Then I remember what Yuna said about food and romance tropes in Korea. Never let it be said I don’t rectify what’s lacking when somebody kindly point
s it out.
I stand. “If that’s all you have to say, I’m leaving now.”
I walk away without waiting for her response, my head held high and eyes straight ahead. As I reach the lobby, my phone rings. I pull it out, wondering if it’s Ms. Lim calling to salvage the ruined meeting. From Yuna’s mom’s point of view, this entire meeting has to have been a failure. From where I stand, it wasn’t a total waste because I learned something about Yuna. She probably misses food from her home country.
But no… It’s Chantel.
“Hello?” I say.
“Declan, sweetie.” Her voice is taut. “My God. It’s awful, just awful.”
“What is it?” I ask gently.
“I…um…had an incident…?”
What the hell happened? She’s never like this. “What incident?”
“Well. The fact is I got distracted and drove right into a tree.”
“Holy shit! Are you all right?”
“Yes, of course. I think so.”
“Where are you? Did you call 911? You should go to the hospital and get yourself checked out. Sometimes you can be hurt more than you realize.”
“Maybe tomorrow. Right now, I’m too shaken up to drive. Not that I have anything to drive, since my car’s a mess.”
“I’ll take you.”
“No, no. You don’t have to. I already called an Uber to take me home. But I think the car may be totaled. I’m going to need a new one.”
“Of course. You still have something you can drive, though, right?”
“I think so. The old Audi should be okay.” She has an Audi I bought her for Christmas five years ago.
She’s breathing hard and sounds unsteady. I should go see her and make sure she’s okay. “You know what? I’m coming right now. Tell me where you are.”
“No, no, no, that’s not necessary. It isn’t like I’ve never been in an accident, and I know you’re busy. I’ll call the adjuster, but I just need some money, so I can have the car replaced when I get the insurance payout. You know they’ll never give me enough to buy a new one. They’ll claim deprecation.” She sounds so uncomfortable. If voices could squirm, hers would right now.
I sigh, wishing she’d feel more comfortable about relying on me. At least she called me instead of fretting over whatever meager sum she needs to get the car replaced. “That isn’t a problem. I’ll have my accountant send you some. How much do you need?”
“About…twenty-five thousand?” Her voice rises with uncertainty.
She shouldn’t be like this. I’m glad to give her much more, and I make a mental note to make it an even thirty. She can treat herself to something nice with a few extras. “Okay. I’ll have that sent over tomorrow.”
She sighs. “Thank you. You’re the best, Declan.”
“My pleasure, Chantel. I’m glad you called. I’m always here for you.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Declan
I feel terrible about Chantel’s accident, but at the same time, it keeps me from stewing over Lady Min’s proposal.
Actually, that isn’t entirely true. It’s on my mind. I don’t know what kind of parents go this far to break up their children’s relationships. Yuna’s too old for this sort of manipulation.