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Chapter 04

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The eerie sound of the annoying machine pissed her off. It sounded to her as if her grandmother’s dear life depends on that stupid machine. If it’ll stop, then that would mean that her grandma’s heart had stopped as well. Hell no! She will do everything that she can, not to let it happen. Sitting on the chair beside the bed, Victoria gazed lovingly at the face of the elderly woman lying still. Many tubes were attached to her body, there was one inserted on . She carefully her graying hairs before the back of her fingers caressed her pale cheeks. She then took her grand mother’s hand and kissed it tenderly before placing it on her chest. “Halmoni, please don’t give up, okay?” She softly whispered, and droplets of tears fell down her cheeks and moist both hers and her grandma’s hand. “Just hang on there…I’ll make sure that you will have the surgery.” She whispered a promise to her grandma, although at the moment, she doesn’t have any idea how. Not long ago, she resigned from her job because of her lunatic boss. She had spent all her savings for her grandmother’s medication and now, she needs a surgery. Victoria felt as if she’s carrying the world on her back. The conversation she had with Dr. Kim awhile ago was still fresh in her mind.

-Flashback-

“Ms. Song, I suggest that your grandmother should undergo a surgery.” Dr. Kim Junsu declared. He is one of the country’s famous heart surgeons and the eldest son of the owner of Kims Hospital.

“Doctor, please… I beg you, please do everything that you can to save my grandmother.” She begged.

“Rest assured that I will do my best…”

“Thank you Doc.” Victoria was so thankful that she was unmindful that Dr. Kim didn’t finish what he’s saying. “When will be the surgery?” She was very much eager to know.

“Uhm, we will do some tests again and if I’m sure that her body can handle the operation, then we will schedule it as soon as possible.” Dr. Kim replied. “But…”

Victoria could see the uneasiness on the face of the handsome doctor and it made her more anxious. “But what Doctor?”

“I…I can’t promise you anything, even with the surgery.” The doctor said in a serious tone.

Victoria furrowed her brow, she couldn’t get it. “What do you mean Doc?”

“The surgery is necessary in order to bypass arteries that have been too clogged. We need to devise another route and increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. But due to Mrs. Choi’s age and condition, there is a risk of having some complications.” Dr. Kim explained.

“Th-then…Uhm…oh.” That was the only words that she’d managed to say. Victoria had always been a strong person and she becomes even stronger because of the love and care that her grandmother had showered her. But right now, she felt like she was going to break down, why it has to be her grandma… She tried to hold back the tears that threatened to flow down freely. She clutched on her bag which was on her lap, so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The doctor might have noticed how distraught she was because Victoria saw from the corner of her eye that he stood up from his seat and gave her a gentle pat on her shoulder.

“I’ll do my best. Let’s just hope that everything will turn out fine.” He said to encourage her.

Victoria could only nod her head and then something came to her mind. “The…the surgery, how much will it cost?”

“I know that you had spent a lot already so… I will not charge you with the doctor’s fee and the room charges.” He kindly offered out of compassion and Victoria was so thankful. “But you still need to prepare around $15 - 20,000.” He added which made her turned to face him with widened eyes slightly parted lips.

“15 to 20,000 U.S. d-dollars? Not won Doc?”  

Dr. Kim nodded. “…and we will need it anytime soon.”

The tears that she tried hard to suppress awhile ago, started to gush down liberally.  

- End of flashback -

Victoria buried her face on her palms, what she is going to do? They don’t have any relatives in Korea whom she can ask for help. Her grandmother is a Chinese woman married to a Korean man but unluckily, the parents of her grandfather didn’t approve the marriage and they disowned their son. So, Mr. and Mrs. Choi went to China and there, Victoria’s mother was born. But when Mr. Choi, her grandpa got very ill, he requested that they’ll go back to Korea. He wanted to spend his remaining days in his native soil. Only the elderly couple went back to Korea because during that time, Victoria’s father owned a flourishing enterprise in China. Two years after that, her harabeoji died and her halmoni choose to stay in Korea rather than come home to China. Victoria was so worried about her that she wanted to stay with her granny but her father rejected the idea since she was still studying, so she just visited her grandma during her school breaks. But something happened that made Victoria ran away from home and live in Korea.

She was 22 years old that time when her father wanted her to get married to the son of his business partner. The marriage was obviously just for convenience and for business purposes. Victoria knows the man to be a player and even if he is not, she still couldn’t bring herself to marry a man she doesn’t love. To her, marriage is divine and sacred, a lifetime commitment to love and respect each other. So no one, not even her father can force her to tie the knot with someone she cannot love and respect! Her father disowned her and was even mad at her grandma. Sometimes, Victoria thought that her halmoni is suffering because of her… maybe she brought the curse because she disobeyed her father. This thought made her shed more tears.     

“Excuse me… Uhm, Miss?”

Victoria felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and found a young nurse staring at her with sympathetic eyes. “Uhm…Sorry to disturb you Miss, but I need to get some blood samples from the patient.”

“Uh, is that so?” She said while wiping her moist face. “O-Okay.”

The nurse nodded and politely asked her to leave the room for a moment. Victoria obliged. She headed to the cafeteria since she hasn’t eaten since morning.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Junsu was preparing to leave the hospital when his buddy Junho, called and reminded him that Taecyeon will arrive the next day. He had completely forgotten about it; blame it on his rough day. He had performed two major operations today; one heart transplant and a heart bypass.  Yet, this was not the reason why he forgot, it’s just that his mind is into something. It is so unlike him to be thinking much about his patients after work but Mrs. Choi and her granddaughter Miss Song was an exception. He felt bad for the young woman; it must be so hard for her. He sighed and as he closed his eyes, Victoria’s beautiful yet grief-stricken face came back to his mind. Life is indeed unfair.

Before Junsu could get into his car, he spotted his cousin Wooyoung, he called him over. “Woo!”

Wooyoung also works at Kims Hospital; he is the head of Finance department. Well, good genes runs in the family, because like his cousin, Wooyoung also possessed good looks and a killer body and…he was a notorious playboy.

“Hyung, going home?” The younger man asked.

“Neh. Uhm, I want to ask you a little favor; I need a girl, a good one.” Junsu said nonchalantly.

“Mwuh? Oh no hyung.” Wooyoung shook his head fervidly. “I don’t want to suffer from Taeyeon’s wrath!”

“Pabo. Not for me, for my friend.” Junsu clarified.

“Ah.” Wooyoung nodded.

“He will arrive tomorrow to prepare his wedding to the heiress of the Im Group.” Junsu explained.

“To Im Yoona?” Wooyoung exclaimed in a ‘can’t believe tone’. “Wow, he’s one lucky guy. The woman is a sole heiress and a goddess!”

“Mmm…and my friend will be bound to her for life. But before it will happen, I wanted him to enjoy the last days of his freedom. So, I need you to find a special girl for him. Price is not the problem.” Junsu stated like it was the best thing that he can do for his friend.

“Copy-cat.” Wooyoung blurted out. “That’s precisely what I did before you married Taengo.”

“Aish, do you really need to mention that?” The older of the two grumbled. “By the way, you should check her in to Seoul Hotel okay? Just message me the room number.” He further instructed.

“Alright boss. Leave everything to me.” Wooyoung said confidently.

“Okay then, I’ll go ahead.”

*-*-*-*-*-*

Victoria ordered baked ziti and iced tea. On ordinary days, she could have enjoyed this treat but today, the food was just tasteless. She didn’t consume even half of her order. She can’t get her mind off her granny and the surgery and her financial dilemma. She could care less for the droplets of tears that fell down her milky cheeks. Using her fork, she kept on stabbing on the leftover food in front of her.  Not far from her spot though, was a pair of scrutinizing eyes that carefully studied her every move.

“Tsk! Tsk! Spare the food; it has nothing to do with your troubles.”

The prying deep voice startled Victoria. She tilted her head to get a view of the intruder… an attractive intruder to be exact. But ‘fangirling’ over someone was the last thing on her to-do list right now.

“Excuse me?” She shot him a peeved look.

“I said the food has nothing to do with your problems.” He repeated his words which made Victoria realized what she was doing. She put the fork down and silently wiped her moist cheeks. She is not in the mood to talk to anybody at the moment. But the man didn’t seem to understand this.

“You know, you’ll be prettier without that frown in your face.” He said in an affable manner as he pulled the chair and sat opposite her. His statement just irked the already troubled Victoria.

“Look Mister, I don’t want to be rude but I’m really NOT in the mood to talk to anyone right now, more to a stranger. So please…” She tried to be as calm and civil as possible.  

“Oh. But what if this stranger is the answer to your problems?” The man countered like he exactly knew her dilemma.

Aish! This man doesn’t know when to shut his mouth! “Okay, you want to help?” Victoria asked in a serious tone. She could see his eyes sparkled as he waited in anticipation.  “Leave.” She stated with a scorn.

Victoria saw him shook his head and sighed. She took it as a sign of her victory and expected him to leave. But she was wrong, the man stayed on his seat.

“I felt really bad for your loved one who might continue to stay and suffer in this hospital…” Wooyoung said in a concerned tone. Victoria look at him confused. “…because you had a chance to help him…or her but you chose NOT to.” He added and crossed his arms across his chest.

She sent him daggers through her glares. How dare he accuse me? What does he know?  “Fine. Here’s the situation, I need $20,000 for my grandmother’s surgery. What you gonna do, since you’re so eager to help, huh?” She asked, mocking him yet unaware that she’d bit his bait.

Victoria has spotted the change in his expression. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“See, you couldn’t help me.” She said as if she was already expecting it. “Just leave me alone.”

The man in front of her twitched his lips into a smirk. “I am sorry for your grandma and not because I couldn’t help you. I can give you the $20,000 that you need...in cold cash.” He said coolly.

Victoria was taken abacked by his response. “A-are you…happened to be a loan shark?”

“No.” He shook his head.

“No? Then maybe…” Her eyes grew wide and she clamped a hand to as the thought crossed her mind. She hastily grabbed the fork and held it tightly, ready for defense. “Oh gosh, have you esc…escaped from the m-mental ward?”

Wooyoung laughed out loud. Such an interesting creature…witty, y and very pretty too! How I wish I could keep her for myself. “You should see how foolish you look!” He said after a fit of laughter.

“Mwuh? And how about you? Who, in their proper mind will lend $20,000 to a stranger?” She snapped.

“Me, and I’m not lending it to you, I need your service in return.”  Wooyoung was serious this time.

“Oh, why don’t you tell me earlier that you need an accountant?” She asked naively.

“Aish…I don’t need an accountant and I’m not interested in your profession! All I want is for you to ‘entertain’ my friend tomorrow night and I’ll give you a bonus if you’re still a .” He said that so casually like he was just hiring a clown for a children’s party.

In her entire existence, Victoria never felt so humiliated more than now. Her blood boiled to a 100 degrees Celsius and like in the dramas, her hand flew to the bastard’s cheek. Yet, in the end, out of desperation, Victoria swallowed her pride and gave up her principles. $30,000 – for her grandma’s surgery and… her dignity!   

*-*-*-*-*-*

/Yeoboseyo?/  Wooyoung answered his phone.

/Woo, is she ready?/  The man on the other line asked.

/Neh, Junsu hyung. Seoul Hotel, room # 716./

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A/N: Hello peeps!!! This is a late update just because I got really busy and my mind is not working well, hehe. So forgive me if you find this chapter not appealing. Here goes Vic’s story and just to make things clear:

1. Vic is an accountant by profession but had quit her job recently because of her crazy boss.
2. Wooyoung saw Victoria in the hospital’s cafeteria right after his conversation with his cousin Junsu. He found her beautiful and y, perfect for the job. He studied/observed her first from afar and after he saw that she’s crying, he assumed that she must be in trouble…financially. So, he took his chance, approached her and made his offer.    

Sorry that I made Wooyoung a jerk and an opportunist here but you can just think of this as fate working its wonder in a strange way :)