Bae Joohyun

"Healthy and in a good condition to be pregnant ?" My mother in law asks me as she reads the result sent by Doctor Choi via email. She is reading my checkup result through her handphone and looks at me with her fierce eyes. Doctor Choi is our family's doctor and my mother in law will get all the results by email everytime any of us went to see her. 

"Y-Yes, Eomonim. I had done full checkup yesterday and was told that I am in a good condition." I tell her not daring to look at her right now. She is looking at me like she wants to eat me. I flinch a little bit when she puts her phone in the coffee table with a thud.

"Then, why aren't you pregnant yet ?" She asks while folding her arms to her chest. Does she think I can straightly get pregnant after doing checkup ? We are in her home office. Just the two of us and my husband is not here. I got a goosebump whenever she calls me into her home office.

"Doctor Choi told me that all I do is keep trying and be patient." I tell her but I once again flinch in shock when she opens .

"Are you trying to teach me now, Bae Joohyun ?" 

She does not raise her voice but the tone that she used makes me flinched in shock. She is looking at me with her arms crossed.

"No, Eomonim. I am sorry." I apologise with a bow. I hear a 'tsk' sound from my mother in law but I do not have any courage to lift my head.

"I am going to schedule treatment sessions for you with Doctor Choi. You must attend all the sessions." She says taking her phone right away probably making an appointment with our doctor. Do I have any options to decline?  No. 

"I understand, Eomonim." 

"I am giving you a period of six months and within six months if you have yet to get pregnant, I will ask my son to marry another woman who can bear his child normally." My mother in law tells me making I lift my head immediately. She purposely says the word 'normally' a little bit louder. 

"E-Eomonim." I shut my mouth up when my mother in law lifts her head. She is not serious right ? But knowing my mother in law, she can be serious with her words. 

"What ? You cannot get pregnant in a normal way. We are going to do an IVF. Two years is such a long time for you to get pregnant and I do not want to make it three years. Our business partners and our family members keep asking us about an heir. I do not want them to think I have a barren daughter in law." She says and to be honest it leaves me with a 'pang'. I am not barren. I have checked with our doctor. I am not.

Honestly, getting pregnant in six months is ridiculous. I mean with this stressful environment, is it possible for a woman to conceive ? Why do they always blame the women when they cannot bear a baby ? It is not 100% their fault though.

***

"Hey, what's up with that face ?" I look at my friend, Tiffany when she asks me. I went out for a coffee date with my friend after the charity program has ended. Both my parents in law are out of the country right now and my mother in law reminded me to attend the charity event on behalf of her. Luckily the event ended earlier and I could have my own time with my best friend.

"Nothing" I muffle and take a sip of my Caramel Macchiato. I put my drinks on the table pressing my lips into a thin line as I heave a sigh. 

"Yah! What's wrong ? Tell me." Tiffany nudges me with her legs. She raises her eye brows when I look at her with a blank mind. Tiffany is my best friend since high school days and we have been friends for more than 10 years. She is from the US and went to Korea when she was 13 years old. She is the closest friend that I have.

Just I am about to talk, Tiffany's phone rings indicating an incoming call. She looks at her phone and rejects the call only to earn a look from me.

"Why did you reject ? Who knows it is an important call ?" I ask but she shakes her head with a smile.

"It is not that important. I can call the caller back after this." She says. 

"Fany." I call her when I realize something. She hums while cuting the cake into small pieces and spoons herself.

"Are you free this weekend ? Oppa is going to Japan and I am alone." I tell her. My husband is going to Japan tomorrow and will leave me alone in Korea. I cannot complain about that or else my mother in law will nag at me. She said I should understand my husband. He is the heir of their company.

"Oh my God. I am sorry. I already have plan this upcoming weekend. But if you want, I will cancel the plan."

"No. No. It is okay. I was just asking you though." I assure her with a smile. Sighs. I am going to be alone again this weekend. If you ask me whether I am happy or not with my life, I would say I am not. I am not going to lie. My dream is to earn money by myself once I graduated from university. Am I stupid because I chose love instead of my dream ? 

I do not want to waste my degree doing nothing. I know other women would say I should be thankful that I am married to a rich man. I do not need to work like they do. But little did they know, I want to work, I want to have friends like others.

One more thing, I once suggested to my husband if we could live in our own house or apartment but we ended up with a big fight as he said that I did not like my mother in law. I only want our own privacy. 

I do not know why but my mother in law seems like she does not like seeing my husband and I together. We only have our own time in our bedroom and she will call him leaving me alone in the room. 

It has been a few times since I noticed this.

***

"Oppa." I call my husband making he lifts his head from looking at his laptop. He looks at me with a surprise expression and I do not know whether it is a good sign or not.

"Yeobo, why you did not inform me ?" He asks and I swear I am kind of hurt a little bit. Do I need to ask for his permission to come to his office ? Yes or No ?

"Why ? Do I need to make an appointment to meet my husband ?" I ask slightly hurt. He then shakes his head and stands up before making his way to me.

"No. I am sorry.  What if you come here when I am not around ?" He asks me but I only give him a stare not wanting to open my mouth at all. I bite my lips and lift my wrist to check on the time.

"I thought of having lunch with you but if you are busy, it is okay. Let's just meet tonight for dinner at home." I say and get ready to leave before my husband reaches for my arm. I thought I could have my own time with my husband when my scary mother in law is not around but I guess I am wrong ?

"L-Let's go for lunch."  

***

"Oppa, I will start my treatment tomorrow." I tell husband a night before my treatment is scheduled. We are getting ready to sleep and I forgot I have yet to inform my husband.

I was told by the doctor to regularly monitor my fertility before the treatment begins and seems like this week is the perfect week. 

"Oh really ? But you can go alone right ? I need to attend a conference tomorrow." He informs as he plays with the video game. He does not notice the changes of my face. Seriously. I really hope to hear that he would be there accompanying me. Since my mother in law is not around, I thought of dragging my husband to the hospital with me. 

"But Oppa, they need yours too. How do they perform the IVF without your presence ?" I ask slightly getting annoyed. He does not react to my question until I heave a sigh making he stops playing with the game. Why can't he cooperate with me in getting a child? 

"Okay. Okay. I will drop by the hospital tomorrow." He quickly cuts it off not wanting me to nag and continues playing with the stupid games.

But I am frowning the next morning when my husband told me he is going to Busan for an emergency meeting. Also, I think today is my bad day when my parents in law arrived home this morning.

The three of them are going to attend a meeting in Busan and this means I will be alone for two days.

Also, I will be attending the treatment session on my own without