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Chapter 16
Taewook glanced through the blinds at the two people standing in an awkward atmosphere before slowly pressing the call button.
“Yes, what is it?”
—What kind of attitude is that when answering your phone?
“I’m in the middle of work.”
—Have you ever once answered my calls without saying you were busy?
At his father’s sharp voice, Taewook brushed back his hair with an expressionless face.
“What did you call for?”
—You married a woman your parents opposed, and look where that’s gotten you.
At the undisguised sneer in his father’s voice, Taewook loosened the tie constricting his neck.
The irritation rising inside him came from seeing straight through his father’s intentions.
“Did you call just to say that?”
—There’s no need to say more. You’ve rebelled enough.
“Father.”
—Break up with that woman. If she’s just some actress with gossip surrounding her, it can be covered up. But bad fortune is something that can’t be fixed.
“……”
—Did you think I wouldn’t realize you married that entertainer girl out of spite toward me?
A faint scoff escaped Taewook’s lips at the voice coming through the phone.
Spite.
Yeah. Maybe that was true.
“Or is that simply what you want to believe, Father?”
—What?
“You don’t like the fact that your only son married some unknown actress.”
“Joo Taewook.”
“I love Han Gyeowool.”
His voice was flat and monotone, devoid of any rise or fall.
The gaze of the emotionless Taewook, who had been speaking expressionlessly the whole time, had already settled somewhere.
“You wouldn’t understand, Father. You married Mother without love.”
—…….
“That woman turned my quiet life upside down like a storm, and yet I still like her.”
“Joo Taewook!”
“What should I do, Father?”
If I had known I’d walk into this kind of conversation the moment I stepped out of the elevator, I would’ve waited for Sangwoo and come up together.
“Or is that simply what you want to believe, Father?”
“You don’t like the fact that your only son married some unknown actress.”
Taewook had stepped out of the CEO’s office while talking to his father on the phone.
From the sharpness in his voice and the irritation written all over his tense face, I could tell his relationship with his father wasn’t very good.
As I hesitated over what to do after unintentionally overhearing the conversation, our eyes suddenly met.
“I love Han Gyeowool.”
It was a dry voice devoid of emotion.
With that same emotionless voice, he looked straight into my eyes and said he loved Han Gyeowool.
“You wouldn’t understand, Father. You married Mother without love.”
“That woman turned my quiet life upside down like a storm, and yet I still like her.”
“What should I do, Father?”
At some point, he had come close enough to touch.
The distance between us was so close I could hear his breathing, while angry shouting from his father echoed through the phone.
Was he looking at me?
Or was he looking at my sister?
Not a trace of emotion lingered in his eyes as they rested on Han Gyeowool.
There was neither pity, nor love, nor sympathy for Han Gyeowool on his face.
I quietly met the gaze of the man staring down at me so indifferently.
“I really must love that woman.”
Even while making such a heartfelt confession, Taewook’s expression did not change in the slightest.
A laugh slipped out at the sight of him claiming to love Han Gyeowool with such a blank face.
A marriage that existed only in name.
A love without affection.
For the first time today, all of it felt painfully real.
Several more raised voices came from the other side of the phone.
Taewook, who merely listened in silence to his father’s furious shouting, eventually used work as an excuse and unilaterally ended the call.
Pretending not to have heard the yelling coming from the phone, I spoke to him.
“I hope you don’t misunderstand and think I listened on purpose.”
“……”
“We were just really close, and I didn’t know you were on the phone.”
“……”
“And since we already made eye contact, it would’ve been weird to get back on the elevator.”
“……”
“And maybe you won’t believe me, but at first, when you looked at me, I thought you were talking to me.”
Even though he looked like he wouldn’t care, I still felt guilty for overhearing his conversation.
Taewook silently stared at me as I smiled awkwardly, then tucked his phone into his inner pocket and spoke.
“You called that woman to the company?”
“You mean Arin?”
There wasn’t a single expression on his face as he looked at me.
Seeing him silently waiting for my answer, I smiled apologetically.
“Yes. Sorry. I should’ve told you, but it slipped my mind.”
“So it’s true?”
“Yes. When I met her in the underground parking lot last night, it seemed like the conversation would take a while, so I told her we’d talk at the company today.”
“……”
“I meant to tell you this morning, but I forgot. Sorry.”
Despite my repeated apology, his face remained displeased.
Pretending not to notice his expression, I passed by him and grabbed the office doorknob.
He threw out one more comment toward me.
“There’s someone else here too.”
His low voice made me turn back toward him.
He seemed to be studying my expression.
“Really? Who—”
“Kim Won.”
“……”
“I heard he used to date your sister.”
His voice was calm and even.
For some reason, it felt strange that, out of all possible ways to describe him, he specifically chose to mention that Won had dated my sister.
I searched his face, trying to understand what he was thinking, but as always, there was no expression there.
His face was harder to read than those of criminals.
Eventually, I gave up trying to decipher him and nodded.
“That’s right.”
“……”
“They were dating up until three months ago.”
Talking about my own story as though it belonged to someone else felt strange.
A nauseating feeling rose in my stomach, and when I grimaced slightly, I noticed his brows furrow as though displeased.
Pretending not to see it, I smiled.
“Don’t tell me that’s what you stopped me for?”
“No.”
His immediate answer felt odd enough that I stared at him quietly.
Since earlier, I couldn’t figure out what exactly he wanted to say to me.
As I continued looking at him, he strode over with his long legs and closed the distance instantly.
Bracing one hand against the wall, he slowly lowered his head.
He caged me between himself and the wall.
The distance was so close that even the slightest movement would make our breaths touch. I frowned.
“What exactly are you doing…?”
“Did you like the man who dated your sister?”
“What? What are you even talking about?”
“Is that why you were clinging to him that night?”
“Joo Taewook.”
“Is that why you asked me to marry you?”
“……”
“Because you wanted to let go of a love that could never happen?”
At his sharp, cutting words, I let out a shallow sigh.
I turned my half-angled body fully toward him.
At my sudden movement, I saw him frown.
“I don’t know what you think you saw, but Won and I aren’t like that.”
“Han Gyeowool.”
“Won— no, Prosecutor Kim — is a good person.”
“……”
“He’s smart, considerate, hardworking, and there’s a lot to learn from him.”
“……”
“But he’s not my type.”
“What?”
“Well… if I had to say, I like someone more like you.”
As though he hadn’t expected that answer at all, his face twisted comically.
Watching him, I smiled teasingly.
“Someone childish who snaps at people and can’t say things nicely.”
“……”
“But somehow… it’s kind of cute.”
“Han Gyeowool.”
“Or maybe your face is just my type, so everything you do looks cute.”
At my continued teasing, deep lines formed between his brows in embarrassment.
I straightened the loosened tie that had been bothering me earlier and continued.
“Ah, or maybe it’s because of that.”
“Han Gyeowool.”
“You said even though your calm life turned into a storm because of me, you still liked me.”
“……”
“It was my first time hearing such a passionate confession.”
“……”
“So maybe that’s why.”
“What exactly are you trying to—”
“I think I’ve fallen in love with you too.”
“……”
“Now that I’ve answered, can I go in?”
At my smiling question, he looked stunned.
He stared at me as though he couldn’t process what he’d just heard.
Turning the doorknob in my hand, I pushed the door open.
Before entering, I glanced back at him, still frozen in place, and added playfully,
“Oh, and I have something to discuss with Arin alone.”
“……”
“So I’ll send Won — no, Prosecutor Kim — away first.”
“……”
“He’s not my type, but he’s a good person, so talk things out with him.”
Having said everything she wanted to say, Gyeowool slipped into the CEO’s office before he could stop her.
Taewook, too shocked by the things she had said to respond properly, only came back to his senses after hearing the door close.
Standing there silently, replaying her words in his head, he suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha!”
It amused him how she had taken the exact words he’d told his father with a straight face and thrown them right back at him.
Who would’ve thought the woman who used to tremble and stammer in front of him had this side to her?
As the image of Gyeowool confessing her love with those indifferent eyes resurfaced in his mind, Taewook couldn’t stop the laughter spilling out of him.
