Chapter 4:The Nuisance
939 Words
Jong Gu wearily shed his suit jacket, the weight of a trying day at the office still pressing heavily upon his shoulders. As he stepped into his dressing room, Soojin materialised behind him, uninvited. She was draped in provocative lingerie, clearly intending to seize his attention. Her fingers grazed his back, a seductive touch that he swiftly dismissed.
"I can manage myself," Jong Gu asserted, his voice firm as he sidestepped her advance.
Soojin, undaunted, pressed closer. "Jong, you're not alone anymore," she purred, her hands gently working to loosen his tie. "You should accustom yourself to being cared for."
He brushed her hands aside, his expression inscrutable. "Our son needs your attention more than I do. How is Tae-oh faring? Has he begun to adjust to our new life?"
Soojin opened her mouth to respond, but a sudden cacophony from the living room swallowed her words. Jong Gu's brow furrowed as he strode out to investigate, Soojin trailing behind him.
The sight that greeted them was chaotic: Tae-oh, wielding a water gun toy, was tormenting the household staff. Servants knelt in a row, flinching as he drenched them, shouting, "Pow pow! I'll exterminate you all! Mother said I'm the master and you're the servants!"
Jong Gu's expression darkened as he marched towards the boy. "Who permitted you to behave this way? Have you no respect for your elders?" he demanded, reaching for the water gun.
But Tae-oh was quicker. He seized Jong Gu's left hand and sank his teeth into it, hard. Jong Gu grimaced, more from shock than pain.
"I hate you, you wicked man! You're not my father!" Tae-oh screamed, releasing his grip and bolting towards his room.
Soojin, frozen in place, wore an expression of grave concern. "Tae-oh, come back here!" she called after him, but her words held little authority.
Jong Gu watched the boy retreat, a storm brewing in his eyes. "Is he a child or a wild animal?" he demanded, turning to Soojin. "What sort of indulgent upbringing has he had?"
Soojin bristled, her worry morphing into defensiveness. "He's just a boy, Jong Gu. He's acting out because he's confused and scared. This is a big change for him."
Jong Gu scoffed. "A big change? Soojin, we've pampered him to the point of delusion. He thinks he's a little tyrant, that he can treat people like playthings."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We need to correct this behaviour, Soojin. Before it's too late."
Soojin's expression softened, and she stepped closer, placing a tentative hand on his arm. "You're right," she conceded. "But we must do it together, Jong Gu. As a family."
Jong Gu looked at her, his expression thoughtful. Despite his frustration, he recognized the wisdom in her words. They stood there, united in their concern for their son.
Jong Gu apologetically dismissed the servants especially Wren, the oldest Nanny who also raised him, promising them that such nuisance would not take place again.
The following morning, Jihyun was roused from her slumber by an unsettling dream. In it, Mr. Gu had been staring at her with an inexplicable intensity. She bolted upright, her heart pounding as she wondered about the dream's significance. Realising she had overslept, she hurriedly began her morning routine.
Dressed and ready for work, Jihyun moved to her compact sitting room to don her jewellery. She reached for her modest box, where she kept her silver earrings, and noticed something amiss. The ring from that peculiar night was gone. A sense of unease washed over her as she suspected Soojin might have taken it. She dialled Soojin's number, determined to get answers.
The call rang out, echoing through the grand villa's dining room. Soojin was nowhere to be seen, but her phone lay on the table. Jong Gu, mid-breakfast, reached for the device and answered the call.
"Did you take my ring?" came the abrupt query from the unknown caller.
Jong Gu furrowed his brow. "What ring?"
Upon hearing those words, Soojin rushed into the room, panic etched on her face. She snatched the phone from Jong Gu's grasp.
"Why are you asking me about your ring?" Soojin snapped, her voice laced with fear and irritation. "Your son must have lost it." She hastily ended the call, her heart hammering in her chest.
The ring was more than just an accessory; it was a memento of the night Jihyun had encountered a stranger. If Jong Gu and Jihyun were to cross paths, Soojin's carefully crafted web of deceit would unravel, exposing her for the imposter she was.
Jong Gu eyed Soojin curiously. "Who was that? And what ring were they talking about?"
Soojin waved a dismissive hand, her lips curving into a false smile. "Oh, it was just a forgetful friend of mine. She's always misplacing her things."
He held her gaze for a moment longer, as if trying to decipher the truth hidden beneath her lies. Then, with a shrug, he returned to his breakfast, seemingly satisfied with her explanation.
But as Soojin watched him, her heart pounded with a secret dread. She knew that the truth was a ticking time bomb, threatening to detonate and shatter her world at any moment. And as Jihyun, unaware of the storm brewing around her, went about her day, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly amiss.
Little did they know, the seemingly innocuous ring held the power to unveil a tangled web of secrets and lies, threatening to consume them all. And as the day wore on, the suspense lingered l
ike a heavy cloud, promising a storm that was yet to come.
- Writer
