“Who are you?” The woman in front of the door repeated again. This time with a smug on her face as she folded her arms around her upper body.

Hakyeon wondered why did she has to pretend when she knew well who he was. Hence why he only backed away, his hands went to his protruding stomach as if protecting his baby. He became overly conscious with her. His hands started shaking as Hakyeon tried to hug his body as tight as he could possibly do. “M-Maam…”

Before Hakyeon even got the word out of his mouth, she snickered. “Cha Hakyeon, I thought this is Young Master Jung’s villa..? What are you doing here?” She continued with her annoyingly sweet and soft voice, faking the politeness. “I thought I already got rid of you months ago.” She stated sternly.

Hakyeon gulped, eyes closing tight on its own as he felt his hearbeat picked up its pace. He was feeling glad for a moment as Jaehwan was not there to witness the event. Hakyeon would be too embarrassed to tell and explain himself. It would be very exhausting too to recall the bitter past.

“Mrs. Lee… have you been well?” He asked out of courtesy. After all, the woman standing in front of him was already old enough to be his mother. And she was Hongbin’s mother. The mother of his lover. Hakyeon would not dare to hurt her at all, let alone speaking ill of her. Hakyeon thought too highly of the woman just because Hongbin loved his mother that much. He would rather hurt himself than hurting the woman who gave birth Hongbin. The one reason that made it possible for him to meet Hongbin.

“Have I been well?” She mocked. “I’ve never been so well in my life ever since you left, Cha Hakyeon.” She said the name with so much venom in her voice. “That is until I saw your name in the hospital register. And what. 7 months pregnant?! That couldn’t be Hongbin’s right?!! That’s not supposed to be my son’s child!! I thought we have settled it long ago, that you won’t have anything to do with my son anymore?!” The woman was closed to screaming as she uttered those words to Hakyeon.

Hakyeon could only flinched as he tried his best to be calm and not let the fear to kick in. “Mrs. Lee… p-please… I.. I… I’m sorry.” Hakyeon stuttered as he searched for that one courage in himself to face the woman. “This… This is my baby, Mrs Lee...” Hakyeon forced out his voice to speak. “This is my baby…” Hakyeon explained the one thing he was sure about. The baby he carried was not anyone’s but his only. This is his baby.

Hongbin’s mother laughed mockingly. “What evil plan do you have in your mind now, Hakyeon?!” She yelled. “Now what?! I have to track you till I got here because I was worried for Hongbin!” She stopped only to step inside the house as Hakyeon kept on backing away. “Ah. I know. I know your plan Cha Hakyeon. With the baby you carry you think you can come crawling back to Hongbin and beg my son to be responsible and take him away from me again?! Right?! That was your plan all along!” She yelled again as she could only saw red. Her palms fisted, shaking on her side as she took in the slowly hunching figure in front of him.

Hakyeon was starting to panic. He was reminded of the night Hongbin left him. The night when he thought he would share the news of his pregnancy. The same woman had come knocking the door to their rented room. She yelled back then too, just like this time. And just like before, it left Hakyeon speechless and motionless. Hakyeon was too afraid and too cautious to make a move nor to speak. He was afraid he would hurt the old woman hence would only sparked her hatred more He tried his best contained it all in him for the sake of Hongbin’s mother. It was fine if it’s him, but not Hongbin, not everything Hongbin’s. Hakyeon loved Hongbin too much.

Hongbin’s mother became even more frustrated with Hakyeon’s silence. “Quiet again, Cha Hakyeon? Quiet because all that I’ve said is the truth isn’t it? Hm?! How disgusting it is! You disgust me Cha Hakyeon!” She continued uttering those words with much hatred. Hongbin was going to have a smooth sailing life if not for this pregnant man his son foolishly fell in love with. Money was never a problem as Hongbin’s father owned a chain of hospitals in the city. She always let Hongbin do what he loved. There was never a restriction on what Hongbin wanted to be. She made sure he was never forced to follow the footsteps of his father or his brothers to work in the medical field. Hongbin was accepted into the university he chose for himself. Hongbin chose his own major at the university. Everything was going so well and smooth for her beloved youngest son until Cha Hakyeon came.

Cha Hakyeon came and Hongbin decided he wanted to go against the nature. He wanted to love a man. He wanted to start a family with a man. He decided to elope with the man and Hongbin’s mother put all the blame on Hakyeon. Every misfortune was caused by Hakyeon. Hakyeon ruined everything. Hongbin was going to have a bright future ahead of him to be an economist, the first economist in his medically driven Lee’s family. Hongbin was going to make everyone proud and his mother was all determined to keep it that way hence she came barging in to their rented room that one day.

[Flashback]

Hongbin had a hard time that day. It was so stressful to meet up with deadlines while he needed to revise and prepare for tests. Then, he had a job to socialize with the people in the clubs he entered, just to keep a good connection and to make his resume to look good. Then, he needed to spend his time at hom