Jae-yin and I were called in the study to meet Congressman Park and Dad after having tea. Jae-yin is the acting Chairman of Namshin until her inauguration on the 47th anniversary of Namshin in May. We can't afford a slipped off until then.
"We know you are against marrying Na-ri, of course we understand. After your first marriage we wouldn't expect you to have another marriage that's against your will. So, I came up with another suggestion to your father." Congressman Park started. My father is sitting without any reaction.
"I know Sang-hoon hates politics. I'm sorry if I'm using this circumstance to steer things in my favor, but I know that you needed our support to keep the control of Namshin. And I can give you my full support even marrying that woman as long as I also have your support…" he continued.
My father has assured him into considering his suggestion. No matter what the decision is on his part it will still be the same, he will still show support to him no matter what. We gathered by the living area when the Parks left. This is now going to be a family meeting. Jae-yin and Ji-hwan is sitting together, my Mom sits beside me and my father across us.
"This all started because of that woman. Three years ago, we already discuss about this…why are you trying so hard to rebel against us?" he started.
"That woman has a name; this didn't start because of her. It started in 1995 when you choose to still be forgiving and gave Shin-jae the right to stay in the company…" I raised my voice.
"You're out of line Jae," Jae-yin is also shocked.
"You cannot blame her for something she didn't do, and for a circumstance she never has the control of…" I calmed down.
"Her father worked in Korea between 1989-1995, did you know that?" he continued. I was surprised. So, he also tried to dig in her background.
"I knew. How is that relevant to this? It has nothing to do with us…"
"Except that it has. Because her father worked at Namshin, her father is not just any ordinary worker at that time…he was Ronel Fernandez." His voice now has a finality. And I understood exactly why.
How can we ever forget? Ronel Fernandez. Aunt Sha-na's lover, the father of her 2 children. I remembered hearing before about the workers from Philippines having different passports and names. It's not hard to have fake passports and names during those years, technology wasn't advance back then.
"Did Congressman Park know this?"
"No. But it's only a matter of time before it will come out. We should settle this matter before the board meeting on Tuesday. We are not your enemy. I didn't dig into her to prove how incompatible you are with her. I did this to know what to do if faced with this kind of surprising variable…"
"We don't need their share to secure the majority. Namshin is still ours…" I pronounced in desperation. Namshin is no longer the curve ball I'm expecting to avoid.
I shook my head with this new information. Why? Is this really why fate brought us together? Are we supposed to meet to come into terms of this past? My mom patted my back. They all now look concern in my sudden incoherence.
"Do you think she knows about this?" my father asked with suspicion.
"Don't even think about that…she doesn't know. How could she know? She knew her dad came to work in Korea…but the details, how could she know? How could her family possibly know? Information that time was not as open as now…"
"But what do you mean by not being worried about Namshin…" Jae-yin asked.
"You said you are not my enemy here…I am asking you to be my family right now." I looked at them. I can finally see their eyes looking at me with sympathy. They now understand that my problem is no longer something that not even them can control.
No matter how that incident in 1995 changed our circumstance as a family, my dad never believed about the allegations they threw at those workers. Since, my uncle's father-in-law by then is under investigation he still had his friends in the assembly, and they knew how to work the case for them. They got off with bail and a mere 2 years jailtime and the accident of my grandparents were never really proven at court. The driver who was in the accident with them was drunk driving and he didn't notice the boulder on the street, so he turned towards the other lane and they were hit by a big truck. The timing of the truck being driven by another Filipino friend was questionable, so they thought that he was a sympathizer of the union workers plot against Namshin.
"I think she should know about this. It has been 30 years, she was 8 years old then, do you think her family have any idea what happened here that time?" my mom is also concerned now.
"I'll figure that out…"
"We have to first have a solution about the board meeting on Tuesday and to know who bought those stocks…" Jae-yin has urgency to her voice.
I wanted to establish some news to have a sense of stability. In order to expect for a favor. They are still my family and no matter how stern my father looks right now; he still cares about us.
"I bought the 12% of the spinning stocks…" I informed. They all look surprise. I know that if I will ask for their help that I needed to trust them with everything I have. They are my family after all.
"How did you manage to secure all of that in a week?" Jae-yin now with inquiring eyes.
"I got help from her…" I finally confessed.
"She might hate me for this, but I am going to entrust you with something that I promised her I will never say to anyone. I'm doing this because I'm counting on you to support us and help me protect her no matter what."
"How can we protect her from a past that none of us can ever change?" My father commented.
"Although, I'm not sure if she needed protection, but I asked just in case. I just want your support…"
I told them everything I knew about her. Her life before Denmark, her life during her marriage and everything else that might be discovered about her. I finally felt the strength of family while admitting everything. This must be what she felt like when she finally gets her family together. My mom hugged me, my father in his somber reaction, patted my back and of course, Jae-yin is always here for me. This is no longer about me against them, but a problem about the past that is catching up to us right now. How will I ever tell her about this information? My call is not going through to her. I called Joon to pick me up.
"I picked up the car from Miss Ara, earlier." He informed. She asked Joon to get my car, so she's probably in the loft now.
I called her again, but her phone is off. I didn't make her disappear, did I? I called Soo-ah.
"Did you hear from Ara?"
"I think she went to Professor Kim…" she informed.
I was at the lobby of her building and no one is answering from the loft. I searched for Professor Kim's number; he probably went there.
"Hello, Prof Kim?" I confirmed.
"Yes?"
"Nam Jae-woo here. I'm sorry to disturb you, I am calling to know if Ara is there?"
"Oh, she passed by here to discuss about this week's lectures, we just made an arrangement for her TA to take over and to have an online consultation for this week…" he notified.
"Online consultation?" I repeated.
"I guess she hasn't told you. She said there was a family emergency and she left for the Philippines. She left 2 hours ago…"
Family emergency? What could be this urgent to warrant her to go to the Philippines? I knew she's not going there often. But an emergency that she needed to go suddenly. I am worried. She did disappear on me.