FGP 29

Chapter 29

“Are you saying I abandoned Hyeonjeong and ran away? Are you suspecting me right now?”

Because of Jaeseok, who openly showed his displeasure, the previously friendly atmosphere instantly froze over. Flustered, Yeonguk waved his hands and broke out in a cold sweat.

“No, what are you talking about? Of course not, suspicion… never.”

“But seeing how you’ve come all this way to confirm it, it seems you firmly believe I didn’t save Hyeonjeong. Do you really think I would lie about something like that? I never imagined you’d think that way. I’m disappointed in you, Father-in-law.”

“No, no, it’s not that. Listen here, Director Jo. If I really suspected you, would I just sit still like this? It’s just that there are people spouting nonsense, and I thought you ought to know.”

Looking at Yeonguk, who was sweating buckets, Jaeseok thought, What a roundabout way of putting things. It amused him—wanting to confirm the truth while still not wanting to offend him.

“I was already planning to teach that guy a lesson anyway.”

“Honestly, it wouldn’t matter if you doubted me. I’m the one who saved Hyeonjeong, after all. That fact won’t change. Once Hyeonjeong’s memory returns, everything will be clear.”

Jaeseok answered shamelessly. After all, even if she regained her memory after marriage, there was nothing she could do about it. In Korea, once he became her legal guardian, there was nothing off-limits.

“That’s true.”

“She’s my fiancée. Who else but me would save her? Hyeonjeong comes before my own life. I simply didn’t want to burden her with the label of ‘life’s savior’ hanging over her.”

“Yes, yes. I understand how you feel. You even waited for our Hyeonjeong for four years, didn’t you? I feel guilty for bringing up such nonsense and making you uncomfortable.”

No matter what anyone said, Yeonguk clearly wanted to trust Jaeseok. In fact, even if Jaeseok hadn’t saved her, he would still marry her off without hesitation. Talking directly like this was more of a self-consolation for him.

Still, who would say such a thing in the first place? As Yeonguk pondered, a sudden thought struck him.

With a serious expression—as if he already knew—Jaeseok dropped a name.

“Was it perhaps… Kang Taegon who said I abandoned Hyeonjeong and ran away?”

“How did you know that…?”

Seeing Yeonguk unable to hide his expression, Jaeseok praised himself inwardly for looking into Taegon ahead of time.

The man he had met at the Gangwon-do hospital, the one who handed over the cellphone. In this world, money could solve everything. By checking the hospital CCTV, he had learned that the man was Kang Taegon—a man with a position in a capital company, but the grandson of a thug. No way would Yeonguk approve of him.

Jaeseok had looked into him in advance, just in case a day like this came. His ability to foresee the future filled him with pride, making him think that leading a subsidiary company would be nothing for him.

But all he had managed to find was Taegon’s identity, not his relationship with Hyeonjeong. Still, since Hyeonjeong had lost her memory, and Yeonguk would always prefer trusting Jaeseok over Taegon, it didn’t matter.

“That man has been pestering Hyeonjeong for a while.”

He didn’t know when or how Taegon and Hyeonjeong knew each other, but now was his chance to frame it as something sordid. That way, Hyeonjeong’s image would be tarnished, and he would gain.

Like a snake flicking its tongue at a small bird, Jaeseok licked his lips at the thought of Hyeonjeong.

“She probably just got distracted for a moment because of Kang Taegon’s good looks.”

Yeonguk looked extremely unsettled at those words, downing his drink repeatedly and darting his eyes. If this marriage fell apart because of another man’s sudden appearance, the one who’d regret it the most would be Yeonguk himself.

After all, word of the engagement between the Jo Group and the Bil Furniture family had already spread, bringing in major contracts. Having tasted the benefits of being in-laws with a chaebol family, could Yeonguk really give it up?

“I didn’t want to upset you, Father, so I’ve been keeping it to myself.”

“No, no. You’re not wrong. That guy’s just a stalker. Our Hyeonjeong would never look at another man when she already has you.”

“Yes, I want to believe that too. Otherwise, waiting for Hyeonjeong ever since she graduated high school would feel meaningless. You know how hard it is for a man to keep his chastity before marriage.”

“Yes, yes, I know. As a man, I know it well. You really are an extraordinary person.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

“I can guarantee that Hyeonjeong never had another man. More than anyone, I can vouch for it. During university, her curfew was 6 p.m. She hardly had time to meet anyone.”

Although Yeonguk surely knew that love didn’t care about time constraints, he only kept hammering on Hyeonjeong’s “purity” as if it was fact.

“Which is why, Father…”

This was the perfect timing. Jaeseok spoke quietly and carefully, as if he’d been thinking it over for a long time.

“I want to take better care of sick Hyeonjeong. Seeing her confused because of her memory loss makes it hard for me to focus on work. I’d like us to register the marriage first, live together, and then hold the wedding ceremony later—after her leg heals.”

“Well…”

“A man’s household needs to be at peace for his outside affairs to be at peace, don’t you think?”

“Director Jo, I understand your feelings. But…”

The same Yeonguk who had acted like a pimp—ready to push his daughter into his arms immediately—suddenly changed his expression.

“As I explained before, our family is a prestigious household. Our ancestors served as high officials, even a Deputy Prime Minister during the Joseon dynasty. We must observe the proper formalities.”

The fact that someone still bragged about their ancestors’ Joseon-era titles in this day and age made Jaeseok laugh inside every time. Especially since this so-called noble family was only clinging to his family now like parasites.

And Yeonguk himself? He had fathered an illegitimate child before marriage, and as soon as his wife died, he brought the mistress and the child into the house—reportedly even before the funeral was finished.

No family was more dysfunctional than this, yet Yeonguk clung to strange forms of pride. Jaeseok was growing irritated. Perhaps sensing his mood, Yeonguk cautiously suggested:

“So, how about this. If you don’t mind, why don’t we just hold the wedding immediately?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said. We can have her wear a wedding dress and go through the ceremony before the elders of the family.”

A week after being discharged home, Hyeonjeong felt as if she were being bred like livestock.

Eat, sleep, wake up, stare blankly, then eat and sleep again—the routine repeated endlessly. Meals were provided by the “auntie” who helped with household chores, but since she wasn’t a caregiver, everything was inconvenient.

At home, she couldn’t very well ask Myeonghui—who was either lying in bed complaining about her back pain or out at social gatherings—to help wash her. So she had no choice but to wrap her bandages tightly in plastic wrap and shower on her own.

Watching TV wasn’t fun, and books wouldn’t hold her attention. The only relief was that Jaeseok hadn’t come to visit. Most likely, he didn’t want to show his bruised face after being beaten by Yeonguk, so he wasn’t allowed in.

But Hyeonjeong kept thinking about Taegon. His words, his smile, his kind eyes—all of it was vivid, as if she had seen him only yesterday.

“It’s a shame the scent of his cologne has faded.”

Whenever she thought of him, she buried her face in the scarf he had given her. Each time she inhaled the scent, she missed him more.

Ever since the accident and her memory loss, the only people she felt comfortable with were him and the caregiver. That must have been why she thought of him so much.

But now, the fragrance of his cologne lingering on the scarf was slowly fading.

“If only my leg were fine, I’d go buy it myself.”

She liked that cool, forest-like scent. She decided she would definitely purchase it later.

“Why does it ache so much this morning?”

Every morning, she had been tending to the surgical wound dressing herself. The doctor had recommended staying longer in the hospital to keep receiving antibiotics and daily dressings, but her father had discharged her anyway, so the hospital had taught her how to do it.

That morning, when she dressed the wound, it had looked fine. But now it felt hot and throbbed painfully. Feeling uneasy, she unwrapped the bandage to check, but saw no visible changes.

I’ll be going to the hospital tomorrow or the day after for more antibiotics anyway. I’ll just ask then, she thought, brushing it off.