Pay With Your Heart

513 Surprise Or Forget?

Loud shrieks of horror broke across the street when Yong-Gun’s body hit the ground with bone-cracking sounds, his head smashing hard against the floor and blood spilling out.

Alerted medics hurried towards him while others looked up at the roof where he had fallen from.

Dan-Han knew without a doubt that the authorities, who had been guarding Yong-Gun, would be racing up the stairs to the rooftop to find out what had happened, and he sauntered towards the elevator, which instantly regained power, and he quickly boarded it.

Cutting off the power had been to ensure no one reached him in time, creating enough time for him to evacuate the premises, as the authorities would have all been forced to use the stairs instead of the elevators.

“Boss, you have to get out of here,” Tae-Ho urgently said, already holding the car door for Dan-Han.

Dan-Han might wield a lot of economic power, which gives him and his family a table at political plays, but he wasn’t above the law. He’d be the first suspect for Yong-Gun’s death if their plan to make it seem like suicide didn’t work. But even for that, Dan-Han already had a solid alibi to prove himself innocent.

Dan-Han looked over to Yong-Gun’s body, lifelessly sprawled on the floor in a pool of his blood, and all he felt was more rage.

He had thought killing Yong-Gun would give him take away his grief and grant him some grief, but he was wrong. All he wanted at the moment was to kill him all over again more brutally.

He shifted his eyes away from there and stared at Tae-Ho. “Stephen is yours. Make him pay for that hand of yours and dispose of him.” He ordered. He quickly looked at Tae-Ho’s arm before glancing back at his face. There was a deadness in Tae-Ho’s eyes, and he need not say more.

.....

He’d love to kill Yong-Gun’s minion, Stephen, with his hands, but he wouldn’t take that from Tae-Ho. The man needed to draw his share of blood to satisfy his rage.

They had cost him an arm, and though the doctors had said it was still salvable, he knew Tae-Ho might never be at his best again, and even if he ever did, it would take time.

And time was what he’d give him because Tae-Ho wasn’t just a subordinate; he was a comrade, one with an immense sense of loyalty.

“Boss, what about Ji-Tae? Have you made up your mind about what to do to him?” Tae-Ho suddenly asked.

‘Made up his mind.’ Dan-Han’s brows furrowed with displeasure at the sudden remembrance of that fool. Handling Ji-Tae was something he was yet to decide on, and only God knows why he hasn’t come to a decision.

Could it be sentiment? Sentiment based on family ties? Or could he not just do away with the boy? Dan-Han wondered which one it was.

“Let him be for now, but I will.” He firmly replied and hopped in his car.

With Yong-Gun now gone, Dan-Han knew all he needed to do was decide what to do with Ji-Tae. The boy’s life was in his hands, and he didn’t even know it.

Should he kill him or give him one more chance? One more opportunity to prove himself. Dan-Han mused.

People would call that thought a bias, but he had never been a virtuous person.

Dan-Han wasn’t certain what to do, and he didn’t want to hassle his brain over such deliberations.

He would put it aside for now and focus on what’s more important at the moment, and that was marrying Eun-Sun. He wants to marry that girl as soon as possible.

....

The week quickly went by in a chase, and with each passing day, Eun-Sun’s patience wore thin with Dan-Han, so much she didn’t want to talk to him, and she desired nothing but to return to her apartment, which she shared with Hei-Ran.

She really wanted him out of her sight before she did something they might both regret.

“Eun-Sun, you are saying he doesn’t know, or he doesn’t remember? Which is it?” Hei-Ran curiously inquired as she spoke to Eun-Sun over the phone.

Eun-sun hissed irritably. “I don’t know, and I don’t care. He can go to hell for all I care.” She hissed again as her eyes brimmed with anger.

“How dare he not know what today is? If anyone doesn’t know or remember, it shouldn’t be him! How dare he forgets my birthday?!” She snapped, feeling even angrier as she spoke to Hei-Ran about it.

Hei-Ran sighed, knowing how vexed Eun-Sun was at the moment.

“Eun-Sun, you should calm down. I think the pregnancy hormones are what’s getting you all fired up. Take a deep breath.” She said, attempting to pacify her. She knew it could be disappointing when someone special forgets such things, but she also believed Eun-sun’s reaction was being sponsored by her pregnancy hormones.

She hissed again. “I don’t want to, and he should come get his baby out of me because I’m no longer interested.” She snapped again, and Hei-Ran chuckled.

“You know you don’t mean that. You endlessly love Dan-Han and his baby, so don’t even go there. And maybe he didn’t really forget. He might actually be planning a surprise for you or something.” Hei-Ran reasoned, and Eun-Sun quickly pondered about it, but she sighed and pushed it away.

Dan-Han was a romantic, at least with her, and he always did the sweetest things for her, but he was always upfront with his surprises. He always gives her a heads-up and always takes her with him as he slowly unfolds his surprise for her till he gets to the peak.

He was that kind of man, and she knew him well.

Eun-Sun sighed and shook her head. “I don’t think so, Hei-Ran. He even left before I woke up this morning. Not even a wish from him or a card. Do you think I’m overreacting?” She asked with uncertainty.

Was she feeling disappointed for no good reason? Dan-Han has always been there for her, always making her smile. So there’s no way he’d intentionally forget, would he? she mused.

Hearing her deflated voice, Hei-Ran felt tongue-tied, unsure what to say. “I don’t think you are overreacting. He means a lot to you, so it’s only natural you want to spend your special day with him.”

“It’s not that special if he doesn’t remember or give me his wishes.” Eun-Sun angrily hissed.

“But I did remember and your parents too, the ones you didn’t tell me about. I’m yet to forgive you for that.” Hei-Ran tersely told her.

“I’m sorry.” Eun-Sun apologized yet again. She was still apologetic to Hei-Ran for keeping information about her birth parents from her when Hei-Ran had been the only good thing in her life, at least till Dan-Han came.

“It’s okay, love. But anyway, don’t feel bad. It’s your day, and you’re supposed to be happy. You turned twenty-six, and you have a man that loves you, you found your family, and you’re having a baby. That’s so many things you should be grateful for, and to think all these happened within a year? Come on, Eun-sun, don’t be sad.” She comforted her.

“If Dan-Han doesn’t remember, maybe you should surprise him instead. You can invite him on a date to celebrate with you later tonight, but that’s after we return from our outing. That way, you won’t end up not celebrating with him.” Hei-Ran suggested.

Eun-Sun silently pondered about it, but she was hesitant. She still couldn’t shake off the fact that Dan-Han either didn’t know or had forgotten her birthday.

She had his engraved in her heart, and she was already making plans to surprise him, as his was only a month away.

Eun-Sun deflatedly sighed. “I don’t know, Hei-Ran, but I’ll think about it.”

“Okay. But while you’re thinking about it, don’t forget we’ll be going out today as usual. We’re not stopping our birthday tradition because you’re pregnant, so keep that in mind. I’m taking you out tonight after the close of work, then after we can continue this conversation if he still hasn’t remembered, but I’m sure he will.” Hei-Ran assured her, and even though Eun-Sun wasn’t convinced, she nodded.

“Okay, then. I’ll come to pick you up after work. I love you. Happy birthday, baby.” Hei-Ran chirped before disconnecting the call.

Eun-Sun sighed as she lolled back into her seat and thought about what Hei-Ran had said.

Did Dan-Han forget, or was he going to surprise her?

Eun-Sun looked at the date on her phone and scrolled through her call list.

She had received so many calls from friends and family, which she had gotten through him, but the one person she just wanted to hear it from, well, he didn’t care.

She scrolled to Dan-Han’s number, and her fingers hovered above the dial button, but she hissed and tossed the phone away.

She wasn’t going to call to remind him. If he forgot, so be it.

She was going to make him pay in ways he wouldn’t imagine.