BYL 39

chapter 39

“Leave with me… to Shanghai.”

On the day Inhyuk’s business trip to Shanghai was firmly scheduled, he immediately made the proposal to Dain. He had hinted at it before, but this was the first time he asked so directly.

“Give me some time to think.”

“We only have about a week. We have to leave for Shanghai next week.”

Though the trip had been decided under Hyunjung’s insistence, Inhyuk couldn’t object. He knew how depressed and distressed she had been ever since her swimming career ended due to an accident.

She had understood from childhood that her own failures would bring despair to her mother…

“Please, be at the airport that day.”

His desperate plea, holding her hand, shook Dain’s heart. There had been times she wanted to leave, feeling stifled by Korea’s constant scrutiny.

But, as always, Summer was her main concern. Summer was still too young, and adjusting suddenly to life abroad would be difficult.

Moreover, nothing about the duration of this trip was set in stone. It was a proposal fraught with risk. It would uproot the life she had carefully maintained.

“I’m sorry. I really can’t… There’s no one in Korea to take care of Summer for me.”

“Have you asked your relatives?”

“It’s hard to suddenly send away a child who’s been living with me alone.”

“Still, ask. There must be some relative willing to help.”

Thus passed a weekend without a date, a rarity for them.

On Monday morning, Dain let out a deep sigh on her way to work. She liked Inhyuk, but leaving for Shanghai with him while leaving Summer behind felt insane.

“Relatives…?”

None of Dain’s relatives, except her aunt, had ever offered to help with Summer. Financial support, too, was nonexistent. And she couldn’t burden her struggling aunt with Summer’s care.

Summer was still a child, her beloved older sister’s daughter. Though parenting was exhausting, Dain had never once considered leaving Summer behind.

“Dain.”

As soon as she put down her bag, a colleague sitting beside her spoke. They weren’t close, so Dain turned around, startled.

“You got a call earlier… you’re being summoned.”

The message was simple. The chairman’s office had unexpectedly requested her presence. Having never been to that office before, Dain was puzzled.

“They called for me? Really?”

“Yes. You should go immediately.”

No matter how confused she sounded, the answer remained the same. Urged to hurry, Dain hesitated, then walked toward the office. Along the way, worry gnawed at her.

Had someone caught her meeting Inhyuk outside? But would the chairman really summon her over a company romance between employees?

Lost in these thoughts, she finally reached the office door and knocked.

“Come in.”

It was a woman’s voice.

“Welcome, Assistant Manager Min.”

When she entered, a middle-aged woman beckoned her. Her skin was clear, her hair jet black, her dark eyes captivating despite her age.

“I heard you urgently requested to see me.”

“Come closer.”

Dain cautiously approached. Even sitting in the chairman’s seat, she appeared completely confident. Naturally, she had every reason to be.

“You recognize me, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.”

Hyunjung Park, wife of Seo Namjae, chairman of Seosan Construction.

She rarely appeared publicly, but most employees knew her—not just because she was the chairman’s wife.

Hyunjung had been a renowned ballerina before retiring upon marriage. She had even appeared on the news a few times.

The veil of secrecy was over her son, the heir of Seosan Construction. His existence was kept hidden, with only rumors circulating that he was a celebrity.

“The reason I called you today is to discuss something privately.”

Hyunjung’s icy expression accompanied a shocking declaration.

“Seo Inhyuk is my son.”

“Excuse me?”

“The Seo Inhyuk you’ve been dating in the sales team is my son.”

Dain frowned. It wasn’t polite, but her honest reaction came naturally at such unexpected news.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t quite understand what you just said…”

“He’s been deceiving you, pretending to date you. I happened to hear from his secretary recently… it’s true.”

Hyunjung waved her hand, satisfied with Dain’s expression, pressing her temple wearily.

“Inhyuk is leaving for Shanghai soon. You knew that, right?”

Though stunned, Dain stammered in reply.

“Yes, I… I knew.”

“You know it should have been sooner, but the timing was delayed because of you?”

Dain had never heard this before. Unable to answer quickly, Hyunjung clicked her tongue.

“You look completely unaware.”

“I… I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize, but I hope you feel some responsibility. I’ve never taught him to ruin plans because of a mere woman…”

The air grew icy. Though invisible, she could feel Hyunjung’s intense hostility. As Dain hesitated, Hyunjung gestured to a document on the table.

“You have a child?”

“….”

“Raising a child alone in place of the parents… I honestly respect that, as a woman.”

It was Dain’s resume. Though the facts weren’t obvious from it, Hyunjung had apparently done her homework. Dain’s face went pale as she struggled for breath.

“But you fall far short of what our family requires. If you continue seeing my son, it will be hard for both of you.”

Hyunjung bitterly regretted failing to properly raise Inhyuk. Since his injury ended his career, she could no longer tolerate any failure.

“Seeing you in person will make this easier to understand. That’s why I called you.”

To Hyunjung, Dain felt like an obstacle to her son’s future—a stone to be removed.

“Let me ask directly: are you thinking of marrying my son?”

Marriage… Dain had never considered such a thing. It felt distant and overwhelming.

“No, I’ve never thought of that.”

Even answering honestly, a strange humiliation rose in her chest. She couldn’t understand why she had to hear such a question or give such an answer.

“Recently, he contacted your uncle?”

Hyunjung pressed relentlessly.

“I heard he asked a huge sum for someone else to take care of the child?”

“I don’t… that’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Then it seems my son acted independently.”

Hyunjung’s relief was blatant. Dain hid her trembling hands behind her back, struggling to breathe.

“Good. I was worried you might be thoughtless… seeing your expression, you seem sensible, so I’m relieved.”

From that point, the conversation imprinted in broken fragments in Dain’s mind. Remembering it fully would have been unbearable.

Inhyuk, under the guise of thinking for Dain, had approached relatives to pay them to take care of Summer. That alone devastated her pride.

“Ha… ha…”

Unable to take the elevator, she descended the stairs connected to the emergency exit. Her legs trembled as despair hit her like a tidal wave.

“This can’t be… Inhyuk wouldn’t…”

Perhaps it was Hyunjung’s lie—a fabricated story to separate her from Inhyuk.

The revelation that Inhyuk was the heir of Seosan Construction was shocking, but the story about Summer carried a heavier weight. Trembling, Dain dialed Inhyuk’s number.

• Hello?

His usual curt voice came through.

• Dain, I was going to contact you anyway. I’m…

“Inhyuk, did you really contact my uncle?”

Her heart pounded violently. Her fingers went cold as her pulse raced.

“Did you ask him to take Summer and even offer money…?”

Please, don’t say yes!

Dain pleaded silently, hoping it was a lie from Hyunjung meant to separate them. Otherwise, she couldn’t bear to resent Inhyuk with her shattered pride.

• He contacted you? Explained that way?

“Answer me first!”

Anger flared at his evasive response. Dain’s voice echoed through the narrow stairwell. She no longer cared who might hear.

• Yes, I did.

The reply made her heart drop as if over a cliff.