Chapter Ten:

After that day, I wanted to avoid him. I wanted to run and hide. What was I doing? Crying onto my soon to be ex-husband and father of my child who currently has a girlfriend? It’s all just too complicated. What was I doing at all anymore?

I didn’t want to tell him that his heartbeat was soothing. I didn’t want to tell him that it may very be because of him that our baby wasn’t harmed by my stress. I didn’t want to tell him that at that time, I needed and depended on him.

I wanted to appear strong and that I could do it on my own. I didn’t want to appear helpless or weak. I wanted to prove that I could do it own my own, not crumble at first chance.

‘Kyung Mi, your fridge is full and I’ve thrown away all your ramen,’ Mina proudly smiled after she finished unpacking the items she bought for my new kitchen. Even without being a dietician, Mina knew I wasn’t eating healthily.

‘You didn’t have to throw away the ramen! You could have at least taken it with you,’ I whined to her.

‘Ramen will make your face bloat, better just stay away from it completely,’ Sejeong chirped in making her way out of my new bedroom.

The two of them have helped me move into my new place. Even though it is small place, it still felt very empty initially. But with their help, it began to feel more like a home.

‘I can’t believe it,’ Mina said in awe as she starred at the ultrasound pictures stuck onto the fridge with magnets. ‘There’s literally a life growing in there,’ she said as she pointed towards my abdomen.

‘I know, I still can’t get my head wrapped around it. Watching the baby on the screen was something different,’ I replied. The whole experience of it was completely different. The cold gel on my stomach region, the soft pressure of the hand held portion of the device – all so different from anything I’d ever experience.

‘Did he go with you when you went to get these done?’ Sejeong asked, walking to join us in the kitchen. He, obviously, referring to Minhyun.

Initially I was going to have the ultrasound on my own; I felt awkward being with Minhyun again. I couldn’t meet him in the eyes, I guess I was embarrassed. But then, I thought that without running into Minhyun at that point in time, my mental health would most likely have deteriorated. And also, just because we’re not together anymore doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the rights to see his child.

‘It’s good that he’s involved, at least he isn’t abandoning you again,’ Sejeong shrugged.

It’s been a hectic week at work – we’ve received more cases and clients than normal, more than we can handle to be honest. I’ve been coming in on days that I don’t usually work. I’m not complaining though, the extra income is always nice to have around but it’s tiring.

‘We’ll most likely have another three months or so with this level of business,’ my manager Sungwoon sighed.

‘It’s all for the election, isn’t it?’ Minki asked.

‘I believe it is. I don’t see how it’s going to help though, people have already formed their opinions of this government, ‘ Sungwoon shook his head, ‘It’s okay guys. We’ll take it one day at a time.’ He attem