TMYRA Chapter 5

Take the Medicine First

 

Ihan was someone who never let Soo-ah be free, constantly monitoring and confining her.  

 

He wouldn’t even let Soo-ah meet other men and kept her at home except during class hours.  

 

After going to America, Soo-ah knew all too well that Ihan was taking precautions in case she tried to run away.  

 

“Brother!”  

 

Soo-ah couldn’t suppress her anger and raised her voice.  

 

“I thought you would understand why I’m doing this to you. Once the separation is finalized, you know what choices I might make afterward, don’t you?”  

 

Bo-kyung quickly rolled her eyes at those words.  

 

“Does that mean you might even get a divorce?”  

 

“Perhaps.”  

 

Bo-kyung burst into laughter.  

 

“As you know, I never registered my marriage with the chairman. You two are nothing but strangers. Ihan, you know that, right?”  

 

“I do.”  

 

Bo-kyung nodded and laughed frivolously.  

 

“I tried so hard to register my marriage with the chairman, but I couldn’t because you opposed it. Since his family registry was such a mess, I was furious that I wouldn’t even get a penny of his inheritance. But now, I get to make up for it like this.”  

 

She had married a wealthy man, only for that man to die without registering their marriage and leaving all his wealth to his children. From the funeral until now, Bo-kyung had cursed the chairman every day.  

 

And her obsession with Soo-ah had only grown stronger.  

 

She believed that as long as she could use Soo-ah well, she could maintain her current wealth for the rest of her life.  

 

“He didn’t even cover your tuition, did he? Did he give you any allowance? It’s a good thing Ihan took care of you whenever he could.”  

 

“I received a scholarship. That’s enough.”  

 

“That’s not the point. How much does tuition even cost? When I think about all the effort I put into serving the chairman, it drives me crazy!”  

 

Soo-ah thought the things Chairman Min had left her were more than she deserved, but Bo-kyung was insatiable.  

 

She was never satisfied.  

 

“All I inherited was a tiny house in the countryside. Just a single room! Do you think that’s worth anything? Do you have any idea how much I sacrificed for the chairman?”  

 

She was berating Soo-ah when she suddenly realized that Ihan was watching her. She quickly changed her tone.  

 

“So, Soo-ah, has your brother ever been wrong? Ihan won’t make you do anything bad. Just do as he says. Would he ever make you do something wrong?”  

 

“Thank you for understanding.”  

 

“Ihan, your words are like the law to me. If Soo-ah resists, I’ll force it through, so don’t worry.”  

 

“Mom!”  

 

Soo-ah shouted, but neither of them paid her any attention.  

 

“Soo-ah, I’m doing this because I’m worried about you. What kind of mother wants her daughter to fail? This is all for your own good—and mine too.”  

 

“Yes. The world is dangerous, so I only worry about Soo-ah. I spoke too much while we were eating. Let’s continue our meal.”  

 

“Right. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed my food. I can’t eat cheap stuff, you know. This is the least I deserve.”  

 

Bo-kyung eagerly stuffed food into her mouth, but Soo-ah couldn’t swallow a single bite.  

 

Her throat felt blocked, and her chest tightened.  

 

“Soo-ah, you need to eat well.”  

 

But Ihan kept placing food onto her plate, and with Bo-kyung pressuring her as well, Soo-ah had no choice but to force herself to eat.  

 

***

 

That night, when Soo-ah returned home, she ended up getting sick.  

 

Her face turned ghostly pale as she rushed into the bathroom and threw up everything.  

 

Only after vomiting up even stomach acid did she finally manage to catch her breath.  

 

She barely steadied her breathing and looked into the mirror.  

 

Her complexion had turned ghastly white, and even her lips were blue.  

 

Bang, bang.

 

A knock on the door was followed by Ihan’s voice.  

 

“Soo-ah, are you feeling sick? Open the door.”  

 

Soo-ah didn’t want to hear his voice, so she turned on the cold water.  

 

Whooosh.*

 

The sound of running water drowned out his voice.  

 

Only then did she finally feel like she could breathe.  

 

But then, she heard a soft click, and the door opened.  

 

“Soo-ah.”  

 

Ihan had unlocked the door and entered, immediately checking her face.  

 

“Soo-ah, should we go to the emergency room? Or should I call a doctor? Where does it hurt?”  

 

He spoke gently as he led her to the bed.  

 

Forcing her to lie down, he brought out various types of medicine.  

 

“Take the medicine first.”  

 

Soo-ah kept her lips tightly shut, but he still managed to push digestive medicine and sedatives into her mouth.  

 

She wanted to be alone, but he wouldn’t leave her side.  

 

She tried to ask him to leave, but perhaps because of the sedatives, she had no strength left to speak.  

 

“Soo-ah, don’t worry and just sleep. I’ll stay right here with you.”  

 

Behind his smiling face, Bo-kyung was watching with an expression of delight.  

 

She wanted to escape. She wanted to run away from this prison-like space.  

 

Soo-ah felt suffocated.  

 

But Ihan and Bo-kyung remained exactly where they were.  

 

***

 

A few days later, rain poured down from the morning.  

 

Soo-ah turned on the TV and shifted her gaze outside the window.  

 

The weather forecast was playing on the TV.  

 

It said that the rainy season had started earlier than usual this year and that it would rain for the next week.  

 

Warnings followed, advising caution due to thunder and lightning.  

 

Drip. Drip.  

 

The sound of raindrops falling was refreshing.  

 

It felt like only yesterday that the cherry blossoms had fallen, but summer was already in full swing.  

 

As she took a deep breath, the damp scent of soil filled her nose.  

 

Her heart grew calm as she took in the sight of the rainy garden.  

 

The leaves, soaked with moisture, deepened into a rich green, looking more vibrant, and the patches of grass emerging from the soil were spreading day by day.  

 

Wanting to feel the rain, she stretched out her hand outside the window.  

 

The cool sensation of raindrops landing on her palm tickled her, bringing a fleeting smile to her lips.  

 

Knock, knock.  

 

At the sound of someone knocking on the door, Soo-ah tensed up again and turned her head toward it.  

 

Could it be Ihan? As she sharpened her senses, the door opened.  

 

Fortunately, it was not Ihan but a house staff member who entered.  

 

“Miss Moon Soo-ah, I have something to inform you. The president has an urgent schedule and has left for the airport earlier than planned.”  

 

Ihan had finally left for the United States.  

 

For a brief moment, she was given a taste of freedom.  

 

Only now could she finally breathe properly.  

 

“The president instructed that your workspace be moved inside the house before he left.”  

 

It was an attempt to confine her here.  

 

She absolutely could not accept it.  

 

“I can’t do that. I can’t work at home. I can’t bring everything here, and my silkscreen machine is at school.”  

 

“The president said he would immediately purchase all the materials you need for your work.”  

 

Soo-ah stood her ground and firmly opposed the suggestion.  

 

“What about the friends I work with? We’re working on the same theme. We talk every day and get inspiration from seeing each other’s work. How am I supposed to do that alone at home?”  

 

The staff member seemed flustered, as if they hadn’t considered that aspect.  

 

“I will report this to the president and inform you of his response later. Also, the bodyguard hired by the president will be arriving shortly.”  

 

“A bodyguard?”  

 

“Yes. Starting today, a bodyguard will be by your side to protect you.”  

 

Soo-ah was furious.  

 

“It’s not protection; it’s surveillance.”  

 

Even at her blunt remark, the staff member maintained an appropriately polite expression as they replied.  

 

“The company is Kangju. It’s a trustworthy firm, so you don’t need to worry.”  

 

At the mention of Kangju, Soo-ah’s expression stiffened.  

 

She had heard of them several times before.  

 

They were a gang of organized criminals to whom the late Chairman Min had given vast sums of money to handle illegal affairs. They had grown under Chairman Min’s protection.  

 

After Chairman Min’s death, a man named Seo Mun-hwon, an CEO, became Ihan’s right-hand man.  

 

She had never met him in person, but she had overheard Ihan speaking on the phone with Jang Ji-chul, Seo Mun-hwon’s right-hand man.  

 

Back then, he had taken care of the people Ihan considered eyesores and received a large sum of money in return.  

 

CEO Seo was someone who wouldn’t hesitate to commit murder if Ihan ordered it.  

 

For someone like that to be in charge of her security meant that freedom was no longer an option for Soo-ah.  

 

As she lowered her head in despair, the staff member’s phone rang.  

 

“Yes, Mr. President.”  

 

Maintaining a courteous posture, she responded and then turned to Soo-ah.  

 

“The president wishes to speak with you, Miss Moon Soo-ah.”