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SERIES: An Impure Reunion
CHAPTER: An Impure Reunion Chapter 37
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37.
Taejun returned to his work, and Jian and Seol-ah came back from their outing.
When they got home, the entryway was filled with bags.
"Thank you, Driver Park."
"Not at all. Please rest."
It was a pile of clothes and bags that Taejun had bought without even asking Jian's opinion.
And there was also a load of clothes for the child that they had bought while out.
Thanks to that, Driver Park had gone through quite a bit of trouble.
Jian was organizing the clothes she had bought.
Seol-ah was in front of the mirror, examining herself from every angle and giggling.
"Seol-ah, do you like that?"
What the child was examining so intently was none other than the headband on her head.
It seemed Seol-ah was quite fond of the headband she got at the department store.
It was a headband with a small tiara, and the moment she saw it, the child couldn't take her eyes off it.
She didn't say out loud that she wanted it, but instead, she grabbed Jian's sleeve and her eyes sparkled.
When she finally got to wear the headband, a huge smile spread across the child's face.
"Yes, I really, really love it!"
It seemed she liked it more than just a little.
Seeing the child's face full of smiles, Jian let out a small laugh without realizing it.
Jian handed an armful of clothes to Seol-ah and said.
"Here, whose clothes are these?"
"Seol-ah's!"
"Go upstairs carefully and put them in the drawer where you keep your clothes."
"Okay!"
Excited, Seol-ah took the clothes and struggled up the stairs with them.
Jian was smiling again at the child's back.
Jian's phone, which she had left on the sofa, started to ring.
Jian stopped organizing the clothes and picked up her phone.
And as she checked the screen, her face began to turn pale.
[Chairman]
The person calling her was none other than Daesik.
Jian answered the phone with a reluctant expression.
"Yes."
"Are you going around advertising everywhere that the child is Taejun's?"
Jian furrowed her brow slightly at Daesik's rebuke, which poured out the moment she answered.
His calls were always like this.
The moment the other person answered, he would start shouting and rattle off everything he wanted to say.
How tired or displeased the other person became because of it was none of his concern.
She thought she understood a little.
How lonely Taejun must have been, living with him for all those long years.
Having grown up watching that, it seemed he, too, didn't know how to converse with others properly.
Jian bit her lip firmly once before speaking.
"Yes, Father. What is it?"
"What are you going to do about the founding anniversary? The whole world is gossiping that a child who isn't even my blood is my grandchild, so what are you going to do about it!"
As expected, there was a good reason he was calling and making such a fuss.
He himself had lived without feeling any guilt for giving Taejun so many half-siblings, yet his reaction to Seol-ah was so utterly detestable.
"Why would I bring my daughter there? It seems like the problem would be solved if the child and I simply don't attend."
"If you do that, what becomes of my reputation!"
Do I have to worry about your reputation too? The words rose to the tip of her tongue, but Jian forced them down.
"If we go, it will be more difficult for you, Father..."
Jian's words were cut off mid-sentence.
It wasn't just her words that were cut off.
The phone in her hand was snatched away by someone.
Startled, Jian turned around to see Taejun standing there, holding her phone.
A shouting voice could be heard from the receiver, but Taejun hung up the phone.
"Your daughter?"
Taejun's face was filled with a cold chill.
Sensing it, Jian tried to avoid his gaze.
Taejun grabbed her wrist, pulled her into a room, and slammed the door shut with a bang.
"Jian, why do you keep ignoring what I say?"
She could feel the cold door against her back, and in front of her, she had to face Taejun's even colder expression.
Jian's gaze trembled.
Just as she managed to meet Taejun's gaze, the pitter-patter of a child's footsteps reached her ears.
"Mommy?"
The sound of the child's feet moving here and there could be heard, as if searching for her suddenly vanished mother.
"Mommyyy!"
"Say it again. Heo Seol-ah is not your daughter, she's our daughter."
The child's voice was getting closer, but Taejun seemed to have no intention of letting Jian go.
Between his gaze that looked ready to devour her and the sound of the child's approaching footsteps, Jian squeezed her eyes shut and whispered.
"Seol-ah is Joo Taejun's and my child."
"Good. That's how it should be."
Taejun stroked Jian's head as if to say she'd done well.
As she received his touch, Jian felt goosebumps rise all over her body again.
Taejun, paying no mind to Jian's expression, continued to stroke her hair and cheek as he spoke.
"To the founding anniversary, my daughter Heo Seol-ah—no, Joo Seol-ah—and Heo Jian will both be coming with me."
"Taejun!"
"Answer."
Taejun's gaze sharpened again.
"Otherwise, why would I have bought clothes for the kid? Right?"
Taejun grabbed both of Jian's shoulders, turned her so her back was to him, and whispered in her ear.
"When the door opens, say it."
"..."
"Seol-ah. You're going to meet new friends next week. Understand?"
"Taejun, please..."
"If you don't say it, that child won't be in Korea before next week."
The moment Taejun finished his last sentence, the door burst open.
The child, who had been searching for her mother for a while, spotted Jian and ran to her like an arrow.
"Mommy!"
"Seol-ah..."
Taejun whispered, "Hurry," into Jian's ear, prodding her.
Jian squeezed her eyes shut and her lips parted.
"Next, week, you're going to meet new, new friends. Let's show them our best side."
"New friends? Okay!"
Seol-ah, who had no idea of the situation, looked a little scared but nodded.
Only then did Taejun release Jian. He knelt in front of Seol-ah and said.
"For that one day, you won't be Heo Seol-ah, you'll be Joo Seol-ah. Got it?"
As he spoke, Taejun's gaze subtly wrapped around Jian's neck like a shackle.
"Okay!"
Watching Seol-ah answer cheerfully, Jian couldn't hide her feeling of utter devastation.
Taejun watched Jian's expression and narrowed his eyes.
That night, Taejun left the house again and didn't come back.
She had done as he'd told her, but she had no way of understanding what had displeased him so much.
"Mommy, Mommy!"
Seol-ah, coming out of kindergarten at pickup time, ran toward Jian, calling for her at the top of her lungs.
"Seol-ah, you'll get hurt! Don't run!"
Ignoring her mother's shout, she ran like an arrow, looking overjoyed about something.
"I, I! I get to do it!"
"Do what?"
"The dance solo!"
The reason was that she was happy about getting the solo part in the dance performance for the kindergarten talent show.
Because of the airport incident, Jian had wanted her to skip a few more days of kindergarten, but that morning, the child had insisted on going.
There was a good reason for her insistence.
Today was the day they were choosing the person for the solo dance in next week's talent show, and she had been fired up, determined to go and win the part.
Watching the child's pure joy, Jian let out a small laugh.
"You're that happy?"
"Of course! The friend who was supposed to do it said she didn't want to, so I raised my hand and said I'd do it."
"Then our Seol-ah will have to practice hard, won't she? Right?"
"Uh-huh!"
Seol-ah suddenly started dancing right in the middle of the street.
It was up to Jian to be startled and flustered by her child's sudden actions.
"The one I'm doing is like a princess and a prince, see? Like this, like this!"
"Wow, really?"
"Uh-huh! I'm the princess!"
"Let's go home and do it there."
"Okay!"
Seol-ah nodded and held Jian's hand tightly.
It didn't seem like long since she'd changed kindergartens, but Seol-ah appeared to have already adjusted.
She often talked about her new friends, and she learned the talent show dance and showed it off like this, and seeing her boast about getting an important role made Jian feel proud.
After returning home, Seol-ah danced enthusiastically in front of Jian while she did chores.
As if she never got tired, she didn't stop dancing even while sweating profusely.
"Phew, I'm tired!"
Just when it seemed she had danced to her heart's content, she finally got tired and approached the sofa where Jian was sitting.
The child lay down with her head on her mother's lap, panting.
While stroking the child's sweat-dampened forehead, Jian's eyes suddenly fell on her arm.
"Seol-ah, is your arm bruised again?"
"I don't know!"
Jian carefully touched Seol-ah's elbow.
Lately, the child had been getting bruises often.
Just yesterday she had seen three bruises, but today the number had increased to five.
The thought that perhaps she was falling more often while practicing her dance recently crossed Jian's mind.
Just then, she heard the sound of the front door.
"It's the Mister!"
Before Jian could even think, oops, Seol-ah dashed to the entryway like an arrow.
Jian hurried after the child's arrow-like movement.
She had thought he wouldn't come home today either, so Jian felt a sense of relief at Taejun's return.
When she approached the entryway, Seol-ah was clutching Taejun's sleeve.
Jian was about to hurry over and pull Seol-ah toward her.
"Mister, please help me."
"...?"
"I helped you pick a house last time, remember? Did you forget you promised to grant me one wish then?"
Witnessing Taejun's brow twitch slightly, Jian quickly took the child's hand.
"Seol-ah. Let's do it with Mommy. What can Mommy help you with?"
But for some reason, the child wouldn't budge.
The child finally shook off her mother's hand, pouted, and shouted.
"But Mommy is a princess, not a prince!"
Author: Donggeurami (Son Yoon-seo)
Publisher: Toonplus
Email: [email protected]
ISBN: 9791157738274
© Donggeurami (Son Yoon-seo), 2022
※ This e-book is published by <Toonplus> under contract with the copyright holder. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution are prohibited. Any violation may result in legal liability.
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