“Are you going to answer that?” He wondered.

Namjoo caught sight of the familiar bag he was carrying. The lunch she had made was inside. Her heart did an excited flip confirming the fact that he really did eat her meal for lunch.

“It’s just a scam,” Namjoo lied pressing the hang up button. Her body swelled with anxiety afraid about what Seojun’s mom wanted with her. Before she had never had the audacity to refuse a call from her.

It would just end up being another disappointing meeting like the other night with Seojun. It was hard swallowing the uneasiness threatening to come up .

“Why are you waiting out here?” Jongin asked.

“I was going to call a cab,” Namjoo explained. “I left my car at work.”

“I can give you a ride,” Jongin offered.

“It’s ok,” Namjoo refused.

He took a step off the curb and urged, “Come on.”

Namjoo watched him start across the street toward the parking lot. Pressing her lips together she hurried after him.

“Sorry if I’ve been asking a lot from you,” Namjoo apologized.

“You’re not,” Jongin assured unlocking his car. “Get in.”

Sliding into the passenger’s seat Namjoo pulled the seatbelt over her. Leaning back, he placed the bag of his lunch on the backseat. Their eyes caught when he straightened into his seat.

Smiling nervously, he said, “I’m eating really good these days. I should thank you.”

Shy, Namjoo looked away. “I’m just returning the favor.”

“Favor?” Jongin repeated confused as he pulled out of the lot. “What favor?”

Namjoo wished she never started talking. Maybe it was all a one-sided assumption coming from her.

“Well, I mean,” Namjoo tried to wean her way out, “because you make dinner…you know.”

“Oh…” Jongin blinked. “I did that because I want to. I didn’t really expect anything in return. If I made you uncomfortable…”

“No!” Namjoo shook both of her hands. Her cheeks grew hot realizing how loud she had just spoken. Lowering her voice, she went on, “You didn’t. It was just me.”

Jongin smiled anyway. “I’d still like if you cooked. I usually run out to the restaurants nearby for lunch, but homemade is always healthier. It’s what my mom says.”

Namjoo managed a small smile wondering if they were talking too casually as if they were already acquainted friends.

“Then,” Jongin started, “if you want to return a favor, I could use a curtain in my house. I haven’t gotten the chance to go look for one. I saw you have a nice one at your place.”

“A curtain?” Namjoo repeated and quickly said in hopes of getting out of it, “You could find one at any store.”

“Then if I get one, will you help me put it up?” Jongin asked. “We’d be even then.”

Namjoo debated. It was her fault for bringing it up first. She would look bad if she refused. Plus, it was just a small favor and it wasn’t as if he was asking for much of her time. This should be ok, right?

“Sure,” Namjoo chirped.

Twisting away from the topic Namjoo gave him directions to her workplace when they reached the intersection. Just as he pulled up to the front of the building a cab drove up behind Jongin’s vehicle. Namjoo stepped out in time to meet up with Mina on the sidewalk. Biting the inside of her lower lip Namjoo watched the model sit down on the hood of Jongin’s running car with crossed arms. To show what she possessed. A gesture of confrontation, but Namjoo wasn’t quite sure about what.

“Well, hello,” Mina greeted when Jongin stepped out.

“Mina, get off,” Jongin barked.

Tapping a finger against her chin she eyed Namjoo coyly. “Is today the day we draw a line about where we each stand?”

Jongin frowned at the model.

Namjoo blinked then said, “Miss Ra, I think you’ve misunderstood.”

“Did I?” Mina raised her brows. Then pointing from her to Jongin, “But I just saw it right in front of my eyes. You coming out of his car.”

“Mina, stop it,” Jongin tried but she ignored him. Her eyes stubbornly set on Namjoo. One look and Namjoo could easily tell Mina was a very unhappy woman. Refusing to let her off the hook, because, what, Jongin was cheating?

“So, lets draw the line like you said we would,” Mina suggested quite bitterly but remained cool and composed. Unmoving from where she sat as if she was the one in control. “Stay one meter away from him. Don’t go in his house. Don’t ride in his car either. That’s my seat. I’m his girlfriend. You can come second to me.”

Yanking Mina’s arm he forced her to her feet. Looking at her he said, “Go inside. You’ll be late for work.”

Namjoo glanced at the unmistakable fury in Mina’s eyes then to red-faced Jongin. Trying not to think further about it she headed into the building.

֎֎֎֎֎

Goodness, Jongin had never felt so embarrassed before. He really wished Namjoo had never met Mina. Always aware how uncontrollable she could be. Even he couldn’t contain her.

“Why’d you let her go!” Mina surged toward the building, but Jongin refused to release her. Turning to him she yelled, “She had the guts to say she didn’t know you! And then I find her in your apartment! Then you’re driving her to work! She didn’t even deny it!”

“Mina!”

“I have to make this clear to her that you’re mine,” Mina struggled against him. Pulling and pulling to go after Namjoo.

“Stop it! Stop it!” Jongin ended up grabbing her other arm and shaking her. “Can you just calm down?!”

Huffing, Mina hissed before jerking away from him. “No, I won’t! I can’t!” Shoving him aggressively, she exclaimed, “You’re doing this to get back at me! Because I left you and went to Daejeon. Is this about that?!”

“Don’t jump to conclusions, Mina,” Jongin warned.

“If it’s not, what is it about?” Mina demanded wide-eyed. “If you’re using her to make me jealous, you won. You can stop with your needless charade, Jongin. I am tired of this.”

Jongin bit down on his teeth, his anger boiling over the top. “Don’t do this, Mina.”

“Then who is she?” Mina indignantly asked. “You’re so protective of her, it makes me sick.” Shoving him again, she said, “Who is she? Do you like her? Be straight up with me, Jongin, is she why you want to break up with me?”

He bit his tongue. Mina would blow if she ever knew Namjoo was pregnant with his baby. Stubborn as she was, she wasn’t taking his word for word. He really didn’t know what to do.

“I could like her, Mina,” Jongin defiantly stated, “but what would it have to do with you? I broke up with you. I’m a free man. If I want her, why should I let you stop me?”

Her face twisted with pure rage. “Say that again! Say it again!” she screamed pounding her fists into his chest.

Grabbing her wrist, he literally pushed her to the side. “Don’t be ridiculous, Mina.”

“You can’t do this to me!” Mina yelled teary-eyed.

“You know as well as I do that we’re over,” Jongin told, irritated. “If you hear me say I broke up with you because of her, would that satisfy you? No, it wouldn’t. Lets just leave it at that.” He glanced at the building then to her. “It doesn’t look good if you act up like this in a professional setting. If I were you, I would apologize for the sake of myself.”

֎֎֎֎֎

Mina stomped into the building with her nerves on fire. Rampaging. Needing to destroy everything in her way. What she wanted she would get. Everything that was hers would never belong to anyone else. She didn’t care what she had to do to get it.

“Mina, you’re here?” Another model called out. “Look, we also got free samples. Isn’t this great?!”

Hissing underneath her breath she stared about the room. The younger models were poring through their deliveries. All of them glowing exquisitely. Jongin said she would never match up? She would show him. Just how gorgeous she could be on the walkway. Ra Mina would stir his emotions so hard that he’d want her again.

But before that…

“I heard a rumor that the assistant manager is a man snatcher,” Mina said then appeared teary-eyed. “A friend caught of mine caught her boyfriend making out with her.” Sniffing, “And this morning I caught her in the act with my boyfriend. If you have a boyfriend, don’t ever let her see him.” Letting her voice drop, Mina pretended to wipe a tear, “She’s just so conniving.”

“What? Are you serious?!” The model’s eyes went wide.

“Why would I lie about it?” Mina asked hurt. “I am so upset how am I going to work today?”

“Calm down, Mina…” the friend half hugged her comfortingly then gasped. “Is that her you’re talking about?”

Mina peered over her shoulder in time to see Namjoo walking into the office with another employee. Her insides coiled. So concentrated that Namjoo hadn’t even glanced her way once. Acting so highly after what happened outside.

Mina’s heart burned. Jealousy gnawed her as she remembered Namjoo opening Jongin’s door. When she thought of that woman in Jongin’s bed. The thought of Jongin ever being nice to her. Even giving her a ride to work.

And they were neighbors?!

It made her even angrier. Her nerves twisted so hard all she could see was Jongin and that woman being intimate.

“I’m a free man. If I want her, why should I let you stop me?”

That was it. Mina couldn’t control herself anymore.

“!” Charging toward Namjoo she grabbed her long strands and tugged so hard Namjoo’s head snapped to the side with a yelp. “It’s because of you! It’s all your fault Jongin wants to leave me! How dare you seduce him! He was mine! He’s always been mine!”

Chaos elevated around them as both models and employees jumped in to pull them apart, but Mina couldn’t let go. She couldn’t lose.

She wouldn’t lose the man she loved most.

֎֎֎֎֎

Mina had shoved her so hard she had knocked her into the wall. Her long nails had scraped her face not once but twice in the struggle.

Namjoo sighed as she tried to untangle her hair in the bathroom. The models had been escorted out. The building was sopping with silence and gossip.

Had she really cheated? she heard them whisper. What about her fiancé? Isn’t she getting married soon?

Releasing another sigh, she touched her abdomen hoping the impact wasn’t so hard that she needed to go to the hospital again. Glancing at the red lines by her jawline she wondered why this was happening to her.

Walking out of the restroom she started toward her office. Passing by a couple of curious eyes. What Mina had started wouldn’t die down for a few days. God, Namjoo wanted to bury herself.

She hadn’t stolen Jongin. She wasn’t even going after him. Never asking for his attention. They didn’t even like each other! This was all nonsense!

All she had done…was sleep with him. Just once.

Closing the door to her office she sunk down into her chair and buried her face into her hands. God, what a mess. So Jongin had cheated on his girlfriend? They had broken up he said. Because of her? Namjoo shook her head. It couldn’t be. It didn’t make sense that it was because of her. Jongin didn’t know the baby was his. She had already told him no!

Her head was spinning. She was so confused. Unable to understand anything. Too many things were happening around her. Couldn’t she just have this baby in peace?

Namjoo lifted her head when her desk phone rang. It was the receptionist in the lobby.

“There’s a woman asking for you. What should I do?”

Leaving her office, she went downstairs not knowing who to expect. Her day had already started on the wrong foot. Hopefully this woman had come looking for the wrong person.

The elevator doors opened and she stepped out. Taking a deep breath to relax herself. This couldn’t be any worse than the cat fight with Mina. Calmly walking toward the lobby Namjoo put on a smile to greet her guest. That smile slowly faded when she recognized the woolen gray jacket and Coach purse hanging off the woman’s arm.

Sensing her, Seojun’s mother turned with bright red lips. “Namjoo. Why I had to come all the way here to see you.” Stepping toward her she said, “I called you this morning. You must have been busy.”

A chill ran down Namjoo’s body. Momentarily frozen in spot, Namjoo couldn’t get her brain to run. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t happening!

“It was very important I talk to you today. Should we go sit in the lounge? Or if you don’t mind, I saw that there’s a café nearby.”

“Yes,” Namjoo nodded her head stiffly.

Seojun’s parents were well off, which made him an even better candidate as her husband. His mother owned a rather lavish boutique that started from selling local clothes to now bigger brands. His father was a bank director. Two good looking parents and a perfect son in all one package.

Now Namjoo’s hands were going clammy again as she sat at the table waiting for the waitress to get them their tea. Seojun’s mother was a pretty fashionable person herself. Even going as far as going through Seojun’s closet and choose an outfit for him. She loved makeup, always preening when Namjoo brought her samples. She was a fine woman who loved beauty.

Namjoo was starting to question why the woman had accepted her as a daughter-in-law, soon to be Seojun’s ex.

Two steaming floral teacups arrived and the waitress left them plastered under the sunlight pouring in from the side window a table away. An overhead stereo flooded the tiny building with complimentary Indie music. Making Namjoo wish she was in bed.

“I’m sorry I missed your call, mother,” Namjoo apologized.

“I am sure you are busy,” she smiled then added with a rather accusatory tone, “as you always are.”

Looking away, Namjoo grabbed her tea and took a hasty sip burning her tongue in the process. Setting the teacup back down she resorted to placing her hands on her lap.

“Have you spoken to my son recently?” The woman wondered. “He’s been drinking these past few days. I often find him drunk when I go to visit him. If you two are having a hard time, maybe it’s best not to talk about the wedding at all.”

“I didn’t know,” Namjoo quietly replied.

“Look here, my husband and I raised Seojun freely. To be successful, to be a happy man. We were ecstatic when he wanted to marry you,” the woman lectured. “And then what? When everything is so close to the wedding date, he wants to move the wedding to next year?”

“I’m sorry, mother,” Namjoo apologized.

“You are so selfish,” his mother blamed. “Seojun denied a promotion because he wanted to settle down to become a family man, and suddenly only your work matters? How could you do this to him?”

“I’m sorry,” Namjoo apologized again.

“You two are acting so immature. Yet here you are, only thinking about yourself. What about my son’s future?” Seojun’s mother went on, upset. “A woman should learn to step back and let the man’s ambition grow. My son is so foolish that he loves you so much he’d even lose out for you. This is ridiculous.”

Nodding again, she apologized because she didn’t know what else to say.

Deeply sighing, “Seojun has told you about the dinner this weekend?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Straightening, she held her head high and said, “Come and say that you will quit your job. The wedding will proceed on time as planned.”

Namjoo’s eyes inched wider. “Mother, no!”

“What did you say?” The woman demanded. “How dare you refuse! I am your elder!”

Namjoo helplessly felt open speechless.

“Do you know how many relatives we are inviting?! How many aunts and uncles from my husband’s side?! How humiliating that we’re holding off the wedding for you to further your career!” The woman raised her voice. “Does my son mean nothing to you?!”

“No, mother. That’s not what I mean,” Namjoo frantically shook her head.

“Then you will do as I say,” the woman sternly ordered. “My husband will expect to hear the same when you come to dinner on Saturday. I will accept nothing less from you.” Getting up she said, “I will take care of the bill.”

As the door closed behind her, Namjoo raced to the bathroom to throw up that morning’s breakfast.

***What a mess