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“…So, the reason I called you here is…”
Hee-soo listened to Cha Joo-won’s words while glancing at the document in front of him.
“Contract”
After staring at the three bold letters printed on the cover, she raised her eyes to meet Joo-won’s awkward, sheepish grin.
“Yes. Go ahead and tell me.”
Joo-won, who had summoned Hee-soo to discuss matters in his office, seemed unusually tense today. Unlike his usual self, who would blurt out whatever came to mind, he was strangely cautious—even before Hee-soo had arrived, he’d been waiting for her in his office.
“Did you call me because of the contract?”
Unable to wait any longer, Hee-soo reached out and pulled the contract toward herself from where it lay in front of Joo-won.
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
His hesitation and evasive demeanor were highly suspicious.
Without waiting for Joo-won to explain further, Hee-soo opened the newly drafted contract.
“Ah.”
Her eyes widened as she read through the contents. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
The new contract Joo-won had prepared was overwhelmingly favorable to Hee-soo. Every clause seemed meticulously crafted with her best interests in mind—it was almost too good to be true.
“What is this?”
Shocked, Hee-soo looked up at Joo-won. His expression was complicated—tinged with resignation and unease. It was as if he were reluctantly offering something under duress.
“So, it’s a newly revised contract. A few clauses have been changed.”
“Why?”
Holding the contract that so clearly favored her, Hee-soo couldn’t help but ask why. She wondered if this was some kind of trap or ploy to extract something else from her later.
“You’re asking me this? Don’t play dumb. We revised the contract as part of receiving the investment funds.”
But Joo-won’s vague explanation only deepened her confusion.
“A dedicated team will also be formed to manage you exclusively. O-of course, Yoon-seok will be part of that team too. You like Yoon-seok, don’t you?”
The more he spoke, the less sense it made. Hee-soo stared at him, perplexed, but Joo-won scowled and handed her a pen.
“Just sign quickly and leave.”
“I mean, I’m not complaining, but why the sudden change…?”
“Are you mocking me? What’s with you?”
Though Hee-soo didn’t fully understand what Joo-won was saying, there was no fault to be found in the contract itself. Securing the contract in front of her seemed far more urgent than deciphering Joo-won’s cryptic words.
With an exaggerated sigh, Joo-won watched Hee-soo intently as she searched for the signature line, his face contorted in frustration.
Seo Hee-soo.
After signing both copies of the contract, Hee-soo felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from her chest.
It was as if she had finally been freed from the suffocating chains of her previous slave-like contract.
“In any case, thank you.”
Hee-soo briefly expressed her gratitude as she placed the signed contracts into the prepared envelope.
She was grateful that he had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go and turned her into a celebrity. But given how much she had been exploited to make money for him, she didn’t feel emotionally indebted to Joo-won.
“Hee-soo.”
Just as she was about to rise from her seat, Joo-won called out to her. After staring at her for a long moment, he hesitated before speaking.
“…Don’t trust Lee Jae-hyuk too much.”
Her heart sank at his words. Did Joo-won know something about her relationship with Jae-hyuk? Forcing herself to appear calm, Hee-soo swallowed hard and feigned nonchalance.
“What do you mean, all of a sudden?”
Her composed response seemed to make Joo-won even more suspicious. His greedy eyes darted around as he clicked his tongue thoughtfully.
“At this point, you know it, and I know it—why pretend otherwise? Sure, it’s tempting when a man goes crazy over a woman and invests billions, but my point is, once someone’s been dumped, they can’t stay dumped forever.”
“Billions?”
“You didn’t know? Didn’t Lee Jae-hyuk mention it? It’s quite the surprise gift, isn’t it? The guy sure knows how to splash cash.”
Muttering to himself, Joo-won turned back to Hee-soo.
“He’s just a fleeting thing. In the end, the person who’ll stick by your side for the long haul is me. Don’t get any funny ideas about independence or breaking away—it’s pointless. Those chaebol brats always marry someone else eventually. How long do you think such a relationship will last?”
As Hee-soo listened carefully to Joo-won’s words, one phrase stood out: “once someone’s been dumped.” She began to suspect what he might be implying.
Her past miscarriage was coming back to haunt her.
“It’s not like that.”
“What?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. That person has nothing to do with what happened back then.”
Hee-soo spoke firmly as she stared at Joo-won. He, in turn, scrutinized her face, trying to gauge whether she was telling the truth.
“Alright, alright. If you say so, I’ll believe you.”
After holding her gaze for a moment, Joo-won averted his eyes and smirked smugly.
“Aigoo, why are you being so serious? Fine, fine, I get it.”
“…”
“Prepare well for your shoot. Let me know if you need anything.”
“I’ll be going now.”
With a polite bow, Hee-soo quickly left the office.
---
Back home, Hee-soo took out the contract and carefully reread it.
She had already memorized its contents on the way home, but it still felt unbelievable. The document was overwhelmingly favorable to her, and there was even a special clause stating that she would no longer be pursued for the debt she had agreed to pay on behalf of her parents.
‘What’s going on?’
Putting the contract down, Hee-soo sank into thought, replaying Joo-won’s words in her mind.
Buzz.
Lost in contemplation, her phone suddenly lit up with a number she hadn’t seen in years. Her expression darkened instantly.
It was her mother.
The first call in three years. Though she hesitated to answer, her hand instinctively reached for the phone.
“Hello.”
[Hee-soo? Oh, thank goodness you finally picked up. How have you been?]
Even though the purpose of the call was obvious, hearing her mother’s familiar voice asking how she was made her throat tighten.
These were the same parents who had blamed her fiercely when she stopped working, accusing her despite being the ones who had incurred the debt in the first place.
“Why are you calling?”
Her tone was cold, but deep down, she harbored a faint hope. Maybe, just maybe, her mother was genuinely worried about her this time. She held her breath, waiting.
[Hee-soo, Cha Joo-won called and said we don’t have to repay the debt anymore. Is that true?]
Of course. What else could it be?
The sigh she’d been holding back escaped as a weary exhale.
“Yes.”
So, the last bridge connecting her to them was finally broken.
Though her voice was heavy with resignation, her mother’s tone grew increasingly animated, unable to hide her excitement.
[Oh my! Hee-soo, did you secretly start working again? I knew you’d bounce back quickly.]
Her mother’s cheerful laughter grated on Hee-soo’s ears.
Now that the debt was settled, her mother seemed relieved and immediately began fussing over her like a concerned parent. The overly sweet tone felt disgustingly fake.
Hee-soo realized then that she no longer felt any affection for her family.
[We’ve been so sorry, you know. We were too embarrassed to contact you. You need to eat well if you’re working. Should I send over some side dishes?]
For three years, while Hee-soo had isolated herself at home, her family hadn’t cared for her at all. Not even a simple word of comfort—something strangers could easily offer—had come her way.
Three years was a long time to wait for an apology she didn’t even want anymore.
What had she expected?
The wall of disappointment around her heart thickened further. Hee-soo kept her responses short to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
“No, I don’t need anything. Not the side dishes.”
Her indifferent reply revealed traces of impatience in her mother’s voice.
[The dongchimi I made recently turned out delicious. Shall I bring that along with a few other things tomorrow?]
Her mother was clearly delighted about the debt being cleared but likely felt uneasy too. After all, the debt had been the only remaining link between them.
Perhaps she was already plotting how to reinsert herself into Hee-soo’s life.
Hee-soo’s parents were notorious for their shameless ability to switch attitudes in an instant.
[I’ll marinate some ribs to go with the dongchimi. I’ll prepare a feast so we can have lunch together.]
As her mother prattled on, Hee-soo’s expression grew colder.
Had she really leaned on these people, calling them family? For her, family had ceased to exist long ago. She had simply clung to the illusion for far too long.
She had sworn to sever ties once the debt was repaid—and today seemed to be that day.
[Hee-soo, why aren’t you saying anything?]
Perhaps feeling awkward from talking alone, her mother paused and called out to her. Hee-soo exhaled softly before finally voicing the words she’d prepared for so long.
“Never contact me again.”
[Hee-soo, are you upset? Let’s meet and talk.]
“From now on, don’t ever claim to be my parents in front of anyone. I’m blocking this number.”
[Oh my! Hee-soo, listen to me!]
“I don’t want to hear anything from you. Goodbye… Aunt.”
At the word “aunt,” her mother abruptly fell silent.
[...Hee-soo, did you know?]
A trembling voice came through the receiver.
“Yes, Aunt. That’s enough from you. And this is enough from me too. This hypocritical act ends today.”
With that, Hee-soo hung up the phone without a second thought.
“Ha...”
She set the phone down and exhaled deeply, trying to calm her racing heart.
Her gaze returned to the contract on the table.
“A man who goes crazy over a woman and invests billions...”
Suddenly, Cha Joo-won’s words echoed in her mind.
So this was debt.
Whatever Lee Jae-hyuk’s intentions might have been, if he was behind the revised contract, then this was yet another debt she owed him—a debt to repay.
Just as her relationship with her parents had been tied by debt, accumulating obligations would make it harder to sever ties with Jae-hyuk in the future.
“The beginning and the end are mine to decide.”
The weight of Jae-hyuk’s words settled heavily on Hee-soo’s expression, deepening the lines of worry on her face.
Buzz.
As expected, her phone vibrated, and a message from Jae-hyuk appeared on the screen.
“Did you like the gift?”
This cycle of being pulled along couldn’t continue. Hee-soo picked up her phone and dialed Jae-hyuk’s number.