FGP 55

Chapter 55

Unlike the usual dead-quiet mornings, today felt suddenly busy and noisy, waking Hyeon-jeong from her sleep.

Even though all she could see was the dim ceiling, she no longer felt as desperate as before after thinking that she didn’t want to make Tae-geon sad.

As she got up, the housekeeper appeared, carrying a breakfast tray and opening the door as if she had somehow known.

Blinded by the pouring morning sunlight, Hyeon-jeong raised her hands to shield her eyes. The housekeeper left the door slightly open so her eyes could adjust to the light before entering. Through the narrow gap, she could see people moving busily outside.

She noticed them, but her curiosity about what was happening didn’t arise.

Since she had gotten her resolve together, hunger had returned, but eating was not easy.

Whenever she ate a little too much, she would vomit it all up, so she only ate just enough to survive.

Also, since the day she picked up her spoon, Tae-geon had not appeared in her dreams.

It was regrettable, but she had decided not to dwell on foolish thoughts.

As she scooped some white porridge with trembling hands, the housekeeper cut a quail egg in half and placed it on top with chopsticks.

“Chew carefully,” the housekeeper instructed.

Instead of answering, Hyeon-jeong nodded weakly. Even that simple nod made her dizzy, so she lowered her head for a moment to steady her breathing.

“This is serious. How will you even survive the wedding?”

The housekeeper let out a deep sigh.

“They said the young lady’s wedding is today.”

No wonder it felt unusually busy.

Hyeon-jeong wasn’t very surprised; she had expected this day to come. Her worry was that her body wouldn’t cooperate.

It was obvious that Young-wook would insist on making her wear a wedding dress, standing her next to Jae-seok like a display to boast to the relatives.

Since it was her burden anyway, she thought it would be better if it went quickly.

“Even if I collapse, I have to go through with it.”

She seemed to speak boldly, but her voice sounded like that of an old woman at the end of her life. She hoped Jae-seok would dislike this lifeless appearance—tired of her quickly and lose interest.

And please, let Tae-geon never see her like this.

As she swallowed the watery porridge, Hyeon-jeong prayed silently.

With the housekeeper’s help, she washed herself. Sitting on the bathroom floor in a daze and staring at the wall, the housekeeper covered her injured leg with a towel and clicked her tongue in disapproval.

“After the wedding, let’s go to the hospital first. It seems your family is coming today too.”

The leg that Kang Tae-geon had been so concerned about was in a terrible state. Whether it was because she hadn’t completed the treatment, because of being hit by Jae-seok, or simply bad luck, the surgical area had swollen and turned black as if the flesh were rotting.

Yellow pus clung thickly along the stitches, and blood and pus flowed where the stitches had come loose.

The foul stench hit her immediately as she undressed, but Hyeon-jeong’s already lethargic mind did not wake up.

Though she had resolved to live for Tae-geon, the thought of being forced into a marriage she did not want threw her into a deep, endless depression.

“If my leg is ruined, Jae-seok might not need me. Maybe that’s for the best.”

Hyeon-jeong muttered the unspoken thought with a low sigh. Even after finishing her shower, she remained quietly like a broken doll.

The housekeeper disinfected her leg with medicine she had somehow obtained and wrapped the pus-filled areas tightly in bandages. Yet the blood and pus seeped through the bandages, turning them yellow.

Wearing only underwear and a robe, Hyeon-jeong was guided to a room she had never seen before. Unable to take a proper step, she was placed in a wheelchair, and the men who had been stationed there glanced at her as they moved.

The housekeeper, displeased by their looks, quickly pushed her into a large room.

“They’ll be here soon,” she said.

She had expected a villa rather than an abandoned house, but she hadn’t realized it would be so spacious. The room was large, with a bed, a vanity, and a sofa.

Placing Hyeon-jeong in the wheelchair in front of a large mirror, the housekeeper looked at her worriedly.

Hyeon-jeong only lifted her blank eyes and nodded, and then several women entered, carrying a makeup box and a wedding dress. They greeted her, but she only nodded back.

“Bride, we need to adjust the size between the ceremony dress and the evening dress. Could you try on the dress for a moment?”

“I’ll… just wear it as it is.”

The woman, politely suggesting the adjustment, seemed at a loss seeing her lifeless expression and reply.

“Bride, the dress really should…”

She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Hyeon-jeong’s vacant look. She looked more like a fragile twig about to break than a bride about to marry.

Even with her long, dry hair tied up and sitting in front of the lighted vanity for bridal makeup, the scene felt unreal.

The thick blush and red lips applied to give her a healthy look only emphasized her pale face, making her appear more like a soul than a bride.

Meanwhile, Jae-seok hummed happily as he pressed the accelerator. The wedding he had been waiting for was finally here.

After all the twists and turns, once today was over, this tiresome state of alert would end.

He called Prosecutor Hwang on his phone.

• Yes, sir.

“Are you on your way? You need to get here on time.”

• Don’t worry.

“I trust you, Prosecutor Hwang. We’ve hired a security company, but it’s reassuring to have someone from the legal world here.”

Though Kang Tae-geon showed no suspicious movements, Jae-seok was preparing for all possibilities. Today was one of the few days to enjoy his older brother Jo Yoon-seok’s envious gaze to the fullest.

The thrill of getting what Yoon-seok wanted but couldn’t touch made his dopamine levels soar.

“If Kang Tae-geon acts suspiciously, arrest him immediately. Entering the villa counts as trespassing.”

Honestly, this wedding was a trap for Tae-geon. He would end up behind bars under Prosecutor Hwang’s guidance.

“Hah, let him rot in jail.”

The call ended, and another unwelcome call came—Seoh Young-wook.

“Why call when we’ll meet at the villa anyway?”

Annoyed but unable to avoid it, he answered.

“Yes, father-in-law. How far are you?”

• We’re on our way with the family elders.

Though he had treated more than seventy relatives to lodging, meals, and a limousine bus from a luxury hotel, Young-wook’s voice sounded far from excited.

“Any inconvenience? I tried to take care of everything.”

• No, it’s fine. It’s only a two-hour trip from Seoul, so everyone is enjoying it like a picnic. Thanks to you.

Yet why did he sound like a dying man? Jae-seok muttered quietly so that Young-wook wouldn’t hear.

• I’ve been worried. Didn’t you say you’d settle the loan before the wedding?

“Ah… that.”

• When my wife visited you last time, did she feel slighted? She came to see Yerim, but maybe because I didn’t wake her, I kept worrying.

Jae-seok, quick to catch on, kept his voice calm.

“Of course not. Why would I upset my mother-in-law? I’ve explained the loan issue to my sister-in-law. She’ll handle it.”

• Oh? Yerim didn’t say anything.

“She might have forgotten because she’s busy. Ask my sister-in-law.”

• Alright, I won’t keep you. Drive safely.

As soon as the call ended, Jae-seok grinned devilishly.

“Seoh Yerim, let’s see if you resist keeping the baby.”

He spoke bluntly to Yerim: if she didn’t abort the baby she claimed as hers, no loan from Young-wook would come.

By now, Bill Furniture urgently needed the loan. Without it, they couldn’t cover the incoming bills, so Yerim would have no choice but to comply.

He whistled, imagining the upcoming fairytale-like wedding.