•Shim Hye-jin (South Korean Actress)

•Chung-ho (Fictional Character)

***

“Look, Ryeo-wook, I know he’s your friend, but he makes me crazy,” Bom said.

Ryeo-wook handed her a glass of juice with a look of sympathy

. “He’s a hard-, honey. Always has been.”

Taeyeon wrapped her arms around Bom, or at least as much as she could with a bulging, ginormous belly. The two of them looked like poster children for fertility.

Only, Taeyeon had a loving husband—at least Ryeo-wook was over the moon about the impending birth of his child.

Bom sniffled and swallowed some of the juice even knowing she’d suffer for it later.

“I can’t believe he’s so freaked because we’re having a boy.”

Ryeo-wook glanced uneasily at both women, and who could blame him? One pregnant hormonal woman was enough, but two? He was probably ready to either start drinking or run screaming into the night. Maybe both.

“I get that it’s hard to lose people you love. I suppose some part of me should be all, ' Awww, you poor thing,’ and fawn all over him, pat him on the back and be understanding, but damn it, I can’t do that!”

Bom wiped angrily at her face and leaned forward on the couch to put her glass on the coffee table.

Ryeo-wook slowly shook his head. “No, Bom, I think you did right. Sympathy is the last thing he needs. Jiyong is my oldest friend, but it’s time for him to move on with his life and stop rehashing and living in the past.”

She nodded miserably. “It makes me seem heartless and I’m not. Really. It breaks my heart to see him so tortured but how does he think it'll make our child feel to know he was rejected because his father didn’t want to make it look like he was replacing his first son with his second?”

“You’re protecting your baby,” Taeyeon said in a fierce voice. “You should never apologize for that. Jiyong’s an idiot.”

Bom cringed. “It doesn’t make you an idiot to mourn people you love. I get that. I do. What makes him an idiot is not being able to look past something horrific and see that he’s being given a second chance. This baby won’t replace Sang Min. No one could ever do that. I don’t know how to make Jiyong see that. At this point, I don’t even know if I want to try. I’m tired. Tired of this stupid game we’re playing where we both pretend that we don’t want more and that we’re happy having this superficial relationship. I’m not happy. I'll never be happy with a man who gives me only a part of himself. I want it all.”

Ryeo-wook cracked a grin and Taeyeon hugged her all over again. Bom remained in her friend’s arms for a long moment, soaking up every bit of comfort she could.

“You may not see this now, Bom, but I think you’re the best thing that ever happened to Jiyong,” Ryeo-wook said.

Bom sighed. “Oh, I agree. I’m not some martyr who refuses to see her own value.”

“Atta girl,” Ryeo-wook said.

Taeyeon squeezed her. Bom crumpled into Taeyeon’s arms again, her misery overwhelming her. “God, Taeyeon, I slept with him again. Tonight. After he ditched me at the clinic. After that spectacular demonstration of support, I still slept with him. Someone needs to lock me in my apartment for my own good.”

Ryeo-wook cleared his throat. “I, um, think I'll leave you two alone now. If you need anything, holler.”

Bom watched in amusement as Ryeo-wook all but ran from the room. Then she sighed and leaned her head on Taeyeon’s shoulder.

“I’m stupid, Taeyeon. He’s stupid. We’re both stupid and I still love him.”

Taeyeon laughed softly. “Not stupid. Sometimes you can’t help who you love. God knows there were times I wished not to love Ryeo-wook with everything I had.”

“He was a bonehead there for a while,”

Bom acknowledged. “I guess that was what gave me hope with Jiyong. I thought maybe he’d come around. I’m an idiot. You can say it.”

“You’re not an idiot! You’re smart and brave and I love you.”

Bom smiled. “I love you, too, Taeyeon. Sorry for getting you all wet and disturbing your evening with Ryeo-wook.”

“Oh, like I didn’t crash at your place for days and sob and weep all over you like a dishrag.”

“Yeah, you did, but it all worked out in the end.” Her lips turned down into an unhappy frown. “I don’t see that being the case here. Jiyong seems too comfortable in his misery.”

“He’s really not so bad, Bom,” Taeyeon said softly.

“You’re not in love with him,” Bom pointed out. “You’re not facing an impossible future tied to him but relegated to being a nobody in his life. Not that I would have ever acted this way, but I’m beginning to see why some women don’t tell the father of their baby that they’re pregnant.”

“You’re hurting now, but you did the right thing. You'll see. It'll work out, Bom. You have to believe it. Jiyong will come around. He’ll take one look at his child and be a complete goner.”

Bom raised her head from Taeyeon’s shoulder. “I hope you’re right.”

* * *

The next day, Bom rode into the city with Ryeo-wook and had him drop her off at her café.

She was getting so close to the grand-opening date, and as a result, her nerves were near to exploding.

All the paperwork was