RB - 49

49. The Dependable Insurance of a Woman Who Married for Convenience

The shock was too much for Seo-yeon, who could only gape in silence as Jung-hyuk urgently spoke.

“Are you okay? I just saw the doctor, and they said there’s nothing seriously wrong. It’s probably stress from overwork. Take this chance to rest up.”

When Seo-yeon continued to stammer, “Uh...? What... what is going on?” Jung-hyuk shot an angry glare at his younger brother, Jin-hyuk.

“Hey, didn’t you explain properly? I told you to give me time to clarify!”

Before Jin-hyuk could respond, Seo-yeon’s sharp voice cut through the air like a blade.

“Wow... You bastards planned this, didn’t you? Humiliating me! Playing with me like this?”

She gasped for breath, clutching the back of her neck in disbelief. Jung-hyuk rushed toward her, but Jin-hyuk, who was closer, quickly grabbed her trembling body.

With a wicked smirk, Jung-hyuk kicked the chair Jin-hyuk was sitting on.

“What do you think you’re doing, touching her? Want more bruises?”

Seo-yeon glared at both Shin brothers simultaneously. She violently shoved Jin-hyuk’s arm away while punching Jung-hyuk’s foot off the chair.

“Ow! That hurts! Han Seo-yeon!”

As Jin-hyuk hung his head like a frightened puppy, Seo-yeon clenched her teeth tightly. She reflected on her life up to this point. She hadn’t done anything particularly sinful, yet it felt like a tangled mess of melodrama had been laid out before her. Should she blame the gods for this cruel fate? Then it hit her.

“This is all because of the Shin brothers. Blaming the gods makes sense. Damn these cursed Shins.”

Jung-hyuk pointed solemnly at the crucifix in the corner of the hospital room.

“By the way, this hospital belongs to our Taesung Group, which is under a Christian foundation. ‘Damn these cursed gods’? That’s borderline blasphemy.”

Before Jung-hyuk finished speaking, Seo-yeon hurled her pillow at him and screamed,

“Both of you, get out! Now! Leave before I kill you!”

Jin-hyuk glared disapprovingly at Jung-hyuk, who had carelessly provoked Seo-yeon further.

---

Karma arrived in ways neither expected nor imagined.

“Cough, cough.”

Back at the mansion, Park Yeo-wan covered her mouth with a handkerchief as she coughed repeatedly.

Guilt over abandoning her daughter? A trace of maternal love? Ridiculous. “Hmph, hmph.” Her chilling laughter mingled between the coughs.

Park Yeo-wan had never loved Han Seo-yeon, the daughter she bore at eighteen after a reckless accident. Instead, her genuine affection was reserved for her sons—Jung-hyuk, Jin-hyuk, and… Joon-hyuk—the ones who gave her a new life. To her, Seo-yeon was nothing but an object of resentment for making her an unwed mother.

In truth, Park Yeo-wan’s past wasn’t far removed from being a mistress. However, she earned recognition for her devoted care of the “Shin brothers,” who suffered from various psychological issues, and rose to become the mistress of the Taesung Group.

The Shin brothers were the ones who paved the golden path of her life.

“Cough, cough.”

Suppressing another bout of coughing, Park picked up her phone. After a few rings, the deep voice of Professor Sung Ho-yeon, the brothers’ psychiatrist, answered.

“Yes, Mrs. Park. What is the matter?”

“Professor Sung, I need to see you urgently. I don’t have time.”

Currently attending a conference in Boston, Professor Sung tried to placate her with a smooth tone.

“Haha, we still have two weeks until our appointment. Can’t you wait?”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes. Come to the villa immediately.”

Sensing the unusual seriousness in her voice, Professor Sung hesitated.

“It’s impossible right now; I’m at a conference in Boston. Even if I rush, it’ll take at least two weeks. What’s going on?”

“I’m losing my mind, Professor Sung! How is Joon-hyuk doing?”

“What else would there be to say? He’s the same as always. Receiving all treatments properly.”

“Tie him up tight! Bind his limbs completely! Next time we meet, turn him into a complete fool!”

Professor Sung’s tone grew more serious.

“Mrs. Park, you know very well that Shin Joon-hyuk is beyond recovery and has been declared legally incompetent. Why go to such lengths now?”

“That’s not enough. Don’t forget, we’re in this together. Two weeks is too long—I’ll come to the villa in three days. Be ready.”

After delivering her ultimatum, Park abruptly ended the call and began gnawing at her nails. Her meticulously manicured nails soon tore apart grotesquely.

“You damned old bastard, Sin Tae-myung! If you’d been just a little kinder to me… I wouldn’t have gone this far!”

Park vented her resentment toward Chairman Sin Tae-myung. Though she had finally become his legal wife, the merciless chairman hadn’t transferred a single penny of his wealth to her. The despair of becoming utterly destitute if the aging Tae-myung passed away first loomed over her.

Thus, Park secured a sturdy insurance policy by exploiting Joon-hyuk, her autistic eldest son.

Becoming the legal guardian of an incapacitated adult—a man unable to manage daily life due to mental constraints—was her guaranteed path to a secure future. This was Park Yeo-wan’s lifeline.

After chewing off all ten fingernails, Park dialed another number. This time, the recipient was the director of an orphanage.

“One Love Orphanage.”

“It’s me, Park Yeo-wan. I’ll get straight to the point.”

“Ah... Yes, go ahead, Mrs. Park.”

“All the money I’ve poured in, all the tax-free donations delivered discreetly in apple boxes! Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Why are you bringing this up now? Please explain clearly.”

“Keep a close eye on Han Seo-yeon! Do you want to see me lose my mind? Did I ask for much? I just wanted her erased from my life!”

“Mrs. Park, please calm down regarding the ‘Roots Foundation.’ I’ve already taken measures. Seo-yeon cannot find her biological parents.”

“The Roots Foundation?” This was a thunderous revelation. Park Yeo-wan’s face turned ghostly pale, almost translucent. A muffled scream escaped her lips.

“What did you say? Is Han Seo-yeon looking for me? Aaargh!”

Park screamed, hurling her phone against the wall before pulling at her hair in despair. After several minutes, she mechanically sat in front of her vanity. With trembling hands, she traced the contours of her face.

Faint age spots dotted her sagging skin. Despite spending millions on skincare, tiny freckles remained stubbornly visible. Yet her beauty still commanded attention, and Seo-yeon’s features overlapped hauntingly in her mind.

Park sighed deeply, muttering to herself.

“She’s clinging to my ankles till the end... That wretched girl, Seo-yeon.”

Park felt a paralyzing sense of terror as if every cell in her body were burning. Her fate was a tangled mess of threads she couldn’t unravel. She steadied her breathing and summoned all her strength, but it was futile. The shard of glass lodged in her heart—her past—only inflicted unbearable pain.

The tumor-like presence of her daughter Han Seo-yeon loomed once again. Park instinctively gritted her teeth, realizing she needed to excise this growth one more time.

---

That evening, Jin-hyuk entered the hospital room hesitantly, clutching a large bouquet. Sensing Seo-yeon’s icy glare, he awkwardly thrust the flowers into her arms.

Instead of apologizing, Jin-hyuk blurted out brazenly,

“Why didn’t you keep your promise? You said you’d believe me.”

Caught off guard, Seo-yeon held the bouquet with an incredulous expression.

“I said I’d believe you, not that I wouldn’t be mad.”

Panicking, Jin-hyuk paced around before speaking again.

“I’m sorry. But it doesn’t change anything. My brother and I really are worse than strangers.”

Seo-yeon buried her face in the bouquet, inhaling its fragrance deeply. Then, staring intently at Jin-hyuk as if testing his sincerity, she watched him squirm uncomfortably like a punished student.

“Still, you’re better than Shin Jung-hyuk. Do you know what he said? He claims he didn’t apologize because I didn’t ask. He says he did nothing wrong. Anyway, I’m tired. I just took my medicine, so I’m sleepy. Go home today.”

After sending Jin-hyuk away, Seo-yeon closed her eyes slowly. Though somewhat bored, the VIP ward’s bed was undeniably comfortable. Reflecting on the whirlwind of events over the past few months, she felt physically and mentally exhausted.

“How much does a night here cost?”

Her gaze lingered on the bouquet Jin-hyuk had left behind—red roses and white baby’s breath, a classic yet beautiful combination.

“...He’s a bit of an idiot, Jin-hyuk.”

The memory of Jin-hyuk’s sparkling eyes from over a decade ago, when they met in the orphanage greenhouse, felt vivid as yesterday. The fresh scent of sprouts filling the greenhouse, the way he smiled brightly while trimming vegetables—it all came rushing back.

Thinking of Jin-hyuk leaving her the flowers, Seo-yeon unconsciously smiled.