55 : Million Dollar Question

The next day after that night, Min Jae woke up late to see that Eun Young was already gone. He slept at the living room to give her the space that she needed. And so when he went upstairs to freshen up, that was the only time he noticed that she had already left. Eun Young didn't say where she was going, nor did she leave a clue about where she was. She didn't bring anything with her and majority of her things were still in place. With that in mind, Min Jae was able to let out a sigh of relief. At least... there's still hope that she would be back.

However, two days after, he waited... but Eun Young never returned. He would go to work during the day and come back home at night. Eun Young usually arrives in the evening after her shift. She would normally be at home first before he was. But for the past two days, she wasn't coming home. Not during the night, not even during the day.

Today was the third day of her absence. Seeing the place empty, it was as if Eun Young brought the life in this house away with her too. The kids weren't around... Eun Young wasn't around... Even Mrs. Bong and the others weren't around... The house instantly felt bigger than it was before. With today also being the first snowfall, it felt cold and lonely within these four walls. All the more it made everything despairing.

Min Jae neatly arranged his tie in front of the mirror. Looking at the man before him, Min Jae instantly noticed his restless appearance. There were visible dark circles beneath his eyes and stubbles were beginning to grow across his chin. Ever since that night... he stayed up, thinking of what he would say upon Eun Young's return. But what else could he say? In the end, there was nothing. There was nothing he could say or do.

His phone suddenly rang, disrupting his train of thought. Without bothering to check the caller's ID, he answered it. "Boss." Secretary Yoo's voice emerged from the speaker. "Reception just called and they said a woman's making a fuss at the lobby. We identified her as Ms. Choi Na Rae, a previous employee at the company. She kept insisting for an appointment with you regarding an important matter. Should we send her away?" He asked.

Min Jae's brows furrowed. "No, I'll be on my way." He said.

"Alright sir." Yoo Joong replied. "She's temporarily restrained at the Security Department. Meanwhile, I'll have the staff prepare a private--"

"Don't." Min Jae intervened. People would definitely misunderstand if they see them together at the company. After a while, he finally thought of something. "Reserve a private table at the restaurant nearby. Have someone bring her there and I'll meet with her shortly." He instructed.

"Very well, sir." Secretary Yoo said before ending the call.

It wasn't a long drive to the restaurant. As soon as he got there, he was lead to the VIP section of the place as reserved by Secretary Yoo. He was the first to arrive so he ordered a few meals as he waited even though he didn't really have the appetite to eat. It wasn't long before a woman was lead to the same table he was in. Min Jae calmly drank his tea without turning to look at her. From his peripheral vision, she simply stood there without a word.

"I hope you're not expecting me to pull out a chair for you now." He impassively said. On the back of his mind, he just wanted to get this over with. Because seeing Na Rae with the knowledge that he got her pregnant makes him hate himself all the more. Eun Young got hurt because of him. An innocent child's future is at stake because of him. Sh**! Everything's his f****** fault and it's driving him insane!

Letting out a sigh, Na Rae sat opposite Min Jae. She didn't expect she would actually succeed seeing him today. Nonetheless, she has to make every second count. "How have you been?" She asked. "You look... different."

Min Jae's brown eyes met hers. It only took one look for her to realize that this man had changed so much in the past month she didn't saw him. His eyes had always spoken for him, they used to be so careless and dominating... part of what Na Rae had always admired about him. But right now, his eyes almost seemed like they belonged to a different man--a man who's empty, as if he'd lost everything.

Min Jae shrugged and diverted his gaze. "I don't know." He trailed off. "I'm not really in the mood to have a catching up moment here."

Na Rae clenched her hands into fists under the table. "I'm pregnant and you are the father." She blurted out without hesitation.

However, this wasn't new to Min Jae anymore so his expression didn't change. "And so I heard." He muttered. Na Rae blinked upon seeing him so calm and composed. That woman must've told him. But how was it that he seemed nonchalant about it? Does... Does he actually want the child?

"I have a question I've been meaning to ask though..." Min Jae declared. And as he looked at her again, he shot his million dollar question. "Am I really the father of that child?"

Na Rae gaped upon hearing his words. Frustrated, she picked up the glass of water and splashed it all over the man before her. She scoffed. "Yes. You. Are." She growled.

Min Jae tried his best to control his temper. F***! He grabbed the napkin atop the table and began to wipe his face and then his shirt.

"It must've been easy for you to forget about the girls you're screwing huh?" She challenged. Crossing her arms, Na Rae calmed herself too. The doctor said it's not good for her to be stressed because her family has a long history with miscarriages. She couldn't afford losing this only thing that could transform her life from being a living hell to paradise.

"I'm sorry." Na Rae confessed. She took the napkin in front of her and offered it to Min Jae. But as expected, he made no move to receive it so Na Rae retreated her hand. "Anyway, unless you want others to find out that you got some random woman pregnant, I have a proposal for you." Na Rae began.

She pressed her lips into a tight smile.

"Marry me." She said.