Kiss the Scumbag

“Get out of my sight this instant, you filthy—”

The rough shout of a man echoed in his ears like a hallucination before fading away.

Seol Yu-jin clasped his hands behind his back, fingers interlocked as if standing at attention. It was a habit—a way to hide his unease. Concealing his trembling hands, he instead forced a composed expression onto his face and spoke.

“What exactly does the will say? You must know.”

“The full document is in the possession of our lead attorney, Mr. McCoy. The contents of the will are disclosed in front of all heirs on the designated day—that is the standard procedure.”

The lawyer recited his words like a textbook, making Yu-jin grimace. Beating around the bush wouldn’t work on a man like this. He decided to be blunt.

“As you can see, given my current situation, I don’t have a single penny to my name—forget about travel expenses. I lost my job, so I need to find another one as soon as possible. Is there even anything for me to gain by going all the way there?”

“Oh, absolutely. You don’t need to worry about that.”

The lawyer laughed heartily, as if Yu-jin’s concerns were entirely unwarranted. It was somewhat reassuring, but not enough for Yu-jin to trust him just yet. Of course, he wouldn’t—after all, they had only met ten minutes ago.

The lawyer glanced at his wristwatch, which alone was worth about a year’s rent for Yu-jin’s shabby apartment, then continued.

“Now that I’ve delivered the message, I’ll be on my way. But let me repeat—arrive within three days. If you fail to attend the reading of the will, your inheritance rights could be revoked. For your own sake, don’t make that mistake. You’d regret it for the rest of your life.”

Though there was no one around to eavesdrop, he lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.

“Mr. McCoy mentioned that there’s something in it that will be very beneficial to you.”

With that cryptic remark, the lawyer pulled out his wallet once again. Yu-jin watched as the man propped his briefcase on his thigh, signing a check on top of it.

“Use this to buy what you need while you’re there, and cover your travel expenses. You don’t have to pay it back—I’ll file the claim with the company.”

It was clear the man had already guessed Yu-jin’s situation. Without hesitation, he handed over the hastily scribbled check, then walked down the stairs toward the parking lot where his car was waiting.

Yu-jin stood there for a long time, watching as the car’s engine roared to life and disappeared into the distance.

That had been exactly three days ago.

The moment he returned to the church and saw his daughter’s face, he made up his mind—he would go back to that mansion. Because right now, more than anything, he desperately needed money.

The lawyer’s money had taken care of his immediate needs. He bought clothes and a few essentials for his daughter to use while she stayed at Delight, purchased a train ticket, and even shared a pancake breakfast with her at a diner. With the remaining cash, he picked out an outfit suitable for the will reading, then checked into a cheap motel. After taking a shower and getting a few hours of sleep, he carried his still-sleeping daughter in his arms to an internet café at dawn. There, he checked the receipt confirmation for an email he had sent earlier, then immediately boarded the train.

And now, at last, he had arrived.

“Ah, over here!”

As he stepped out of the station, he spotted the lawyer standing next to a parked car, speaking on the phone. The moment he saw Yu-jin, he waved.

Yu-jin forced himself to keep his gaze fixed on the man, determined not to let his surroundings shake him.

Holding his daughter’s hand, Yu-jin stepped forward as instructed. As he approached, the lawyer finished his call, and Yu-jin was the first to greet him.

“Hello, and thank you for coming to pick us up.”

“It’s nothing. There’s no other way to get into that mansion, after all.”

The lawyer shook his head and personally opened the car’s back door. After helping his daughter inside and loading their luggage into the trunk, Yu-jin followed suit.

“Daddy, are you okay?”

Angela’s small voice whispered the question as she grabbed his arm. Yu-jin forced a smile and nodded.

“I’m fine, Angie. Don’t worry.”

He gently stroked her head. Though she still wore a serious expression, she remained silent and obediently sat up straight. After securing Angela’s seatbelt, Yu-jin fastened his own. His hands trembled, causing him to fumble the buckle three times before finally locking it in place just as the car was about to start moving. He forced himself to appear calm so as not to alarm his daughter.

But in truth, all he wanted was to rip off the belt constricting his chest and escape this metal coffin.

Yet, the car had already begun to move. He had no choice but to endure several hours trapped inside—until they reached the hell known as Delight.

“You don’t look well. Are you alright? I’d rather you not throw up in my car.”

The lawyer glanced at Yu-jin through the rearview mirror. Yu-jin struggled to maintain his composure and replied in the lightest tone he could manage.

“It’s just motion sickness. Don’t mind me.”

“Is that so? Do you have any medicine? If you do, take some. Here.”

With one hand on the steering wheel, the lawyer opened the center console and reached for a plastic bottle of water. Yu-jin quickly shook his head, declining the offer.

“It’s not that bad. I’ll be fine. Thank you, though.”

The lawyer glanced at him through the mirror once more, looking unconvinced.

“You really don’t look fine… Just don’t puke in the car. If you need to, let me know—I’ll pull over.”

“I will.”

Yu-jin replied quickly, then changed the subject.

“You’re the legal advisor for the Campbell family, right? That’s surprising. You seem quite experienced, yet you personally came all the way to meet me and pick me up.”

“Because it’s the Campbell family’s request.”

The lawyer’s response was curt.

“Normally, a junior associate would handle something like this. But the Campbells are our firm’s biggest client. To ensure the will is executed flawlessly, I took on the task myself. Right now, the most important thing for us is carrying out Mr. Campbell’s final wishes without any complications. Every lawyer at our firm is fully focused on this, under Mr. McCoy’s direction, of course.”

McCoy was the lead attorney at the firm where Brown worked. Yu-jin had seen him before. The will was likely in McCoy’s possession, and he would be the one presenting it.

Yu-jin recalled the elderly lawyer with stark white hair—the same man Harold had often summoned whenever he needed to deal with difficult matters. Tall and gaunt, with sharp, prominent cheekbones that made him look even more severe.

What had been his reaction upon realizing that he had to find me to execute the will?

According to Brown, the will had been drafted three months before Harold’s death, shortly after he had suddenly collapsed. Only McCoy knew its exact contents. Brown was in charge of overseeing the entire process and ensuring everything was prepared by the time the will was read.

Harold had been the only one in the family with the authority to directly summon and give orders to McCoy, the head of the law firm. The other family members had to go through McCoy’s secretary or consult with other attorneys. That system had likely remained unchanged.

Which meant that, now that Harold was gone, the one who had taken his place was—

“Winston Campbell.”

Brown spoke as if he had been waiting for Yu-jin to make the connection.

A wave of nausea surged through Yu-jin’s body. He barely managed to clamp a hand over his mouth before gagging, his free hand slamming against the headrest. Alarmed, Brown hurriedly pulled the car over to the shoulder.

The moment the car stopped, Yu-jin bolted out, doubling over as he dry-heaved. Thankfully, he hadn’t eaten anything since morning—just a few cups of black tea. In the end, all he managed to spit out was saliva mixed with bitter stomach acid. Panting, he remained hunched over, trying to catch his breath.

“Are you alright?”

Brown, evidently reluctant to get too close in case he had to witness something unpleasant, kept his distance as he called out. Yu-jin merely raised a trembling hand, signaling that he was fine.

The sharp chill of the wind helped settle his stomach, and after a few moments, he forced himself to straighten up and return to the car. Brown was waiting with an open bottle of water, its cap already removed. This time, Yu-jin didn’t refuse. He took the bottle and drank.

“Feeling better now?”

Yu-jin barely managed a nod in response.

“I’m… sorry for the trouble.”

His voice was unsteady, still raw from the strain.

Brown, misinterpreting Yu-jin’s reaction, put on a deliberately considerate expression.

“After traveling all day by train, now switching to a car—it’s no wonder you’re exhausted. I completely understand.”