MPWRW

Prologue

The sound of the front door opening and closing echoed through the house, and one by one, the motion-sensor lights in the long hallway flickered on.

Eunjae, who had been leaning against the sofa with a face drained of all moisture and color, slowly sat up at the sound of footsteps.

It was past 2 a.m. The person who stepped inside, his face marked with fatigue and coldness, was her husband, Seo Hajoon.

As far as her memory went, he had never once looked at her with warmth or kindness.

And today was no different.

Or did he only smile gently for that other woman?

Even that now-meaningless thought carved another painful wound into her heart.

“You know how important an heir is to Hajoon, don’t you? For him—and for my child with him—please divorce him.”

The woman who had come to Eunjae with an air of confidence had announced her pregnancy.

“Yes. Don’t ruin a joyful occasion like this.”

Watching the stunned Eunjae unable to speak, her mother-in-law had added words like a bombardment.

“Honestly, if you had gotten pregnant when I was taking care of everything for you, this wouldn’t have happened, would it? I even brought you foods said to be good for conception… even got you underwear worn by a grandmother who had five sons…”

“Oh my, you went to that much trouble for me? Ms. Lee Eunjae, you were such a blessed daughter-in-law.”

The woman narrowed her eyes and smirked, glancing at the mother-in-law as she ticked off each item on her fingers.

Only then did Eunjae realize, like a fool, that what Mi-kyung had done for her might not have been genuine kindness at all.

The shock was so great she couldn’t say a word.

All she had done was endure, even while suffering, hoping to have a child with Hajoon.

Was it because she had endured humiliation and disgust so foolishly, never fighting back?

Perhaps it was only natural that he ended up meeting another woman.

Because she loved Hajoon so desperately, her heart ached so much she could hardly breathe—but he would never know.

“…I need to talk to you. Can you spare a moment?”

Hajoon glanced at her briefly and sighed as he sat down on the sofa opposite her.

Even that simple act made it clear—through his silence—that being in front of her exhausted him.

Eunjae’s thin, bony fingers trembled as she placed a document on the table.

“You just need to sign it. I don’t want anything.”

Hajoon picked up the paper.

“A consent form for divorce?”

He looked up, meeting her eyes. His gaze, as if she were absurd, was sharp and cold.

“I want… a divorce from you.”

The divorce agreement in his hand crumpled easily.

“Know your limits when throwing a tantrum.”

Did he not know that a woman claiming to be pregnant with his child had come to her with his mother?

Or perhaps he simply didn’t care.

After all, he had only married her because of inheritance issues.

“Is this because I haven’t been affectionate with you at the office?”

“……”

“Are you throwing a fit as a wife would?”

“……Are you going to keep deceiving me until the end?”

Despite promising herself she wouldn’t cry, tears eventually spilled from Eunjae’s eyes. Everything she had endured to maintain this marriage was collapsing.

“That woman came to me. She said she’s pregnant with your child…”

“That woman? What are you talking about? Who is she?”

“She… she came with your mother too…”

Just then, Hajoon’s phone rang.

After checking the screen, he raised a hand slightly, signaling her to wait, and walked into the study while answering the call.

“Tantrums…”

In the suddenly deafening silence of the living room, Eunjae sobbed alone.

She could no longer endure being beside a husband who found her bothersome and never listened to her.

After staring at his closed study door for a long while, she finally picked up the bag she had prepared and left the house.

“The reason?”

When Eunjae asked why he had chosen to marry her, Hajoon had answered like that.

“Honestly, I don’t really need marriage.”

“…Ah.”

“Still, it would be good if Taon’s influence could support Gwonil.”

“……”

“And you…”

“……”

“won’t be someone who bothers me.”

She had smiled foolishly, believing there must be some reason for marriage—never imagining how suffocating her life would become.

“I think my father gained a lot of strength seeing Hajoon during treatment… so maybe, would you like to have a cup of tea together sometime?”

“I said it would be difficult.”

She had been too young. She had believed that if she endured by Seo Hajoon’s side, he would eventually love her. That one day, he would look at her warmly and call her name gently.

Such foolish, empty hope.

This time, her mother-in-law’s voice followed.

Even though she knew it was a dream, it felt like she was experiencing it all over again.

“Don’t tell me you were careless with yourself while studying abroad? Otherwise, how could you not get pregnant?”

Before she could recover from the shock, more cruel words came.

“So what if my Hajoon is fine? You’re the problem. We should have cut ties right after your father died.”

Even the words mocking her late father—who had only wanted to see his daughter married before he died from illness—came from Mi-kyung.

Memories collapsed like falling dominoes.

“Tsk. Nothing ever goes right, and yet I’m the one suffering as the mother-in-law. I’m the only one who cares about a child…”

“I’m sorry, Mother…”

To Mi-kyung, Eunjae was neither daughter-in-law nor person—only a vessel for Hajoon’s child.

And even that only until her father passed away.

After deciding there was nothing left to gain from her family, Mi-kyung openly ignored her—but she still obsessively demanded a grandchild.

She always forced Eunjae into strange methods, claiming they would help her conceive, and all of it only brought her suffering.

Still, Eunjae endured—for Hajoon, whom she loved.

Startled awake by the unbearable memories, she covered her mouth and turned away.

Her upper body drooped off the bed as she retched violently.

“Ugh… ugh… haah…”

Even though it had been a dream, the foul sensation and sticky feeling sliding down her throat felt real.

After violent vomiting that left her body trembling, someone rushed over to check on her.

“Ma’am, can you hear me? Are you alright?”

Her stomach twisted painfully, making it hard to breathe or lie down properly.

Then someone approached from her side. The sour stench was replaced with a sharp smell of alcohol.

A white ceiling. White curtains. A doctor in a white coat standing in front of her.

She must be in a hospital.

“Are you feeling dizzy?”

Eunjae blinked, trying to focus. Her vision was blurry, but the dizziness had eased.

“…Yes, I’m… okay.”

Her voice came out hoarse.

“You’re anemic. Your blood test also shows signs of malnutrition.”

“….”

“Even if you have severe morning sickness, you need to eat properly in early pregnancy.”

Morning sickness…

Early pregnancy…

Eunjae stared blankly at the doctor.

“Your nausea seems quite severe. Would you like an injection, or do you have any medication prescribed by an OB-GYN?”

“…What… did you say I have?”

“Pregnancy.”

“….”

“Oh, you didn’t know? You collapsed unconscious and came to the ER, so we ran blood tests first. We need to know pregnancy status for adult women…”

The doctor’s voice felt distant, like it was echoing underwater.

Eunjae covered her ears with trembling hands, then lowered them again.

She swallowed hard and slowly sat up. The IV line swayed with her movement.

“Be careful. Based on your hormone levels, you’re over eight weeks pregnant.”

Eunjae covered her mouth in shock.

On the very day she had decided to divorce her husband, she learned she was finally pregnant—the child she had longed for so desperately.