PSS - 2

Chapter 2: Run Away

Soo-hyun’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze twisted. A flicker of emotion passed through his previously cold eyes. The hatred that had filled his face seemed to soften, almost looking sorrowful.

He slowly opened his mouth as he watched Hae-in trembling in the rain.

“…Go.”

At Soo-hyun’s words, tears welled up in Hae-in’s eyes. She was grateful for the pouring rain; her tear-streaked face blended seamlessly with the wetness already soaking her skin.

Instead of responding verbally, Hae-in gently shook her head to convey her refusal.

A bitter smile tugged at Soo-hyun’s lips. He released Hae-in’s wrist as if throwing it away. Then, tilting his neck back, he looked up at the sky. Closing his eyes, he let out a long sigh.

“Hah.”

The traditional Korean house felt eerily desolate under the torrential rain. The courtyard of the inner quarters, nestled deep within the Taesung family estate, was devoid of any passersby.

“I wish you’d accept me.”

Hae-in wanted to voice the words that had been building inside her, but her lips quivered without releasing them. Soo-hyun’s menacing aura and her own pitiful situation made it impossible to speak.

She merely tightened her grip on Soo-hyun’s hand, clasping it firmly with both of hers.

But Soo-hyun clenched his fist and forcefully pushed her hands away again. Despite repeated rejections, Hae-in didn’t give up. She clung to him, repeatedly grabbing his hand.

“…Please.”

Running away? It was absurd. She had come here with such determination.

“You’re insane. Do you even know what kind of place this is? You can’t survive here. Go when I tell you to go!”

His angry voice yanked Hae-in back to reality.

“I’ll survive. So, just as Chairman Park said…”

“Do you even know how many people have died in this house?”

Soo-hyun’s face remained calm and cold as he spoke about his family history.

“Three, to be exact.”

“…”

“It could be four, including you. Do you understand?”

His expression as he delivered the last sentence seemed tinged with sadness. His words sounded like advice meant to protect her. Could it be? Was this man, known as “Mad Dog,” actually concerned for her? No, that couldn’t be.

This man, who had dragged her out while she was sitting with Chairman Park and left her drenched in the rain, would never care.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll try to become someone good for you too.”

“Hah. Try?”

Soo-hyun clicked his tongue, his gaze locking onto Hae-in once more. For some reason, his eyes lingered on her body for a long moment. Only then did Hae-in realize that her soaked figure revealed much of her bare skin.

It was the silk dress she had bought for the first time in her life to meet Chairman Park. The delicate fabric, now drenched, clung tightly to her skin, making it seem as though she wore nothing at all. Through the translucent light-blue silk, her skin glowed faintly.

“You know who I am, right? Jung Soo-hyun, the bastard.”

His tone shifted. It carried an eerie chill that sent shivers down her spine. An instinctive fear prickled the back of her neck.

“Do you even know what it means to marry me? You don’t seem to understand…”

What could she say to placate him and escape this situation? Hae-in’s trembling eyes reflected her deep contemplation.

She wasn’t unaware of the rumors surrounding Soo-hyun. How could she be? Soo-hyun, an alumnus of the same university, was infamous among the student body.

Standing at 190 centimeters tall with a sturdy build, his handsome features were a given, and his academic excellence was expected. 

The only difference was the rumor that he indulged in reckless behavior every night. The third-generation chaebols he hung out with were notorious for their endless parties.

Though there weren’t many direct rumors linking Soo-hyun to women, the group itself was scandalously famous. Tales of them seducing female celebrities since their early twenties abounded, along with whispers of drug use.

Once, one of the members of their circle was arrested in a major drug scandal, dragging down his father, a three-term congressman, into disgrace. Eventually, the case was hushed up, but rumors swirled that Chairman Park of Taesung Group had pulled strings behind the scenes.

Whether Soo-hyun wanted it or not, he was the most prominent figure in that group, the one they all followed, the one with the most power.

But now, Hae-in didn’t care what kind of person he had been in the past or even what kind of person he was now.

Park Yoon-hwa had promised her everything she desired. What couldn’t the chairman of Korea’s top conglomerate provide? But Yoon-hwa couldn’t control his grandson’s marriage or the continuation of the family line.

The Taesung Group had an especially twisted family history.

Soo-hyun’s mother had died tragically young in a car accident, and his older brother had committed suicide just a year later. Including Park Yoon-hwa’s husband, who had passed away before Soo-hyun was born, three direct family members had died.

People whispered that the Taesung Group already had three deaths in its lineage.

It wasn’t surprising that Soo-hyun, raised in such a household, always exuded an air of precariousness, as if walking a tightrope alone.

Perhaps surviving intact was nothing short of a miracle after enduring such a turbulent adolescence.

Was that why? Soo-hyun, despite being called the Little Emperor of Taesung and having everything, always carried a twisted look in his eyes. If their gazes ever met by chance on campus, his piercing stare felt like it stabbed her heart, causing her to instinctively lower her head to avoid eye contact.

Did he still carry that same gaze? She thought about it occasionally, especially after submitting her application to Taesung.

After meeting Soo-hyun again after several years, he seemed sharper, more twisted than before.

“If you don’t know, I’ll have to teach you.”

Muttering softly, Soo-hyun grabbed Hae-in’s hand and quickly led her somewhere.

“Not an easy child.”

“I’m prepared.”

As Hae-in was dragged along, fragments of her conversation with Chairman Park echoed in her mind.

“Do you know what I value most? Descendants.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“There are many ways to achieve this, even without marital affection. You understand, don’t you?”

Chairman Park’s attitude toward handling her was akin to treating her like…

A surrogate.

While being pulled along by Soo-hyun, Hae-in forced herself to erase the word that surfaced in her mind.

Chairman Park, already in his eighties, was born shortly after liberation, so she tried to rationalize his mindset. Still, the bitterness lingered—after all, wasn’t she also a woman?

The primary condition Chairman Park set for marriage was the conception of descendants. He didn’t want a powerful family that might challenge his control over his grandson.

What he sought was simply a docile woman who would obediently bear children. After considering various conditions and calculating possibilities, Hae-in was one of the few candidates he had narrowed down.

What caught Chairman Park’s attention was Hae-in’s sick younger sibling. In her position, Hae-in had no choice but to accept whatever conditions were imposed.

Thus, even as she was being dragged along by Soo-hyun, Hae-in couldn’t muster any resistance.

Water dripped from Soo-hyun’s soaked black suit. His strides through the unfamiliar house showed no consideration for Hae-in, who struggled to keep up, her vision wavering wildly.

The deeper she thought about her predicament, the harder she tried to suppress the overwhelming sorrow gnawing at her chest. “It’s fine,” she consoled herself, biting her lip.

Whatever awaited her next, it would be fine.

Finally, entering an empty room, Soo-hyun roughly shoved Hae-in against the wall.

“This is your last chance. Leave now.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Then let me show you what will happen to you.”

As his large hand moved over her body, Hae-in closed her eyes.

Thud.

The nacre button tore off weakly.

His rough hands grabbed the neckline and ripped it open, leaving red marks on her pale, rain-soaked skin.

“Hnn…”

A muffled cry escaped her lips. The dress, buttoned from the chest to the navel, offered no protection against Soo-hyun’s advances.

Within minutes of entering the room, Hae-in stood exposed before Soo-hyun.

“So, did Chairman Park make you some grand proposal? You’re not resisting at all?”

Her tightly shut eyes trembled. The words he hurled at her, meant to provoke and humiliate, burned her cheeks.

I’m not here. The person standing here isn’t me.

To escape the pain, Hae-in’s consciousness denied reality. Though it was hard to believe she was resorting to escapism, she saw no other way to endure the violent movements of those hands.

Cold air settled on her wet skin. Even without opening her eyes, she could feel Soo-hyun’s gaze roaming over her disheveled body.

“Hah…”

Suddenly, Soo-hyun stopped his movements and exhaled deeply. His breath felt scorching against her chilled skin.

Shame and humiliation coursed through her trembling body. Yet, inexplicably, he made no further moves.

A heavy silence fell between them.

The relentless rain continued to pour, making it feel as though they were still standing in the storm. During those painfully long minutes, Hae-in kept her lips pursed and her eyes tightly shut, silently waiting for what came next.

She recalled Seok Ji-hyung’s advice before the interview: several women had already been humiliated and chased away.

“Chairman Park is aware. If CEO Jung comes during the interview, don’t be surprised.”

“What should I do if that happens?”

“Do as you wish, Miss Hae-in. This is also part of the chairman’s test.”

“What if CEO Jung doesn’t want me?”

“It doesn’t matter. That’s why he’ll push you to leave on your own.”

Seok Ji-hyung had dispensed this advice smoothly, as if reciting a manual. His clinical demeanor somehow lessened the awkwardness for the listener.

The chairman’s test.

Tears welled up behind her closed eyelids. Hae-in blinked a few times, forcing herself not to cry pathetically in front of him.