"To Our Future"

Mi Cha watched from her corner on the stairs until Min-Jung left.

"That's Nana's best friend. What did she want?" She said as she walked into the kitchen to join Tan.

"That means our speculations were right. She brought me the number of my supposed hired girlfriend," He said, pointing to the piece of paper.

"So, are you going to play it now or what?" He asked her.

"What's the hurry?" She asked, raising her brow. "Mum called. She asked after you," She told him as she picked up the paper.

Tan said nothing as he stirred the sauce in the pot. "What do you intend to do about this?" She asked, waving the piece of paper, "You really want to call even if you know it's not true?"

"Of course, I should call. How else will I gather evidence against her?" He asked, raising his right brow.

Tan joined her on the table as the food simmered in the pot. Mi Cha knew it was time to listen to the recorded conversation. She felt a bit nervous but chose to trust her instincts about Nana.

They listened quietly to the whole conversation between Min-Jung and Nana, as well as to her drunken babbles.

Mi Cha felt the anger rise inside her. She was angry with Min-Jung for being so evil and Nana for being so trusting. This confirmed that Min-Jung was snatching Nana's boyfriend and not the other way around.

What she couldn't understand was Min-Jung's plan. Why had she gone through the stress of making Nana meet Tan and then wanting to stop the whole thing now? Unless something probably had changed along the line. She intended to find out exactly what.

"So?" Mi Cha asked Tan. "So, what?" He asked back. "I expected you would be over the moon knowing that Nana is in love with you," She said.

"I am delighted about it. But I can't wrap my head around what Min-Jung is up to. Why doesn't she want me to see Nana when she will be marrying Ji-Tae?" He asked with a confused expression.

"Don't worry about it. Right now, the most important thing is for you to meet Nana. Let's just cut short the whole drama," Mi-Cha suggested. She just wanted Tan to focus on Nana while she sorted out everything with Min-Jung.

"I want to. Heaven knows I want to, but It's not like I can match into her workplace and demand to see her. I can't go to her house either. I have to figure out the perfect way to meet her," He said.

"That's my problem with you. You always overthink. Do more acting and less thinking. Do you think Nana will care about all that? She is even thinking of ending things with Ji-Tae all because she is in love with you. It is not like she even knows you're Ji-Tae's friend." Mi Cha complained as she dished out food.

She was going to involve their mother. Tan could get angry if he found out. She didn't care anymore. She intended to do what was best for him and all involved.

While Tan mulled over everything, how was Nana going to feel about him being Ji-Tae's friend? Okay, maybe he worried a bit too much. He would take it one step at a time. For now, he had to call the person whose number Min-Jung had given him.

"What are you doing?" Mi Cha asked Tan when she noticed he was picking up the paper and her phone instead of his own "I want to dial the number obviously, or you don't think I should?" He asked, looking at her.

"Ok, go ahead then, but why are you calling her with my phone?" She asked with a frown on her face.

"Because you'll be speaking with her, not me," Tan said matter of factly.

"Why me?" She asked again, confused.

"Who is being the slow one right now?" Tan asked with a triumphant smile while corking his brow.

"You're going to pretend to be Nana, and you'll tell her Min-Jung asked you to call her to tell her what to say to me, and then we will record the conversation. After which, I'll call her and introduce myself to her the moment she starts reciting everything you told her to say. We will play the recorder and threaten to get her arrested if she doesn't play along with us," He said, with a wink when Mi Cha's eyes widened.

"I must give it to you. You're intelligent," She said, looking at him with respect. "But I suggest we eat first because something tells me I'm going to lose my appetite after the call."

"Either way, I won't eat well, so what's the point? We have to do what has to be done," He said as he dialed the number and waited.

After the first few rings, the lady picked up the call, and Tan handed the phone to Mi Cha. "Hello," The lady greeted, waiting to hear a masculine voice since it was a burner phone, and the only two people she expected to call her were Min-Jung and Tan.

"Hello, It's Lee Nana, Min-Jung's friend. I'm the person you're impersonating. Min-Jung asked me to tell you what to say to him and brief you on my relationship with him so you don't make any mistakes," Mi Cha said.

"Oh! Okay. She didn't tell me about it, though, but that's fine. So what do I need to know?" She asked.

Mi Cha briefed her on what she was to say as instructed by Tan, and they recorded the conversation.

"I'm glad you called. I had no idea what to say to him other than to tell him to leave me alone and move on with his life, which sounded a bit lame. But if I may ask, why do you not want him?" The lady asked curiously. She had been given the job with little or no information on the relationship between both parties.

"You'll find out soon," Mi Cha said and ended the call.

"We have gotten what we wanted. Now you can call her," Mi Cha said with a smile plastered on her face.

**********

Min-Jung had called to say she was stopping by his office.

It gave Ji-Tae the time he needed to be ready. He had gotten a drug he could use to terminate her pregnancy. All he needed to do now was find a way to put it in her drink.

Since she refused an abortion, he would have to take care of it himself. There was no way he would allow her to have his child.

Since it was almost closing hours already, he would spend just a little time with her and drop her off at her home before she started bleeding. That way, no one would suspect him of anything, and he could act like he didn't know anything.

The secretary buzzed his line to inform him of Min-Jung's presence. After his stern warning and threat to sack her the last time she had allowed Min-Jung and Jin-A to enter the office unannounced, she knew better than to repeat such a mistake.

He quickly poured wine into two glasses and dropped the drug into her drink. He opened his arms with a pleasant smile as she walked into the office.

"Hello, my darling," He said, hugging her closely. Min-Jung was surprised at his warm welcome. Then she noticed the glasses of wine on the table.

"What are we celebrating?" She asked curiously.

"Our love and our future together. Now that you've met my mother, all I need is her approval, and we will get married," He said, drawing away from her slightly to place his hands on her abdomen.

"And how's our baby doing?" He asked with a huge grin on his face.

"He is very fine," She said with a smile as she placed her hand over his hands which were still on her abdomen. She prayed it was a boy. He would grow to rule over the Park empire.

"He? Don't be so sure," He said, chuckling. Of course, she would want a boy; he could tell the child was a form of insurance for her, more reason he had to terminate it. He handed over the poisoned glass of wine to her while looking as natural as possible.

Min-jung took the glass of wine from him, "To our future," She said, raising the glass in a toast before drinking from it. Ji-Tae watched her with a smile as he sipped from his glass. She was done for.