PSS - 19

Chapter 19: The Uninvited Guest

“Ah, Chairman. What brings you here…?”

Tae-hoon awkwardly rose to his feet, stammering in surprise at Chairman Park’s sudden appearance.

Instead of addressing her as “Mother,” he referred to her formally as “Chairman,” a title that reflected both respect and distance.

At the sound of Tae-hoon’s words, Hae-in’s parents froze like statues, their eyes wide with shock. It was clear they were stunned to find themselves face-to-face with Park Yoon-hwa, the honorary chairwoman of Taesung Group.

“Why? Am I not allowed here? Why are all of you staring at me like that?”

The moment Chairman Park spoke, Hae-in sensed that the situation she had feared was just beginning. No one in the room could stop or defy her—her authority was absolute.

As an aide quickly placed a chair at the head of the table, Chairman Park sat down with a triumphant smile.

“Hello. I’m Park Yoon-hwa.”

With an air of arrogance, she nodded curtly toward Hae-in’s parents, who were meeting her for the first time. Hae-in’s father, still trying to process the situation, politely greeted her.

“If we’d known you were coming, we would have prepared properly. Please forgive us.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Her sneer dripped with disdain, as if mocking their ignorance of proper etiquette.

Hae-in’s parents exchanged bewildered glances, unable to comprehend the rudeness of her words. Her tone was far from polite, defying all norms of civility.

After briefly observing their shocked expressions, Chairman Park turned her attention to Soo-hyun’s stepmother.

“Hyeyeon, it’s been a while. Seems I have to come all the way here just to see your face.”

With a dismissive flick of her chin, Chairman Park shot a sharp glance at Oh Hyeyeon.

“I thought you were dead.”

Hyeyeon, who had maintained an elegant composure until now, began to tear up, losing her self-control under the weight of Chairman Park’s cutting remarks.

Meanwhile, Chairman Park’s face lit up with amusement. She clearly enjoyed unsettling others.

“Tae-hoon, how’s your health? You’ve been so absent lately, I assumed you were bedridden in the hospital. Yet here you are, walking around just fine.”

It was impossible to imagine these words coming from a mother to her own child.

Yet Tae-hoon remained silent, his head bowed in resignation. Beside him, Soo-hyun sat rigid, glaring straight ahead into the void.

The tension in the room was suffocating. Hae-in felt her heart race—or perhaps it had stopped altogether.

But when Chairman Park uttered her next words, the fragile facade of normalcy crumbled entirely.

“Since the contract has already been signed, why bother pretending? Enough of this hypocrisy—it’s tiresome.”

Silence.

Hae-in’s mother struggled to make sense of the situation, her eyes darting nervously. She hesitantly asked:

“A contract? What… what do you mean by that?”

“You don’t know? Well, you should. Your daughter is being handed over in exchange for compensation. This side holds the power; your side doesn’t. Where will the wedding take place?”

Chairman Park shifted her gaze abruptly to Tae-hoon, ignoring everyone else in the room.

“…We plan to keep it low-key. Perhaps at one of our villas nearby.”

“Good. At least maintain appearances. It’ll make the newspapers.”

“We’ll handle everything ourselves…”

“What can you possibly handle? This marriage was my idea, so every decision requires my approval.”

Tae-hoon offered no resistance, keeping his head bowed. Hyeyeon sobbed quietly, while Hae-in’s parents trembled visibly, their faces pale with shock.

It was utter chaos. As Hae-in glanced around the room, she realized something about Chairman Park: she didn’t merely enjoy watching a staged farce unfold—she preferred setting fire to the stage and watching people scream as they burned.

Tae-hoon, supposedly the one with some authority over her, appeared utterly powerless. Meanwhile, Park Yoon-hwa showed no intention of stopping before crossing every boundary.

“You heard me. While the first wedding may seem significant, feel free to go all out during the second.”

“The… second wedding?”

Hae-in’s father, familiar with Chairman Park’s temperament from his time working at Taesung, remained silent. But Hae-in’s mother, unaware of such dynamics, tried desperately to grasp the situation.

“If your daughter fulfills her end of the contract by bearing children, we can arrange for remarriage later…”

BANG.

All eyes turned toward the source of the loud noise. Soo-hyun had slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Chairman Park with murderous intent.

“That’s enough. Honorary Chairwoman Park Yoon-hwa.”

Soo-hyun emphasized the word “honorary” as he stood abruptly.

“If you push further, even your favorite game will end right here.”

He locked eyes with Chairman Park, unyielding. She chuckled, rising slowly from her seat.

“My darling grandson scolding me like this—it’s time for me to leave. This was entertaining.”

Without bothering to properly bid farewell, Chairman Park gave a dismissive nod to the room and exited, leaving behind a trail of unease.

Even after she disappeared, no one spoke for a long while.

“I’ll excuse myself first.”

Soo-hyun, who had been standing throughout, offered a brief bow and left the room. Tae-hoon followed suit shortly after.

“Please excuse us. We’ll be in touch later.”

With that, Soo-hyun’s family departed, leaving Hae-in’s side of the table empty once again.

Hae-in’s parents sat frozen, staring blankly at the vacant seats across from them.

---

When they returned home, each retreated to their rooms without exchanging a word.

Processing the events of the day required time. After turning off the lights in her room, Hae-in heard a soft knock. Pretending to sleep, she pulled the blanket over her head and stayed silent.

Even if her parents objected, it was too late—the deed was done.

Perhaps it was for the best. If not during the formal meeting, then at the wedding—or eventually, somehow—they would have learned the truth anyway.

There was no kindness in this world without a price, especially within Taesung.

‘I’ll be fine.’

Some might call her foolish, pointing fingers. Yes, someone like Jung Soo-hyun would think so.

‘…He even offered to sever ties with his family. But how could I accept that?’

Tossing and turning, Hae-in couldn’t fall asleep. Feeling a dull ache in the back of her head, she got up and checked her phone—it was nearly dawn.

Opening her door, she headed to the kitchen. The light from the refrigerator revealed someone sitting in the living room.

“…Hae-in?”

The voice calling her name quivered with emotion. Closing the fridge, Hae-in stepped into the living room.

“Mom, are you crying?”

She sat at her mother’s feet, placing her hands over her mother’s trembling ones. Looking up, she saw tears streaming down her mother’s cheeks in the dim light from the balcony.

“Don’t cry.”

Hae-in spoke calmly, offering words of comfort.

“Sob…”

A single tear rolled down in response.

Though Hae-in stood at the center of this storm, perhaps her parents’ pain ran deeper. Gripping her mother’s hands tightly, she spoke again.

“I’ll be okay. And isn’t it natural for conflicts to arise when marrying into such a prominent family?”

“…”

Her mother remained silent, prompting Hae-in to ramble on.

“Besides, I’ll have a father-in-law, a husband, and others on my side. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“…I’m sorry, Hae-in-ah.”

Her mother’s voice cracked as she forced out the words through tears.

“I’m really fine.”

“I’m so sorry…”

“For what?”

“…Sorry…”

Her mother’s voice dissolved into sobs. Hae-in wished her mother could be strong, but instead, she resolved to steady herself for both their sakes.

Time passed, and as her mother’s tears subsided, she began asking questions. With nothing left to hide, Hae-in explained the prenuptial agreement, though she softened the details, describing it as a common practice among wealthy families and emphasizing only the standard custody clauses.

Given how much her mother had already suffered today, there was no need—and no strength—to reveal everything. Some burdens had to be carried alone.

After hearing it all, her mother opened her mouth, her expression heavy with despair.

“I can’t tell you to stop, nor can I encourage you. I’m sorry, Hae-in. For raising you this way.”

“What do you mean? You raised me beautifully, giving me the chance to marry into such a prestigious family.”

“…”

Her mother’s eyes glistened with tears as she gazed at Hae-in.

“Hae-in-ah, just don’t do it. Even if it’s hard, we’ve managed well enough on our own until now. Right?”

Looking at her mother’s worried face, Hae-in recalled the image of Soo-hyun’s stepmother earlier.

Back when her brother wasn’t sick and her father worked steadily, her mother had been just as radiant.

“Mom, we’re starting to sound like characters in a morning drama.”

Hae-in forced a laugh, attempting levity. But her mother’s eyes remained clouded with concern.

“I just don’t think getting tangled up with that family will be good for you. People should live within their means.”

Unfortunately, whether good or bad, Hae-in was already bound by the contract. All she could do now was reassure her parents and ease their burden.

“I’ll be fine, Mom.”

Repeating the words like a mantra, Hae-in rested her cheek on her mother’s hand, whispering reassurances over and over.

If saying it enough times could make it true, then she hoped it would come to pass.