“Namjoo…”

She lowered her head again, “Every time I see you, I feel like we’ve been friends for ages, and I have the urge to tell you about all the hard things I’ve been going through.” Looking up at him she laughed with watery eyes. “I’m…pregnant.”

Everything around them seemed to disappear as reality dawned on him.  

“I’m just like Choonhee, right?” she asked almost bitterly. “Foolish.”

“Namjoo…then you can’t…”

“I’m going to serve my time. I want to get it over with,” Namjoo told him determined. “You…you’re a good person, Tao. I envy your home, you know.”

After a moment of silence she continued, “I’m going to leave the baby with Kai. Do you think, you can help him raise the child?”

He hated how Namjoo always came to him crying or pleading. She’d been scared the entire time with no where to turn and no one to go to.

His heart went out to her.

Nodding quickly he said as he hugged her, “I promise.”

\\\\\

Namjoo returned to sleep with Kai that night. As she lay on his arm and drifted off he lay there wide awake praying that tomorrow would not come. When she awoke she showered, dried and brushed her hair, and changed into the clothes she’d been wearing the day Hayoung discovered her.

Right from the beginning Namjoo had known the outcome wouldn’t be beautiful. Stealing Choonhee’s life and the men who surrounded her was her fault. She had committed a crime against Choonhee, her sister. If she thought about it that way, it didn’t sound so bad giving up two years of her life to repent for the sins committed.

Now as she walked out of the home to the officers waiting outside for her she didn’t feel scared anymore. In some way, she felt all the more braver. She had experienced a lot, had gone through an ordeal. After she walked out she would be scotch free, cleansed of the wrongs she’d done. Namjoo had waited so long for someone to help her take the burdens off her shoulders. Now she would be able to breathe again and live the way Kim Namjoo wanted to live. She would again, be Kim Namjoo. 

As she stepped outside she stared up at the rolling clouds and shining sun. Offering her hands she felt the cold metals click around her wrists and as they escorted her to the police vehicle waiting for her, she turned back to look at the home she once shared with Kai. Right now she knew, he would be staring out the window opposite the front courtyard. He had cried that morning, turning away from her when she awoke. But he would make it. He would become a successful person, so she wasn't worried. And then the house disappeared from view...  

It was finally over.

\\\\\

The knocking on the door had Hayoung rising from bed untidily. Brushing her hair back and tying it up into a ponytail she pulled the door open.

“What?” she greeted trying to rub the drowsiness out of her eyes.

“Good morning, Oh Hayoung,” Officer Lee Jae Hee greeted her. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to come to the police station with me.”

\\\\\

A week had gone by. Nanny Jung hovered around constantly fixing meals Kai barely finished before leaving for work or returning to his room to hide from the world. She might think him pitiful but he didn’t care. He missed Namjoo and seeing her around. Sometimes he took to sleeping in her room instead, hoping by that smelling the remnants of her it would bring her back.

He’d left everything the same and untouched as they were when Namjoo was last here, hoping that when she returned she would come back to him.

Walking into her room he the lights and looked around achingly. Stepping inside he ran his fingers over the walls and the table, recalling how he’d screamed at her after discovering her pregnancy. Only now he was starting to realize how difficult it had been for her.

Pulling open her closet he stared at her clothes gently touching the fabrics, wishing so much that he could see her wear the pretty things again. Turning around he stared around the room depressingly before his eyes landed on the drawer in the nightstand. Nearing it he paused and let his hand hover over the round knob then slowly as if to drag time, finally pulled it out.

The ultrascan sat inside, the only picture of the baby Namjoo had gotten. Tears rose in his eyes as he held it up and traced his finger over it. If Namjoo was sad, the baby would be sad. If she had a hard time, the baby would have a hard time. And he wondered how she was doing where she was. If she was eating well, if they’d found out she was pregnant yet.

The divorce papers had gone through and been finalized. He didn’t have the courage yet to go there and see her. His lawyer had told him that she looked happy when he last saw her and had told him not to worry, but that wasn’t enough news. He wanted Namjoo to tell him herself that she was doing well.

And Kai thought again, regrettably that things had become like this.

\\\\\

An anonymous tip, the anchorwoman had stated last night.

Something about it unsettled Tao’s subconsciousness a week after Namjoo had been admitted to Seoul County Court Jail. Following her was Hayoung, which concluded to Tao that between them only Sehun or Kai would have been the only one who had snitched on Namjoo.

Which one of them?

He was disturbed that this had happened to Namjoo, the pitiful girl. After work that weekend he finally made the trip to the home Kai had shared with Namjoo, learning that he hadn’t moved back home. The company was a mess, hounded daily by journalists and reporters. His family was in an uproar with the media in the economic world and probably wasn’t faring too well. Tao felt less for them than he did for a stray.

Punching the doorbell he waited patiently. Within a few minutes an old woman came to the door, looking beat and exhausted – not literally, but her eyes told him so.

“Is Kai home?” Tao wondered.

“And you are?”

“I’m a friend of Namjoo’s. Can I meet him?”

The woman gave him a once over then nodded. “Please wait here.”

As he was left alone there Tao looked around, wondering how Namjoo had felt living here. Had she felt like a prisoner? Had she been happy at all?

The door opened again and an upset Kai appeared, downtrodden. “What do you want?” he asked unkindly.

He looked like a mess, Tao honestly thought. Would a man who had snitched on Namjoo look like a mess? Logic told him no, but he needed to talk with him anyway.

“You,” Tao started, “was it you?”

“What nonsense are you talking about? I don’t have time for your crap. If this is all you have, please leave,” Kai began to shut the door in his face.

Quickly blocking it from closing, Tao pushed it open. “Namjoo asked me to help you look after her baby.” Seeing the surprise in Kai’s face Tao prodded on, “It wasn’t you who told the cops about Namjoo?”

“What are you talking about?” he hissed. “Do you think I would do that to my own wife?”

He had a point. “Alright.” Tao nodded then giving him a once over turned to walk away.

That was it, Tao reasoned. The only one who had given Namjoo away had to be Sehun.

\\\\\

Early Monday morning Tao arrived at the company and stood like a guard waiting for his arrival. There wouldn’t be time wasted. He wouldn’t wait or let that person who was living well live carefree while Namjoo rotted behind bars. It wasn’t right no matter how many times Tao thought of it. It was unfair to her.

When Sehun finally arrived Tao didn’t hold back and lunged right at him. Toppling him to the ground Tao accused, “Bastard!”

Fighting him off immediately Sehun shoved him away, “Do you want me to call the security on you? Leave!”

Tao caught his breath, growing angry and impatient when Sehun turned around to walk away. Dragging him back Tao snatched the collar of his shirt, “You’re shameless! How could you have done it?!”

He shoved Sehun back so hard the man stumbled back a few steps. Then dropping his briefcase tugged at his shirt fiercely before jumping forward at him. Grounding his feet into the ground Tao swung out his fist and taking his chance as Sehun skid back, swiftly pinned him down to the ground.

“You!” Tao screeched from the top of his lungs sitting on him with his weight. “Do you know what you did?!”

“No! And I don’t care!” Sehun spat up into his face.

Seething with rage Tao raised his fist again, oblivious to the people surrounding them, whispering among themselves.

“Punch me,” Sehun tempted. “Then I can pull a lawsuit against you. Do you think you can win against me?”

“You’re…pathetic…” Tao hissed getting off him. Rising to his feet driven into rage he wondered how Namjoo had last managed to smile when she saw him after going through what all these people had done to her.

Breathlesslly laughing, realizing how foolish really Namjoo was Tao turned to Sehun.

“You’re going to regret doing what you did, and for the rest of your life.” Tao hissed as Sehun stared back with hot narrowed eyes. “Congratulations, you just sent the woman carrying your child to prison.”

With one last haughty stare Tao turned to walk away having enough of this. After a few steps he could hear Sehun chasing after him dramatically before forcing him to spin around.

“What are you talking about?” Sehun’s eyes were stunned with utter shock. Then he screamed, “I said what are you talking about?!”

Shoving Sehun’s hand off him Tao stared into his eyes penetratingly and growled, “I’m not repeating myself.”

Turning to walk away he grabbed the helmet hanging off the bar of his motorcycle, slipped it on, climbed onto his bike, and rode off into the distance.

\\\\\

Pregnant? Impossible.

Sehun denied it, shook his head but for a long time it echoed in there. The seething anger Namjoo had left him with was now replaced with stunned disbelief. He didn’t want to belive it. He didn’t want to know it was true. But he was bothered because it was something he had wanted all along.

Cutting work early he drove off to the detention center, where he met the guards inside after signing the visitor’s form. He needed to hear from Namjoo herself that she was pregnant; that the baby was his. He needed her to tell him the truth.

“We’re sorry, she doesn’t want any visitors.” The guard explained to him.

“No, if you tell her who I am she’ll want to see me,” Sehun begged despairingly. “Oh Sehun, tell her Sehun came to see her. I need to see her. Please!”

The guard unsympathizingly shook his head. “We’re sorry, but we also have to follow the wishes of the individuals here. Come again next time.”

Standing there helpless, Sehun stared off into the winding hallways, desperate. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Namjoo…his child…

Outraged, he hurried out and hit the accelerator once he was in his car and sped down the road. He needed to lash out. He needed to blame someone.

He had been drinking that night. He’d been upset, so he’d done it on impulse because Namjoo had pissed him off. It wasn’t his fault. It was hers and those people who’d weighed her down.

The blinding rage continued to soar through him. Those people she went to were supposed to protect her! It wasn’t his fault!

Storming through the front steel door he ran up the steps to the house and repeatedly hit the doorbell impatiently until Kai appeared at the door. At the immediate sight of him Sehun snatched his shirt into his fist and pushed him into the home, knocking over table stands, a lamp and other miscellaneous collections, tripping Kai back madly.

“You were supposed to protect her!” Sehun cried out in anguish. “You said you have power, where is it?! Why didn’t you use it to protect her! Bastard!”

Lashing out he punched Kai into the wall, watching him slide down. Breathing heavily he watched Kai scoff before rising up to shove him back, pushing him over the couch where he toppled clumsily to the floor. Making his way around it Kai snatched his collars and shook him as he lay there on the ground.

“ you!” Kai swore into his face at the top of his lungs. “Who’s to blame? If you never ruined her, this would never have happened! She was happy with me, but you ruined it! You ruined everything, you took it all from her!”

Swinging a fist into his face Kai stood to his feat, breathing heavily enraged. Manically laughing with tears b his eyes Sehun turned away, looking like a crazed man. Then rising to his feet he shoved Kai back violently.

“You should have told me she was pregnant,” Sehun muttered infuriated. Shoving him again angrily, “I’m the father! I have the right to know! You should have told me!”

Pushing him back in turn until his shoulder ached Kai stared back menacingly, “Leave. Before I call the cops on you.”

The urge to slam his fist into Kai was so strong Sehun forced his fist to his side before turning to go. 

\\\\\

5 months later…

Being admitted was not as painful as Hayoung thought. Her sentence for violating the civil rights of Kim Namjoo wasn’t as long as she expected. Three years wasn’t too long but the days in prison sure went by slowly.

During that first year she barely got along with any of her cell mates. So far she’d only made one ally due to her stubborn nature. Using Namjoo to hide Choonhee’s death was her fault she knew, but she had been desperate when the friend suddenly disappeared and the phonecall came that something had happened. Truth in all, Choonhee had been as much of a leverage for her as she had been for both Kai and Sehun.

Now it didn’t matter anymore. She’d inherently known from the beginning she would lose the Lee’s favor. In the end, losing it didn’t hurt as much as she expected. The money in her bank would still be enough for her to recover and start over when she got out, but compared to Namjoo who had nowhere to go she deemed she was in a better state.

Only, that was when she finally spotted a pregnant Namjoo with a huge belly walking the courtyard. For a long while Hayoung simply stared, dumbfounded and thunderstruck. A kind of guilt washed over her with pity for the young woman struggling.

Hayoung barely turned to walk away, realizing she wouldn’t be able to face Namjoo. Then yet again, she was curious. Turning around she watched Namjoo grab the fence to hold herself up before walking toward her.

“Do you need help?” Hayoung asked and watched Namjoo turn to her with surprise.

Quickly looking away Namjoo refused, “No. I’m fine.”

Hayoung watched her hold her back to keep herself upright. “You don’t look alright.”

“I said I’m fine,” Namjoo gritted her teeth more defensively. “Please leave me alone.”

“I offered you my help,” Hayoung stubbornly tried to grab her arm.

“I said no!” Namjoo suddenly shrieked.

“Whoa! What’s going on over here?” a gruff woman of big build suddenly walked over then looked at Namjoo. “Is she bothering you?”

“N…no. I’m alright,” Namjoo’s eyes darted around. “It’s fine. Don’t worry.” The gruff woman gave Hayoung a glare before walking away with a warning. Hayoung scoffed after her before turning back to Namjoo.

A long moment of trepidation followed before Namjoo said, “We can sit over there.” Namjoo pointed to an area with shade and walked past Hayoung. She seemed offended when Hayoung extended a hand to help her sit down.

“What the heck,” Hayoung said sitting nearby then eyed her protruding belly. “Whose is it?”

“It’s Kai’s,” Namjoo determindedly stated.

Hayoung scoffed again, “Do you think I believe you?”

Namjoo frowned at her. “You can believe what you want. The child is Kai’s.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Hayoung asked.

Namjoo looked away. “It’s not your business.”

She looked angry and annoyed, obvious emotions regarding both her situation and pregnancy. Hayoung never minded it.

“Does Sehun know?” Hayoung asked.

“I said it’s Kai’s,” she mumbled.

“He’s been angry ever since you got married,” Hayoung admitted. “Did you find out about it after you got here or before?”

Namjoo refused to answer. Hayoung pressed her lips together. It was just like Namjoo to be stubborn with her.

“When you found out, you should have let Sehun know. It would have been hectic, but he would have done something nonetheless. Don’t you feel sorry for the baby?” Hayoung asked. “Being born in a prison. It’s not a beautiful story.”

Namjoo still refused to look at her.

Sighing, Hayoung stared up at the sky, “Sehun is such a jerk.” Then she glanced back at Namjoo, “If you were sad because we were getting married, you needn’t be. It was a mere show to get back at you. Sehun’s as brainless as his heart. When you get out, he’ll probably still be waiting for you.” 

***If you look at it from one perspective, Sehun and Kai are getting their punishment. Namjoo is their punishment for the things they did to Choonhee. Now they're both wallowing in guilt, sorrow, and despair as well as anger. And if you still hope Choonhee is out there somewhere, she's not. She's dead. They held no remorse over her, but they have every bit of feelings toward Namjoo. The things they did to Namjoo pushed her to the point where she was unhappy each day, and Kai felt it, he knew it. In this case, prison was her only way out of Choonhee's world. Sehun and Kai put her there. And now, they live with guilt.

***If you haven't figured it out, the only friend Choonhee really ever had was Tao. And thank you Tao for looking for the truth and slamming some sense into Sehun! And don't tell you don't know how Tao knew the baby was Sehun's. Obviously it was clear to him that Namjoo liked Sehun    

***How was it waiting a day or two for an update? xD I was busy cleaning up and painting my bedroom and babysitting so I had no time to log onto my laptop. Anyway, here we go! The Countdown to the finale!