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Shin Hye and Min Ho had been back for 6 weeks and despite their agencies disapproval, they spent every Sunday together.  When one was out of the country on assignment they called each other at least 3 times a day.  They were so blissfully happy in love. 

Shin Hye was on the set of her new action adventure drama.  It was the finale and everyone was in high spirits.  The cast had just finished the closing scene and everyone was cheering and high fiving for a job well done.   Shin Hye was smiling and feeling a sense of accomplishment.   One of the cast members came up to thank her for all her mentoring help when Shin Hye suddenly felt dizzy.  She grabbed onto the arm of the girl standing next to her.

“Are you alright?” the cast member asked.

Shin Hye put her hand on her forehead and spoke softly to the cast member, “I am sorry I grabbed you, please forgive me.  Don’t worry it is nothing serious, I didn’t have time to eat breakfast and lunch so I am really hungry.  It has given me a headache.  Please, I am sorry.”

The girl nodded and told Shin Hye she should get something to eat and rest.

Shin Hye had not been hungry all day and was slightly nauseous. Since the drama was over and the wrap up party wasn’t for another 3 days, she decided to head home to her apartment for some much needed shut-eye. 

Shin Hye tossed and turned and could not get comfortable.  She finally dozed off and when she woke up her phone was buzzing and it was 10 at night.  She had slept over 5 hours.  So, she thought, I was just tired and nothing more.  Wonder where Oppa is?

Min Ho had tried calling her for 3 hours and it kept going to voice mail.  He was in China and couldn’t just drive over to check on Shin Hye.  He was thinking she really needed to call him back.

Shin Hye grabbed her phone and with a groggy voice, “Hello?”

“Shin Hye, is that you?  You sound like you are sick.”

“Oppa, I am fine, I was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as we finished filming today.  I have slept for 5 hours.  What are you doing my Oppa?”

Min Ho giggled at the cute voice on the other end of the line.  “Yah, stop with that cute voice.  I can’t come home for another 4 days.  Should we have a date when I get home?”

“Oppa, let’s have dinner when you get home.  I will cook for you at my apartment, OK?”

And before they knew it, they had chatted for 2 hours and it was midnight.  They lingered over goodnights but were content as they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning bright and early, Shin Hye woke feeling sick to her stomach.  “Aiiissshhhh, what did I eat yesterday?  This is not good.” She suddenly ran to the bathroom and threw up.  She felt as if she were running a fever.  It felt the same way she did during the past winter when she came down with the flu.  She was thinking I don’t want to go through that again so I am calling the doctor.

Shin Hye contacted her doctor, Dr. Gau, but she was out of the country so she would be seeing Dr. Li.  The appointment was set for the next day at 9 am.

Shin Hye arrived 15 minutes early.  Dr. Li rose when Shin Hye was called into his office.  He bowed saying, “Hello.  I am Dr. Li and it is a most pleasant surprise to see my patient this morning.  I am honored.”  He offered his hand for a handshake.  Shin Hye was charmed at the tall good looking man standing before her.  He was a gentleman with a soft voice. 

Shin Hye took his offered hand and said, “It is my pleasure, Dr. Li.  Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

Then Dr. Li got down to business and began asking questions.  Shin Hye listed her symptoms and Dr. Li asked if she might be pregnant. 

Shin Hye’s face turned a bright red while she sputtered “No way, nope.  I do not believe in children out of wedlock.”

Dr. Li asked when her last period was and she snorted, “Ha it was……..” she trailed off because she was definitely late.  In fact she was very late.  Her eyes widened as she tried to comprehend the enormity of what Dr. Li was asking.

“Huh, well, I think I should have started a few weeks ago.” She was very pale and very nauseous at the moment.

Dr. Li had her lie down on the couch in his office and said a nurse would come to draw blood.  He told her there was no reason to panic until they ran a simple test. 

Shin Hye had dozed off and was napping peacefully when Dr. Li returned.

“Ms. Park? Would you mind waking up now?” Dr. Li gave Shin Hye’s shoulder a slight shake.

She was groggy as she sat up.  “Huh? What?” Shin Hye asked.

“Ms. Park, I am not going to ask anything, I am just going to tell you this straight out.  You happen to be 6 weeks pregnant.”

She couldn’t speak.  In fact, her mind was blank. She stared at Dr. Li with a ‘what do I do now’ look.  She wanted to deny his findings and she wanted him to say he had made a mistake.  This could not be happening to her. Not now.

Dr. Li took her wrist and checked her pulse because her breathing had increased and her pulse was erratic.

“Ms. Park, you need to start thinking of your baby.  Please take a few deep breaths and calm your nerves down.”  Dr. Li was becoming concerned with the way Shin Hye was starting to panic.  “Calm down.  Take a deep breath.  Look at me and do what I am doing.” He was taking deep breaths and she began to follow him.  She calmed down and looked at him.

“I am so sorry.  I just panicked for a moment.  Please do not judge me too harshly, Dr. Li.”

“Ms. Park, I do not presume to tell you what to do but you should talk this over with the baby’s father and you must take care of yourself.  I know what a grueling schedule you have but you will have to take into consideration that your body will be changing and your baby will need a healthy mom.  Now, I am not prescribing vitamins for you.  I have them on hand and will give them to you.  This will eliminate any public record.  Also, until you have a chance to talk to the baby’s father, there will not be a record of Park Shin Hye having a pregnancy test.  There is no sense in letting news media have a field day, is there?”  Dr. Li grinned and Shin Hye was grateful.

She smiled and said, “Please call me Shin Hye and thank you for everything.  I will talk to him as soon as possible.”

Dr. Li went to his desk and penciled into his desk top calendar an appointment for her the following week. 

She bowed, thanked him again and left.

She drove home to her apartment and sat down.  She was still sitting 3 hours later when her phone buzzed.  Looking at the name she realized she would have to find a way to tell Min Ho.  But how? And how would he take this news? Would he be happy or would he be angry?  These thoughts were swirling in her mind as she answered with a cheerful Hello.

“Oppa! How are you? What are you doing? When will you be home?”  She was bombarding him with questions as if that would help her forget what was foremost on her mind.

“Whoa!!! So many questions take a breath and go slower.  Did you miss me?  I will be home tomorrow so I will come straight to your apartment.  What are you fixing for dinner? “He was bombarding her with questions just to throw her off balance.  But he noticed she was strangely quiet.

“Yah! Are you listening to me?”

“Oppa, what would you like for dinner? I will fix whatever you want.”

“Well….that is pretty suggestive, don’t you think?” Min Ho .

“Oppa!  You are such a naughty person!”  Shin Hye countered.  She slowly forgot the big question and chatted with him long enough that he forgot how pensively quiet she was at first.

The following day, Shin Hye spent grocery shopping, cleaning her apartment and baking.  She wanted the dinner to be special and she needed Min Ho in a mellow mood when she told him her news.  She really had no idea how he would take this news.  He always wanted children but he was adamant about not marrying until he got out of the Army and was 35.  She sighed every time she thought of it.  He was now 29 and 35 was a long way off.  Her baby couldn’t wait that long.  She placed her hand over her stomach and felt her heart pound.  She just realized that no matter what, this was her baby and she already loved her baby.  She now realized what it meant to say a mother’s love.  She had only found out yesterday and already she knew in her heart that she wanted this baby.  She wanted her baby not because it was Min Ho’s baby but because she loved him.  This baby was a part of her too and she felt the stirrings of maternal love.  She made a promise to her baby that she would protect him or her for as long as she was breathing.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she finished changing into a simple dress. She heard the door bell and ran to answer.  He stepped into her apartment and enfolded her into a bear hug.  “I missed you terribly.  Now what’s on for dinner?”  But the look in his eye was not about dinner at all.  It was all she needed as she responded to the light kiss placed on her lips.

Shin Hye hugged him and then took his jacket and hung it up.  She pushed him toward the kitchen and the table.  He sat and watched her finishing up the meal.  He always felt at peace when he was with her and was thankful to any and every deity out there that had smiled upon them being together.  He smiled as he listened to her chatting about the people they knew and the latest entertainment gossip.  He started telling her a funny story about some of the things he saw during his latest commercial and she laughed and joked with him.  They spent a pleasant hour and a half over dinner.  Shin Hye told him to go sit on the couch and she would bring him some tea and a slice of the cake she baked that day for him.

Placing the tea and cake on the coffee table, Shin Hye sat down next to Min Ho and starting casually talking about events going on around them.  She thought if I pose our issue as something concerning someone else perhaps I can gauge how to tell Oppa.

“Oh yeah, did I tell you about a friend of mine that found out she was pregnant?  And her boyfriend doesn’t know.  I told her she needs to tell him but she is reluctant.  I just don’t know what else I should tell her.”  She made the story up as she was telling him.  He frowned as if considering it and then said, “But isn’t that a horrible thing to do to her boyfriend?  Get pregnant before they are married?  I would not want to have to marry someone just because she was pregnant.  Thank God I have a sensible girlfriend who would never do that to me.  I am always thankful that you are willing to wait until we can get married.  By then both of us will be well established and our fans will accept us being together.”

Shin Hye didn’t look at Min Ho because she didn’t want to see the look on his face.  Not now anyway.  She made a pretense of turning the TV on so they could watch Min Ho’s favorite variety show.  She really had no idea what to say or do.  So she just did nothing.  She would think about everything tomorrow after he had gone home.   Min Ho’s phone was buzzing with a text message.  Sighing he picked it up and read the text.  He lightly cursed, getting up he told her he needed to call someone.  Shin Hye did not normally listen to Oppa’s phone calls because they were both in the same business and they both needed to stay on top of their schedules and any information good or bad.

She went to the kitchen to give him some privacy and began loading the dirty dishes into the dishwasher.  As she moved about the kitchen she caught snippets of Oppa’s conversation.  She wasn’t sure but she thought he was talking to a friend and he sounded exasperated. 

Min Ho was saying, “My friend, I told you if you weren’t careful this is what would happen.”  There was a long pause and then she heard, “If it were me, I would never forgive a woman who tricked me that way. 

Of course I mean it.  What? Yes even if it were Shin Hye.  No, I don’t like women who do that.  You really think a woman would accidently get pregnant if she wasn’t using that to get a ring and a name?

Seriously, do you think your girlfriend didn’t do this so you would have to marry her?  Of course this will have a huge effect on your career.  No I think you should just get use to decreased interest from fans and sponsors.  Of course you know that is the only way to handle it but I don’t know if your girlfriend would be responsive to that. 

Yeah, man let me know and good luck.”

Min Ho disconnected the call and rubbed the back of his neck.  He looked at the phone and mumbled, “How unlucky can one guy get?” Shrugging his shoulders he went in search of Shin Hye.

Shin Hye put a smile on her face and pretended she hadn’t overheard any of his conversation.

He came up behind her and hugged her.  He stood that way for a few seconds and then said, “Thank you for being the person you are.  Thank you for not putting me in an awkward situation forcing me to choose between you and my career.  You wouldn’t believe the conversation I just had with my friend.  Hey, you don’t think the boyfriend of your friend is also my friend?  He is in a predicament because he just found out his girlfriend is pregnant and he doesn’t want to hurt her but he can’t afford to have a wife and child yet.  I don’t know what he will do but I suspect he will give everything up to marry her so the child has a name.  I hope she realizes he will resent her down the line.  No one would be able to not resent having to give up their dreams for something that should not happen at that moment.  Man what a mess.  I am glad it isn’t me.”

Shin Hye asked very softly, “Oppa what would you do if it were you and I?  I am really curious.”

Min Ho sounded colder than she had ever heard.  “My sweet I would have to choose my career because going into this you knew I could not marry before 35.”  And he turned saying, “I’m taking a shower, OK?”

Shin Hye stood there.  She realized this would be their last night together.  Slowly, she went around the room turning out lights and setting out the things she would need early in the morning.  She could only hope Min Ho didn’t catch her throwing up in the early morning hours.  She went toward their room with a heavy heart.

Min Ho slept through her early morning bout of morning sickness.  She made his breakfast and lingered over him.  She wanted to remember this time together.  She had no idea what she would do next but for now she just wanted to make it through the morning. 

“Honey, I need to make a quick 3 day trip to Japan.  My new commercial will be shot tomorrow so I will need to leave this evening.   What is on your schedule for this week?”

Shin Hye wiped the counter with a fierce determination.  “Oppa, I have to go to Manila tomorrow afternoon.  I have an appointment with a sponsor who wishes to discuss a commercial with me.  So I won’t be back until next week if we decide to go ahead with the shoot.”

Min Ho grunted and said, “I suppose Geun Suk is their choice for your partner?  As usual? Why can’t these sponsors pair you up with me? Never mind, I know the answer but just remember not to be too friendly with him.”

He left mumbling about men not being friends with his girlfriend.  As cute as he was she didn’t want to fight with him so she let it ride.  She stood at the door and hugged him goodbye. 

Hugging her back he said, “If I didn’t know better I would think you aren’t planning on ever seeing me again.  Be good and I will call you as soon as I can.” And with those words the door shut behind him and she was alone.

Shin Hye stumbled back to her bedroom and crawled back into bed.  She was just going to sleep until she could think more clearly about what to do.  Tears started trickling down her face and she fell face down on the bed and cried.  She finally fell into a fitful sleep.

Later that day she woke to a fever and severe nausea.  She tried everything she had ever heard or read on how to calm nausea.  She went online and looked it up.  But nothing was working.  She was feeling weaker and weaker so she decided to call Dr. Li.  Perhaps he could give her something to help with the nausea.  Her main concern now was the health of her unborn baby.

She knocked on Dr. Li’s office door and he told her to come in.  He took one look at her and came out of his chair and around the desk to assist her to the couch.  Holding her hand he told her to lie down and not move.  He came back in 3 minutes with a cup of herbal tea and some crackers.  Sitting the tea on a small table beside her, he told her to sip it slowly so it would help the nausea.  He told her to munch on the crackers so her stomach would feel settled.

She sat up and slowly sipped the tea.  She started to say something and Dr. Li held his hand up.  He told her that she should just concentrate on settling her queasy stomach and while she was doing that he would finish some paper work and then they could talk.  With a grateful smile, she sipped her tea.  She was looking around the room taking in all the small details.  She looked at Dr. Li and saw a man about 32 years old.  He was as tall as Oppa or maybe taller.  He bore a striking resemblance to Oppa which made her feel strange.  Shaking her head she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.  She was unaware but Dr. Li was scrutinizing her.  He was thinking that for a woman, she was remarkably beautiful and very graceful.  He had seen the photo shoot from a year or so ago comparing her to Audrey Hepburn and he had to say she was as graceful and regal as anyone he had ever seen.  He suspected the father of her baby was Lee Min Ho but didn’t know for sure.  Rumors were hard to suppress and most in the entertainment field knew Park Shin Hye and Lee Min Ho were an unofficial couple.  He wondered if the reason she was a wreck today was because she had told Mr. Lee about the pregnancy.  For now he would let her sleep because it really was the best medicine.  It would be soon enough to talk to her after she woke up.

Dr. Li was finishing up a speech he would give in 2 days at a medical forum in Shanghai.  He heard Shin Hye stir and mumble.  He stood and started to walk over to where she lay when she sat up with a surprised look on her face. 

“Dr. Li, I did not mean to fall asleep.  Please forgive my rudeness.  I apologize.”  She was blushing and he could tell she was embarrassed.

To put her at ease he said, “Ms. Park please don’t feel embarrassed.  You need sleep more than anything right now.  It will help your changing body.  Pregnant women sleep a lot in the first trimester and when you feel sleepy you should rest.”  He was trying his best to put her at ease because he had a feeling she needed someone to unburden to.  Her head was bowed and he could see tears falling onto her arm. 

He cleared his throat and started to say something when she interrupted him.  “Dr. Li, I don’t know what to do.  My baby’s father doesn’t want our baby.  He said if he had to choose between me and a baby or his career, he would choose his career.  I want my baby but I don’t know how to face the public or what will happen to my family if this becomes public knowledge.”  She looked up and into his eyes, “What should I do?”  Suddenly, as if realizing what she was asking, she blushed again and told him to ignore her she was just tired and frustrated.

Dr. Li was looking at her and nodded as if he had made up his mind.  “Ms. Park or rather Shin Hye, I am going to ask you some questions and please be honest with me.  It is important.  And please don’t worry that what you tell me will become a news media sensation.  I am your doctor first and foremost and will try to become your friend in the months to come.  So please be honest with me.  Alright?”

Shin Hye wiped her tears and nodded her head yes.  “Ok I am ready now. Ask away.”

Dr. Li began, “Shin Hye I am going to ask you some questions and if you want to elaborate feel free to do so or you can just say yes or no.” 

Shin Hye nodded yes that she understood.

“Alright Shin Hye, is the baby’s father Lee Min Ho?”

She nodded yes.

“He really doesn’t want to marry you and have the baby?”

She nodded yes then said, “He doesn’t want a wife or baby till he is 35 and he is now 29.  He told me he was glad he didn’t have to choose between me and a baby and his career.  He was dead serious and he was very cold about it.  He does not want this.”

“Shin Hye are you going to be an unwed mother? In Korea?”

She just looked at him and whispered, “I have no choice.  I will not abort my baby.  I already love this baby and whether Min Ho Oppa wants this baby or not, I do.  I will retire from the entertainment world and move to another country.  I can do this I just need to figure out how.”

“Shin Hye if you had an out for you and the baby, one that would allow you to keep your pride and your baby, would you take it?”

She nodded yes.  She said, “As long as it is legal and my baby is safe, yes I would.  Dr. Li do you know a way I can do this?”

Dr. Li told her to listen to his whole story then talk.  No matter how shocked she might be just listen first.  She nodded yes.

Dr. Li began, “Shin Hye I am a gay man.  I have been this way as long as I can remember.  I have a long time lover but we cannot be open about it, not in today’s world.  I am not just a Korean doctor.  I am the sole heir to one of China’s largest companies.  My father is Chinese and my mother is from one of the oldest Korean families.  My mother and father married to complete a financial contract and oddly enough their marriage is successful.  But they only had one child and that is me.  They expect much from me that I cannot give them.  I can’t even try.  But if you are willing I think we can help each other.  Are you willing to listen to my proposition?”

Shin Hye’s eyes were huge as she nodded yes.  She had an idea what Dr. Li was going to ask but she wasn’t sure.

Dr. Li took a huge breath, blew it out and said, “Since you know Min Ho will not marry you or accept this baby, then would you consider marrying me and letting your baby become the heir I cannot give my family?  Don’t be frightened.  This will be in name only and I will provide well for you and the baby.  I will work to become your friend so that we are comfortable with each other.  I even bear a resemblance to your Oppa so if your child looks like Min Ho no one will ever question it.  Don’t answer now if you want to think about it first.  This will solve my problem and it will solve yours.  Just let me know later, alright?  And I really didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Shin Hye was in a mental turmoil.  It was such a logical plan.  But would it work?  How could she just up and marry someone and hurt Oppa that way?  She didn’t know what to do.  She also knew this was the one time she could not and would not discuss this with anyone, not even Geun Suk Oppa.  Her baby’s future depended on as few people as possible knowing who the father was.  She closed her eyes and breathing deeply she said, “I will give you an answer tomorrow.  Should I come here or would you like to meet outside the hospital?”

Dr. Li knew this was his one chance to give his parents what they wanted and to save his family from disgrace.  He also knew this was a perfect solution for Shin Hye and her baby.  He told her, “Let’s meet in my office at lunchtime.  I will wait for you tomorrow.  And, Shin Hye, don’t worry if you say no.  I will understand either way.  I know how desperate you are feeling.  So think about this with a logical mind and not an emotional one.” 

Standing she bowed and placing her hand on his arm said, “No matter what the answer, thank you for this offer.  You don’t know me and yet you are offering me this way out.  Thank you.  I will see you around noon time tomorrow.”

When she arrived home she fixed a cup of tea and some toast.  She found a couple of sheets of paper and a pen.  She arranged everything on the kitchen table.  She sat and started to write.  She wrote all that she knew to be good about Oppa.  She wrote everything she knew that he said about not wanting a baby or wife now.  She wrote her options to keep the baby and what life would be like for her and the baby as an unwed, single and very famous mother.  She wrote what she knew about Dr. Li and discovered that she had only known him for a few days but already trusted him.  So in order to fill in more about him she decided to search him online.  She first searched Naver and there was indeed information on him and his family.  Then she did a Baidu search and pages of information came back.  His family was indeed as rich and famous as he said.  He was the sole heir to billions.  His family wanted an heir and he would soon be forced to marry.  He had graduated top of his class from Harvard Medical School in America and had been practicing medicine in South Korea for 5 years.  He had turned down many offers to teach because he enjoyed what he did.

She read up on his family both the Chinese branch and the Korean branch.  She was impressed with him.

But being impressed didn’t mean she could go through with it.  She read over her notes many times.  She felt absolutely hopeless and at a loss.  While she was reading Min Ho called. 

“Oppa, are you alright? Have you eaten today?”

“Shin Hye I just needed to hear your voice.  It has been a busy day.  I ate earlier and plan on going to sleep earlier tonight.”

They chatted for a few minutes and then Min Ho said, “Do you remember me mentioning my friend with the pregnant girlfriend?  Well he told her what he was feeling and she has already scheduled and had an abortion.  It is the right thing for her to do but he is feeling guilty.  I plan on seeing him when I return to try to help him get over the guilt.  He really shouldn’t feel that way.  She did the only acceptable thing considering the situation.  Yah, I am so glad I don’t have these types of issues with you.  Oh before I forget, my commercial shoot has been prolonged for another 3 days.  So I won’t be back until Wednesday of next week.  Should we get together on that day or wait till the next day?  Your choice.”

Shin Hye was quiet for a few minutes and then said, “Oppa let’s not get together until Friday.  I have a lot of things to do including my changed schedule for Manila.  I will let you know what my schedule is tomorrow.  I am tired and going to take a nap now.  I have been overworking and am very tired.  Goodbye Oppa.”

She sat without moving.  She was barely breathing.  She set her jaw and shook her head.  She had decided and with all her being she hoped she was doing the right thing for her and her baby.