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Chapter 10
Just like how a tiger appears when you speak of it, it was Secretary Choi.
“I’m late, sir.”
“Yes, you’re fucking late.”
“Ahem… I-I’m sorry.”
Covering his mouth with a clenched fist, he cleared his throat and crept up to the desk.
Jihyuk didn’t scold him further.
“Fine. Report.”
“I met Madam Suyeong’s eldest uncle on her mother’s side. In other words, the man who is her aunt’s older brother—legally her mother but actually her aunt—Mr. Han Cheolsu.”
“And?”
“Well, it turns out that Ms. Han Yuyeul—ah, the woman who was dragged out earlier—isn’t just some distant relative. She’s actually Madam Suyeong’s biological younger sister. Madam Suyeong was adopted by her aunt when she was young, while Ms. Yuyeul grew up with their grandmother.”
“Ahh. So that’s why nothing showed up on the documents. What a ridiculous family tree.”
“Yes. And I heard something else too.”
At that, Jihyuk sharpened his gaze as if telling him to continue.
“According to Mr. Han Cheolsu, Madam Suyeong’s aunt’s family… he said they were absolutely awful people. His exact words were, ‘She’s my own younger sister, but judging from how they treated her kids, I can’t even bring myself to say it out loud.’”
“…What?”
“Now I understand why Madam Suyeong never held a wedding with Executive Director Seo Wonjun, why she stayed in a de-facto marriage, avoided going out, and lived so quietly.”
“Why?”
“They adopted her to get her parents’ life insurance payout. And instead of raising her well, they made her work part-time jobs starting in high school to bring in money, treated her like a servant at home, and when she got accepted into Korea University, they refused to pay her tuition. So she ended up only graduating high school.”
“……”
“And even after she became an adult, they demanded she ‘repay the favor’ of raising her and kept taking money from her. She probably lived quietly so she wouldn’t bring trouble to Executive Director Seo or the group.”
“…Ha.”
Only now did the veil around his sister-in-law begin to lift a little.
His brother had always loved going to bookstores. Apparently, he’d fallen for Suyeong at first sight when he met her there, working as an employee.
Then they’d had a baby before marriage.
Their father had told them to register the marriage and hold a proper ceremony, but both refused.
Back then, Jihyuk couldn’t understand it.
If the chairman of Sehan Group was willing to overlook someone’s background and approve the marriage, who wouldn’t want to hold a proper wedding immediately? Anyone would.
But now the reason was obvious.
His sister-in-law must have truly loved his brother. Enough to avoid causing him any harm.
“So that’s why her dying wish was to never send Doha to that aunt’s family.”
“Yes… it’s really unfortunate.”
“All right. I understand. You can go.”
Feeling heavy-hearted, Jihyuk dismissed Secretary Choi.
Then he spun his chair toward the window.
As he stared out into the darkened sky, the scene from earlier—of the woman screaming to see Doha—flashed through his mind.
“…Well, if they were sisters as kids, it’s not strange she’d be obsessed with her niece.”
Even so, he could never hand Doha over to that woman—Han Yuyeul, or whatever her name was.
Doha was his strongest weapon, an unscratchable lottery ticket.
Besides, even if he lost his mind and tried to hand her over, would his father sit still?
The man adored children to a frightening degree.
He hadn’t particularly liked his daughter-in-law at first, but the moment he heard there was a baby, he became completely smitten with her.
He’d refused to even look at the aunt’s side of the family during the funeral, honoring the dying wish to avoid them entirely.
Then—
Bzzz—
His phone rang.
It was Ms. Shim.
“Yes, ma’am?”
—Director, where are you now?
“I’m still at the office.”
—I have to leave soon. The chairman ordered me to clock out exactly at seven…
Jihyuk checked his watch.
6:30 PM.
“Stay a little longer.”
—I can’t. Maybe it’s because it’s the first day, but… someone from the chairman’s office is waiting outside.
Jihyuk rubbed his eyes in irritation.
His father was terrifyingly strict about these things.
He was clearly forcing this so they’d bond quickly.
“I’m coming. Now.”
The moment he hung up, he leapt to his feet, grabbed his jacket, and dashed out.
The startled secretaries stood up, calling after him, but he only barked “Going home!” and bolted down the stairs.
At quitting time, the elevator stopped at every floor; stairs were far faster.
Taking several steps at a time like a stuntman, he reached the first floor and gestured to the waiting driver.
“Go home. I’m driving today.”
He pressed the accelerator harder than ever.
It was hard to tell whether he was rushing to care for his niece or speeding toward the afterlife.
When he arrived home, he jumped out of the car and sprinted inside.
It was exactly 6:59 PM.
In the living room, Ms. Shim was standing at the changing table, apparently just having bathed and dressed Doha.
“You’re here?”
“Yes.”
As he approached, he glanced out the window.
The black sedan parked outside immediately started up and drove off as soon as it confirmed he’d returned.
What a razor-sharp surveillance.
He cursed under his breath and stepped closer.
Doha, lying on the changing table and watching the mobile above, rolled her eyes toward him.
“Heh.”
Suddenly the baby’s mouth stretched into a cute smile.
Then she burst into giggles.
“My, my! Our Doha. Are you that happy to see your uncle? Hmph—she never laughs like this when she’s with me!”
Ms. Shim laughed and squeezed Doha’s chubby legs.
A strange vibration ran through Jihyuk’s chest—
Ticklish and somehow sad.
“Ahem.”
He cleared his throat for no reason and poked Doha’s cheek.
She giggled adorably.
Actually, even aside from being his niece, Doha was a baby born with smiling eyes.
Annoyingly beautiful—for a boy.
“Go wash your hands. The baby needs her formula.”
“Oh. Right, wait a sec.”
Still unused to childcare, he’d forgotten to wash up after coming home.
He rushed to the bathroom, scrubbed his hands five times with foaming cleanser, and returned.
Ms. Shim lifted the baby and handed her over.
The soft little body in his arms felt strange.
And she seemed in a great mood—she must have eaten, slept, and pooped well today.
“Hey. You’re not being cute just because your parents’ ghosts are puppeteering you, right?”
Doha giggled as if she understood.
“Heh.”
He couldn’t help but smile back at the baby’s laughter.
“This is ridiculous. Stop laughing.”
At that moment, Ms. Shim returned with the bottle and handed it to him.
He immediately tried to shove the bottle into the baby’s mouth, but she scolded him.
“No, no, you have to get the air out first! And support the baby’s head—oh! Look, it’s spilling!”
Ha…
Sweat trickled down Jihyuk’s back.
This was harder than studying, harder than fighting for management rights.
Parenting was hell.
In the end, Ms. Shim, who still hadn’t been able to leave, fed the baby herself, then handed Doha back to him.
“Keep holding her properly until she burps. I’m going now. I already have a missed call from the chairman.”
She fled the house as if running from punishment.
Left alone, Jihyuk fought off the creeping dread and gently patted the baby.
Then the baby spit up.
Staring at the formula-soaked shirt, he muttered a prayer.
With no time to change himself, he changed Doha instead and tried to put her to sleep.
Bzzz— Bzzz—
Still in his vomit-stained shirt, half-asleep beside the baby, Jihyuk jolted awake from his vibrating phone.
“Waaah!”
And Doha, finally asleep, burst into tears again.
Damn it, who the hell—
He bit back curses, hit “end call,” and tried to soothe her.
The exhaustion, the stench coming from his own clothes—it made his head spin.
How do parents survive this?
Just when he managed to calm her down—
The phone vibrated again.
This time, he snatched the phone and answered it, sounding colder than ever.
“Yes.”
—Sir? Um… Doha’s uncle?
A sigh escaped his lips.
It was the woman obsessed with Doha—his sister-in-law’s younger sister, Han Yuyeul.
