You're Fired !

99

“What’s good about being a good person? If I could always stay as a bad person, I would have married Jiana in our own house, and maybe even have children.”
The harsh truth of the matter finally dawned on Lisa and she knew what had changed Hyunjae.

And now, Hyunjae no longer resembled the energetic and ambitious partner he once was. He was now a pitiful and destitute middle-aged man.

He looked at Lisa and sighed, “I’m not a purely good person, but Lisa, I’m not as bad as you think. Regarding the matter with Jungkook, I really just didn’t want you to get hurt from the bottom of my heart. I know how much Jungkook hates me, and I don’t want you to be like Jiana, involved and used as a tool for his revenge against me.”
When Hyunjae spoke these words, his face was still a little pale, but every word he said, Lisa believed, was sincere. Because of what happened to Sister Jiana, he had worried about it happening again, worried that he would fall into the same trap. His intentions were genuine.

But it was unnecessary.

“Lawyer Kang, do you subconsciously believe that Jungkook will be like you, that after experiencing so much unfairness, he will be blinded by hatred and completely overturn his beliefs, becoming a person who stops at nothing?”
Hyunjae looked at Lisa and didn’t speak.

No one can guarantee that they will never make mistakes in their lifetime. Hyunjae was wrong in the case of Jungkook’s father, but he could make amends in many ways. He had indeed done so. However, when his actions were struck down and frustrated, Hyunjae chose to surrender to life without hesitation.

“You think you were wrong, but you made amends. However, your atonement not only did not bring rewards, but it also brought disaster. So you felt wronged, resentful, and felt that you were also a victim. Therefore, you completely overturned your own values and felt it was better to go with the flow and be a bad person. You easily took this path, even though it was clearly to make your own life more comfortable, to find excuses for your own depravity, and to choose an easier path! When you feel sorry for Jungkook, you choose to send him money and think that it is redemption. But does Jungkook want your money? If it were you, would seeing that money make you feel less resentful or more humiliated? Throughout, you have never had the courage to face Jungkook directly and apologize to him properly.”

Lisa looked at Hyunjae and said, “Yes, you are very pitiful, but isn’t Jungkook pitiful too? You were already in your twenties when you lost sister Jiana, at least you were an adult with a stable job, but Jungkook was only thirteen when he lost his father and even had to bear a huge debt. Moreover, you keep saying that you love Sister Jiana, and it was because of her death that you became like this. But what about Sujin? Is it just because she has a similar face to Sister Jiana that you’re attracted to her?”

Hyunjae stuttered as if he wanted to defend himself, but Lisa didn’t give him the chance. She continued, “Don’t talk to me about redemption. Because you couldn’t give Sister Jiana the best, you want to make up for it by looking at this face. But I ask you, can she compare to Sister Jiana? Is she worthy? She has a dark and dirty heart, no ability but enjoys internal strife. She doesn’t have the basic professional ethics of a legal practitioner, nor does she have the professional morals she should have. You know what she does in the office, but you choose to turn a blind eye and allow it to happen. So is this your love for Sister Jiana? Is this your pain? When you see Sujin having a face similar to Sister Jiana’s to do these things every day, don’t you feel nauseous? Jungkook has suffered as much as you have, but has he become like you, going with the flow and becoming a bad person without any psychological burden? Has he changed? He hasn’t. Not everyone who experiences something like you will necessarily become like you, blaming themselves and turning into a bad person. Even if it’s painful, Jungkook has never changed.”
…….
“Teacher , let me ask you one last time. Even if you could turn back time and according to your current understanding, you kept being a bad person and never helped the disadvantaged with public interest cases, do you really think Sister Jiana would have lived happily ever after with you, having children? She liked you because you were a kind person. If she knew you had become like this, she would never have been with you. She would have left decisively and married a truly kind person, not someone like you.”
Lisa paused for a moment and said, “Because you simply don’t deserve it!”
______________
After finishing a long meeting, Jungkook returned to firm, it was not yet time to leave work, and he thought that he might miss dinner with Lisa as she was probably still at the office.