Present, Jimin POV
"I never saw her again after that night. I demanded to search all the rooms but that only resulted in my being kicked out from the hospital." Taehyung clenched his jaws, suppressing the tears that were about to fall from his tired eyes.
"Why didn't you go straight to Kang sajangnim & ask about where your sister was?" I frowned, still slightly skeptical about his story.
"And risk exposing myself? If he knew that someone was looking for Taehee, what do you think he would do? He most probably would hide her somewhere even more obscure or kill her. Now, I'm starting to believe that he'd already killed her." He scoffed & a drop of tear rolled down his cheek, which he quickly wiped away with the back of his hand.
"How do you know that he doesn't know about you?"
"Well, judging from his expression the first time he met me, I was sure that he didn't know. Taehee must have never mentioned me to him."
"So you approached Y/n & attempted to use her to avenge your sister, is that it?"
"I wanted to give Kang Jihwan a taste of his own medicine & find some information about where he hid my sister." He shrugs & averts his gaze, guilt lacing his voice.
I stared at him in silence for a long moment, contemplating whether to believe him or not. He seemed genuine enough. Besides, why would he create such an elaborate story if it wasn't the truth?
On another note, if it is indeed the truth, does his sister's suffering justify what he did to Y/n?
"You're thinking whether you should report all this to your boss, aren't you?" He asks.
"No. I'm thinking whether you are happy now since you've achieved your goal." I snicker.
""What is that supposed to mean?" He tilts his head in confusion at my unexpected response.
"Well, you've basically done the same thing, that Kang sajangnim did to your sister, to Y/n. Congratulations you've gotten your revenge. An eye for an eye, right?"
"What? No! I'm not the same as that monster. I didn't force Y/n to abort the baby. In fact, I asked her to keep the baby." He retaliates.
"It isn't your decision to make, Kim Taehyung. Have you thought about what her father will do to the baby if he finds out? You obviously know that he's a heartless man who can even kill his own baby to protect his reputation. Don't you think that he'll do the same to Y/n's baby? If no one does anything, she'll lose the baby too. Just like your sister."
"I- I-" He struggles to answer my question.
"You think you can justify the pain you caused Y/n because her father did an awful thing to your sister. But honestly, you're not any different from him. You manipulated her feelings, betrayed her trust, used her genuine affection for you as a weapon. You have no idea what kind of hell she's living in right now. She was distressed by her father, but you crushed her." I spit the sentences out with vengeance. My hatred towards him grows with every word.
"She wouldn't have been hurt if only we had successfully run away that night! Stop acting like you care about her. You contributed to her pain too!" He shouts in defense.
"As if I had a choice. Your girlfriend told Kang sajangnim about your escape plan because she was jealous of Y/n. You played with their feelings & didn't expect to get burned? It's either you're too naive or too stupid."
"Park Jimin!" He bangs the separator hard in fury.
"I hope you think carefully about what you've done." I hang up the phone & as watch as the guard pulls him away.
I've figured out his motive. How should I use that information to my advantage now?
My brain starts churning & I come up with a plan.
First, I should confirm that his sister is indeed the Kim Taehee who's in the hospital. Although it's highly likely that they're the same person, I need concrete proof.

I drive my car to the hospital right away. Nurse Min is already waiting for me when I arrive.
"I only have a few minutes. What does she want?" Nurse Min asks as soon as she gets into my car.
"She wants you to help her acquire a copy of Kim Taehee's file. The real file, of course, not the fabricated one."
"That's impossible! Even if I could find it, I wouldn't be able to show it to her. It's against the ethical codes." She gasps at the unreasonable request.
"You've already violated the codes anw by spying on her for us. So please help us again one last time." I plead.
She bites her lip & contemplates her options for a few moments.
"What do I gain from this? She promised to help me get the approval for my transfer request, but I haven't seen any result until today. It's been months! I can't risk my career for-"
"Here. She asked me to give you this." I fish out the check I prepared earlier & hand it to her.
"What's this?" She scans the rectangular piece of paper & widens her eyes when she sees the number written on it.
"This is only half of the total amount. Give us a copy of her file & you'll get the other half."
"O-Ok. I'll let you know when I've found it." She quickly folds the check & slides it inside her pocket.
"We'll be waiting for your good news." I nod at her.
She scurries out of the car, a slight smile curving the corners of her lips.
Huh.. There goes my savings. Oh well, it's a small price to pay to achieve my goal. I lean back onto the car seat & sigh.
The sudden vibration of my phone startles me.
"Kang sajangnim? Shit. Yes, Sajangnim?" I immediately clear my throat & answer the call.
"Where are you?"
"I'm on my way back to the mansion. I was getting-"
"Come faster. I'm waiting." He says before ending the call.
What's going on? My heart races as I hit the gas.
I reach the mansion in no time. Kang sajangnim & Y/n turn their heads towards me when I rush into the living room.
"You're here, Jimin ah." He says.
"Yes, I'm sorry for making you wait. I drove as fast as-" I bow at him.
"That's fine. Sit down. I have an important announcement to make." He signals me to sit on the sofa next to Y/n.
What is he going to talk about? Has he found out about her pregnancy?
I try to remain calm despite anxiety eating me out from the inside.
Y/n is sitting with her back straight & head lowered, her hands tightly gripping the fabric of her skirt. She must be very nervous too.
"Y/n ah, I see that you have pretty much recovered to your former self, so I think you're ready for the next step now." Kang sajangnim addresses her.
"N-Next step? I don't understand." She looks up at him in bewilderment.
"It's time for you to find a life partner." He says flatly.
"Life partner?!" She abruptly stands up, eyes widened in shock.
"I've arranged you to meet Hong sajang's son tomorrow evening. Jimin ah, please help her. Buy anything she needs, make sure she looks presentable." He rises from his seat, indicating that he's done talking to us.
"Abeonim, I don't want to get married! I'm still too young!" She protests.
"If you get married to Hong sajang's son, it will benefit our company greatly."
"But Abeonim-" She steps forward but he puts a palm up telling her to stop.
"I'm not taking no for an answer. My decision is final, so be ready tomorrow for dinner. Don't embarrass me." He steps into his office & closes the door behind him.
Y/n turns to me, looking utterly lost & desperate. Her fingers tremble as she clutches the front of my shirt.
"Help me, Jimin ssi. Help me."

Y/n POV
My whole body shakes uncontrollably as I let ko wrap his arm around my shoulders & escort me up to my room.
"Sit down. I'll grab you a glass of water." He closes the door & sits me down on the bed.
Terror has overwhelmed my brain, so I can only stare blankly ahead without responding.
"Here you go. Please drink it slowly." He comes back a few seconds later with a glass of water..
He tries to place the glass in my hand but I push it away, causing half of the content to spill onto the carpeted floor.
"Why does he suddenly want to marry me off? He must know about my pregnancy, that's why he's doing this. You told him, didn't you? Didn't you?!" I clench his collar & shout at him accusingly.
"I didn't! I swear! I was surprised to hear that as well."
"Then why? Someone must have informed him. The obgyn at the hospital?" Eyes wild, I let go of him & mutter to myself.
"You need to stay calm. I'm sure he doesn't know, maybe he has other reasons."
"No! He knows! He must know! He always knows everything!" I yell frustratedly.
"That's not true. There are a lot of things that he doesn't know." He lowers his head & mutters hesitantly.
The change in his tone makes me turn back around to face him.
"What things? What exactly do you mean?" My heart beats faster in anticipation.
He stays silent, but I can almost hear the gears in his brain turning. After a minute, he pushes his hair back, huffs, & looks up at me.
"I guess it's time to tell you the truth."
"Truth about what? What are you talking about?" I become even more anxious after listening to his cryptic remark.
He opens the door, peeks out to make sure no one is around, & locks the door.
"What are you doing?" I ask in confusion.
"Give me a minute." He pulls out his phone & taps on the screen.
I stare at him staring at his phone. What the hell is he doing?
"Jimin ssi-" My patience is spent, but he stops me from talking further by putting his forefinger up.
"Eommoni, are you busy? Can we talk?" He speaks to the screen.
A video call to his mother? Why?
"Yes, son. What's wrong? You never call at this hour before. And video call? Aren't you scared of being found out?" A soft female voice asks from the other end.
"Eommoni, I need you to meet someone." He smilingly replies.
"Who is it? Ommo. Is it- Wait, have you told her about me?" She sounds panicked all of a sudden.
"Not yet. I figured that it will be better if you meet her first. Miss Y/n, please take this." He offers his phone to me.
"Is she your mother? Why would I talk to her?" I frown, refusing to take the phone.
"You'll see." He steps closer & places the phone in my hand.
I slowly look down at the screen & can't help but gasp in surprise when I see the woman in it.
She's probably in her mid 40s but there's a youthful glow to her that makes her look younger than her age. Her dark brown irises glisten, her middle-length black hair falling softly on her shoulders, her sun-kissed skin glowing even under the fluorescent light.
At first glance, she's just a gorgeous middle-aged lady. However, as I look closer, she seems familiar.
Her lips, her nose, her eyes, they all remind me of..
myself. It's as if I'm staring an older version of me.
Could it be- No. No way.
"Ommo. Y/n? You're Y/n, right? Y/n ah.." She mutters as tears roll down her smooth complexion.
"Do- Do I know you?" I look nervously back & forth between her & Jimin, my heart pounding so fast that it feels like it's about to burst.
"She's your mother." Jimin says calmly.
Thunder strikes inside my mind at his revelation.
"M-Mother? No. That's impossible. I don't believe you. You're lying." I throw the phone on the bed like it's a ball of fire.
"It's true. She is your mother & she's been longing to see you again for years. I saw the way you looked at her earlier. You must feel something too." Jimin says as he takes the phone from the bed & shows the screen to me again.
"No. My mother abandoned us for another man. She must be some actress you hired to fool me. What game are you playing Park Jimin? Are you trying to manipulate me too?!" I step backwards, distancing myself from both of them.
"Y/n ah.. Jimin is telling the truth. I'm your mother. Everything your father told you is a lie. I didn't abandon you. Please believe me." The lady inside the phone cries.
"Stop it! Turn it off! Turn the phone off now!" I muffle my ears & turn away.
"Eommoni, let me explain everything to her first. I'll call you again later." I can faintly hear Jimin says.
"Do you expect me to believe that she is my mother? What are you trying to do?" I turn around & ask him.
"I'm trying to save you from your father & reunite you with your mother."
"Stop saying that she's my mother. She's not. Who are you? Oh God, do you have an ulterior motive too? Do you intend to use me too?"
"Y/n ah, please listen to me- Listen!" He grabs my shoulders & shakes me hard, shutting me up.
"I'll tell you everything but you need to calm down & be quiet."
"I won't believe anything you say." I plop limply down on the bed & look up at him.
"Let's decide after you listen to my story."