Pay With Your Heart

495 Sperm Bank

There was an uproar in the company after the first article about Kwon-Nara’s pregnancy and Dan-Han being responsible for it was posted on the internet.

Clusters of people talked about it during their lunch breaks, and while the ladies lamented about Dan-Han being taken away from them, the guys were more rational.

“I heard president Lee was behind the foreclosure of her family’s pharmaceutical company some years ago, and he had disapproved of her being an investor in the company.” One of the men whispered during lunch in the cafeteria.

“Who told you that?” Another asked while cautiously looking around.

“My uncle, who’s a director at another branch. He mentioned it earlier when investors are being approved.” He gossiped.

“If that’s true, then it means he doesn’t like her, and if he doesn’t, how then is she pregnant for him? Everyone knows who president Lee is. He’s very cold and reclusive. His record for media abstinence regarding his personal life has been immaculate, so I’m sure any woman he’s with wouldn’t be stupid enough to do this. There must be something wrong.” The other reasoned.

Indeed there was something wrong. Eun-sun’s concurred as she listened to the gossip going on around her.

She still couldn’t make sense of what was happening. She didn’t understand why anyone would be so bold to accuse Dan-Han of being responsible for their pregnancy.

Had she not known the kind of man he was, maybe she might have doubted him, but that wasn’t the case.

.....

So, to what end was this scheme?

Only a while ago, she had prayed for the issues around them to come to a still, but here she was.

She raised her head to Hye-Jin when she realized her gaze was on her.

“Are you okay?” Hye-Jin asked, and Eun-sun nodded.

“I just thought about something.” She dismissively sighed.

She had called Hye-Jin out to have lunch with her after Dan-Han left in the middle of their conversation to attend to a pressing issue in the company.

He had asked her to eat in his office, but she decided to eat with someone as she was somewhat now accustomed to sharing a table than eating alone, and Hye-Jin was the only person she was familiar with in the company.

Though she barely reciprocated the friendly energy the girl had always put into their relationship, she held her in a good place in her heart.

Hye-Jin nodded in understanding. “It’s okay. I’m just so happy you’re back. I hope you’re fine now and everything at home is well taken care of?” Hye-Jin asked with concern, and Eun-sun nodded.

“Yes, everything is fine.”

Hye-Jin happily smiled. “I’m glad all is well. I missed working with you. Did you see the director already? When are you resuming?” She eagerly inquired, and Eun-sun couldn’t help but smile.

It felt almost as if she was seeing Hye-Jin happily talk to her for the first time when in actual sense, she was the one who had failed to see it and, most times, considered the girl a bother.

“I’ll know about that soon enough.” Eun-sun casually replied, and Hye-Jin nodded. She had been worried when Eun-sun was said to be on sick leave. Though she had called a few times, it was nice to see her finally back at work.

Hye-Jin looked around and sighed when the talks about Dan-Han kept reverberating across the cafeteria in mild whispers.

She gravely hissed. “I’m sure they’ll go mum if President Lee suddenly makes an appearance. Why the hell do they keep talking about it? That picture looked photoshopped.” Hye-Jin hissed out irritably while Eun-sun looked at her with amused interest.

“It does?” She innocently asked.

“Of course!” Hye-Jin confidently affirmed. “President Lee doesn’t look like someone to date such a dumb woman who’d bring controversies to him. He’s such an impeccable man.”

“Really?” Eun-sun echoed with amused interest. She never knew Hye-Jin was also a fan of Dan-Han. It was nice hearing someone defend him without knowing anything about the issue.

Hye-Jin nodded again. “Yes, he is. Wasn’t he once rumored to be gay and impotent hence his abstinence from women? They all kept talking about it then. Now what? There’s another rumor, and they won’t stop talking about it. Nonsense!” She hissed again, this time with more disdain and irritation.

Eun-sun listened to her cuss in defense of Dan-Han. She was almost curious to know what Dan-Han would say if he heard anyone speak so trustfully of him.

She was sure he’d be indifferent about it. Reflecting indifference to others was simply a default for him, even when he was duly affected.

He had always been that way since she met him, and thinking about it, she couldn’t understand how she had come to fall for him.

She couldn’t say he worked his charms on her because even though he did have his charms about him, he had ordered her to be in love with him. What a bully he was.

She wondered how anyone who had dared called gay or infertile ever lived to tell the tale.

Even the troublesome Ji-Tae had said that about him. He was the first person that mentioned it to her, but Dan-Han had told her the truth and also told her about his specimen stored in the sperm bank.

Thinking about that, she wondered if Dan-Han had retrieved it as she had requested.

He should have.

But... Eun-sun trailed off in her thoughts.

Kwon-Nara was the reason why Dan-Han had made such a decision in the first place. Did she know about it?

She was currently pregnant and she had been so bold enough to post about it despite knowing the kind of person Dan-Han was.

She wouldn’t have dared to do something that brazen if she wasn’t —

Eun-sun stilled in her seat as several thoughts speared through her mind.

How possible was it that she might indeed be pregnant with Dan-Han’s child?

“Are you okay?” Hye-Jin asked when she noticed the change on Eun-sun’s disposition.

Eun-sun rapidly nodded her head as she jerked to her feet. “I’m fine, Hye-Jin. I... I have something.... I’ll call you later.” She hurriedly mumbled and trotted out of the cafeteria and back to Dan-Han’s office.

“Is he back?” She urgently asked Chang-wok.

“Yes, he just—” Eun-sun dashed through the door before Chang-wok could even finish.

Dan-Han looked up with a frown when he heard the loud noise of the door, but his brows creased with alert when he saw the look on her face.

“Are you okay?”

“The sperm bank, did you take your DNA as I asked?” She asked in a breath.

“My DNA?”

“The sperm, Dan-Han! The one you said you stored. Did you retrieve it?” She demanded and Dan-Han’s brows furrowed.

Why was she—

His countenace changed into a scowl when he considered why she was asking.

“You think—”

“You didn’t did you?” She cut him off. Seeing the look on his face, she knew he didn’t.

“What are you waiting for? Make a call!” Eun-sun ordered and Dan-Han picked up his phone and dialled the hospital number.

He dialled a few times but there was no response. He quickly decided to call the owner of the clinic, but there was still no answer.

“What is it?” Eun-sun asked urgently when his face became extremely grim.

“Give me a minute.” He said and called Chang-wok into the office. He instructed to find the clinics contact for him, and ask someone to find the director of the clinic in the shortest time possible.

Eun-sun worriedly stared at Dan-Han as he fell deep in thoughts. She wondered what he was thinking about?

What was going to happen if this was real, if Dan-Han was really the child’s father?

Eun-sun slowly approached his desk and stared at him. “Dan-Han, what are you going to do if...if this is real?” She asked, feeling too nervous to think about it on her own.

She didn’t even want to attempt it as she feared what options she might come up with.

Dan-Han’s eyes held a dark glint as he stared blankly into space. He slowly raised his gaze to her.

“I’m not doing anything. That child isn’t mine, and if this is true, she won’t even live to see the dawn of day. She can bet on that.”

And not only would she not see the dawn of day, so also would Ji-Tae.

He was the Mastermind of this. There was Kwon-Nara could have known about him making such a decision years ago. It had to be Ji-Tae. He was certain of it.

And wherever he had suddenly disappeared to after the meeting, he hoped it’s safe enough for him, because when he gets hold of him, he’d tear him to pieces.

Whatever his plan was, it wasn’t going to work. No one could ever manipulate him this way.

No one.

....

Hello guys!

How have we all being?

The festive seasons is upon us, which marks the end of another year. I hope we all have been great?

I know there’s a lot of pressure going around this time of the year. Many of us had set goals set at the beginning of the year, and some of them, if not many, have not been actualized.

The pressure might probably be getting to us, and we feel overwhelmed. I just want to use this medium to say, You did well.

You might not have it all, but you made efforts and for that, you must commend yourself.

You’re amazing, you’re hardworking, resilient and beautiful. You did your best and woah! That’s amazing.

Don’t let the pressure seep in. Enjoy the festive season, and every moment of it, because what really matters is our investment in people and just not in ‘self’.

It’s time to spread love and warmth around, and I hope we all get a good measure of it in return as we do the same.

Love you all.

.....

Da_Rose.