HMGD 05

Chapter 05

A familiar black sedan stood in front of the main gate.

I opened the passenger door and got in, but Jaehyun didn’t even glance at me.

He tapped the steering wheel with his index finger.

Was he anxious?

Or, like me, was he trying to think of safe, harmless things to say so he wouldn’t say anything damaging to the lawsuit?

Too many thoughts crowded my head, and my lips wouldn’t part easily.

“Do you know Yeonha is sick?”

In the end, I spoke first.

“She’s doing fine, so don’t worry.”

What an irresponsible person.

“Just tomorrow, let me pick Yeonha up from daycare. You have to agree to this. I kept the promise I made with you.”

“Yujin…”

After a long pause, Jaehyun finally spoke carefully.

“Just let this one go. Cut me some slack.”

“I only want to talk about Yeonha with you.”

So after all that hesitation, all he had to say was to let it slide.

In the end, the only thing important to him was himself.

Jaehyun, who had stubbornly kept staring ahead, finally turned toward me.

“Yujin. This is an important time for me right now. You know that better than anyone.”

After becoming vice chairman of Daewoong Electronics, Jaehyun had failed to produce any notable results over the past four years.

The company’s ambitious new products aimed at overseas markets kept losing out to competitors and posting losses, and every time it happened, domestic media flooded the news with provocative articles questioning Jaehyun’s competence.

There were more and more nights when he didn’t come home.

What was he missing?

He worked so hard, so what was lacking?

Once Yeonha started daycare, I had more free time. Wanting to help, I casually put together a proposal.

Having filmed countless advertisements and met both domestic and international businesspeople while participating in product planning myself, it wasn’t difficult for me.

My proposal captivated Jaehyun.

He quickly announced a new product launch, and I helped by sending Daewoong Electronics smartphones to famous overseas pop stars and actors to generate media exposure.

The result was a success.

But contrary to my hopes, my husband only became busier after that.

And the busier he became, the loneliness inside me swelled without limit.

In that house where every move I made was monitored, I couldn’t express my emotions, nor could I even go out freely.

That painful time only made me realize with brutal clarity that this place was never truly mine.

It was certainly a huge shock when Jaehyun—who had been too busy even to properly watch our son grow up—brought home an illegitimate child.

But was that all?

No. That was merely the excuse I put at the forefront.

Thinking back, I had been slowly preparing to leave him—and life as a chaebol family daughter-in-law—for much longer than that.

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll go in. Don’t forget, I’m picking Yeonha up tomorrow.”

“You’re really going to keep pushing this lawsuit?”

“My position hasn’t changed. Yeonha’s custody, primary guardianship… and divorce from you.”

At my firm response, Jaehyun’s eyes sharpened.

With bloodshot eyes streaked red from burst capillaries, he stared at me.

As though he had no intention of showing consideration anymore.

“You sure dream big. What do you think I am… what do you think the Daewoong family is?”

“What?”

“You think you can take my son’s custody away from me?”

“I’m the one who’s been raising Yeonha all this time.”

At my words, Jaehyun curled his lips into a bitter smile.

“Visitation rights? Is that the kindness you expect from me?”

“Can’t you really… think about Yeonha first? I’m her mother.”

“……”

“Do you think you can’t handle this project without me? Is that why the divorce…”

Jaehyun’s face crumpled instantly.

His breathing even turned ragged, and I couldn’t continue speaking in front of him.

“You really don’t know me at all. I’ll make sure you never see your son again. Get out.”

“What do you mean—”

Click.

“Get out, Lee Yujin.”

Suddenly the passenger door opened, and a rough hand grabbed my arm.

Before I could even process what was happening, I was yanked out of the car by brute force and came face-to-face with Seonu’s hardened expression.

“Why are you…”

With anger written all over his face, he glanced at me before leaning toward the driver’s seat.

“I’m Lee Yujin’s legal representative. If you have something to say to her from now on, say it to me. Don’t come looking for the defendant personally.”

Seonu pulled out a business card and tossed it onto the passenger seat.

“I heard lawyers are struggling to make a living these days. Guess if you pay enough, they’ll stand guard like dogs in front of their master’s house too.”

At Seonu’s sudden rudeness, Jaehyun made no effort to hide his twisted mood.

It felt unfamiliar seeing Jaehyun act so aggressively toward someone else.

Thanks to years of social training since childhood, he had always maintained proper manners with others.

“Seonu.”

Worried the tension between Jaehyun and Seonu would escalate, I grabbed Seonu’s elbow to signal him to stop.

“Then you should be careful if you know that. Once I bite down, I don’t let go.”

Seonu slammed the car door shut.

The tension rose so sharply it felt as though even the air around us had frozen.

The moment the door closed, Jaehyun violently turned the wheel and drove off.

“What happened? Why are you…”

“You met Jung Jaehyun without discussing it with me?”

Seonu snapped at me.

I understood why he was angry, but I didn’t want to be exhausted by him too.

“Let’s talk later.”

“You said everything you needed to Jaehyun, but with me it’s ‘later’?”

“Stop it. I told you I had no choice but to meet him.”

“You’re the one who said you’d do whatever I told you.”

“Ha…”

A long sigh escaped with my breath.

It was too cold to stand outside dressed this lightly.

I didn’t want to keep arguing with him on the street.

Maybe Seonu was frustrated too, because he gripped the cigarette in his pocket.

“Do you not realize how important this time is? I’m warning you—”

“Just stop.”

Seonu bit his lip as if forcing down his emotions.

“Are they fighting?”

“Something must’ve happened.”

It was late evening.

People entering the officetel through the main entrance glanced at us and whispered among themselves.

Ignoring the stares, Seonu took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders.

“Ah.”

His hand caught my wrist.

“You planning to go into our place together like this?”

I spoke to Seonu as he dragged me toward the officetel entrance while holding my wrist.

My voice came out lifeless, like salted cabbage gone limp.

“I still have things to say.”

<First floor.>

The moment the elevator doors opened, I pulled my wrist from his grasp and faced him.

I didn’t want him entering my daily life anymore.

“I’ll make sure there’s no reason to meet Jaehyun separately from now on. Happy?”

As I tried to remove the coat Seonu had draped over me, he stopped me and placed it back over my shoulders.

“Jung Jaehyun’s going to use Yeonha to control you. Like today. Even if it’s about Yeonha, don’t do anything without discussing it with me first.”

“……”

“Answer me, Lee Yujin.”

With a click, the elevator doors closed again.

Even though he clearly knew my state, Seonu stubbornly kept pressing me.

He gripped my shoulders tightly with both hands.

As though he had no intention of letting go until he got the answer he wanted.

“Don’t invade my personal life too. I didn’t give you that kind of authority.”

For a moment, Seonu’s expression twisted.

There was no point continuing this argument.

As I turned away with an exhausted face, Seonu stopped me with a rough movement.

“You’re completely different from when you came looking for me with that dying expression.”

“You…”

The emotions I had been suppressing finally burst out.

Afraid things would escalate further, I steadied my breathing before meeting his eyes.

“You didn’t need to talk to Jaehyun like that.”

“Ha, then what? Was I supposed to cower in front of Jung Jaehyun?”

“I’m telling you not to create situations people can misunderstand.”

Something seemed to occur to Seonu as he tilted his head and lifted one corner of his lips.

“Misunderstand? Me grabbing your arm? Did we touch a little too much back there?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then who exactly is misunderstanding? Jung Jaehyun? Or Lee Yujin?”

“Anyone could misunderstand that situation, couldn’t they? Showing up the moment I called…”

Overwhelmed, I stopped speaking and swallowed hard.

Seonu still looked at me like he was reprimanding me.

“I’m not your woman.”

My voice came out cold and desolate, like fog settling low to the ground.

“How strange. You meet Jung Jaehyun, and suddenly you become a different person. Makes me imagine all sorts of things.”

Seonu’s eyes sharpened enough to pierce through my face.

The man who hadn’t cared at all about Jaehyun’s mocking words now loosened his tie and ran a hand through his hair as though struggling to breathe.

“Don’t sneer at me.”

“So after meeting your ex-husband, you’re all worked up? Ah… did I ruin the mood you were enjoying? Is that it?”

With reckless eyes, he cornered me.

“Stop.”

Suddenly, Seonu’s arm wrapped around my waist.

And he pulled me close enough for his breath to touch me.

It happened without warning.

“You must’ve been getting pretty heated up. Sorry for interrupting.”

“Wait… Seonu.”

I tried to lean my head back as far as possible and escape his embrace, but Seonu only pulled me tighter.

The scent of whiskey brushed past my nose.

Between the open collar of his shirt, a neat patterned tattoo was visible.

“If you want it, just say so. I can do that much too.”

Seonu whispered while staring down at my lips.

The playful man he usually was had vanished completely.

Only a razor-thin tension remained, as though one touch would make everything explode.