“Wh-what? Wicked old hag? I tried to let it slide, but I just can’t anymore. Are you from around here? Let’s go to your house. I need to talk to your parents in person. Who educates kids like this?”
‘Children are like that. They often get scared when you bring up their parents, just like Jaewoo did.’
But this wasn’t just a simple threat. Yang Aran was determined to find the child’s parents.
“You’ve met the wrong person.”
She was determined to talk to the child’s parents right in front of the child.
‘Was that all? I also needed to ask for compensation for the ruined clothes, the medical bills for the injured arm. Ah! Emotional distress compensation too, why not?’
But then, the little one in front of her replied with a natural face, as if saying “Don’t even dream about it.”
“I don’t have parents like that. So, there’s no one to Talk to besides me.”
At that, Yang Aran lost her patience.
If the child really had no parents, if she were an orphan!
It meant that even if she harmed the child, there would be no one to object.
The compensation was out of the question, but it was still satisfying.
“Oh, you’re an orphan? It all makes sense now. That’s why you’re behaving like such a ruffian. Ignorant brat. Your future is already clear to me. Always choosing the wrong path…”
“What’s your deal?”
“And you don’t even realize how scary adults can be when they really speak their mind!”
Haeli’s small body trembled like a leaf in the wind. Yang Aran had grabbed her petite frame.
“Can’t even stand up straight? A kid like you needs a good smack!”
But then, in that moment, a voice as forceful as a raging train echoed.
“Don’t hit Haeli!”
“Stop right there!”
One was the voice of Jaewoo, who had been hiding behind Haeli, and the other was…
‘Who’s that?’
Yang Aran turned her head. A man and a woman were rushing towards her.
The atmosphere emanating from the two was so menacing that Yang Aran subconsciously lowered her hand that was raised before.
“G-Gangsters? What’s going on?”
What’s more, the appearance of the man leading the charge wasn’t reassuring. He looked like a bear of a man.
Meanwhile, Haeli, who had slipped out of Yang Aran’s grasp, stood close to Jaewoo and spoke cheerfully.
“I’m okay now.”
“Sniff… Really okay? It must have hurt.”
“Nope. Not at all. So, wipe your tears, oppa.”
Haeli lifted her sleeve and wiped away Jaewoo’s tears. Then she said confidently,
“Auntie and uncle are here, so you can let go of the wicked old hag’s hand now. Don’t worry.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Look over there.”
Lo and behold, Oh Dong-chi stopped in his tracks in front of Yang Aran.
He started speaking loudly and boldly,
“What the hell are you doing? How dare you lay a hand on someone!”
And this was the nephew of the owner of the café!
“Gah!”
Yang Aran let out a small scream at the intimidating attitude of the man, as if he might hit her any moment. But then, for a moment, she instinctively defended herself.
“there’s a misunderstanding!”
“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding! You were about to hit those kids over there, weren’t you? Weren’t you?!”
“I-I was just disciplining them! That kid is our son’s friend. See the bruise on my arm? That little one scratched me! I’m just teaching her that this kind of behavior is unacceptable!”
“Your son?”
“Yes! I’m the mother of the little boy over there. I’m not just disciplining random kids. I’m teaching them right from wrong!”
By now, the misunderstanding should have been cleared up. At least, that’s what Yang Aran thought.
But upon hearing this,Oh Dong-chi became even more incensed.
He had realized Yang Aran’s true identity as the woman introducing herself as the ‘mother.’
“Jaewoo’s mom? Oh, now I get it. You’re the woman who was Jaewoo’s nanny, right? The one who divorced Moon Se and became single recently! That’s you, isn’t it?”
It was the day of the opening ceremony for the blacksmith’s workshop. The residents of Sangwon-dong gathered together for a festive celebration, with both Oh Moon-se and Oh Dong-chi in attendance.
“W-Woman? Did you just call me a woman? Considering you call me Oh Moon Se’s Woman, it seems like you’re on friendly terms with our son’s father…”
“Yeah, that’s right! We know each other. So what? Huh? You’re playing the role of a mother and a wife at the same time!”
As they clinked their glasses together, the two revealed their stories to each other.
For example, Oh Moon-se explained the reasons behind his move to Sangwon-dong.
And it wasn’t something only Oh Dong-chi heard; it was a story heard by all the residents sitting at the same table.
Oh Moon-se, crying like a child, as if he was an injured animal, constantly apologizing to his son, sobbing. That image was still vivid in everyone’s mind.
That’s why Oh Dong-chi couldn’t calm his excitement.
“Oh, this is just… Incredible.”
“Gyah!”
Meanwhile, Yang Aran was in utter confusion.
‘How does he know all this? My Husband shouldn’t be the one sharing my story. What on earth is going on here?’
It was surprising enough to realize that she was known, but the bigger issue was the man’s attitude. He was lifting his hand as if he were about to strike. Yang Aran felt an immense fear.
Just then, the sound of bustling footsteps began to echo. Soon, the murmuring voices of people followed.
Yang Aran raised her voice. She wanted to get out of here right away. Specifically, away from this man.
“Help! Someone help! Someone’s dying. Please call the police. Aaah!”
However, the response she received was unexpected. No one replied to her cries.
“Dong Chi, is this the woman?”
“Yes. This woman.”
“Ah…”
Instead, they stared at her as if she were a bug.
That sight made Yang Aran’s pupils dilate in fear.
“Is this some kind of gang headquarters?”
As more and more residents of Sangwon-dong arrived, they began to assess the situation surrounding Yang Aran.
“Is that woman really the kidnapper who tried to abduct the kids?”
“Why would she try to take a child forcibly? She seems like a real witch.”
“But she doesn’t look like a kidnapper at all. Is this really true?”
“Do kidnappers usually have ‘kidnapper’ written on their faces? Give me a break!”
They surrounded Yang Aran, trying to grasp the situation. Offering assistance was the cafe owner, Hong Yejin.
Hong Yejin, who was protecting Haeli and Jaewoo, looked around at the gathered crowd and explained the situation loudly.
“She’s not a kidnapper; she’s Jaewoo’s father’s ex-wife. Jaewoo confirmed it too. She was trying to forcibly take Jaewoo, and in the process, she hit Haeli.”
“She even said that if He didn’t listen, his Dad would die. She lied to me, telling her to tell Jaewoo’s Dad that she wants to live with her! Right, Jaewoo? Is it okay to say?”
“…Yes. The lady hit Haeli’s head and called Haeli ignorant. She even yelled at him.”
Haeli and Jaewoo spoke up, corroborating the account.
Their explanations became the fuse that ignited the crowd’s anger.
“What? She’s Jaewoo’s father’s ex?”
“Yeah, isn’t she the ex who abused the kid alone at school? That woman?”
“I heard she had some kind of restraining order. But why did she set foot in this neighborhood? What was she planning?”
“Well, obviously. She’s just trying to get close to Jaewoo’s dad using the kid. Did she think we wouldn’t know?”
It wasn’t a trivial matter. The older merchants immediately saw through Yang Aran’s intentions.
So they were even more furious. To think she would use an innocent child as a pretext for her actions.
“Oh my, I should just grab her and beat her senseless right now. Unbelievable! Using kids because she has nothing better to do—”
The owner of the seafood restaurant, Mr. Jang, shouted loudly, brandishing a sharp fish knife. It seemed he had brought it without even realizing it.
“Oh no…”
Yang Aran trembled all over. She wanted to argue, but her mouth wouldn’t move. There wasn’t a single wrong word among the words the residents spat out. Trying to lie in this situation would only backfire.
So she took the phone herself and dialed 112.
Meanwhile, Boss Kim Dae-chul, the leader of the Poison Toad, intervened. Snatching the fish knife from Mr. Jang’s hand, he strode toward Yang Aran.
“You damn fool. I tried to be nice, but you wouldn’t cooperate. You hit a helpless baby because there was no one else to hit? How about you get a taste of it too! I’m gonna catch you today and throw you back in jail. You ignorant woman!”
He didn’t actually intend to do so, but he felt that scaring her like this might calm his angry heart.
But the person on the receiving end was terrified.
“Oh, oh. Please come quickly. This person is trying to kill me. Helppp….”
Yang Aran, holding onto her phone, suddenly collapsed to the ground. It seemed she had fainted.
At the same time, a mist-like fog rose from the spot where she fell.
“What the? Did she pee herself?”
“But didn’t she report it to the police?”
“So what if she did! She’s the only one at a loss. Are we at a loss?”
“Still, just in case, let’s get our story straight. We shouldn’t get in trouble for doing a good deed.”
“Yeah, let’s do that. Oh, and did you contact Jaewoo’s dad?”
“Yeah, he’s on his way!”
The residents surrounded the fallen Yang Aran, beginning to sort out the situation.
Meanwhile, Haeli and Jaewoo, who had witnessed everything, looked at each other. Haeli spoke to Jaewoo.
“See? I told you, Auntie and the uncles would save us. Auntie won’t bother you anymore! But just in case, if she ever comes back again, I’ll protect you again!”
***
“Ugh!”
Yang Aran stood to her feet like a spring. The first thing she saw when she regained her senses was…
“Are you back to your senses? Let’s go straight to the station without the need for the hospital.”
“Yes, officer.”
It was the police. In that moment, she felt relieved.
“She’s alive.”
It was understandable.
The last scene she captured with her eyes was none other than the man approaching with a knife.
It seemed the police arrived just in time. But wait.
“Why is this?”
Feeling uneasy, she lowered her gaze, revealing handcuffs. A silver bracelet clasped around her wrist.
At that moment, while Yang Aran was tilting her head in confusion…
“Ms. Yang Aran, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights?”
The police officer in the front seat informed her of the Miranda rights. Yang Aran was unconscious at the time of arrest, so the notification came later.
“Just a moment. Why are you telling me this now? And what are these handcuffs for? What is going on here?”
“What’s going on? Ms. Yang Aran, you have been arrested as a suspect.”
“A suspect of what? Release me immediately. The person you should be arresting is not me, it’s that, that man! The one who looked suspicious. He was trying to kill me!”
Yang Aran urgently shouted. But the police officer paid her no mind. With a slight smirk, he replied.
“Ms. Yang Aran, don’t talk nonsense. We have confirmed that you approached with the intent to abduct Oh Jaewoo.”
“Abduct? Is there even such a thing as a mother abducting her own child?”
“Let’s be clear. You’re not Oh Jaewoo’s mother. And according to our records, you were under a restraining order…”
“Anyway, I don’t know anything about abduction or kidnapping! I just wanted to see the child and reunite him with his father.”
“Furthermore, we have confirmed evidence of assault and threats against Dok Haeli. So stop talking nonsense and cooperate quietly. We’ll begin the interrogation as soon as we arrive at the station.”
“Oh…”
It was only then, faced with the indifferent response of the police officer, that she began to realize the reality of the situation. Unable to control her emotions any longer, Yang Aran started to sob.
“No, it’s not true. None of it’s true! Something’s wrong here. Nooo…”
But there was no one to listen to her words.
