Page 97 of Perfect Happiness
“Or perhaps you’ve given her a reason to?”
Eun-ho wondered, was not getting on his knees and begging for her to come back reason for her to divorce him?
“As pay back, you drank something, the day before your son died.”
Eun-ho had already suspected this.The problem was he didn’t have any evidence to back it up.
“Your son died, while you were fast asleep.”
Eun-ho thought of the picture of him and Noah.The muscles in his cheeks started twitching furiously.But why Noah and not him?
“It was a warning.A warning that you could be next.”
Min-young stared at Eun-ho quietly.She looked like she wanted to see his reaction to her theory.Eun-ho stared straight back at her.She seemed crazed to him.People didn’t just murder children to send warnings.
“I know you want to prove your innocence.And I want to find my brother.I believe he’s still alive.To get what we both want, you need to tell me the truth before it’s too late.Where was Yuna on November 16?At least tell me where she might have gone—”
“Min-young.”
He couldn’t accept what she was saying.She was forcing incompatible jigsaw pieces together to arrive at the conclusion she wanted.Her story seemed unlikely to him, if not impossible.
“You mean my wife and sister-in-law kidnapped your brother?And they also killed my son?”
“If you don’t show Yuna the change in behavior she wants—” Min-young stopped and looked Eun-ho in the eyes.“Then you’ll be next, I’m positive of it.”
Eun-ho got up from his seat.He’d heard enough.The only thing left for him to do was leave this café.He didn’t have the desire nor the ability to give Min-young what she wanted.
“Don’t come back.And stop spreading dangerous lies.If you don’t, I’ll call the cops.”Eun-ho removed his cellphone from his inner pocket.“I have it all recorded.”
Min-young pursed her lips and glared at him.Before she could say anything, he turned around and left the café.He got in his car and took off before she could come chasing after him.But perhaps what he was really running away from was a truth he didn’t want to believe.
Eun-ho was outside his home when he finally pulled himself out of his thoughts.He was shocked when he realized he had driven home on autopilot.But even more shocking was that it was his sister-in-law Jane, not Wife, who was waiting for him outside when he returned.But this was good.Now he had the opportunity to get answers.
She likes McDonald’s Happy Meals.Bulgogi burger, French fries, and a coke.
Jane’s last answer flashed through Eun-ho’s mind.Min-young said Joon-young had bought Jiyoo a Happy Meal that day, too.Doing some math, Eun-ho could guess that Joon-young and Yuna had gotten divorced when Jiyoo was three.That was too young an age for hamburgers.How did Joon-young know what Jiyoo liked to eat?Had he asked Jane?Or perhaps Wife?
Later that afternoon, Eun-ho went to Jinu’s apartment.He parked his car in the underground parking garage and went up to the sixth floor.Jinu was dressed in nothing but a pair of shorts.Eun-ho glanced at Jinu’s arms, which were as wide as Eun-ho’s thighs.His broad chest was glistening with perspiration.
“I thought you were meeting someone earlier.You looked like you just got back from the gym.”
Jinu flexed his chest muscles as he laughed.
“I don’t go to the gym these days.Don’t you remember?I set up a home gym.”
Jinu said he spent a fortune installing a squat rack.He bragged that his bench press, deadlift, and squat now combined to a total of 500 kilograms.It seemed he traded in his Nintendo Switch for dumbbells and plates.
“The people downstairs haven’t complained?”Eun-ho asked in genuine concern.
“I renovated the apartment and soundproofed the floor.Wanna see?”
Eun-ho shook his head.He didn’t want to listen to Jinu for the next two hours giving a lecture about sound insulation and home exercise equipment.
“Are you hungry?”
Jinu pointed to the kitchen table with his thumb.
“What are you in the mood for?I’ve got it all.”
