At Odds (All Bets Are Off Sequel)

Chapter 17

It was after two days when Dara found out that Donghae has already gone back to Korea. She didn't know how she feels about that. Glad that he's already gone and maybe disapppointed that he didn't stay a little bit longer. Even after that confrontation that they had, there's still a part of her that seems to be glad to see him with her son. She feels somehow comforted that he was there for Haru. But the jerk left without even so much as a text message. He only called two days after to talk to Haru. Not even asking her if she was okay or whatever. His voice had been formal and detached when he asked for him and he didn't even thought to mention he was already calling from Korea! If it wasn't for Kwanghee, she wouldn't even know. All this time she wax preparing herself for another round with him only to find out he's already thousand miles away. Damn jerk.

She glared at the monitor as she will herself to focus on her task. The articles are now ready. Submitted for printing and they are just waiting for the copy of it. All is good. She tapped her computer to get it on the article she had written for the Aquarium Mall along with the picture of him. Joross had managed to get a photo of him sitting behind his desk at his office in Elf Tower. How Joross managed to do that, they had no idea. Maybe he's a secret member of the paparazzi or something.

She tapped the photo and rolled the scroll button to enlarge it. His smile is just a small stretch of his lips, his eyes reflecting the light of the flash on Joross' camera. He looked the same yet he looked so different. His face held the boyish, mischievous look before. Now it's the face of someone who doesn't seem to laugh often. The face that became hard. And serious. The only time she saw a flash of her Donghae was when he was laughing and playing with Haru.

She jumped when her office door banged open and she immediately closed the photo window. And found Kwanghee running in with a worried look in his face. Or more like a terrified look on his face. She stood up immediately. "What's wrong?"

"My father wants me to go home," Kwanghee said, his pitch high. "He called me this morning and I can feel it. He knew! That... that man who saw us... I'm on a blind item in a newspaper. Look!" He showed her his phone with the headline Gay Son Of A Politician. She didn't bother reading what's on the text. She looked at Kwanghee.

"Did it say your name?"

"No."

"Then how did you know it's you?"

"How many sons of a politicians end up gay?!"

"You never know," Dara said. "Don't think eveything is about you." Then she sighed when Kwanghee's face didn't change its look. "Kwanghee, just calm down. Maybe your dad misses you, that's why he wanted you to come home." Although she really doubt that but she would say anything to calm him down.

Kwanghee shook his head. "He never asks me to come home unless mom asks him to. He wants me to just move my main office there and leave Philippines. I don't.... I don't know what to do." He plopped down on the chair next to her desk looking like he wanted to cry again. "He'll ship me off to military. I'm sure of it. I heard his voice. It's so firm and commanding and—"

"That's what your father always sounds," Dara said wryly.

"—and he seems to know exactly how to rattle me! Dara! I can't be in the military!"

"Then tell him you don't want to. You're already an adult and you are capable of making your own decisions."

Kwanghee looks like he's not listening to her as he stared off into space. "I'm his only son. That turned out to be gay. Do you know how hard I've tried to make him proud of me? When he finds out I'm gay...." He wanted to cry again at that thought. "I don't want to disappoint him as much I don't want to disappoint my mom. You should've seen the look on their face when I told them I had a girlfriend. It's like, their worst fears were unfounded. They loved you because you had proven all those silent rumors of me being homosexual as false. They let me stay here because of that!"