[2] The Substitute Wife

CHAPTER 208

The tingling sensation tormented him for a long time before it suddenly stopped, at which point Bambam felt as if he had just died. He laid in bed and panted deeply for some time before he slowly opened his eyes, sat up, and got out of bed to head to the bathroom.

After removing his clothes, he took one look at the bloody, unsightly wound on his shoulder through the mirror and knew he needed to go to the hospital again to have it bandaged up. He then turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water onto his face. The icy sensation made him feel slightly better and, without turning off the faucet, he watched the water drip off his face as he examined his own reflection in the mirror.

It was still the same old reflection of himself, but he found the person in the mirror to be slightly unfamiliar. Earlier, when he had been talking to Choi Jeongyeon in the interrogation room, he had almost told her that it had served her right, but when the words had been in his mouth, he had stopped himself because he had been reminded of himself.

If Choi Jeongyeon gets what she deserves, then what about me? Aren't I the same? I, too, get what I deserve.

I honestly was only slightly moved when I saw Choi Jeongyeon crying her heart out as she squatted on the floor. Ultimately, she was not Lisa Lim, and I had no instinct to cajole her or lie to her.

Actually, what Choi Jeongyeon said was right. I flew into a rage because she got to me.

He genuinely wanted to start fresh with Lisa Lim, so he had used Choi Jeongyeon to abduct her. He had wanted to use the ruse of hurting himself because, having been with Lisa Lim for 10 years, he understood her well. She had a stubborn personality and once she was set on something, she would persist until the end. It would be impossible to move her heart unless he sacrificed something.

His plan was clearly perfect until Lisa Lim popped up midway.

I obviously didn't need to suffer the injury on my shoulder except that he'd become involved. I was reticent to take that damage, but life is about making choices...

Back then, it was about whether or not I should be with Choi Jeongyeon for the sake of money. Subsequently, it was about whether or not I should go with Lisa Lim's wishes and break up with her. Now, it's about whether or not I should let Lisa Lim know the truth behind who saved her this time...

As Bambam was torn with conflict, his cell phone rang. Taking it out of his pocket, he glanced at the screen and saw that it was a landline. He answered the call, which turned out to be from the nurse at the hospital; she'd called to inform him that Lisa Lim had woken up.

Bambam ended the call and continued to stand in front of the mirror in silence for a while before he washed his face again and walked out of the bathroom to look for fresh clothes. After changing, he grabbed his car keys and walked out of his house.

When he passed by a shopping mall, Bambam stepped inside and bought some flavored seltzer. As he walked into Lisa Lim's room, the nurse was taking her temperature. He knocked twice on the door frame before he entered with several shopping bags. Lisa Lim briefly glanced at him but said nothing as she continued listening to the nurse.

Bambam placed all the seltzer bottles in the cupboard. He then took out a bunch of grapes, Lisa Lim's favorite fruit, and walked into the bathroom, where he washed them in the sink. By the time he came out, the nurse had already left the room.

Bambam passed the grapes over to Lisa Lim, but she didn't accept them. She merely lifted her head up and met his gaze. "Were you the one who saved me last night?"

Bambam's fingers subconsciously tightened around the glass bowl that he'd placed the grapes in. He had yet to open his mouth to lie and deceive her, but he already was slightly afraid to meet her eyes. He subconsciously turned his head away and averted her expectant gaze.