Tan lay on his bed but couldn't fall asleep. He had no idea why he felt like punching Ji-Tae. The guy was such an asshole. How could he have a girlfriend as nice as his realtor girlfriend and still go ahead to impregnate someone else? To think he was planning on even marrying her. He exhaled deeply.
He stood up suddenly when he remembered something Mi Cha had said. He had to talk to her, so she doesn't screw things up.
He knocked on all the room doors and checked inside when there was no response until he located Mi Cha's room.
She sat on her bed, applying some lotion he didn't know on her face. When she saw him, a smile lit up her face.
"Come right in," She said when he stood by the door awkwardly, not knowing whether to go in or not.
"Sorry to bother you, I just wanted to clear something up with you," He said as he sat on the only chair in the room.
"It's no bother. I had planned on coming to your room for a little chitchat after I freshen up," She said with a smile as she dried her short crop of hair.
"I hope you don't intend to tell your realtor you know her boyfriend?" Tan asked with a frown. As much as he didn't like what Ji-Tae was doing, he didn't want Mi Cha to mess things up further.
"Because he has another girlfriend," Mi Cha said, looking at him in a way that told him she wasn't dumb.
"Yea, and because it's not our business how he handles his business," He said, giving her a pointed look.
"Look, I like Lee Nana, she seems like a great and straightforward person, but I don't want to be the one to tell her she's a side chic, even though I think she deserves better than that," Mi Cha said sadly as she thought of Lee Nana.
"I wanted to ask you something else though. Was it a coincidence that Ji-tae's other girlfriend shares the same name as your hired girlfriend? And how did you find out your hired girlfriend wasn't a staff of that company? I doubt the company would give you such information that would damage their reputation," She said with narrowed eyes.
Tan looked at her with admiration. She was really smarter than he gave her credit for. He wasn't sure telling her was a smart move, but he needed to talk to someone about it, and so far, she had proven herself to be trustworthy. He had promised Min-Jung he wouldn't tell Ji-Tae about it, not that he wouldn't tell anyone else about it.
So he briefed a wide-eyed Mi Cha on his findings. By the time he was done, her mouth was wide open.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" She exclaimed without minding her language. Her little time in California had rubbed off on her, Tan noted.
"There is absolutely no way she doesn't know who your hired girlfriend is. She is hiding something. She has got to be hiding something," Mi Cha insisted.
The whole thing seemed like a drama to her, and the more she thought about it, the more she disliked this Min-Jung of a lady.
"So you want to keep this whole thing away from Ji-Tae?"She asked, looking at him disbelievingly.
"Yea, it is his business, not mine. All I want is to find Min- whatever her name is. I want to see her," Tan said, getting up.
"How about you go with me to check the houses tomorrow?" Mi Cha said as he opened the door.
"We will have to do that after I find Ji-Tae's Min-Jung. Let's talk in the morning. My head suddenly aches," He said, closing the door behind him.
**********
Ji-Tae sat on his bed, wondering why Min-Jung had entered his house in his absence. How had she known his security passcode? She had always looked away each time he opened the door... Had it all been in pretense?
Everything looked normal in his room. Maybe she had just come to rest or pick up something she had lost. Min Jung was always up to no good.
He remembered his mother's instruction to have his driver bring her over to the house.
He brought out his phone and dialed her number.
Min-Jung watched her phone ring with fear. Why was he calling her? Had Tan told him anything? Tan had promised to keep quiet. But Tan must have told him he had met her inside the house. How was she going to explain that to him? She suddenly remembered her missing necklace. She could tell him she had gone over to search for it.
The phone started ringing again, and she took the call. "Hello baby, sorry I was half asleep," She lied.
"That's fine, my love. How're you?" He asked, wanting to see if she would bring up the subject of going to his house alone.
"I'm fine. How was work today?" She asked, wondering why he sounded so lovely. Maybe Tan was yet to mention it to him. Perhaps if she brought it up before Tan had the chance, it wouldn't seem like a big deal.
"I can't complain. I actually called to tell you something important," He started.
It was now or never. She had to tell him before he said whatever he had in mind. "Before you go on, please, did you see my necklace? The one you bought me? I was at your place today searching for it", She said casually.
Oh, that made sense, then. Of course, that was the only reason she could have been to his house. He had been worried over nothing.
"Yes, I saw it. I'll give it to you tomorrow," He said, wondering if Nana would recognize it on Min-Jung. She had only seen it briefly. He doubted she would remember it.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Min-Jung asked sweetly.
"I'll be sending my driver over to pick you up tomorrow. My mother wants to meet the lady I intend to make my wife," He said, waiting to hear her squeal of delight.
Min-jung was silent for a few seconds; she hadn't expected that. What had happened? Was it possible she had suspected wrongly? Was it possible he loved and wanted to marry her? She was suddenly glad she hadn't done anything stupid.
"Really? What about the other lady she chose for you?" She asked skeptically.
"I made it clear I wanted to marry the mother of my unborn child. Don't worry about it," He said reassuringly.
"What about Nana?" She asked again, making him want to drop the call angrily.
"I will take care of everything, I promise. Just trust me and get ready by noon," He said between gritted teeth hating the fact that she had brought up Nana's name.
She had no choice but to trust him. He wouldn't introduce her to his mother if he didn't plan on marrying her, right?
"I'll be ready," She said, giddy with delight.