Fallen Crown

Chapter 3

At her part time job at the coffee shop, Eun Sang called her mother and explained very briefly that she had lost her phone. She apologized many times, feeling burdened by the lie. That brief moment of satisfaction over being in control of the situation had fueled a hope that she could handle whatever Young Do chose to retaliate with. That bravado had deflated as quickly as it had inflated when she considered how cruel and manipulative he could be. He was the type of person who answered to provocation in unexpected ways. His unpredictability made him all the more lethal as an enemy. She never knew what he was thinking or why he was driven to the actions he usually took. He was a mystery wrapped with dynamite; to solve it would undoubtedly end in a fatal explosion.
At the end of the day she was but a tiny fish in a tank full of sharks.

When Tan's father had found out about her relationship with his son he presented her with two scenarios, ensuring she would find the one he wanted most appealing. The chairman gave her a glimpse of the world he could open for her if she only chose "correctly." He illustrated a grim future where Tan could change his heart under the duress of poverty and hopelessness. He reminded her that she knew that desperation for she had met Tan at the end of it. After all, Eun Sang had left her mother — who she loved dearly — to seek a better life in a foreign country.

Tan has somewhere to come back to. You do not.
That was how she became Jeguk Group's new charity case. She was to show her benefactor that she was a worthwhile investment. The chairman expected her to be thankful, dependent, so that even glancing at Tan would feel like betrayal of his generosity. There was nowhere to run. Tan had made it clear he would follow her anywhere. The chairman expected her to ensure that he didn't go, that he accepted his fate, just as she had accepted hers. He had even extended his generosity toward her mother, raising her pay. He had even discussed wanting to send her to the best doctor's in Korea to see if her speech impairment could be reversed.
Keep quiet. Keep your name out of people's mouth. Do your best. I will reward your effort.

"Cha Eun Sang!" Her boss called. "Are you slacking off?"

She realized she'd been mopping the same spot. She turned to the manager and apologized. It was near closing time. As she swept the mop by the front of the establishment, she looked out. Young Do's motorcycle was parked by the curb. She set the mop aside and poked her head out the door. She hadn't expected he would leave her alone but she thought he would be shaken enough by her defiance to leave her at least a night to regret her actions.

"I'm right here."

She whirled around. Young Do pushed her outside, blocking the entrance to the shop. He raised a brow at her, clearly unimpressed with something.

"I've been sitting in there for twenty minutes. Either you really can't see me or you were thinking quite deeply about something terrifying. I took a picture." He pulled out his cellphone to show her the photograph. She looked downright horrible. "I'll use it to scare kids later."

"If you waited this long can you wait a bit more?"

She sighed. "I'm almost off work. Threaten me all you want then."

Young Do gave her a half smile. "Thinking the worst of me until the very end, Cha Eun Sang?"

"Have you given me anything better to think?"

He raised his brows at her, feeling challenged.

"Should I start doing so now?" From his pocket, Young Do pulled her cellphone. He held it out to her. It was spotless.

"Are you making fun of me?" "Am I laughing?"

"Why did you take it back? It changes nothing. You can call me as many times as you want and I won't pick up."