Chapter 8 – Unexpected newcomer

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Jinri entered the busy police station that evening, hitching her purse on her shoulder while looking around for the main desk. She saw a lanky officer stood behind a large desk, talking with another elderly man. Jinri strode toward the desk and stood expectantly with a frown on her face.

"Yes ma'am, what can I help you?" Asked the officer warmly, waving the other man away.

Jinri nodded, noting how warm the room had come to be. "I'm Choi Jinri, a woman officer name err...Lee Misook? She called and said I needed to come down to police headquarters."

"Ah yes." Said the officer, nodding. He motioned for her to follow him, leading her down a walkway.

On the way, there were man and woman officers sitting at desks going over case files while others dealt with citizens with complaints. At the end of the hall, Jinri spotted a holding cell with a few people lounging inside and she quickly averted her gaze.

The man came to a halt at a desk that was set beside a door that led to a long hallway. The officer sat behind the desk chatting with a woman who looked to be about the same age as him.

"Misook, this is Ms. Choi Jinri. She comes to see you." Said the man officer, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Jinri.

Lee Misook flicked her gaze over to Jinri and allowed a warm smile to slip over her face as she stood up. "I'm glad that you could come on such short notice."

"Of course." Said Jinri, clutching her bag tighter. "What is this about exactly?"

"Yesterday, Park Jiyeon overdosed on heroin." She paused for a second to gauge Jinri's reaction, but continued when she saw the confused look on her face. "And it has taken us all day to locate the proper birth certificate of her daughter." Paused again the officer as she looked at Jinri for a few seconds. "Well, can u follow me?"

Still confused, Jinri obliged and followed the woman down the hallway. They turned right in the hallway to find another passageway that seemed to extend forever.

"The poor grandmother was not able to take care for her at all, so naturally your husband and you are the next ones we are looking for. We've already run a background check on you and your husband and I can already tell this little girl will be in good hands if it is your family." Finished Misook as just right after they came to a stop at the door. A small and tired smile graced her worn face as she stood expectantly.

"I'm sorry but I don't get what you are talking about." Said Jinri, she was so confused and wondering why they had stopped and were now just standing in the hallway.

The elder officer's smile faltered a bit. She beckoned Jinri over to a window at the right side of the door. With a deep frown, Jinri peered inside to find a cute little girl about three or four years old inside, doodling and coloring a page, she was talking quietly with another woman who was keeping her attention.

Misook smiled. "She is such a sweet little girl. I am so amazed how she ever survived with the lifestyle she had."

Still confused, Jinri turned to her and asked, "Wait! I still don't understand, what does she have to do with my husband and I?"

"It has something to do with your husband and you." Started Misook. Knitting her eyebrows together, she added, "Choi Minho's name was on the birth certificate. He is her father."

To say that the world had suddenly stopped turning, for Jinri it would be an understatement. It was as if her stomach dropped down to her feet. If she scream out in frustration would probably not look well, but she couldn't do that anyway because had dried completely as her whole body was shaken involuntarily.

"Mrs. Choi! Are you alright?" Asked the officer, touching Jinri's arm lightly. Concern and a trace of panic graced her worn features as she tried to make Jinri respond.

Jinri shook her head furiously and whispered, "That's not possible."

The older woman sighed softly, "Very possible! Mothers don't usually put down random names of the fathers of their children. I think it may be wise to have a paternity test performed and you should speak with your husband about this matter, but for now, would you like to meet Jaemi?"

Jinri stood as if she were nailed to the floor, not able to move and fearing that she might falter if she did. A growing fire burned in the pit of her stomach as she looked at the little girl in the colorful room.

How could Minho do that to her? Did he know? He never mentioned having a child to her before. Not like even if he did know he would share that bit of information but still, the unexpected news ripped her inside.

Jinri bit the urge to burst out, had he ever suspected either for that one night stand they had accidentally shared together 6 years ago was brought Jimmy into this world? Although it was a well-keep secret he didn't know about but then again, how could he do this to her? They had a son together six years ago and then two years after he had another daughter with someone else!

Jinri just fixed her eyes on the little girl inside the room, she thought immediately about her own son. How much she missed him, how much she badly wanted to hold him in her arms but she couldn't. She went through a very difficult decision by giving him to stay under Victoria's care. It was because she thought he'd be grown up well in a completed family who perfectly shower him with so much loves and cares when she, herself, a biological mother couldn't give him that sufficiently for sure by considering that she was too young back then and Minho was a completed jerk but more than that, she was carrying Jimmy, the son of a man she had never been in love with. So for that she couldn't trust herself enough in giving Jimmy happiness which he deserved. Jinri wholeheartedly trusted Victoria and Changmin rather than betting Jimmy's innocent life living with the parents who were only bound in a nonexistent love life.

But for some odd reason, Jinri took pity on the small girl. She seemed so oblivious to the fact that her mother had died that morning. She thought back to the woman officer said that she was amazed of how Jaemi ever survived with the lifestyle she had. Jinri couldn't help but felt so sympathetic toward her. With such a young age, she didn't deserve to go through those unfortunate states at all. At least since birth Jimmy was grown up in a family that was much better than this poor little girl.

Jinri studied the little girl from the distance, the more she looked at her, the more Jaemi reminded her of Jimmy because it was uncanny to her how much Jaemi resembled Minho like Jimmy. With their deep brown hair, big round eyes, pointed nose, and high cheekbones, to be exaggerated a bit, the three of them were almost a clone. Damn the motherly compassion and yearning heart for her own child within Jinri, she badly wanted to go in there and scoop up the child in her arms.

Jinri