“What’s up with you and goddesses?”

“Well, hello mrs Hirai Chaeyoung, it is lovely to see you today. I’m rather well, thank you for asking.” Jihyo says bitterly, maybe too bitter?!

“Alright, did something happen?” Chaeyoung looks at Momo who was getting into the passenger’s seat.

“Your period shouldn’t start for another two weeks, this can’t be PMS, and I know you had a good day today.” Momo questions, she knew they had synched back in college and never fell out of it since.

“It’s not that, but now that you mention it….” Jihyo starts thinking deeply about something, her older friend seemed to have guessed.

“Wait, you’re pregnant again, aren’t you?” The other nurse isn’t really asking.

“I can’t be. After Jinyoung it should be very difficult.”

“You, my dear, have two deities in your house. One of those grants your daughter each and every wish the girl might come up with.” Chaeyoung says, a wide smile. “Do you really think Sana couldn’t have asked for a little sibling? Especially being with Mina and Jackson all the time?”

“It’s not out of the realm of possibilities.” Jihyo ponders. “I should get some tests at the pharmacy, though. There is one beside the supermarket, and looks like we have one more goddess now, so I need to get more food.”

“Are you a sleeping goddess or something? How come you attract so many deities?” The photographer aks, genuinely intrigued.

“Maybe I am, Chae. We’ll know at some point.” The younger nurse chuckles.

The three fall into easy conversation, Momo and Chaeyoung very excited at the possibility of being aunties again, Jihyo slightly worried (she had been since the misscarriage) but also happy to have the chance to try for another child again. 

On another part of town, a war was bubbling up, and Nayeon was the one stirring the pot. Dahyun was the supportive wife as always, and Jackson was already helping his younger mother draw a contingency plan, unofficially, that is, none really wanted Nayeon to know her mother had been trying to kill her for years already. Not that anyone really liked old lady Im (not even little Mina enjoyed her time with her grandmother), but it looked better for the board when Jackson was the one coordinating his mother’s protection operations, and not Nayeon up her own mother’s throat.

Im Nayeon wasn’t a fool, nor was she blind, don’t get her wrong, she knew exactly what was happening, and she also knew the board used to eat in her father’s palm, but despised her mother, the woman showed them time and again that she couldn’t be trusted with the future of the company or she would drive it downhill headfirst. Everyone was a bit skeptical when the youngest Im was announced the heir, they knew there was an older son, but nobody could find a single trace of the young man anywhere, and she had to grit her teeth and grind through those torturous few years.

Jaebum had been exceptional and trained from childhood to be the perfect businessman, he knew the company inside out, and had been raised and educated to take over and lead them to an even greater success. Nayeon had been raised to help her brother, but was shielded from the inhuman part of the business world until the Imcident, she couldn’t blame anyone but herself, really, she was naive and spoiled, never had known any of the truths and horrors lurking just beneath the surface. It was only when she was faced with them that she understood the true love and dedication her brother had put into raising her, and felt like the worst woman alive.

There was only one thing going through Nayeon’s mind after that, she was set on taking over everything her father had built, shutting old lady Im out for good and winning over the entire board so she could return to her brother everything she had taken. She started from the bottom, hand picking each and every employee to work for her company, making sure none of the old directors would notice. She switched all the employees she didn’t trust, except the ones who worked for her mother directly, not drawing attention was crucial. 

A few weeks prior the last member of the board of directors had stepped down and placed his daughter on his previous chair as the director of foregin affairs. A young woman fresh out of college, Kim So Jung, a tall and bright beauty but, most importantly, Nayeon’s junior who had a deep friendship with the woman even before they got involved with their parents’ businesses. With that, the young Im had the trust and loyalty from each and every employee in her company, her mother’s goons had been chased out long before, and Jackson had been keeping a close eye on their activities.

This was the main reason for old lady Im’s erratic visits, she had lost her eyes in the company and had started to panic a little, making herself even more sloppy than she already was, and everybody was seeing it, Dahyun may or may not have had something to do with that, not that she would ever admit to anything. And it was time to start giving back to Jaebum, the man had gone through enough and was the heir to all of it, even if he would outright deny everything when asked. He was a Park now, not an Im, and wanted nothing from the people who hurt him so deeply, who tried to hurt his wife so badly, who he would never allow to get close to his daughter even if he would lose his life in the process.

“So, tell us, Yeonnie. Why are we here and why did you message our private numbers for this?” Jungkook, one of the few who were already comfortable enough to talk to Nayeon as an equal not as his boss.

“First off, you, Kookie! I know we still have a few members who aren’t that comfortable with me, but I’m not about to let you pretend to be cool talking to me like I’m a brat, because anyone here can do that and they will find out soon enough.” Nayeon bites back, no real malice behind her words, just the playfulness in calling out her friend.

“And here I thought Jungkook was cool for a second there.” Hwang Eunbi, the finance director decides to join in.

“See? That’s why I say you are all a bunch of losers.” Kim Jisoo, marketing director, she likes to pretend to be cool and down with the kids. And that’s exactly what she is called out on.

“Oh, come on, Chae. We all know you like to sleep in those ‘very badass’ animal onesies.” Nayeon mocks back. “And don’t even try to tell us it’s because of Lisa, nobody is believing you.”

The woman just huffs and sulks in her chair, the playful banter goes on for a while longer, they were friends, and Nayeon needed them very relaxed for what she was about to ask them. She knew none would really disagree with her decision, she had been talking about it for long enough, and it was only fair.

“Are you going to tell us what you wanted to talk about, or do we keep wasting precious sleep time?” Sowon decides it’s time to get to business. “You didn’t call us all over in secrecy to play around.”

“You all know me too well.” Nayeon concedes, not like she could back out now anyways. “So, you know how I’ve been trying to get my parents’ influence out of this company from the day I set foot here, right?”

“Not like your mother ever had any to begin with, but we know what you are trying to say.” Jungkook chimes in, met with hums of agreement.

“So, we have finally took over for our parents, and I’m here to ask for your permission to make things right.” 

“You don’t have to ask us if you can give your brother what was taken from him.” Gong Minzy, HR director, she had taken her father’s place even before Nayeon had joined. A silent woman with a deadly tongue. “We all know how that eats you alive every day, and nobody here is against it. We know Jaebum is likely to refuse anything from this company, but you are free to try as you wish.”

“And you want to leave something for your niece, even if that means you’ll have to go over him for that.” Chaeyoung cuts in before Nayeon could speak. “Just go on and do what you have to do, Yeonnie. If he agrees to come in, we will welcome his skillset, if not, you do what you can to make amends with him.”

“Thank you.” Nayeon can’t hold back any longer and starts sobbing away. “Thank you.”

The board of directors, Nayeon’s friends,take turns to hug her and slip away silently, leaving Dahyun who had just arrived to care for her mess of a wife. It was definitely a great day, until the pale rapper-wannabe dropped the bomb.

“Yeonnie, hun, I know you are very happy, and I would love if you could keep that energy.”

“Alright, why do I feel like you have awful news for me?”

“Because I do.”

“Let me go to the bathroom and fix myself a little, then you can tell me.”

Dahyun just kisses her wife’s forehead and makes herself comfortable on a chair to wait for her. It didn’t really take long, the woman still looked like a mess, but what else was new. Better to just come out and say it, she would need to know anyways, and they wouldn’t be able to take care of things by themselves this time, despite their best efforts.

“Okay, I’m decent.” Nayeon says as she sits beside her wife.

“Oh, honey.” Dahyun kisses her lovingly. “You are really not. But that’s not why I’m here.”

“You are lucky you sound like some terrible news are coming, or we would be having a different conversation.”

“I know, I know.” Dahyun huffs and draws her fingers through her hair tiredly.

“Just say it, we both know you are terrible at sugar coating things.”

“Fine, your mother has hired a detective to find Jaebum again. She intends to make him disappear for good and his entire family with them. Jackson and I are already making our move, but this time she has been going around places herself and trying to find them.”