Every morning—sometimes even in the afternoons too—I brewed a cup of the ginger tea and sipped it while I taught my classes and graded papers.
There were even times in the evenings once I was home that I sat on the couch with Jin and indulged in a cup as we watched TV.
It became part of my routine, as essential as brushing my teeth or taking my prenatal vitamins. The spicy, pungent taste of ginger became synonymous with those months of hope and anticipation.
The baby that grew inside me by the day, his kicks little flutters against my belly.
The afternoon I collapsed, I’d been drinking it then too. Wisps of steam still curled from the cup as I went over some animal pronunciations with my students.
Then the room started to spin. Sweat broke out on my skin and suddenly it felt like my legs could no longer hold me. I fumbled for the desk chair hoping that if I could just sit down, if I could maybe even take another sip of tea, I would be okay.
I never made it, passing out in front of the entire class.
At the time, I had no idea it was about to be the worst day of my life.
My baby was gone. One second he was kicking up a storm inside my belly, by nightfall he had slipped away from us.
Dr. Gong couldn’t explain why, stating that the mystery substance in my bloodstream had somehow spread to the baby and stopped his tiny, fragile heart. It’s a mystery that’ll haunt me for the rest of my life.
I took your son from the inside out.
Black Shell’s eerie message turns over in my head. He’d mailed it to Jin with a taunting photograph of me being followed by the men he sent over to attack me and Mom.
But what did he mean by taking our son from us? How did he take him from the inside out?
It implies he found a way to end our baby’s life without ever having to harm me on the outside.
…so how did he do it?
I stare down at the tin can of tea and then gasp as the epiphany crashes into me.
“No,” I whisper, then shake my head. “That’s not… it couldn’t have been…”
My thoughts spiral, unraveling so quickly I can barely make sense of them. It’s a dark line of thinking that sounds insane.
It sounds like the paranoid delusion of a grieving mother desperately looking for someone or something to blame.
But other than the prenatal vitamins, the tea was the only new addition to my diet while I was pregnant. It was the only thing I consumed religiously, daily, without question. The very last thing I put in my body before I collapsed in front of my students.
And Mr. Noh...
He appeared so suddenly in my life. A new administrator at the school, arriving just as my pregnancy began to show. Always so helpful and kind. Bringing me tea and checking on my wellbeing. Remembering details about my life that other colleagues forgot and rescuing me from the mugger outside the school. Inserting himself into my orbit with a warmth that felt grandfatherly and safe.
He’d have easy access to me. He’d be right in front of my face, hiding in plain sight.
He’s about the same age Jin’s father would’ve been if he’d lived. Therightage for a thirty-year grudge.
In the past, he mentioned he’s been in education for over ten years. But what was he doing before then? What line of work was he in?
My hands are shaking as I set the tin down on the coffee table and reach for my phone. I pull up my text thread with Kelly and type out a message before I can second-guess myself.
Hey, kinda random question
Hyun-woo works at a lab right?
Does he test food for toxins?
The reply comes a minute later:
