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Chapter 01
“I’m pregnant.”
“Pregnant?”
Byeolha’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s as she lifted her teacup with a faint clink. Startled by her friend’s completely unexpected words, she nearly dropped the cup.
Perhaps because she flinched, the hot tea sloshed over the rim and splashed onto the back of her hand.
“Ouch, it’s hot.”
The tea hadn’t even had time to cool. Her hand burned. Byeolha quickly set the cup down and wiped her hand. Her pale skin had already turned red.
Gyeoru watched Byeolha’s flustered state quietly before finally opening her mouth—without even asking if she was okay, only saying what she wanted to say.
“He said he wants to marry me.”
Byeolha, who had been blowing on her hand, turned to look at Gyeoru.
“That’s great. Congratulations on the wedding. Have you set a date? You should hurry if you want to have the ceremony before your belly gets bigger.”
Since Gyeoru had always bragged about her boyfriend and openly showed how much he loved and cherished her, Byeolha offered her congratulations sincerely.
“We already finished the formal family meeting, and we’ve booked the venue.”
Gyeoru gave a faint smile as if to reassure her, then began rummaging through her expensive designer bag.
“I called you today to give you the wedding invitation.”
She placed the invitation on the table with a soft tap and slid it toward Byeolha.
“You already printed the invitations?”
The subtle glitter made it look quite luxurious. Byeolha picked it up and opened the envelope.
November 28th. 1:00 PM. S Hotel Wedding Hall
The front was simple—only the date, time, location, and the bride and groom’s names. As Byeolha checked the groom’s name, her eyes went wide.
“Oh my—his name is Lee Dohyun? That’s the same as my husband’s.”
What a coincidence. Was the name Dohyun really that common?
As Byeolha reacted with genuine amazement, Gyeoru, who sat across from her, began twitching her lips as if suppressing laughter.
She stared at Byeolha, lips trembling, as though barely holding it in—every ounce of her attention fixed on her.
“That’s funny. Well, compared to names like ours, Lee Dohyun is pretty common.”
“Pfft.”
Gyeoru finally burst out laughing at Byeolha’s words. A low chuckle slipped past her lips, but only for a moment—soon an eerie, sharp peal of laughter filled the café.
“Ah… wait… haha…”
Her loud laughter drew everyone’s attention. Gyeoru clutched her stomach, unconcerned by the stares around her.
“You’re hilarious. Seriously.”
Tears even welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away with her finger and nodded toward the invitation.
“Open it.”
“Huh? Oh… okay.”
Why is she laughing like that all of a sudden?
An uneasy feeling crept in. Gyeoru’s gaze felt as though it were mocking her. Keeping her eyes fixed on Gyeoru, Byeolha slowly opened the invitation.
Inside was a simple message about living happily ever after—along with a wedding photo of the bride and groom.
Gyeoru stood in a dress that emphasized her slim figure, smiling brightly. Beside her was the groom, smiling just as happily.
“…?”
The moment Byeolha saw the photo, her mind went completely blank.
Because the man standing next to Gyeoru was someone she knew all too well.
“Why is my husband…?”
Was it just someone who looked like him? Was she seeing things because the names were the same?
Byeolha stared at the invitation in her hands again and again. No matter how many times she looked, the man in the photo was unmistakably her husband—Lee Dohyun.
“What is this… This isn’t funny. Stop joking.”
She bit her lower lip hard and looked at Gyeoru. Her eyes trembled pitifully, unfocused. Gyeoru brushed her long hair back and looked down at Byeolha, who was shaking uncontrollably.
Seeing Byeolha clutch at her like a lifeline made Gyeoru’s lips curl into a sneer.
How stupid. That’s why you lost him.
Even after showing her the invitation, she still didn’t get it. Gyeoru decided she should spell everything out herself and slowly opened her mouth.
“I’m pregnant with your husband’s child.”
“…!”
Thud.
Pregnant… with my husband’s child?
Her heart dropped violently. The sensation of free fall made Byeolha gasp without realizing it. Her head spun, nausea rising in her stomach.
That can’t be true. Why… why my husband…?
Her trembling hands flew to cover her mouth. None of it felt real. She desperately wished that Lee Dohyun would suddenly appear and say it was all a joke.
But it was only a hollow hope.
Lee Dohyun didn’t appear. Gyeoru gently stroked her still-flat stomach and looked at Byeolha, her lips curling upward in a triumphant smile.
This must be some kind of misunderstanding. He would never do that to me.
Her husband had been devoted to her—envied by everyone. Even after seeing the invitation, Byeolha couldn’t accept the situation. No—she didn’t want to.
“Do you know what November 28th is? It’s Dohyun’s and my six-year anniversary. So don’t say anything stupid about this being my imagination.”
Gyeoru spoke as if she could see straight through Byeolha’s thoughts. Six years. Byeolha froze on the spot.
Not a brief affair—but six whole years.
An overwhelming emptiness crashed over her. Her heart felt torn to shreds, breathing itself became painful.
Everything swallowed her whole.
“He even came to see me while I was studying abroad in the States. He’s so sweet—normally, and in bed too.”
Gyeoru traced her lower lip provocatively, smiling meaningfully. Byeolha’s blissful ignorance had always amused her.
Your husband loves me.
Gyeoru stared at the utterly broken Byeolha with eyes full of twisted delight, then mercilessly carved into her heart.
“I was with Dohyun even the night before your wedding. We stayed at a hotel together, then he went straight to your ceremony.”
Tears filled Byeolha’s eyes. She couldn’t say a word—only cry helplessly.
“He said he never loved you from the beginning. He always said he loved me, not you. So don’t be too sad. Somewhere out there, there’s another man who’ll love you.”
Byeolha finally bowed her head. She couldn’t bear to hear any more.
Her shoulders shook as clear tears soaked into her lap.
“You’ll congratulate me on my marriage, right?”
Gyeoru’s devilish voice drilled into Byeolha’s ears, echoing relentlessly, whispering and tearing apart her sanity.
Congratulate her—for marrying her husband?
It was beyond absurd. It was unjust.
She wanted to grab Gyeoru by the hair and scream at her, but her body wouldn’t move.
The shock had drained all her strength.
“Do you think… I’ll give you a divorce?”
Byeolha asked in a trembling voice without looking at her—her final act of resistance.
Gyeoru burst into laughter at the sight of Byeolha still refusing to back down.
“Are you threatening me right now?”
She laughed loudly, completely unfazed—and mocked the word divorce.
“You never even registered your marriage with Dohyun.”
“…!”
“And you talk about divorce?”
Her body jolted. Gyeoru had struck the truth.
She had never legally registered the marriage—because she respected Dohyun’s wish to do it after having a child.
Gyeoru rummaged through her bag again and tossed a sheet of paper onto the table.
“Dohyun and I are already legally married.”
Byeolha slowly raised her head. Through blurred vision, she saw the folded document.
Bang!
“…That’s a lie!”
She slammed the table with both hands, shouting—then stared at the paper with vacant eyes.
“You’ll know whether it’s a lie once you see it yourself.”
Gyeoru forcibly placed the paper into Byeolha’s hands, smiling cruelly.
She couldn’t say anything.
Because it was all true.
On Gyeoru’s family registry, Lee Dohyun was listed as her spouse.
“…Ha.”
“So stop calling him your husband. He’s not your husband—he’s mine.”
Arms crossed, Gyeoru looked down at Byeolha, intoxicated by victory.
At last, Byeolha had to let go of the final thread of hope she clung to. Six years of love, marriage—everything was denied.
Reality crushed her whole.
She stumbled out of the café without even grabbing her bag.
Outside, she collapsed after only a few steps. Amid laughing people under the cool autumn sunlight, Byeolha shook silently, unable to even cry out.
At twenty-six, that autumn was unbearably cruel.
Like fallen leaves crushed underfoot, Byeolha’s heart shattered into pieces.
***
I’m hungry…
In a cramped studio apartment barely five pyeong in size, she lay sprawled on the floor and woke from hunger.
She reached for her phone out of habit and opened Byeolgram.
Followers: 0. Following: 0.
That was her account.
She searched familiar IDs, quietly peering into the lives of friends and family.
For a long time, she stared at the screen with bitter, apologetic eyes.
After her divorce, Byeolha lived in seclusion for over three years. She could have leaned on friends or family—but whenever she did, Lee Dohyun came to mind.
So she ran away. To a place with no ties. A place where he wouldn’t exist. She quit her job too—she couldn’t stay in the same workplace as him.
She changed her number. Even her name.
Yet nightmares returned whenever she thought she’d forgotten.
She set her phone down and stood slowly. Dragging her feet, she put a pot of water on the gas stove.
Because the apartment hadn’t sold, the division of property was delayed—and she’d lived here for three years already.
She pulled out a book left behind by the previous tenant and placed it on the floor, setting the pot on top.
As she ate ramen, the title caught her eye.
The Countess Trapped in a Snare
A novel she stumbled upon after moving in—but never finished.
It told the story of a count who constantly caused scandals with women, and the miserable countess who suffered because of him.
Unable to endure the heroine’s pain, Byeolha quit before the ending.
“I should throw it away.”
Just seeing the title made her feel sick. She tossed it into the trash.
Thud.
That wasn’t the sound of a book.
She frowned and listened.
KRAAASH!
The ground began to shake violently.
“W-What?!”
Like an earthquake, the earth collapsed beneath her. Without any chance to escape, the building caved in.
Alone, with no one to remember her, Byeolha met her death.
Her first life ended in misery.
She never knew—
That inside the book she threw away, a brilliant second life awaited her.
As consciousness faded, she heard someone desperately calling her.
“…Are you all right?!”
She struggled to open her eyes.
The first thing she saw—
Was a dazzling chandelier.
