PSS - 3

Chapter 3: Such Treatment

It was only natural that Jung Soo-hyun, the head of the company where Hae-in’s father had worked his entire life and who had already entered the top 10 wealthiest individuals in the country by the age of 30, would not consider her a suitable marriage partner.

“Yoon Hae-in. Lift your head.”

Soo-hyun spoke in a low murmur, breaking the silence. Hae-in slowly raised her eyes from the floor to meet his gaze.

Her eyes traveled up along his soaked black suit, past his drenched shirt clinging tightly to his skin, until they reached the defined muscles visible beneath the translucent fabric of his white dress shirt.

When her gaze finally reached his chest, Soo-hyun’s hand abruptly seized her chin, turning her face toward him and locking their eyes together.

“Yoon Hae-in, are you telling me you worked so hard just for this?”

The deep brown of Soo-hyun’s eyes darkened further. His gaze, more precarious than it had been in their university days, bore into her.

People say time dulls pain, but whatever wounds he carried in his heart clearly hadn’t healed at all.

As their eyes met, an audacious thought crossed Hae-in’s mind—she pitied him, though she knew she had no right to. She tried to understand him, despite knowing she shouldn’t.

Because there was no way she could back down now.

If he were to do something extreme, she wanted to avoid hating him too much.

“…Whether you want it or not, we’re going to be… married… so as people in the same situation…”

Before Hae-in could finish her halting words, Soo-hyun tightened his grip on her chin. The pressure made her feel like she couldn’t breathe, cutting her sentence short.

“…You’ve made up your mind, haven’t you?”

Soo-hyun’s voice was eerily calm as he stared into her still, unflinching eyes.

“Then let’s see how long you can endure.”

When his rough hands grabbed her body, Hae-in bit down hard on her lip. Yet, she didn’t attempt to cover herself, even as her torn clothes left her exposed.

She simply looked into Soo-hyun’s eyes.

A fire ignited in his gaze as it swept over her body. Every hair on her body stood on end with tension.

“You said I could do whatever I want… It doesn’t matter. I came prepared for everything.”

Hae-in took both of Soo-hyun’s hands in hers and placed them on her body. His hands, which should have been cold, burned against her skin, momentarily stealing her breath.

“If you started this, then endure it to the best of your ability.”

His fingers dug into her flesh, twisting the soft skin between their joints.

Hae-in exhaled slowly, drawing out the breath as long as she could.

Both her hands were still gripping his wrists. She didn’t know where else to put them, so she simply held on, unable to stop the painful grip he had on her.

The man before her suddenly felt profoundly unfamiliar. Tears began to well up in Hae-in’s eyes, spilling down her cheeks one by one.

“Hnn…”

“You said you were prepared. Are you crying already?”

“I’m… not crying.”

She had heard rumors during school that Soo-hyun hated women who cried. Though she knew she had to hold back her tears to avoid angering him, her emotions overwhelmed her as she reflected on her humiliating situation, standing here in broad daylight.

“Heh. How boring.”

The hand that had been gripping her body suddenly let go. Hae-in hastily tried to grab it again, but he pushed her away mercilessly.

“I’m… sorry… I’m sorry for being boring.”

She looked at Soo-hyun with a heavy heart. She didn’t know what it meant to entertain a man. Her trembling eyes sought his, searching for answers.

“Figure it out yourself.”

At Soo-hyun’s words, her entire body stiffened. A single droplet of water rolled down from her soaked hair, tracing a slow path down her neck.

“Yes.”

She gave a short, obedient reply and immediately lowered her hands.

Her trembling hands moved hesitantly downward. When she lifted the fabric clinging to her thigh, Soo-hyun’s gaze locked intensely on the exposed area. Unable to bear it, Hae-in closed her eyes.

“Open your eyes, Yoon Hae-in.”

There was a thud. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Soo-hyun had thrown his suit jacket onto the floor. The waterlogged fabric hit the ground with a loud splash.

The deliberately intimidating sound made Hae-in’s shoulders tense involuntarily.

“Don’t look away. Don’t close your eyes. Look straight ahead. See what state you’re in.”

Soo-hyun, now partially unbuttoned, stepped closer. As his hand moved, Hae-in gasped, her breath catching in her throat. Her teeth clenched tightly over her lower lip.

But forcing herself not to close her eyes, she continued to meet his gaze.

A flicker of intensity flashed in Soo-hyun’s eyes. He didn’t look away from her face either. His gaze was persistent and predatory, as if daring her to see how far she could endure.

“Keep going.”

His threatening tone made her eyelids quiver. A sob rose in her throat, but she swallowed it repeatedly, forcing it back down.

Amidst the overwhelming tension, Hae-in resumed moving her hands as instructed, revealing more of her body.

“Damn it.”

Soo-hyun’s expression twisted.

She was following his instructions exactly—so why did it feel like something was wrong? Should she take his hand and guide him again? But she lacked the courage to go that far.

Her mind grew foggy. She lost all sense of what she was doing, what she was supposed to do.

“Do you not care if you’re treated like a person?”

Soo-hyun pressed his body roughly against hers. Despite being soaked in the rain, his body radiated intense heat. Perhaps because she was so cold, his warmth felt strangely comforting.

“No one in this house will welcome you. You should’ve known that before coming in.”

As he pushed her, Soo-hyun whispered menacingly. His voice was laced with hostility, almost murderous in tone.

“Do you know this? If I dragged you out to the middle of that courtyard and took you right now, no one would stop me.”

To emphasize his point, Soo-hyun’s hand once again seized her chin.

“How much did they sell you for? Your body, I mean. You must’ve bargained hard inside.”

Soo-hyun made no effort to hide his intention to wound her. He smirked at her frozen, rigid form.

“If you’re going to do it, do it properly. You need to earn your keep.”

With that, his entire body pressed tightly against hers, pinning her to the wall with no room to escape.

But… what was this? Why was he doing this?

Their rain-soaked bodies slid slickly against each other, creating a strange sensation. Overwhelmed by the peculiar feeling, her lips parted unconsciously.

“Haa…”

Startled by the involuntary sound, Hae-in quickly clamped her mouth shut. By now, Soo-hyun’s eyes were blazing with desire. The ferocious energy he’d displayed when dragging her out in front of Chairman Park had vanished, replaced by raw lust.

His feverish hands roamed over her waist. Wherever his cold touch went, her skin prickled in response.

The unfamiliar sensations sent jolts through her lower abdomen. Every nerve in her body stood on edge. An entirely new sensation enveloped her.

Though she had braced herself for rough treatment, the unexpected gentleness threw her off balance.

Frowning deeply, Hae-in looked at Soo-hyun. He was clearly trying to humiliate her—but something felt off. Her body felt strange.

His hands moved with surprising softness, and her tense body slowly began to relax from the inside out.

Hae-in tried to keep her gaze fixed on Soo-hyun’s eyes, but as he began to move more aggressively, her head lolled to the side. A strong, masculine scent wafted from him.

“For someone so prim, your body sure has talent.”

Soo-hyun’s words snapped Hae-in out of her daze.

“…If you take me tonight, will you accept this marriage?”

As her mind cleared, the urge to persuade him took over. But the moment her words left her lips, Soo-hyun narrowed his eyes. The desire that had filled his gaze moments ago deepened further.

His face became unreadable, layered with complex emotions.

“I’m sorry… This is the best I can do right now…”

Hae-in wondered if Soo-hyun’s lack of outright rejection or pushing her away might be an opportunity. Slowly, she cupped his cheeks with both hands and leaned in, pressing her lips softly against his.

Cold.

Her lips brushed lightly against his firm ones. She lacked the courage to do anything more—it wasn’t that she didn’t dare; she simply had no experience.

Her hands trembled as they held his face. When she pulled back slightly, she found Soo-hyun gazing at her with a languid, unreadable expression.

Silently. For a long while.

“…Sunbae.”

Hae-in called out to him softly. At that, Soo-hyun suddenly shoved her away violently. Her body slammed against the wall, sending a sharp pain through her back and chest.

“Don’t overstep your bounds.”

The same Soo-hyun who had been staring at her so intently now turned his gaze away and spun around abruptly.

“You said it yourself—if you want to live or die, do as you please.”

Without looking back, he strode to the door, yanked it open, and left.

“…I thought you’d be different.”

With those cryptic words, Soo-hyun disappeared completely from the room. As his footsteps faded into the distance, Hae-in’s legs gave out beneath her.

The chill she hadn’t noticed in her tense state now crept over her. Shivering, she gathered the remnants of her torn dress and clumsily pulled it back on. The cold, damp fabric clung uncomfortably to her skin.

Her body was cold. Her heart was colder.

She forced her eyes wide open to hold back the tears threatening to spill.

It’s okay. It’s okay. Everything will be fine.

Her chest swelled with suppressed sobs. To calm herself, she held her breath, released it, and repeated the process, silently reassuring herself.

At least don’t cry here. Leave this place with dignity, with a composed face. Then, when no one’s around, you can cry. Not now.

Cradling her icy heart, she stilled her breathing for a moment.

Knock, knock.

From outside the open door, someone made their presence known and then disappeared. After a while, she turned her head slowly and saw a steaming teacup and some clothes placed at the doorway.

---

“…Chairman. I bring my report.”

At the sound of the voice outside the door, Park Yoon-hwa signaled with a glance. Seok Ji-hyung quietly rose and exited the room, returning shortly after.

“The young master has just left the room,” Ji-hyung reported.

At this, a smile spread across Yoon-hwa’s previously frosty face.

“This is… the first time something like this has happened.”

His gaze, newly touched with emotion, fell upon the document in his hand. Attached to it was a photograph of Hae-in.