PSS - 13

Chapter 13: That Man’s First Love

Hae-in avoided her mother’s probing gaze and quickly walked to the kitchen, trying to shift the mood.

“Ahh, you know, just the usual—Chairman Park gave me some advice.”

The sharp words from Chairman Park—about knowing her place—were now sugarcoated in her retelling.

Just recalling what she had heard made her heart feel as if it were being pricked by thorns. Afraid of shedding unnecessary tears in front of her mother, Hae-in pushed away the painful memories swirling in her mind. Reflecting on the past only made her want to cry more.

Her mother’s lingering unease in her eyes made it worse. Under that watchful gaze, Hae-in felt an overwhelming urge to spill everything and seek comfort.

‘If I do that, all hell will break loose.’

With a bitter smile, Hae-in forced her trembling lips into a neutral expression.

She had to keep the truth hidden from her parents at all costs. Her mother would surely try to stop her, and then she’d never see that bright smile again.

Her mother hesitated before asking again, “That family isn’t exactly easy to deal with… Are you sure nothing bad happened?”

As her mother gently prodded for details, Hae-in waved her hands dismissively, exaggerating her reassurance.

“Mom, you’re not imagining some melodramatic TV drama, are you?”

“Still, we don’t really know how those families operate…”

“The Chairman said he didn’t want a spoiled daughter-in-law who relied on family connections. He wanted someone humble and smart—a bride like me.”

“Really?”

Her mother still eyed her suspiciously, though not fully convinced. But when Hae-in joked lightheartedly, a faint smile finally spread across her mother’s face.

“I’ll be careful, Mom… Did they mention anything else? Like the date for the formal meeting?”

“It should be set soon. I’ll let you know later, Mom.”

At her mother’s words, Hae-in’s heart began to race.

A formal meeting.

It was a standard procedure, but the thought of Chairman Park’s cold, disdainful face sent chills down her spine. What if her carefully concealed secret came to light? She had already lied so much about being welcomed as a daughter-in-law. If her parents discovered the truth, what would they do?

“I still can’t shake the feeling that there’s something fishy about that family… And Soo-hyun, your future husband—has he been treating you poorly?”

“No, not at all. Since we’re from the same university, he seems friendly enough.”

“Well, this whole situation feels surreal, but we have to prepare as best we can. It might not meet their expectations, but…”

“Yeah… Sure.”

Her mother continued speaking behind her, but Hae-in couldn’t focus. She opened the fridge to change the subject.

“Mom, what should we have for dinner?”

“There’s kimchi stew. How does that sound?”

“That sounds great.”

The thought of enjoying her mother’s beloved kimchi stew brought warmth—but also tears to her eyes.

“Mom, when is Dad coming back?”

“He said he’ll check on Jeong-in a bit longer, then head straight to work.”

Her father’s recent job was as a chauffeur.

They had considered other options, like working as an apartment security guard after retirement, but whenever emergencies arose with Jeong-in, her father rushed off without hesitation. So, they chose a flexible job, and driving for hire fit the bill.

“In that case, it’ll just be us for dinner tonight.”

On such days, her father usually grabbed instant ramen from a convenience store to make do. A sigh escaped Hae-in’s lips as it mingled with the steam rising from the bubbling stew.

After marriage, Chairman Park promised to take care of them. For now, she had no choice but to trust that promise.

It was pitiful to cling to just one lifeline, but to secure more benefits, she needed to fulfill—and exceed—the expectations Chairman Park had for her.

“Mom, I’m going to call a friend for a moment.”

Hae-in placed the bubbling stew on the dining table and retreated to her room to call an old friend.

—Hae-in-ah, long time no see! How have you been?

“Yes, Soon-ae. I have a few things I want to ask.”

Soon-ae was Hae-in’s only close friend during college. While Hae-in took a leave of absence due to family circumstances, Soon-ae traveled freely abroad thanks to her affluent parents.

Hae-in had taken a two-year hiatus, leaving her with few friends on campus. The two became inseparable after returning to school around the same time and remained close until graduation.

Through their friendship, Soon-ae naturally learned about Hae-in’s struggles. Whenever Hae-in missed class for tutoring jobs, Soon-ae helped by sharing notes or assignments. She was a cherished friend.

—What is it, Hae-in-ah? Just ask.

“You… mentioned knowing some of Soo-hyun-sunbae’s friends, right?”

Soon-ae had once gone on a blind date with someone from Soo-hyun’s group and briefly hung out with them. She ended things badly with the guy, as Hae-in recalled.

Though reluctant to ask, Hae-in felt desperate, clutching at straws.

—Hmm… Yeah, I guess I did.

Hearing Soon-ae’s hesitant tone made Hae-in feel guilty. After biting her lip, she finally confessed.

“Listen… I’m sorry, but… actually, I’m meeting Soo-hyun-sunbae through an arranged match. We might even get married. So, I wanted to learn more about him.”

—What?! Seriously?

Startled, Soon-ae urged Hae-in to keep this a secret. Knowing Soon-ae’s discretion, Hae-in trusted her enough to share.

“But… do you happen to know if Soo-hyun-sunbae dated anyone in college?”

Unlike Hae-in, Soon-ae was well-connected, with many acquaintances among seniors and juniors. Surely, she’d heard plenty of stories.

“Why? Don’t tell me he’s still hung up on someone?”

While Soon-ae rattled off tales of reckless chaebol heirs, Hae-in listened quietly until Soon-ae suddenly exclaimed:

—Come to think of it, I vaguely remember hearing he had someone he liked for a long time.

“Really?”

Hearing confirmation of such a person sent Hae-in’s heart sinking. Whatever Soo-hyun’s past held, it wasn’t her place to judge.

But the thought that he might still harbor feelings for someone else made her feel as though she’d been rejected. Her chest tightened painfully.

Who was the woman whose name he called out while entwined with her?

Encouraging her friend to recall more, Hae-in pressed further.

“Anything else you remember?”

—I don’t think he officially dated anyone publicly.

“How could that be? Those guys he hung out with…”

Were complete trash. The words nearly slipped out, but Hae-in bit them back. One of those “trash” members had dated Soon-ae, and though their relationship ended badly, Soon-ae had genuinely cared for him and suffered for a long time.

Even if it hadn’t ended well, Hae-in didn’t want to belittle her friend’s painful memories with a few harsh words.

—It’s fine, Hae-in-ah. They were a bunch of lunatics anyway.

Reading Hae-in’s thoughts, Soon-ae responded calmly.

True enough, that group was infamous, and avoiding them was wise. Yet, students drawn to their wealth and power kept flocking to them, leading to endless scandals.

—When I dated one of those lunatics, I saw Soo-hyun-sunbae a few times… Now that I think about it, something seemed odd.

“What?”

—Soo-hyun-sunbae. At the start of drinking parties, he’d definitely be there, but I never saw him stay until the end.

“Is that strange?”

—Definitely. He almost always showed up briefly, then disappeared.

Could it be that Soo-hyun, despite being associated with that notorious group, didn’t actually mingle with them?

—Sometimes he’d show up midway and vanish, or arrive just as the party was ending. Now that I think about it, yeah…

Soon-ae muttered to herself, growing more puzzled. Listening to her, Hae-in sighed deeply.

Soo-hyun’s tragic family history was widely known, but little else about his personal life had surfaced.

In college, he was lumped together with that rowdy crowd, yet no specific rumors about him alone stood out.

All Hae-in could do was ask Soon-ae to dig deeper.

“Soon-ae-ya, let’s meet up soon. There’s more I want to discuss.”

—Got it. Seriously, what’s going on?

Soon-ae promised to investigate further and ended the call.

‘If I find out who he liked, maybe I can better understand his preferences.’

Perhaps it was someone with a name similar to hers. Either way, gathering information about Soo-hyun was crucial. Approaching blindly without knowledge clearly had its limits.

‘I’ll teach you.’

Despite his cold words, the memory of his heated breath against her neck lingered vividly.

Recalling that moment sent shivers down her spine. Her lower abdomen tightened, and her breath caught. Pulling aside the collar of her dress, she saw the fresh red marks on her skin.

‘Hae-in-ah, Hae-in-ah.’

The name he called out desperately during their peak—it was unmistakably hers.

‘Who could it be?’

For a moment, Hae-in racked her brain, wondering if there had been anyone with the same name during college.

Her name wasn’t common as a female name, and if it appeared on an attendance list, she should have noticed. But no memory surfaced.

‘If someone with a similar name existed on campus, I would’ve heard it at least once.’

However, speculating about the truth didn’t occupy her thoughts for long.

Not long after her call with Soon-ae, they met for drinks, and Hae-in heard a rather astonishing story.

“Really… Are you serious?”

“Yeah, absolutely. Turns out, only you and I didn’t know.”

Soon-ae poured soju into her glass and downed it in one gulp before delivering the news. As soon as they sat down, Soon-ae eagerly shared what she had recently uncovered.