Chapter 13- Freezeframe

When Myung-hee initially discovered what Madelyn was working on, she knew this was something that was going to change the world. She wanted to be a part of that, and if Madelyn didn't want her to join then she would be the one to bring about that change.

However, all of her scheming turned out to be for nothing.

She had destroyed the research and the Av13 experimental pills out of anger, only to have Madelyn calling to bring her onto the project. Now she didn't have to risk doing this illegally but legitimately create this pill.

Myung-hee looked at her phone and then at her handbag on the couch. Suddenly an idea struck her.

If she were to use this data and the pill, she not only would be able to recreate the Av13 Serum, but she would also be able to even lead the team in the creation of the finished product.

Myung-hee hurriedly transferred the pictures from her phone to her computer. After she took out her sim from the phone and tossed it into her desk drawer. In the same drawer were several phones in boxes that were of a similar model to her phone.

After taking out one of these unopened phones she placed her sim inside. Myung-hee then headed for her handbag and took out the bottle of her son's medication pills that had the Av13 pill mixed inside. She left it on her desk before opening her office door to leave.

However, as soon as she opened the door, she bumped into her husband who hadn't given up.

"Have you decided to stop ignoring me?"

Myung-hee looked up at her husband's face. This was the first time in three months that she was looking at him so closely, and she could hardly recognize the man in front of her.

Unkempt hair, unshaven stubbles, and drool dripping at the side of his lips. But it wasn't just his appearance that had changed, his personality had also changed.

Her Husband had always been strict to the point of overbearing due to his profession, but he was also very principled and knew when not to force his views on others, because of that one could say that he was kind.

However, after the accident that cost him his job, his strictness morphed into ill-tempered outbursts. All initially directed at himself only to move on to the world and the people around him, especially the one he deemed the cause of him losing his job. But this was a slow progress that took a while to occur, and she had watched it all as it happened while not being able to do anything, try as she might. Soon, she had reached her limit and had given up.

In only three months their entire family had changed so drastically. Myung-hee herself had changed as well and she knew it. With the pressure of looking after an ill-tempered husband, a sick child who needed constant supervision after a traumatic event, and a job that demanded keen focus. With all of that, she simply couldn't bear it.

Myung-hee had to choose, and she chose her job. She no longer took on a mother role or a wife role and instead buried her head in her work.

Myung-hee justified this by telling herself that she had to fully focus on her work to support this family since her husband had given up and blown through his savings.

Indeed because of this decision she managed to create a pill that not only helped her son's condition but allowed her to make enough money to the point that her family didn't have to worry about it for the rest of their lives.

However, despite all this, deep down she knew she was only running away from the burdening responsibilities. The pill had helped her son, but she hardly bothered to check if he was fine, and while she had made enough money so her husband didn't have to work, she was only facilitating his deteriorating mental state rather than fixing his problems.

For example, he was constantly asking her for money like he was doing now so he could go out and spend all night drinking with strangers.

Usually, she would just give him a few million Won, but after realizing that he would just spend it all, she decided to just give him a few thousand every day. But today, Myung-hee couldn't be bothered to deal with him. She ignored her husband and turned around to lock her office door with her only key. Afterward, she hurried past him to leave the house.

Sung-ho called for her, but she didn't respond. The door slammed shut behind her as she left him alone in the house.

Sung-ho heard his wife's car leaving the garage soon after. He scratched his belly through his stained shirt, unconcerned that he was ignored. He then turned and entered the bedroom he once shared with his wife. After some time, he came back out with a plain-looking key that lacked any design.

Sung-ho approached his wife's office door and with this plain key, he opened the once locked door. He then casually entered the room, hoping to find some money his wife might have accidentally left lain around.

However, after he entered the room and began looking around, Sung-ho's eyes eventually came to land on the bottle of pills that was situated on top of a few papers on the desk.

Sung-ho's eyebrows lifted slightly before he quickly walked towards the desk.

...

After hanging up her call, Madelyn looked at the man dressed in military uniform who was seated opposite her on a couch before saying coldly.

"She's on her way."

The man merely responded with a grunt.

Judging by his appearance, he looked to be around his late fifties. His face, which was locked in a stern expression, gave off the feeling of him being angry when he wasn't. He had his arms folded and his back straight as he sat in his seat.

With his posture as well as the uniform he wore and his commanding presence, one could guess he was a rather high-ranking member of the South Korean military army.

However, this man wasn't just a high-ranking member of the military, he was the Marshal, the most powerful person in the army.

Both the Marshal and Madelyn sat opposite each other in silence. However, they weren't the only ones inside the office room.

Standing off to the side was a regular soldier in uniform. This soldier's face was expressionless as he held a tablet in his hands with the screen facing Madelyn and the Marshal.

On this screen was the freezeframe of a video, a video that looked to have been taken by a monitoring camera by its lowered angle to the ground. The freezeframe showed a hallway, and in this hallway was a person frozen mid-stride while looking up at the camera.

The face of the person was clearly visible, and it was of Myung-hee.