“You’re a disgrace! A vile creature that has the nerve to call yourself my son! You think you have the audacity to walk into my hospital and faint at the mere sight of a patient?!”

Chaeyeon stood outside the chairman’s office; it was always her duty to report to the big man in charge after meeting with a VIP guest. She stood in the hallway awkwardly and frowned at his harsh words. She could hear Daehyun’s helpless whimpers through the door.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Chaeyeon furrowed her eyebrows. He’s said this before, she thought as she analyzed the sound of his voice and his tone. She could almost see him through the hospital doors––a disappointed Daehyun standing before his father with his head down. He’s not even fazed by those remarks...He’s numb to them. He’s been in this situation multiple times.

The chairman angrily slammed his hand on the table. “Sorry?! Are you fucking kidding me?! My hospital is the best in the damn country! Why the hell do I have someone like you for a son? The entire family is full of doctors and here you are, embarrassing me. Working in the children’s ward? Fine. The rumors about you then were just rumors, but now you’re going to faint in front of the entire hospital staff? Do you want everyone to think I’m a piece of shit father with an incapable son like you?!”

Daehyun bowed his head down and kept his gaze on the tiles of his father’s office. “I won’t do it again. I’ll try my best next time,” he mumbled.

Chaeyeon backed away from the office. She shook her head and told herself that Minjoon could talk to the chairman instead. She felt bad for Daehyun but at the same time, she wanted to help him. She’d been in his shoes before, but for a completely different reason.

Chaeyeon shoved her hands in her pockets and walked back down to her office. Phobias are real…and just because you don’t have one, you shouldn’t disregard the feelings of those who do.

She thought about all the relatives who taunted her when she was a growing teen.

“Why don’t you go to the school dance? Your friends look so pretty all dressed up with their dates.”

“Why don’t you smile when you take pictures? He’s a nice boy.”

“Why did you quit ballroom dancing? Your teacher said you had great chemistry with your partner.”

Chaeyeon pressed her lips into a firm line as she sat in her seat. “Why did I act as if those words didn’t bother me…?” she mumbled. She quickly sent Minjoon a text before heading off to see another patient, Do Kyungchul from the emergency room.

“Dr. Im? He’s sleeping,” the nurse whispered as she walked out of Kyungchul’s room. She handed her the reports and a few files. “This is all we have on him, his family…well…” She turned around and subtly gestured towards a woman sitting a few feet away.

Chaeyeon nodded and held the files in her hands. “Thanks,” she whispered. She took a seat next to the woman who she assumed was Kyungchul’s mother. She looked through the papers quickly before closing them. “Why is Kyungchul like that?”

Mrs. Do looked up at the psychiatrist with her tired eyes full of pain. Then she shook her head and began to bawl her eyes out. “We should’ve let him audition,” she cried.

“Audition?”

“My boy…My Kyungchul, he’s always wanted to sing. We told him once that when he turned 18, we would let him audition for a company so he could sing for a living… He wanted to be a star, a singer with fans from all over the world. He loved music more than anything...”

“What happened to that dream?” Chaeyeon asked.

Mrs. Do shook her head in dismay. “My husband didn’t want him to work in a field like that because being a singer is very hard. You don’t succeed all the time and on top of that, Kyungchul’s been having troubles with college. He might not even get admitted into one because …he spent all of his senior year on music. He never focused on building a good reputation.”

“Is your husband angry?”

“He’s angry. Our shop hasn’t been doing well lately and we’re afraid that without Kyungchul potentially working in the future, our family will have nothing.” The woman ran her fingers through her hair as she peered into the room. “They said he almost died,” she sobbed. “There was so much blood, they said…and no one knew he did it. He was alone…God, I’m such a terrible mother. I should’ve known...I should’ve kept a closer eye on him.”

Chaeyeon handed her a few tissues. “I’m your son’s doctor. I’m a psychiatrist. He’s going to be okay. None of this is your fault; you could’ve never predicted how someone else is going to act or feel,” she reassured him. “After he recovers physically, let’s talk it out and fix it mentally. Has he ever shown any signs of depression? Do you and your husband fight a lot?”

“CODE RED! ROOM 5B!”

Chaeyeon looked up at the sudden sound of the loud voice booming through the speakers. Then she eyed the door right in front of her. “5B?” She got up and shoved the door open. There, she saw an unconscious Kyungchul having small spasms. His wrist was bleeding through the bandages again and she could tell he was awake for a bit. The IV in his arm was pushed in a bit too much and there was blood coming out, too. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a little container.

“Kyungchul!” His mother frantically pushed through the door and gasped in despair. She slapped her palms on her cheeks as tears instantly rimmed her eyes.

She turned around. “Mrs. Do, I need you outside, please.”