SS - 23

“Still as rude as ever, just like before.” 

At Ji-cheol’s words, Madam Oh clicked her tongue in disapproval and stood up to head toward the master bedroom. 

She deliberately brushed past Sena, causing her to sway slightly, but Sena showed no visible reaction. This kind of treatment was rare these days, yet it was something she had long grown accustomed to. 

“How’s married life treating you?” 

Ji-cheol asked from two steps above the bottom of the staircase, looking down at Sena with one corner of his mouth curled into a smirk. 

“You seem to be doing well. Your face looks better.” 

When she didn’t respond, he casually sat down on the stairs and scanned her from head to toe. 

Jeans, a turtleneck sweater, and a thick coat—she was grateful she had come dressed to cover herself properly. 

“Better?” 

Another cryptic question followed. 

“Aren’t you going to answer?” 

“What kind of answer do you want to hear?” 

Sena shot back sharply. 

What do you want from me? 

“I’m just asking how you’re doing.” 

“Tell me what you want to hear, and I’ll say it. Word for word.” 

“What?” 

“If I give you the answer you want, will you leave me alone?” 

Though her face had turned pale, she spoke each word clearly and directly to Ji-cheol. 

“Kang Sena.” 

Ji-cheol slowly rose to his feet. Sena clenched her teeth, forcing herself not to step back. 

This time was different from before. There were more people in the house now—five, including themselves. If she screamed for help, someone would surely hear her. So, with her fists tightly clenched, she glared at Ji-cheol. 

“Hmm, have you arrived?” 

Suddenly, the study door opened, and Chairman Kang emerged. Without paying any attention to the tension between Sena and Ji-cheol, he gestured for her to come inside. 

Without hesitation, Sena turned and headed toward the study. Her neck felt hot, but she refused to look back. 

She had thought nothing in this house had changed, but she was wrong. 

While the exterior remained the same, the interior decorations were completely different. Over the years, the old furniture had likely been replaced, and one other thing: traces of her mother had been erased. 

For instance, the wooden rocking chair her mother had loved using from the time Sena was born until she left this house was gone. It used to sit in a corner of the study. 

Now, standing where the chair once was, Sena vividly pictured her mother holding her as a child and dozing off. The memory brought tears to her eyes. 

“What are you doing? Come here.” 

At Chairman Kang’s call, Sena quickly snapped out of her thoughts and turned her gaze toward him. He was already seated at his desk, watching her. 

“Why did you call me here?” 

Standing in front of his desk, she gripped the strap of her bag tightly and asked. 

Today’s summons to this place filled her with unease. 

“How are things with President Choi?” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“I mean your marriage.” 

The way he clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them as he stared at her, made her uneasy. She bit down hard on the soft flesh inside her mouth. 

“There’s nothing good or bad about it.” 

She didn’t want to admit that things were going well between them. She feared that saying so might lead to everything being taken away from her again—just like how her family had fallen apart and her mother had been taken from her. 

“Good. Keep doing well.” 

Keep doing well? 

“Don’t do anything that could give others an excuse to criticize you. Just do as President Choi says—but don’t trust him too much either.” 

“What do you mean? Not trust Joo-hyuk?” 

“Don’t end up regretting giving him your body and heart later.” 

It was as if Chairman Kang assumed she had already given both her body and heart to Joo-hyuk. His expression darkened. 

“If a husband and wife can’t trust each other, who can they trust?” 

“Hmph. Trust a husband too much, and you’ll end up like your mother.” 

Sena couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Only when Chairman Kang saw her parted lips and flushed face did he clear his throat awkwardly and remove his hand from his face. 

“In any case, make sure you don’t give anyone a reason to find fault with you first.”

“Please explain why.” 

“Hmph. Even if the two of you end up separating, don’t give him a reason to blame you.” 

It had only been five days since their wedding, yet here was her biological father talking about divorce. No matter how strained their relationship was, it left a bitter taste in her mouth. 

“Did you call me all the way here just to say this?” 

“If you had brought President Kang to me before the marriage, I wouldn’t have bothered calling you.” 

“What do you mean by that…?” 

“I heard you introduced your aunt’s family to President Kang, didn’t you? Technically, we are your parents.” 

So, the meeting between Joo-hyuk and her aunt’s family before the wedding had reached Chairman Kang’s ears. 

“And your aunt—what was that nonsense at the wedding? Was it really necessary to embarrass me like that?” 

He was still upset about the four seats reserved for the bride’s parents at the ceremony. 

“Of course it was necessary. My aunt stood in for my mom.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

BAM! Chairman Kang slammed his palm on the desk and pushed his chair back as he stood up abruptly. 

“Don’t tell me you said something like that in front of President Choi!” 

Startled, Sena froze, swallowing hard. 

“Your mother is dead, and your stepmother was sitting right there. How could your aunt possibly take your mother’s place?” 

“No matter what you say…” 

“Enough, enough! After running away from home, what gives you the right to boast about such things to your husband?” 

Running away from home… 

A massive boulder seemed to crash into her chest. 

“Are you not even curious why I ran away?” 

Her trembling lips barely managed to form the question. She stared at him, unable to see him as a father. 

“I’m not interested in whatever excuse you have. It’s probably something to do with your mother again. Foolish girl. After 12 years, you should’ve apologized and groveled at our feet for your mistakes. What makes you think you can hold your head high and act like this toward us?” 

The word “apologize” came out of Chairman Kang’s mouth. Sena couldn’t believe it. 

“You’re just like your mother—you need to fix your attitude. I should’ve straightened you out when you were younger. It’s my regret that I didn’t, and now here we are.” 

“Stop, just stop!” 

Unable to bear it any longer, Sena raised her hand to silence him. Listening to another word felt like she might vomit right there. 

“If you have nothing more to say, I’ll leave now.” 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” 

Chairman Kang scowled deeply and waved his hand dismissively, signaling her to leave quickly. Without another glance, Sena turned and hurried out of the study. 

“Ugh.” 

A wave of nausea hit her, and she covered her mouth with her hand. 

She hadn’t come here expecting anything, but this meeting with her so-called “family” had been utterly disastrous—as always. 

“Leaving already? Did Father say something…?” 

Ji-cheol, who had been waiting for her on the living room couch, tried to speak to her, but she ignored him completely and bolted out of the mansion. 

She could feel the housekeeper rushing after her in confusion, but without bothering to properly put on her shoes, she stumbled onto the grass and exhaled the breath she’d been holding. Her body trembled violently in the cold as the nausea slowly subsided. 

“Miss, are you alright? Please wait a moment. I’ll bring you some water right away.” 

Seeing the housekeeper turn back toward the house, Sena quickly headed for the gate. A sudden fear gripped her that if the front door opened again, it wouldn’t be the housekeeper coming out. 

As soon as she opened the gate and collapsed into her car, she locked the door behind her. Though her breathing and thoughts were far from calm, she started the engine and drove off. 

She kept driving, faster and farther, until the house disappeared from her rearview mirror. Tears streamed down her face, smudging her makeup and stinging her eyes, but she had no energy to care. 

Shhrrk—the sliding door opened, and a long streak of light stretched into the darkness. 

At the touch of a hand, Sena flinched and curled herself tighter under the blanket. 

“Sena.” 

“Ah…” 

Joo-hyuk. Her husband. 

Throwing off the blanket, Sena sat up and pulled him into a tight embrace. Without understanding why, he held her firmly in return. 

As their hearts pressed together, feeling each other’s steady beats, Sena finally began to calm down. 

“I’m… sorry.”

She gently pushed against his chest with her palm as she spoke. 

“Did something happen?” 

“No, nothing at all.” 

“Liar.” 

He cupped her face with his large, warm hands. The heat from his palms melted the cold that had settled in her heart. 

“The housekeeper was worried because you skipped dinner.” 

“I didn’t have an appetite.” 

“Did you meet with your father?” 

This man had already pieced everything together in such a short time. 

Sena squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Realizing there was no point in lying, she slowly nodded. 

“Why? What happened?” 

“Just… I don’t want to talk about it.” 

Without elaborating, Sena rested her face against Joo-hyuk’s body, still wearing his coat. 

She hadn’t realized how much comfort this sturdy pillar of support provided. It was different from the solace she found with her aunt’s family—this feeling carried a deeper significance. 

Because she loved him. 

...Love? 

The word startled her, unfamiliar and foreign on her lips. 

“Why?” 

“Is the housekeeper gone?” 

“Yeah, just now.” 

As soon as Joo-hyuk finished answering, Sena kissed him. An overwhelming impulse surged through her, making it impossible not to press her lips to his. 

Until now, their intimate moments had always been initiated by Joo-hyuk, so her sudden assertiveness caught him off guard. Even without opening her eyes, she could sense his surprise. 

But soon, he deepened the kiss, pulling her lips firmly into his. 

Though he had taken off his coat himself, she wasn’t sure whose hands unbuttoned his shirt. Their fingers intertwined and fumbled over the fabric. 

Under the soft glow of light streaming through the half-open sliding door, their eyes met. 

Desperation. 

It wasn’t just Sena who exuded a sense of urgency—Joo-hyuk’s gaze reflected it too. The reason was unclear, but it lingered between them nonetheless.