“Go back to school.” He said simply but with conviction, like he was passing a judgment after a lengthy deliberation.

There was pin drop silence as the three people sitting before him looked at Choi Young Do as if he had just declared that he was an alien. Lee Bo Na had a an expression like she was only half sure that Choi Young Do was pulling her leg, Chan-young looked anxious, as if he was waiting for something more from him and Cha Eun Sang was intently scrutinizing Young Do’s face, clearly skeptical of his simple demand. Choi Young Do waited for his demand…or condition…. to sink into his audience before he explained any further. Lee Bo Na’s patience snapped first.

“What do you mean? Cha Eun Sang has to go back to ‘school’? Is this an insult? Are you saying she is not smart enough?”

Chan-young placed a hand on her thigh and butted in, “I think he wants her to resume her studies. Right?” He looked at Choi Young Do for affirmation.

Choi Young Do nodded his head sincerely.

Cha Eun Sang spoke like she barely comprehended, “To study what?”

Choi Young Do spoke with assuredness of an experienced senior. “To study Business Management. Start small. Sign up for a few basic classes like accounting, business strategies, finance management, asset management etc. Wouldn’t hurt to learn Mandarin and English as well.”

Cha Eun Sang looked like he was speaking Hebrew. She shook her head and asked to make sure that she had not misheard him.

“So what you are saying is that if I study business management then you will tell hyung that you will help Mr. Yoon and me, keep the company together till he returns from abroad?”

Choi Young Do sighed like he was exasperated from dealing with slow people. He enunciated clearly, so that his intentions were crystal clear.

“I will not lie. I will indeed help you. Just like before, if you need my advice, opinion, resources or just as a sounding board, I will be there. But only if I see you learning the skills necessary on your own too. No more sitting at home waiting for a phone call. You have to start going to the office. Get your hands dirty. Learn and apply on the job. Like everybody does, like I did.”

A simple enough, in fact downright sensible and well-meaning, advice coming from a friend. But the hitch, Cha Eun Sang realized, was that it was coming from Choi Young Do.

She leaned forward and asked suspiciously, “What’s the catch?”

Choi Young Do wanted to laugh aloud. Yep! That’s what you get for trying to help undeserving people. Suspicion and distrust. Well, if she thought he had an ulterior motive, then he would play his villainous part to the hilt. Though his original suggestion had been just a pragmatic, spur of the moment decision, he felt his old wounds seep out a little blood that reached his eyes. He sometimes wondered if his wounds would ever heal. Her skepticism about him and his bitterness about her, lay so close to the surface that even a faint pressure on the civility of their exchanges, brought them to blows.

Choi Young Do leaned forward to look into her eyes and let his eyes glow with an evil glint.

“I get to call the shots. I decide where you go to study, which classes you sign up for and I decide, if you are studying….shall we say….effectively enough. Not to mention that I will speak to hyung and Mr. Yoon to make sure that they do not give you a fluff designation. You are going to work at Jeguk, for real. Make no mistake about it.” He finished with a smile that suited a predator rather than a friend.

Cha Eun Sang knew those eyes. Those eyes had haunted her once, making her life miserable. But as usual she did not understand his warped ideas of wrecking torment on others. As much as everybody had hated Choi Young Do, not many people understood the logic of or could predict his next move that was to bring grief to his victims.

Cha Eun Sang had to set the boundaries, even though it was rather late. What would be obvious to others would go unnoticed by Choi Young Do because he was that nearsighted when it came to his selfish agenda. Collateral damages meant nothing to him.

“I do have Sunny and Omoni to take care of. I can’t just do things as you dictate.”

The counterargument from Choi Young Do came without a moment’s pause.

“Millions of women out there have family and jobs that they juggle every day. Most of them do not even have access to the kind of back up support and resources that you have. You can manage it perfectly. That is if you want to. Or is it that being a chaebol daughter-in-law has become too comfortable a habit to kick?”

With lightning speed, Lee Bo Na reached out and smacked Choi Young Do’s shoulder and glared when he merely turned to give her an irritated look. Yoon Chan-young gritted his teeth but before he could say anything, Cha Eun Sang reached out to place her hand on his knee to keep him from speaking. Exhaling in frustration, Chan-young held his tongue and patted the death grip on his knee in empathy. The simple wordless communication between the two old friends did not escape Choi Young Do’s notice and only served to fan the flame of jealousy in his heart. His eyes hardened with renewed anger.

Cha Eun Sang fought the wave of tears that threatened to rob her of her composure. She kept telling herself that this was expected from Choi Young Do. She drew on the kindness and encouragement that Chan-young tried to infuse into her with his touch. She was glad that she had the forethought to have a game plan in place with his help before they had opened the discussion with Choi Young Do. They had promised to help each other keep the discussion on track and extract Choi Young Do’s promise of help at any cost. She finally felt confident enough to confront Choi Young Do’s stare.

“Ok. Let’s do that. I agree. We can discuss the details later. Where and when etc. All I need to know now is when are you going to talk to hyung about this? Chan-young will go back by the end of the week. He needs to arrange everything as soon as possible. I believe hyung will take a few days to set up everything before he leaves too. So, the sooner the better. Tomorrow? Can you come and talk to him tomorrow? We can all be there….Mr. Yoon as well. Just convince him. That’s all I ask. Please.” The tears threatened again and her voice cracked.

Choi Young Do felt exhausted. Holding a grudge and wielding a war with somebody you also cared deeply about can be so. Or perhaps he was just a bit moved by the desperation in her voice. He finished his wine in a long swig and took out his phone.

“Tomorrow…..” he checked his schedule on his phone, “around 10 A.M.” He did not even look up to see if everybody else agreed. He was busy typing a text to his secretary to notify the change in his appointments.

He, however, did notice the small look of relief that passed between Cha Eun Sang and Chan-young, who got up together and proceeded to the kitchen. But first, Chan-young stopped to bend down and kiss the top of his girlfriend’s head, who was sporting a massive disapproving frown on her forehead, biting her thumbnail in frustration and shooting laser beam glares at Choi Young Do. As Choi Young Do put his phone way, he saw, how instantaneously, Lee Bo Na melted into the gesture. She leaned back, her body posture relaxed as she tilted her head back to look into her boyfriend’s eyes and smiled softly.

But as soon as he was out of the earshot, she straightened her back and sniped at Choi Young Do.

“What is your problem? Why are you so cruel and crabby? Isn’t it enough that she is lonely and troubled? Why do you have to humiliate her? Cheap shot.” Her face expressed her disgust.

But before Choi Young Do could reply, Cha Eun Sang called them to the dinner table and the next ten minutes could have fooled anybody into believing that the previous acrimonious discussion had never taken place. Choi Young Do observed and listened as Lee Bo Na, out of habit and Chan-young and Cha Eun Sang, due to some secret understanding that took place in the kitchen, kept up a flow of easy dining table conversation. His wine glass was filled dutifully by Cha Eun Sang but she refused to meet his eyes.

It seemed that the trio had such confidence in their plan that they proceeded to discuss how they were going arrange everything once Kim Won reached USA. Cha Eun Sang sincerely thanked Lee Bo Na and Chan-young for their help and the trouble they were willing to put themselves through for Kim Won, which ear