Chapter 101 – Countermeasures
“You can clearly see if you look at the wall here, but honestly, when you think about it, you feel like the condition of the house here and there is seriously bad, right? Considering the huge number of cockroaches crawling on the floor, it doesn’t seem easy to restore the house to a clean condition in a short period of time. Maybe we should rip off all the wallpaper.”
“Yes.”
“Nevertheless, it seems like your wife wants to win the bid as quickly as possible. “Does she have any urgent need to spend money?”
“… Yes.”
“Haha. Honestly, if it continues like this, it will be difficult.”
A tall male real estate agent dressed neatly in a black suit let out a deep sigh. He shook his head back and forth and looked around the dirty house of Mr. AndMrs. Sihyeon several times, which was full of bugs and trash.
Eventually, the real estate agent asked Da-hye a question with his eyes as if confirming something.
“These days, house prices are continuing to rise, but how can you sell a house in such a messy state in such a short period of time without the help of any cleaning company or remodeling? Then, of course, you must be thinking that you won’t be able to get your full price, right?”
His voice was firm. The man frowned and looked at the bugs crawling on the floor with disgust.
“… “
Da-hye, who had been desecrating her family in recent months, bowed her head in shame. It felt like her shameful mistakes were being revealed to others.
“I’m sorry.”
“No. I even have to apologize. In any case, if the house is sold at a low price, the only people who suffer a loss are the wife and the husband who is in the hospital. “As long as I trade cheap properties and achieve solid results, that’s enough.”
“… “
In response to the real estate agent’s unfortunate response to her, which did not even make eye contact with Da-hye and responded indifferently as if nothing had happened, she wanted to say something sharp, but considering the current situation, she couldn’t do that at all. Dahye quietly clenched her chubby fists and tried to pretend she was okay.
“… Then, how much should the price be lowered?”
“I know, right. Without any remodeling. However, this does not mean calling a separate cleaning company. Dispose of it in a hurry in such a miserable state. Hmm.”
Glancing here and there, a pawn-holding gaze.
“… “
“Hey. Ma’am. It seems like this is an urgent situation, but can I say this? No matter how you look at the current state of your home, calling a cleaning company or remodeling is much more beneficial in the long run, Even if you don’t know it right now. “
“Yes.”
“Of course, the higher the price, the more time it will take to sell. But unless you really need money right now, there is no reason to dispose of it so hastily. The loss is also great. Looking at the photo, my husband seems to be young… What on earth happened that made you suddenly end up lying in the hospital? “It’s so strange that the situation at home is such a mess.”
“… “
“Ah. I usually like hearing stories like this. That… What should I say? Should I say it’s a story about a person’s life? Anyway. If you don’t mind, may I ask you a question? Flaw. Of course, If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.”
Da-hye broke into a cold sweat for some reason as the tall real estate agent looked at her with suspicion. It was all her fault that the situation at her house was in shambles and that her vision was in critical condition.
“… “
Dahye said nothing for a moment and lowered her eyes. The real estate agent frowned at her strangely, perhaps sensing something strange in her attitude.
Breaking her silence for a while, Dahye cautiously opened her mouth.
“… Do I really have to say it?”
“No. If you have trouble answering, you don’t have to say anything. Haha. Then I’ll just go back and take a look. We also need to promote new, special items for urgent sale. “I’ll bring you good news.”
After she finished speaking, the real estate agent, without even showing any sign of hearing Da-hye’s answer, walked past her pile of trash at her long strides and went out the front door, which was wide open. She only talked to him for a moment, but Da-hye, who felt like she was out of breath and tired all over her body, let out a long sigh and sat down on the dirty living room floor.
“Whoa… ” “
She could feel that she was not proud of herself. She hasn’t even been tried yet, but her actions of chopping up Si-hyeon’s body and destroying her house like this were clearly wrong actions for anyone to see, and that fact plunged Da-hye into a swamp of guilt.
“Sorry. It’s my fault. “Please come back because I was wrong.”
Dahye looked down at her living room floor, clutching her messy hair with both of her fleshy hands. Square Square Square Square. The sight of her cockroaches busily hatching eggs caught her eye.
This house will soon be sold at a low price. She also said that she was going to stand in court and be tried for stabbing Sihyeon. Above all, the most unfortunate thing was that it was doubtful whether Sihyeon would be able to regain her previous healthy appearance even if she underwent surgery.
There really was nothing left.
Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.
Dahye suddenly felt itchy and started scratching the itchy area with her fingernails. The itching that started in one of her arms and legs spreading her her entire body scratching every corner of her back, armpits, and face her. However, when the itching did not go away no matter how many times she scratched, she compulsively scratched the area she had already scratched again and again. Eventually, she scratched so hard that her fingernails broke, the area around her chest turned red, and her blood leaked out.
“Ugh. Ugh. Ugh… “
As she continued to hurt her body, she fell asleep curled up in the corner of her dirty living room floor, unable to forget the confusion rising in her mind.
The house was listed for a very low price, but because it was in such bad condition, it barely sold. Compared to the price when Dahye first bought her house, it was definitely a bargain, but it couldn’t be helped. If her surgery was delayed, Sihyeon could have simply died. As soon as Da-hye’s house was sold, she looked relieved and rushed straight to the hospital.
But even though she visited her hospital with all the money she had raised by selling her house, she was a little short of money.
“… “
The old doctor said with a cold expression to Da-hye, who lowered her head without saying a word.
“Ah. This isn’t enough. I think I will have to give up on my husband’s surgery. It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do.”
“… “Can you please take a look at it for a moment?”
Dahye pushed the bankbook onto the table in her doctor’s office and carefully opened her mouth. Her body was full of big and small wounds from scratching all night, and she had nowhere else to turn since she had nothing more than the money inside.
“Hmm.”
“Please. I actually sold my house. “What are you going to do if you say that it’s not enough, even though you’ve raised enough money?”
“I’m sorry, but this is not a volunteer organization that listens to your individual circumstances. Aren’t you now stealing the treatment benefits that other critically ill patients deserve?”
“But… “
“Besides, wasn’t it your fault that put her husband in such a critical condition? “You’re so shamelessly telling nonsense asking for convenience.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. There is nothing to be sorry about. Just take this and leave.”
Sigh. The doctor stretched out his hand and pushed the bankbook Da-hye had left on the table in her direction again. Then, as if she had nothing more to say, she moved her gaze towards the monitor in the treatment room.
“I’m already busy these days with so many critically ill patients. “You’re just making a fuss about the water you spilled, asking the doctors to give you a simple solution.”
“… “
“Ah. Please visit the pharmacy to receive this week’s supply of AIDS medication that you did not receive. Because you can’t throw away a good medicine.”
Da-hye was unable to refute the doctor’s dry answer and quietly walked out of the treatment room. She was told that Si-hyeon’s surgery would not be possible as it was because she did not have enough money, so when she returned home, her mind was filled with anxiety that would not go away.
Regardless of Dahye’s actions, the trial date is getting closer. Feeling anxious, she spent her last night inside the house that was no longer hers, thinking about the uncertain future ahead.
After completely handing over her house documents to the real estate agent and client, Da-hye left the house with slow, reluctant steps. It was the place Da-hye would return to and the home that welcomed her, but now she could no longer come to this place. I was at a loss as to where I should live in the future, but that was not the most important problem to solve now.
“… Sihyeon.”
Sihyeon is lying in the hospital waiting to undergo surgery. The house was sold at such a low price that we have not yet been able to save up all the costs for his surgery her her her her. Naturally, saving him was the top priority.
“Ummmm. What should I do… It really could be resolved with just a few million more won.”
It was an amount that did not seem like a large amount in the days when I was working full-time, but there was no way Da-hye, an AIDS patient who lost her property and job, would suddenly have this kind of money. She couldn’t even hope for help from her bank, as she hadn’t yet fully repaid the loan she had borrowed to buy the house.
“… “
Shooooo
Rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle!
Standing at the train station, she thought constantly as she felt the wind and the sound of the train passing right next to her. However, no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t come up with a suitable solution, so in the end, Da-hye completely put aside what little pride she had left and picked up her cell phone and called somewhere.
Beep, beep, beep
Beep.
The bell rang loudly for a moment, and then the familiar voice of an old woman was heard on the other end of the phone.
“Hello?… Dahyeni? You don’t communicate well, so why did you call your mom? Huh?”
“Ah. Mom. That’s it… “
