The
Meeting

"They took Jihae.." Chanyeol repeated quietly. 
Baekhyun's heart dropped to his stomach and the words got imprinted in his brains. 
"No... You're lying.. Please tell me you're lying," Baekhyun said shakily. 
Chanyeol shook his head ever so slightly that it was almost unnoticable, but Baekhyun knew that he was serious. 
"Sera is claiming custody over Jihae..." Chanyeol whispered. 
Baekhyun had never felt angrier than now. 

"How.. How dare she even think of suddenly re-entering Jihae's life?!" Baekhyun shouted and slammed his palm against the wooden desk in anger. 
He couldn't believe that Sera would even think of something like this. 
Cold sweat droplets formed in his neck when he thought about the contract she offered him and he began to think it was his fault. 

Maybe I should've just signed.. What if she did it because of me?

"I've been running around all afternoon to get her back but they refused.. They made Jihae stay with my sister and neither of us are allowed to see her. Not me, not Sera not even Assistant Byun is allowed to see her either until the court hearing," Chanyeol explained in frustration and ran his hand through his hair. 
"Is there anything we can do, Chanyeol?" Junmyeon asked, just as furious as Baekhyun and Chanyeol. 
Junmyeon was one of the very few people who knew the truth of Jihae and their marriage, of course. Junmyeon had been best friends with Chanyeol since high school so it's only a given he knows everything. 

"Try and find out why that woman is trying to meddle in Jihae's life.. Assistant Byun, schedule a meeting with her for tomorrow as early as possible. I don't care what you'll have to cancel or reschedule, this is more important," Chanyeol said and balled his hand into a fist. 

"I'll do my up most best! I'll call you immediately when I find something important," Junmyeon said before leaving the office. 

Baekhyun nervously fiddled with his thumbs. 
How was he supposed to bring it up after his daughter was pretty much taken away from him? 

No, this is important, too. It might be a cause.

"I- I know it's awful timing, but I have something important to discuss with you," Baekhyun started off hesitantly and waited for Chanyeol to allow him to continue. 
"What is it? Does it have to do with the meeting you had this morning?" Chanyeol asked and Baekhyun nodded. 
"But before I begin about that, I'll have to tell this first. I wish I could postpone this but it's important," Baekhyun started off and took in a heavy breath before typing in the url he frowned upon so much on his phone screen. 

"That's me. It's a modelling blog I had when I was seventeen," Baekhyun sat down besides Chanyeol and showed him the photos from his teen years. 
"You still look the same, but a little more muscular," Chanyeol chuckled with a small smile. 
"Yeah.. I had a large following for that time and I got extremely popular and admired in my high school," Baekhyun said with a bitter-sweet tone in his voice. 

"Though I wish I had never started this blog. It got to my head and I started doing so many stuff seventeen year olds shouldn't be doing. If it wasn't for Jongdae who forced me to go home from a party because I was drinking way too much, I wouldn't even be here. Maybe I would've been scouted and an absolute alcoholic, or I'd be dead," Baekhyun said with embarrassment in his voice.
He wished he could do his high school years over, because this was something he'd never be proud of.
"I discontinued the blog when I was nineteen, mainly because I didn't want to go down the wrong road again but also because I was starting college. And then I moved on from it. Never even once thought about it again unless people recognized me," Baekhyun continued. 

"I met Sera, this morning. She wanted to see me," Baekhyun said, deciding to just spit it out when he still could. 
"What? What did she ask of you?" Chanyeol immediately asked, furrowing his brows in frustration with Sera. 
"She.. She was one of my followers back then. She showed her agency my blog and is trying to get me to sign with them. They even leaked it to the public," he said and showed the articles about him. 

"Jesus Christ.. Did she threaten you to sign?" he asked and Baekhyun watched Chanyeol's knuckles turn white again from anger. 
"Sort of.. She said that she'd leak my decision to the public too if I insisted on denying. I don't know what to do.. I have such bad memories from this but what if my decision has something to do with it? What if it's my fault she's taking Jihae away from you?" Baekhyun faltered and started to tear up out of guilt. 
He felt horrible and selfish for declining Sera's offer because he couldn't get the thought of his head that it was his fault. 

"Hey, hey, calm down. It's not your fault for not wanting to go back into the disgusting industry of modelling. This is your choice. If you want to sign it I won't get in between it, nor will I get inbetween your business if you choose not to. You have valid reasons for both occasions, never forget that. I will never blame you for this," Chanyeol reassured and carefully wrapped his arms around Baekhyun, hugging him closely. 
"I'm sorry for my past.. I'm ruining everything.." Baekhyun sobbed quietly. 

"Don't say that. Your past made you who you are today," Chanyeol said while carefully wiping away the tears with a soft smile. 
"It's my fault.. Mr. Park.. I should've just signed.." Baekhyun said while lowering his head with guilt, not daring to look at the man he felt like he had disappointed so deeply. 
"Look at me," Chanyeol said sternly and Baekhyun hesitantly obeyed. 

"It is not your fault. You didn't know this would happen," Chanyeol repeated once more to Baekhyun. 
"How can I not feel guilty, Mr. Park? Her entire existence is manipulative and even I have fallen victim to it. I.. I feel responsible.." he muttered and averted his gaze. 
"If you're going to do it, d