"Excuse me," Park Tae-hyun said, stretching out his hand to indicate he meant no harm.
The situation was deeply embarrassing, especially since he had no idea why his father-in-law and mother-in-law disliked him so much.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Doctor Im asked, putting down her chopsticks.
"I'm fine," Park Tae-hyun replied, picking up his chopsticks again and shoveling rice into his mouth.
But before he could swallow,
his stomach cramped violently, and a wave of nausea hit him.
It felt as though the rice had transformed into something foreign, something toxic.
"Ugh..." Park Tae-hyun gagged, spewing out the rice in his mouth.
The rice was sprayed across the table, landing on the faces of his father-in-law and mother-in-law.
Rice grains clung to his father-in-law's glasses and hair.
His mother-in-law's hair shimmered with sticky grains.
With a *clatter*,
the chopsticks in his father-in-law's hand fell to the floor.
His face twitched, a storm of emotions brewing behind his eyes.
His mother-in-law inhaled sharply, her eyes blazing with fury.
"How dare you!" she exclaimed.
*Bang!*
She pushed her chair back and stood up.
"Kim Min-woo!" she barked.
As a retired head nurse, she knew that no illness could cause such a theatrical display.
Looking at Park Tae-hyun, he didn't appear to be on death's door.
This was deliberate action—a rebellion.
Park Tae-hyun clutched his chest, rushed to the bathroom, and vomited violently into the toilet.
This time, bile rose, bitter in his mouth.
This meal was ruined.
Doctor Im glanced at Park Tae-hyun, then turned to her younger sister:
"Go make some noodles," she said.
"Okay," the sister-in-law replied, sticking out her tongue.
She'd never seen her brother-in-law act so outrageously.
She left the table and hurried to the kitchen.
"That's outrageous, you bastard!" their father-in-law roared, slamming the table and removing his glasses.
A retired vice president, he prided himself on his dignity, but today's events had pushed him past his limit.
"I'm going to find that good-for-nothing and ask him what we've done to deserve this! We didn't ask for a penny of dowry at our wedding, and we even funded his bookstore, which went bankrupt.
How have we wronged him?"
His mother-in-law stormed toward the bathroom.
"Mom, clean this up. He's not feeling well," Doctor Im said, clearing the untouched dishes.
"You're still defending him after this?" the mother-in-law snapped.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"What else is there to say? You threatened to disown me if I didn't marry," Doctor Im retorted, her resolve unwavering.
The mother-in-law fell silent.
They had forced their daughter into this marriage, desperate for a grandson.
They'd recruited Kim Min-woo as a live-in son-in-law, believing it simple: their grandchildren would carry their surname, and Kim Min-woo, an orphan with a college degree, fit their criteria.
The father-in-law retreated to his study, defeated.
"Hey, old man, watch your blood pressure," the mother-in-law shouted after him.
"Bring Dad a bowl of noodles later," Doctor Im said, turning to the bathroom.
The mother-in-law watched her daughter's back, speechless.
Doctor Im found Park Tae-hyun kneeling by the toilet, one hand gripping the rim, the other clutching his chest.
"Are you feeling better?" she asked.
"Not bad," Park Tae-hyun replied weakly.
He'd been fine before dinner, but now...
"I asked Xiaoyi to make noodles. You can eat them later," Doctor Im said.
At the mention of noodles, another wave of nausea hit Park Tae-hyun, and he dry-heaved.
Doctor Im frowned.
"Should we go to the hospital?"
"No, I'll skip dinner," Park Tae-hyun insisted, standing and rinsing his mouth at the sink.
Tonight's dinner was doomed to end in disaster.
The father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law lived on the first floor, while Park Tae-hyun and Doctor Im's bedrooms were upstairs.
After cleaning up, Park Tae-hyun took a shower.
Not knowing where his clothes were, he emerged in his damp attire and climbed the stairs.
Through the bathroom door, he saw Doctor Im showering.
He stood there for a moment, admiring her silhouette, then quietly retreated.
People often acted on impulse, and gratitude was no exception.
"Thank you," Park Tae-hyun whispered to himself. This was the first time he'd acknowledged any good in Kim Min-woo since taking over his body two days prior.
Despite the complicated relationships, his wife was undeniably beautiful.
With a mix of fantasy and anticipation, Park Tae-hyun opened the bedroom door.
His expression shifted as he noticed the floor mat beside the bed.
Even a fool would understand what that implied.
Is this guy insane?
What's the point of being a son-in-law like this?
Park Tae-hyun took three deep breaths, then lay down on the floor.
Sleep,
No more trouble.
He resolved to focus on gaining independence, whether through money or other means, and to resolve this tangled relationship.
Doctor Im emerged from the shower, wearing fluffy blue pajamas that hung loosely on her frame.
Park Tae-hyun, lying on the floor, swallowed hard.
"Get up," Doctor Im commanded.
"Hm?" Park Tae-hyun complied, rising silently and climbing into bed.
Doctor Im turned off the lights and settled onto the floor mat.
Perhaps this was her silent protest against sharing a bed with Kim Min-woo.
Park Tae-hyun sighed.
He tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
His eyelids drooped, but sleep eluded him.
Doctor Im's steady breathing indicated she'd fallen asleep.
Park Tae-hyun wasn't restless because of her beauty; he was simply exhausted from the day's events.
But sleep wouldn't come.
He lay awake, staring at his hands.
Today, these hands had saved the little girl's life.
Though she hadn't woken up yet, her vital signs had returned—hope remained.
Is this the special ability I gained from hell?
Or,
What did the old man leave behind when he grabbed my wrist before death?
But,
It feels incredible.
As a doctor, how many lives could these hands save?
This power transcended medical science, rivaling the skills of legendary physicians like Hua Tuo and Bian Que. Every professional aspired to surpass their predecessors, not for fame or profit, but for a sense of... purpose.
But then,
Park Tae-hyun felt his arms twitch, followed by searing pain.
He gasped and curled into a fetal position.
The pain intensified.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He couldn't endure it any longer and stumbled out of the bedroom.
He reached the bathroom, sat on the toilet in the dark, and saw blue veins bulging from his arms to his fingernails.
The pain originated there, as if something was gnawing at his bone marrow.
What's happening?
This agony made him want to hack off his arms with a kitchen knife.
In a daze, fragments of memories surfaced: lying in an ice coffin, nearly cremated, wandering through hell.
Is this a curse?
A punishment?
For coming back from the dead?
Or because I used this power to save someone today?
Yes, that must be it.
Park Tae-hyun inhaled sharply. Had he broken some rule by using this ability, inviting retribution?
If I harm someone now, will it stop hurting?
A dark fog crept into Park Tae-hyun's eyes, unnoticed.
"Uncle, no smoking in the hospital," the little girl's voice echoed in his mind.
He shook his head violently.
No,
I saved her, I saved her!
No regrets.
No regrets!
"Mom, are you feeling better now?"
"I just came up. You can use the second-floor bathroom."
"Alright."
His sister-in-law hurried upstairs, unable to hold it any longer.
The second-floor bathroom was dark, so she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
At that moment,
Park Tae-hyun raised his head and looked at her.
She looked back.
In Park Tae-hyun's eyes, a faint black mist swirled, radiating an eerie, malevolent force.
It was the gaze of a vengeful spirit, filled with curses and madness.
"Ahhh!"
His sister-in-law screamed in terror and collapsed to the floor.
Park Tae-hyun stared at her.
She stared back.
Then, Park Tae-hyun noticed her pajamas.
They were identical to his wife's.
Were you scared to death? haha
