. I already settle down everything there for you.”

This cannot be happening. This is so wrong. How can I stay there for 2 years? Away from the boys, away from Nara and how this can be related to him having his people following Nara?

“How if I am saying that I am not going? I don’t want to go. You can’t just ask me doing this without having a discussion with me. I still have a bunch of projects to be handled and monitored here.”

“I am not accepting no as an answer and I have no reason to discuss it with you. Your projects here will be taken care. By the way, I heard that, your little girl friend just finished her college and being offered to work at that huge broadcasting company. She must be so happy and I am sure you know about that right?”

“Yes, she is. Now explain to me why you are so interested in her?”

 I have the idea in my mind of the why, but it can’t be. My father is not that cruel to torment my own friend fresh career, right? I hope I am wrong in this.

“Tskkk. You are so slow Himchanie. Everything is in your hands now. Go to California, and I’ll leave her alone, no more stalker or whatever. Or you can stay here but she will lose that job, and maybe. Maybe not getting anymore offer of jobs and she can only work at that café of her fried. Everything is in your choice, son.”

Damn it. I can see this is coming but I really cannot believe that my father will steps so low in making me following his order. I think I have grown out of his grasp. But who am I kidding to, he always get everything he want, never ever thinking about me, my own happiness, his own son happiness.

“I don’t believe that you will step this low just for me to follow your order. I really want to hate you. I really want to leave you. But I can’t. Mother’s last wish to me was for me not to leave your side. To loving you as my father. How can you do this me, father. Please take this back. Please. I will do anything you ask other than this, leave her out of this.”

I try another begging.

I don’t want to go. I don’t want my father to torment Nara’s career too. I try my best to hold back the tears that starting to find their way out. I am not that strong whenever I mention about my late mother. But I need to fight this. 2 years in stranger country. I don’t want that.

“So be the good son of your mother and just follow my order. I have nothing more to say. You go, she is free or you are staying but she will have her taste of life.”

“Why you are so constant in hating her? I know you hate her. But she did nothing harm on you.”

“Because of you. I don’t want you to be any closer with her anymore. Enough with all these years that I have been keep quiet about her being friend with you. I don’t want her to be in your way up to be the CEO later. She will just be your drawback on your way up. This is the best. Distancing her from you will shape you better as CEO to replace me later. You are going soft with her around. I don’t want a weaker to inherit my legacy.”

That is. The thing that I scared the most is being laid out. I need to go for her to survive her living.

I bet nothing more I could say. I don’t want Nara to be in hard way. She has it enough. Maybe I can leave. From all the things that I had seen yesterday, Yongguk is here anyway to take care of her. Nara is in a good hand even if I am leaving.

“Fine. I will go. Just leave her alone. Are you happy now?” I try to sound angry but it just nothing closer to that. I just sound like a beaten puppy barking and asking for mercy.

“Oh. One more thing. No contact at all with her. As I want you to be away from her. I mean it is really in all forms of communication.  No need to try to keep in touch with her behind me, you should know better what I can do and you know I have my eyes everywhere.”

“Give me this one week. No interruption on me to meet her or to be with my friends”

I don’t keep it anymore. Tears are b at the corner of my eyes. I feel so weak. Nothing more I can do to change my father decision. I don’t want this. Being away from her for a week is already hard enough for me.

“Yes. One week before leaving. You own it. That’s it. I am done. I hope you have it crystal clear, Himchan. You will learn a lot by going there, my son. Maybe you will find someone better than her there. You should open your eyes.”

I can see his smiles, wide smile with satisfaction, looking at me with such a victory. Yes. I let him win. Again. He win against me. Collecting my deep breath, I muster all my courages left to face him for the last time today.

“Father, you know how much disappointment you are to mother. Do you remember your last words to her before she passed away? I know you don’t but I remember every single thing you said to her on her last moment. You told her that, keeping me in the company will be the last thing of my life that you will ask me to do. You told her that, you will let me continue chasing my dream by letting me open a musical branch from our company. You told her, you will agree with whoever I choose to stay by my side. You told her, you will love me with all your heart. But. You are fails in keeping your words.  Not even succeed in keeping the last promise of loving me. You don’t love me. A loving father won’t do this to his son. At least I am keeping my promise to her, not to leaving you. Not to hating you. I wish you are happy, father.”

With that being said, I don’t even spare another glance at him. I stormed out of the office. It is already dark outside. I just feeling so tired. Wiping away the tears that I don’t even realize has been escaped from my eyes; I make my way to the car and heading home. I need to hold on someone. Yongguk. I can always tell him. But I don’t think I want to see him now. Nara. She also can always hear me out but this time she is not the option, no need for her to know about this. The boys, really not a choice, they are way too young for all this.

Arrived at my apartment, there are missed calls and messages from Yongguk and Nara. Ignore everything; I bring myself to my bedroom and throwing myself on the bed. Letting the tears doing their job in showing the world how broken and hurt I am with all this mess. I just want to sleep and hiding from all this cruelty of living. Lying there, I let the sleep taking me away from my broken tears.

// Hi, new chapter is here, finally. Have fun reading and Thank you...