乱录目伦短篇小说

Chapter 348: Lee Hyung-Moon (2)

The police officers sent by Yang Hyung-Sik didn\'t miss their chance and pounced on him. One grabbed his arm, and the other wrapped his neck.

"Mr. Lee Hyung-Moon, you\'re under emergency arrest under the Special Act on the Punishment of Domestic Violence!"

At the same time, Kim Yong-Suk\'s face turned a dark shade of disbelief.

Click!

Handcuffs snapped onto Lee Hyung-Moon\'s wrists as he struggled and kicked. "Let go! Let me go! I\'m here to take my wife and kid! Who are you to stop me?"

"Stay still!"

Realizing he was getting nowhere, Lee Hyung-Moon turned to Kim Yong-Suk. "Hey, lawyer! Do something! You\'re my lawyer, aren\'t you?"

Kim Yong-Suk shook his head coldly with a grim expression. "I must\'ve been crazy to take on a client like you and end up in this mess..."

Simultaneously, Kim Yong-Suk pulled out his phone. "Yes, it\'s me. I\'m dropping Lee Hyung-Moon\'s case. Release the prepared press statement and make sure everyone knows KY Law Firm is officially withdrawing from this case."

It seemed Kim Yong-Suk had been preparing his exit since I started the media offensive.

"What? A-and you call yourself my lawyer?" Lee Hyung-Moon roared.

However, Kim Yong-Suk simply responded with a disdainful look as if he were talking to a worm. "I\'m not your lawyer anymore, so stop acting like I am. Who barges in here without consulting their lawyer after receiving a restraining order? You\'re an idiot."

"W-what did you just say to me?"

With a look of utter exasperation, Kim Yong-Suk turned to the police. "I\'m no longer representing him, so take him away or do whatever you want."

As soon as Kim Yong-Suk renounced his representation, the police tightened their grip on Lee Hyung-Moon. "Stop resisting and stay still!"

"How could you come here when a restraining order is in place?"

"Hey, look at this. He\'s been drinking too... The prosecutor and judge will love this, Mr. Lee Hyung-Moon."

When the two officers yanked the struggling Lee Hyung-Moon to his feet, he screamed in pain. "Ow! My arm! It hurts! I\'m telling you, it hurts!"

Seemingly briefed by Yang Hyung-Sik, the police forcefully dragged him out of the room.

While issues like divorce and custody still needed to be resolved, I wasn\'t too worried anymore. After all, no judge would side with someone who violated a court-issued restraining order and resorted to violence again.

I turned to Haru and Natalia. "It\'s all over now. You can relax."

The still-shaken Haru and Natalia comforted each other.

"Mom, it\'s all over now. You must\'ve been so scared."

"No, I wasn\'t scared at all because you were here with me."

Just then, Kim Yong-Suk approached me and whispered quietly. "Team Lead Jung, how about we have a little chat outside?"

I had a good idea of what he wanted, but this wasn\'t the place for such a conversation.

"Sure. Let\'s go."

I told Haru and Natalia to stay calm, then followed Kim Yong-Suk out of the hospital room.

***

As I followed Kim Yong-Suk out to the hallway outside the VIP room, he said nothing while simply looking me up and down.

His eyes were questioning how someone like me, a mere talent agent, could orchestrate everything that had happened.

At that moment, the look in Kim Yong-Suk\'s eyes reminded me of Eun-Ah\'s father, Yoo Han-Seok. It was a gaze that divided people into classes, seeing those below him as if they were nothing more than commoners.

\'They say like attracts like,\' I remarked inwardly.

Kim Yong-Suk\'s eyes held the same arrogance as Yoo Han-Seok. "I noticed you\'ve already worked the media and the court in your favor. It\'s a very clever setup. But how did a mere talent agent orchestrate such a meticulous plan?"

"Is that why you called me out here?" I asked.

Kim Yong-Suk shook his head. "No... That\'s all in the past now. I wanted to talk about Eun-Ah."

"Eun-Ah?"

After a brief pause, he continued. "I\'m sure you know that I\'m a friend of her father\'s and that we were supposed to become in-laws."

I nodded.

"Good. Just know that Eun-Ah will be terminating her contract after this promotion cycle."

Kim Yong-Suk brought up the past incident when I prevented her forced marriage, saying he still intended to make her his daughter-in-law.

I couldn\'t help but laugh in disbelief. "Hah. Wasn\'t that matter already settled? Even her father has given up on the idea. Who are you to say otherwise?"

"Don\'t be insolent. I\'m the one who decides when something is over! Do you want to see her family ruined overnight?" Kim Yong-Suk threatened me.

At that moment, a surge of anger flared up in me. I realized that the real scum wasn\'t Lee Hyung-Moon—it was this man standing in front of me.

"What is it? Now that Eun-Ah, who was once a struggling idol, has become a national star, you want a piece of her? Because she\'s making way more money now?" I retorted.

Eun-Ah\'s father had tried to marry his daughter off to satisfy his inferiority complex with Kim Yong-Suk, essentially selling her off.

However, the situation now was entirely different.

Cherry Blossom\'s revenue this year alone was around 20 billion won, nearly matching KY Law Firm\'s, with the potential to surpass it next year.

The agitated Kim Yong-Suk shouted back. "Hey! How dare you talk about money! What do you take my family for?"

\'Huh? Is this not about money?\' I wondered.

Suddenly, I realized another reason he needed Eun-Ah.

"Are you planning to join politics?" I asked.

KIm Yong-Suk flinched. "You young fool. You have no idea how the world works, do you? If you want to live long, you should watch your mouth."

I was right.

Kim Yong-Suk wanted a celebrity daughter-in-law by his side to bolster his image during his political campaign.

\'What a scumbag,\' I cursed silently.

I didn\'t hide my contempt as I stared back at him.

Kim Yong-Suk replied haughtily. "I\'ll decide what I say and when. Since you like talking about class, I\'ll respond in kind."

Taking a deep breath, I shot back. "Who does KY Law Firm think they are, aiming for our Eun-Ah? Maybe KJ Law Firm, the industry leader, could have a shot! Our class is different!"

"Wh-what? Class?"

I continued. "Yes. And let me be clear: there\'s no chance we\'ll ever let Eun-Ah meet your son. So wake up from your little dream!"

Feeling humiliated, Kim Yong-Suk gritted his teeth. "You\'re sure you won\'t regret this?"

I had already regretted enough in my previous life, so I nodded calmly. "You\'re the one who should make sure you don\'t end up regretting this."

I had no desire to continue this conversation any longer. "Escort him out, please."

The security guards in the hallway surrounded Kim Yong-Suk. "Shall we go?"

As the officers grabbed Kim Yong-Suk\'s arm, he shook them off furiously. "Let go, you jerks! I can walk out on my own!"

Kim Yong-Suk glared at me, seething with rage. "You... You just wait and see."

As Kim Yong-Suk turned and headed toward the elevator, I immediately called Eun-Ah\'s mother.

I knew what he was planning, and I wasn\'t going to sit around and let it happen.

After listening to my explanation, Eun-Ah\'s mother responded calmly but firmly.

-Even if it ruins our family, I will never hand Eun-Ah over to that trash. My husband didn\'t know, and now he\'s furious. Don\'t worry. Just do what you think is best, Mr. Jung.

"Understood."

The moment I got Eun-Ah\'s mother\'s approval, I immediately called Choi So-Hye. "Do you want to write an interesting story?"

She let out a triumphant hum.

-Ah, I knew I\'d get lucky today after having a good dream last night. Was it because of you, Team Lead Jung? So, what\'s the story?

"Just now, Mr. Lee Hyung-Moon violated a restraining order and caused a scene in the hospital room. He\'s been arrested."

-What? That guy\'s totally insane!

Having recently become a fan of Haru, Choi So-Hye burst out angrily.

-Should I write an article on that?

I continued. "And there\'s one more thing."

I shared what Kim Yong-Suk had said when he came to the hospital in addition to what Lee Hyung-Moon had done.

-Those scumbags are causing a stir together, huh? Just wait. I\'ll make sure to destroy KY Law Firm\'s reputation without mentioning Eun-Ah\'s name.

A large law firm like KY was bound to care about its reputation and public opinion, because big clients didn\'t like to work with lawyers embroiled in controversy.

"Please handle the article with care."

-Deal, but you owe me a nice drink soon. Okay?

"Of course. I\'ll set something up with Ms. Kang soon."

-Sounds good!

After ending the call with Choi So-Hye, I looked down the hallway where Kim Yong-Suk had disappeared and smiled. "Mr. Kim, let\'s see how well you handle this."

***

It didn\'t take long for the events at the hospital to hit the news.

[Haru\'s Father Arrested for Violating Restraining Order and Causing Trouble in a Hospital Room!]

[K Law Firm. "As Long As They Pay, Anyone Can Be Defended?"]

(Comments)

-Are they crazy? How can anyone defend Haru\'s dad just for money in this climate? Are lawyers really as smart as they think they are?

-KY lawyers have always had a bad reputation.

-Watch out. These people really know their way around the law.

-No decent law firm would defend human trash like that.

-Here\'s a list of companies KY advises: Jaeshin Inc, Myungjoon Inc, Alice, Jaehwa, Lucky...

As Choi So-Hye started criticizing KY Law Firm along with Lee Hyung-Moon, things unfolded as expected.

Netizens began listing the companies that KY Law Firm represented taken from their website.

KY Law Firm initially tried to dismiss the criticism and claimed they were only providing legal advice to Lee Hyung-Moon, even threatening to sue the commenters.

However, within 30 minutes, they changed their stance and issued an apology, likely due to pressure from their corporate clients. They even announced they would offer free legal services to domestic violence victims for a month.

I smiled quietly upon watching KY Law Firm\'s hasty response.

This incident likely cost KY Law Firm at least a few hundred million won in revenue. Some clients probably terminated their contracts with the firm to avoid any association with the controversy, and potential clients likely decided to take their business elsewhere.

By midnight after all the turmoil, Kim Yong-Suk finally called me.

-So you really want to go to war with me, huh?

\'You got that right,\' I silently remarked.

Kim Yong-Suk\'s tone was sharp, but I responded calmly. "What are you talking about, calling so late at night?"

-Team Lead Jung, did you think I wouldn\'t know that you\'re using the media to sabotage KY Law Firm? You know that could lead to a lawsuit for business interference, right?

"I have no idea what you\'re talking about. Are you sure you\'re not misunderstanding something?"

He continued to mention my name and the law firm\'s, using terms like "business interference" and "incitement."

It was perfect for recording.

Although recordings like this may not hold up as legal evidence, they were incredibly useful for swaying public opinion.

And if it was about recordings, I was an expert.

I smirked at Kim Yong-Suk\'s pathetic attempt and replied dryly. "If that\'s all you have to say, I\'ll be hanging up now."

-H-hey! W-wait a minute!

Click.

Kim Yong-Suk kept calling back, but I simply added his number to my blocked list.

"Who does he think he\'s messing with?" I muttered.

If Kim Yong-Suk was serious about entering politics, it was likely he wouldn\'t give up on Eun-Ah anytime soon.

I hardened my resolve. \'But as long as I\'m around, his dream will never come true.\'

If the opportunity arose, I intended to stop him from entering the political arena altogether.

Garbage belonged in the trash, after all.

***

The next day, Natalia\'s health improved rapidly and we began the discharge process.

The fact that her husband was now in custody greatly contributed to her finding peace of mind.

Although she still hadn\'t regained all her memories, staying in the hospital wasn\'t going to guarantee further recovery. So I decided to bring her to my home for the time being.

As soon as I opened the front door, we were greeted by Yoo-Jin, Miso, Sae-Ri\'s family, and the Cherry Blossom members all gathered in the yard.

"Welcome back! Congratulations on your discharge!"

"We\'re glad to have you back, Ms. Natalia!"

Natalia bowed her head with tears streaming down her face. "Thank you so much."

At that moment, Sae-Ri stepped forward and presented a bouquet she had prepared in advance. "Congratulations on reuniting with Haru, Auntie."

After handing over the flowers, Sae-Ri made a heart shape above her head.

Natalia smiled brightly. "Thank you, Sae-Ri. You\'ve grown so much..."

"Hehe, right? I\'ve gotten much taller, haven\'t I?"

Natalia replied with a contented expression. "Yes. And you\'ve become even prettier, too."

Since Sae-Ri hadn\'t grown much taller, Natalia playfully avoided the topic to keep Sae-Ri\'s spirits up.

Nonetheless, Sae-Ri seemed delighted with the response as she beamed. "Auntie, you\'re just as beautiful as before!"

"Thank you. And Sae-Ri, please continue to get along well with Haru."

"Don\'t worry! I\'ll protect Haru, so leave it to me!"

Sae-Ri pounded her chest with pride, which made everyone including the Cherry Blossom members burst into laughter.

Unfazed, Sae-Ri lifted her chin confidently.

Then Sae-Ri\'s grandmother, who was moved to tears at seeing Natalia again after such a long time, expressed her emotions.

Holding Natalia\'s hand tightly, she spoke warmly. "Alright, let\'s go inside. I made yukgaejang because I know how much you love it."

"Yes, Mom."

Natalia held Sae-Ri\'s grandmother\'s hand as if she were her own mother and headed inside.

In the dining room, the table was filled with dishes prepared by Jung In-Ji, Sae-Ri\'s grandmother, and Sae-Ri\'s mother.

Yukgaejang, grilled charcoal bulgogi, japchae, and braised short ribs covered the table, and we all enjoyed a lively meal together for the first time in a long while.

After the meal, Natalia expressed her wish to see Haru\'s room.

"Of course. Let\'s go upstairs."

I left the others and guided Natalia and Haru up to the third floor.

After all, there was a very important conversation that the three of us needed to have from now on.