AOA 149

On the way home, Baek Mugyeong held the steering wheel himself, and he did not feel pleased by the sweet revenge. Instead, he calmly thought about what to do next.

Baek Jinseok had the power to meet even the president with a single phone call. Many lawyers had received scholarships from the Daesong Group. He had more than enough wealth to hire an attorney from the best law firm in Korea. Controlling the media was easier than twisting a child’s arm.

Even though Baek Yeongseop’s crime video had been made public, it was impossible to know what would happen once Baek Jinseok decided to take action.

Of course, K One Chairman would not stay still either, so Baek Yeongseop had little chance of being acquitted. The storage device containing the original video could be handed to the K One Chairman at any time.

If the case of K One Chairman’s only daughter’s death was reinvestigated, it might be revealed that her autopsy report had been forged. The corpse, which had not been cremated, could also be examined again.

Baek Mugyeong knew his grandfather’s nature well. Baek Jinseok would do anything to protect his reputation and he would try to help Baek Jaehan and Baek Yeongseop. For the same reason, he would not choose either of them as successors.

Killing an enemy was not the only way to take revenge. Taking everything they had and watching them fall was another way.

If it was proven that Baek Yeongseop had been in a clear state of mind, no matter how hard he tried, the sentence would be longer than ten years. But if he claimed that he had been drunk, impulsive, and a first offender, an absurd judgment could come out. Because Baek Jinseok would hire the best lawyers and lobby in every direction.

Then K One Chairman might use his final means. He had lost his only daughter, and it was obvious that he would not stand by while her killer walked free.

“Anything’s fine.”

Baek Mugyeong did not care. He only had to quietly watch how far this chaos would spread.

Feeling relieved, Baek Mugyeong checked the side mirror out of habit. Unlike before, there was no car following him.

After his grandfather had found out that he had gone to a psychiatrist in America, the surveillance had stopped. The fact that the person behind it was so honest made him laugh.

Baek Mugyeong decided to think that it was for the best. With no one following him, there was less to keep his nerves on edge.

He drove leisurely and arrived home. After divorcing Jeong Minchae, he had not moved and continued to live in the same place.

While returning from Baek Jinseok’s mansion to his house, calls had come from everywhere. He told his secretaries not to respond to anything. When familiar journalists’ names appeared, he ignored them. Choi Jaeha had called too, but he did not answer.

There was only one person he could not ignore. It was Baek Sujin.

–Let’s have lunch tomorrow. Are you free?

Baek Mugyeong knew about Baek Sujin’s ambition. She had once said that she was satisfied with the department stores and hotels she owned, but after today’s incident, things had changed. Baek Sujin would become a strong candidate to inherit the Daesong Group.

Before regressing, Baek Mugyeong had kept his distance from his father’s siblings. He barely interacted with them and had only thought about returning to America. He realized only after living his life again that it had been a mistake.

Unlike Baek Jaehan, Baek Sujin was someone he could talk to. If he yielded a little and gave and took in moderation, returning to America would be easy.

After greeting her and ending the call, saying he would see her tomorrow, Baek Mugyeong took a deep breath. He did not feel pleased by revenge. He only felt as if he had finished what he needed to do.

He suddenly wanted to see Jeong Minchae. He wanted to tell him what had just happened. That Baek Yeongseop and Baek Jaehan were finished. That he felt neither joy nor sadness.

But he could not wake the man who must already be asleep.

It was a little past nine. Considering the time difference, it was five in the morning in Los Angeles. He thought that Jeong Minchae would wake up in two hours, and he could contact him then, but he received a message.

[Jeong Minchae: I saw the news]

[Jeong Minchae: Call me when you can]

The timing was so perfect that it startled him a little, as if Jeong Minchae had been watching him. He could not understand why Jeong Minchae, who should have been asleep, had sent a message.

Just in case, Baek Mugyeong tried to call him. After the ringtone sounded three or four times, Jeong Minchae answered.

–Mugyeong-ssi? Can you talk now? Are you alright?

“I can talk. It’s dawn there. Were you awake?”

–I woke up after Jaeha called. It’s about Baek Yeongseop. I heard there was chaos at the charity concert. I saw the news too. Is it true?

“Yes.”

The moment the video appeared on the screen, breaking news followed. Once one article was posted, many more appeared one after another. The Daesong Group had tried hard, but they could not remove every article that had spread everywhere.

It had happened about an hour ago. He did not know where Choi Jaeha was, but it seemed he had seen the news late. It was understandable that he was shocked, since it was a major incident, but waking someone who must have been sleeping well was bad manners. He thought he would tell him off later.

–He really, really was insane.

“Yes.”

Baek Mugyeong agreed with Jeong Minchae’s stunned reaction. Killing his wife after an argument and staging it as suicide was something no ordinary person could do.

That was not all. Baek Yeongseop had started filming special videos in the Philippines after his wife’s death. In every one of those videos, he strangled his partner’s neck.

It was clear that the murder he had committed with his own hands had influenced him. If left alone, he might have killed again one day.

But Jeong Minchae did not need to know that.

–Hey, but this, could it be…?

Baek Mugyeong easily understood what the hesitant question meant. Because of Jeong Guhyeon’s incident earlier that day, it was natural for Jeong Minchae to suspect something.

“It’s thanks to you.”

–Me? What did I do?

“Thanks to the password, I found it.”

–That? Was there something important there?

“There was today’s video.”

–Wow…

The crime videos filmed in the Philippines alone could not have dragged Baek Yeongseop this far down. So all of this was thanks to Jeong Minchae, who had told him the safe’s password.

“I’ll tell you the details tomorrow. You should sleep now.”

–No, how could I sleep now? I’m wide awake.

Jeong Minchae had a gentle nature, but sometimes he was stubborn. He was right. After such a big incident, there was no way anyone could sleep.

Baek Mugyeong loosened his tie and sat on the sofa. He had more than enough to tell Jeong Minchae.

***

Epilogue

The first Christmas spent in America was different from Korea.

Before December even began, a huge Christmas tree stood on one side of the living room. It was not the artificial tree that Father had prepared in Korea, but a real one. Under the tree full of shining ornaments, gift boxes appeared one by one.

Aunt Soyeon said that Grandmother always celebrated Christmas. She said Grandmother invited close acquaintances for dinner on Christmas Eve. Especially this year, since she would spend Christmas with the grandson she had lost, she was preparing with special energy.

Maybe that was why, about fifteen days before Christmas, the interior of Grandmother’s mansion had completely changed. The reception room and dining room where guests would be welcomed, as well as the entrance and staircase, had turned gold, silver, green, and red, all the colors that symbolized Christmas.

My aunt and my younger brother said it was the first time they had seen something like this, and I felt the same.

We, who were still staying in Grandmother’s annex, put our heads together and discussed how to spend Christmas. It was natural to prepare gifts for Grandmother and Aunt Soyeon, and we decided to enjoy the Christmas Eve party that Grandmother had proudly prepared.

But once Baek Mugyeong said he would attend the party, the situation changed.

Grandmother had only said she wanted to meet her grandson’s ex-husband once, because she had not been able to greet him properly when he visited last time.

But everyone, including me, knew that was not the only reason. Aunt and my younger brother felt a bit intimidated by Baek Mugyeong, but they found the situation amusing.

Only I was anxious that something might go wrong. Grandmother’s personality was not ordinary. I worried that she might say something to Baek Mugyeong and strain their relationship.

I knew it was greedy to hope that everyone could get along. The best outcome would be a polite relationship.

For that to happen, I, the bridge between them, had to handle things well.

The long-awaited Christmas Eve arrived.

The time Baek Mugyeong was supposed to arrive was six in the evening. I waited for him, and I could not leave the window of the reception room that faced the front gate.

“Hyung, you can sit while you wait.”

My younger brother spoke because he could not stand watching me. There were many chairs in the reception room, but I continued sitting down and standing up again because I was nervous.

“I’m fine.”

“Hyung, you look like a puppy waiting for its master.”

I could not help but laugh at my brother’s mischievous joke. It was not entirely wrong. I really was waiting for Baek Mugyeong to appear.

But just laughing it off would hurt my dignity as an older brother. I laughed and wrapped my arm around my brother’s neck.

“Did you just call me a dog? Hm?”

“I said a puppy.”

“That’s the same.”

“You know it well.”

“You brat.”

“Oh, the gate’s opening.”

While we exchanged playful blows, my brother pointed at the window.

I walked to the window in disbelief. Contrary to what he said, the gate was tightly closed.

“Just kidding!”

My brother slipped out of my arm, shouted that it was a lie, and ran away. And I became again a puppy waiting for its master by the window.