Kiss the Scumbag

Soon, the sweet scent spreading through the air deepened the furrow between his brows.

‘I’m not the only one who noticed! That pheromone scent was so strong, yet Yu-jin didn’t react at all. As if he had made a desperate resolution never to respond to Winston’s pheromones.’ Remembering that moment only made Winston more displeased.

His father was now in the ground. Digging up his grave for a DNA test was out of the question. Instead, Winston chose another approach. He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and soon, a voice came through from the other end. Without any preamble, Winston got straight to the point.

“Find out the birthdate of Yu-jin’s child.”

“Understood.”

After hearing the response, Winston ended the call. Silence filled the room once again.

You will never get your way.

Resting one arm on the armrest, he placed his thumb against his chin and slowly traced his lower lip with his index finger. The sun had begun to set, and darkness was creeping into the drawing room, but he remained seated, lost in thought, without so much as a movement.

***

How can he be so cold?

Yu-jin paced the room, biting his thumbnail. Even after hearing something so shocking, Winston hadn’t even flinched. He truly seemed like a heartless bastard, devoid of blood and tears.

It had been hours since he returned to his room, yet the image of Winston in the study clung to his mind, refusing to fade.

Winston Campbell is nothing to me anymore.

That’s what he had believed—right up until he arrived here. How did it come to this? The more he thought about it, the more absurd it all seemed. What the hell had Harold been thinking when he wrote that will? Saying he loved him? That he was sorry?

Then he shouldn’t have left a will like that.

Yu-jin couldn’t fathom Harold’s true intentions. If he had sincerely loved him and wanted to apologize, he could have just left him some cash.

Instead, he had dropped this massive bombshell.

Only now did Madam Campbell’s offer resurface in his mind, bringing a wave of regret.

I should have taken the money and left this place forever.

But it was too late. He had already heard the will, and there was no turning back. If he didn’t marry Winston, he wouldn’t get a single cent. Everything would have been for nothing, and he and the child would end up on the streets.

It wasn’t as if he had been expecting some grand inheritance.

It wasn’t even that much. Just enough to cover three months’ rent would have been sufficient. Remembering how, once upon a time, he had relied on Harold like a father figure only deepened his sorrow and resentment.

Harold, how could you be so cruel to me, even at the very end?

He still couldn’t believe Harold had betrayed him again. It made him want to ask—why? Why did he hate him so much?

Love? Don’t make me laugh.

If he truly loved him, how could he do something like this? Not just once, but twice.

“Daddy, Daddy.”

Tears had welled up in his eyes from sheer frustration, but at the sound of Angela’s voice, Yu-jin hastily wiped them away. He turned around a beat too late, immediately meeting his daughter’s anxious expression. Realizing his mistake, he quickly forced a smile and bent down.

“Mm, Angie, I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”

Kneeling to meet her eyes, he asked gently. Angela hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Yu-jin instinctively held her small body close as she spoke.

“Daddy, what’s wrong? Was our name not in the will?”

Sometimes, Yu-jin worried that he let her watch too much TV while he was busy working. Yet again, she was picking up knowledge from some drama. Swallowing a sigh, he answered,

“No, it was. We got something too.”

It wasn’t a lie. Though, he hadn’t told her everything. Angela, sharp as ever, pulled back and looked at him in confusion.

“Then why do you look so upset?”

How was he supposed to answer that? Yu-jin hesitated briefly before carefully choosing his words.

“There’s a condition attached to receiving the money. I’m just trying to figure out how to deal with it.”

“Is it hard?”

“Hmm… a little?”

More than just a little—it was downright impossible. Marrying Winston and having his child? It would have been better if Harold had just said he wasn’t leaving them a single cent.

As frustration welled up again, Angela’s eyes sparkled as she declared, “Daddy, don’t worry! I’ll help you.”

Help? How? This was something only he could resolve. But her innocent determination was so endearing that Yu-jin couldn’t help but hug her tightly.

“Thank you, Angie. That really makes me feel better.”

Angela hugged his neck again, resting her head on his shoulder. In this world, it had always been just the two of them. Before, and always.

Winston will come up with something.

The fact that the only person he could rely on was that man was absolutely maddening. But what choice did he have? He had seen it clearly—Winston, spitting out cruel words without hesitation, his contempt for Yu-jin barely concealed. Yu-jin knew just how much Winston despised him, and he placed his hope in that. There was no way Winston would accept this ridiculous will without a fight.

All Yu-jin could do was wait for Winston’s offer.

And then, two days later, after an early dinner, he had bathed with Angela and returned to their room to read her a bedtime story as usual—when suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

For a split second, Winston’s face flashed through his mind. Yu-jin had seen his car pull into the driveway just thirty minutes ago. The timing was unexpected, but there was no other reason anyone would be knocking on the door of the room he shared with his daughter.

Forcing his expression into a mask of indifference, he opened the door.

As expected, a maid stood outside.

“Mr. Campbell requests your presence.”

Finally.

Yu-jin took a deep breath before turning back to Angela.

“I’ll be back soon, Angie.”

“Okay, Daddy! Do your best!”

Angela clenched a tiny fist and shook it in the air. Yu-jin kissed her cheek, flashing a bright smile before stepping out into the hallway. As soon as he shut the door and turned around, the maid started walking ahead.

He followed in silence, trying to calm his pounding heart. He had expected this moment, but now that it was actually happening, the tension was unavoidable. The suddenness of it all had caught him unprepared.

Wasn’t this bound to happen eventually?

As reluctant as he was, Yu-jin had to admit that maybe he would never truly be ready for this. If he could, he would take Angela and run far away from this mansion. But that wasn’t an option.

This time, I have to accept the offer.

Turning down Madam Campbell’s envelope had been a stupid decision. It’s fine, he reassured himself. I just have to learn from my past mistakes and never repeat them.

If the ending is good, then everything will be good.

Repeating the words he always told himself, he made a resolution—Just do whatever Winston says. He wasn’t dumb enough to make the same mistake twice. As an old memory flickered through his mind, he realized he had clenched his fists. Slowly, he forced them to relax.

He had already made more than enough foolish choices.

Before he knew it, they had arrived at the study—the same room where the will had been read. The maid knocked mechanically, paused, then opened the door and stepped aside.

Yu-jin took a deep breath in, then exhaled before stepping inside. His own footsteps sounded unusually loud against the floor. After taking a few steps into the room, he stopped.

The moment his eyes met the man standing across from him, Yu-jin instinctively held his breath.

The towering man, well over two meters tall, was perched on the edge of a massive wooden desk, watching him. He was dressed in a suit, but without the jacket—his vest strained to contain his broad, muscular chest.

Still as massive. Still as overwhelmingly large.

The study was spacious enough to seat nearly ten people comfortably, yet suddenly, it felt unbearably small.

For a brief second, Yu-jin recalled that Winston had been the captain of the high school football team.

Then, behind him, the door shut with a quiet click.

Now, they were alone.