CHAPTER 179: CHAPTER 178. STAGE OF THE ART

Theo Kim wasn’t very talented, but he was very lucky--one could say that.

His biggest luck, when he thought about it, was sleeping with a woman who fell madly in love with him. He wasn’t even the most attractive man out there, but he was indeed charming. He knew how to satisfy an older woman who was seeing a conglomerate playboy on the side.

And when the woman got pregnant? He convinced her, who was so smitten with him, to say the baby belonged to the conglomerate man. He did not need the older woman to be with him--he needed the money that came through the wealthy family.

Love could make people blind--Theo loved this saying. He had just graduated when his son was born as the future heir, and he convinced the woman that they might find out the son was his if he stayed in the country. After all, the son had a lot of resemblance to him.

With tears in his eyes, he said he was willing to leave the country and ’exiled’ himself somewhere in Europe. But, oh...he had no money, so she should give him some so he could still live decently in a foreign land, right? And of course, she agreed. Funding his house and lifestyle that allowed him to just roll around in bed, have fun, eat nicely, and paint or sculpt from time to time.

Sure, he couldn’t return to his homeland, but who cared?

Of course, after years, the woman started to feel that it was a burden. She got involved with another man and stupidly got a divorce, so the allowance was almost cut at one point. This was when Theo started to use soft blackmail.

"I’ll have to return if I don’t have money, and since our son is growing up to be more and more similar to me, that would be a problem, don’t you think?"

Naturally, the woman wouldn’t want the ex-husband, who had become the chairman, to know that she had been duping him. Her livelihood rested on the fact that her son--their son--was the future heir. Her alimony allowance was based on that very fact too--that she was the mother of the future chairman.

And with that, Theo maintained his comfortable life abroad. The woman even came to visit him every now and then, seeking artificial love that Theo curated for her to bolster her self-esteem. He didn’t mind--just one or two days acting like he was still in love and worship, before continuing living his carefree life playing with other girls.

When the son--his son--became an adult and had his own source of income, the soft blackmail spread to the young man. He received money from both of them; one out of love, one to shut him up.

He could tell that his son didn’t like this situation, however. He had a feeling that his son would kill him if it weren’t for the woman who still had feelings for him. He was lucky that killing someone abroad wasn’t that easy, and his son seemed to know that if he lost his life, his remains would be sent back to his homeland and there might be news about it, complete with his pictures when he was young.

Bearing a lot of similarity with his son.

Thus, he continued to enjoy his carefree life. That was, until the money stopped coming all of a sudden at the end of summer. He tried to call the woman and his son, but their number were either inactive or always busy.

They had abandoned him!

Theo was panicking. He never thought of saving the money he received because he thought it would never end. He had been bluffing about going back to expose the lie, but truthfully, doing that would end the cash flow he had been enjoying, so he didn’t actually want that.

But what if...what if he met the chairman and asked for money in exchange for not exposing the scandal to the media? Surely, the chairman wouldn’t want the whole nation to know that he had been duped all this time?

For a desperate man on the verge of bankruptcy, it sounded like a great idea. The problem was...he had this thought too late. He already had no money left, and was even in debt because he couldn’t stop his old lifestyle even while the money didn’t come. So...how could he even return without enough money to buy a flight ticket?

When he was wondering whether he could safely return by being deported, a miracle graced him.

"Is this your art, Sir?"

Someone who seemed to be an appraiser for art pieces sold to the rich came to him after being referred by the small gallery where he helplessly put his painting to be sold--hopefully enough for a flight ticket. Theo was disappointed when the person did not buy his painting, but he instantly perked up when the person gave him what he actually needed: a ticket to his homeland.

An art exhibition for unknown artists living abroad, they said. Apparently, someone already in the slot bailed out last minute and they needed a new artist. It was annoying that they did not consider him before this, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. He could fly back home for free, and if people were interested in his art pieces, he could even get some money.

Who knows? Maybe he could be successful? Maybe his talent was more suitable for his homeland’s consumption, hmm...

And so, Theo Kim bid goodbye to his voluntary exile. A staff member was even assigned to him, along with an assistant to help bring his paintings, potteries, and some tools. Theo started to feel good about himself as he enjoyed flying in first class again. Ah...the luxury he had used to was coming back.

But the good things kind of stopped there.

"What do you mean I can’t leave the room?" Theo scowled when one of the staff members told him that.

He was already pissed off that the assistant provided for him dropped his phone until it bounced into the airport’s fishpond and was damaged beyond repair. Before the promised substitute phone even reached him, he was suddenly told to stay put?!

"We’re very sorry, but the artist who bailed out is throwing a tantrum because we called someone else in their place. They are also demanding to be put back in the exhibition, so it’s a little bit chaotic out there," the staff explained to him with a helpless smile. "We’re trying to diffuse this situation, but just to be safe, please remain inside the room until the situation is conducive."

"Ugh..." Theo groaned. But as someone who had spent more than three decades out of the country, he had no one there to help him if something were to happen, so he decided to not argue further.

At the very least, he was placed in a nice suite and was allowed to order whatever room service he wanted, including alcohol. He still didn’t have his phone, but whatever; it wasn’t like he had anyone to call anymore in this country.

The next morning, with ears ringing from a hangover, he woke up to the staff member telling him they had finally sorted out the situation and that he could set up his art in the afternoon. At that point, the sun was already high in the sky, so he didn’t have much time to get his head straight.

Still groggy, head pounding, he followed the staff member and a new assistant--since he scolded the fuck out of the last one--to the venue of the exhibition.

Turned out, it was on the building located in the same complex as the hotel. They simply loaded everything on a buggy cart and drove there, using the back door. From the atmosphere, it seemed like the event was going smoothly. He even got to hear that some really great people were there.

It had been decades since he was in the country; he even barely remembered how to speak the language well without mixing in an accent. He did not follow the news from the homeland much, so he did not know many names. Still, who didn’t know about Mirae, one of the biggest conglomerates? And they said the chairman was there? There was even someone from the Ministry of Culture? Also, other conglomerates and socialites?

Phew...this seemed to be bigger than he initially thought.

Good, good--someone should buy at least one of his artworks, right? Also...what if he could get Mirae’s chairman’s attention? He also heard that a lot of reporters came to report on this event, so he got even more excited as the staff led him to a space where he could put his artwork on display.

Theo was happy with the place; not in the corner, enough lighting, and it could be seen from any side. No wonder the bailed artist was throwing a tantrum. At that moment, there was still some kind of barricade since the artworks hadn’t been installed yet, but some staff members and security personnel were in the process of removing those. Soon, people would come to this place, and his artworks would be seen by everyone.

Humming to himself was giving instructions to the staff, the happy man seemed to forget one thing: if the people coming there were the members of high society, then what about his somewhat lover? What about his son? What about his lover’s ex-husband?

With the barricade removed, people started to stream into the hall from three sides. Chairman Kang and other businessmen entered the hall while the Chief Committee of the staff member, Im Yuna, was giving an overall guide about the whole theme of the exhibition. Chairman Kang himself was talking to Chairman Lee Hyuk from HS, who came with his pregnant girlfriend--well, almost new wife.

Theo Kim blinked when he saw the person he was planning to meet--or rather blackmail. When he wondered whether he should greet the older man or not, a sharp gasp--almost like a shriek--came from another side. Theo turned his head in surprise, and his eyes widened when he saw the woman who had given birth to their son.

"H-Helen-ssi?"

"Y-you..." the first wife of Chairman Lee raised her trembling finger. "W-why are you...what are you doing here?!"

The agitated tone drew attention, including from another hallway guided by another staff member. The man who was walking at the front with a perpetual scowl cursed out loud. "What the fuck?!"

Once again, the first wife gasped and almost screamed, before clasping her mouth shut. The crowd had walked closer because of the commotion, and Chairman Kang asked curiously.

"What happened?" his twinkling eyes traveled from the first wife, to Lee Mason, and then the pale artist in the middle of the art space. "Huh..."

Chairman Lee, who was right beside Kang Jun, stiffened. He too, had seen the other three.

"What is even..."

Inside the security room, watching everything from the four CCTVs installed around the hall, Sarah leaned toward the screen and smiled.

"Not, the stage is set."