Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
Her father had pleaded with her grandfather, Chairman Baek, several times, but each time he was thwarted by her grandmother’s opposition.
And her grandmother had passed away only two years ago. Even until her dying breath, her grandmother had hated and tormented her mother.
To avenge this, Madam Cha wanted to make Seok-kyung the head of Baedo Group and have him obtain everything.
More than the wealth or position he could easily acquire as the eldest grandson of the family, no, everything.
“Do you think I’ll just stand by and watch you give up Baedo Group?”
Madam Cha asked venomously.
But that was her dream, not Seok-kyung’s. Just because he felt sorry for his mother didn’t mean he had to follow her every whim.
Unlike when he had no particular dreams, he now had a dream called Eun-chae.
“I am no longer interested in Mother’s dreams.”
“Ha!”
Madam Cha snorted.
Seok-kyung took out a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped the blood flowing from his forehead, and pressed down on the wound.
“Fine, very well. If that is truly your intention, then I have no choice.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“Since I can’t reason with you, I have no choice but to meet Lee Eun-chae again.”
“Again? You met Eun-chae?”
Seok-kyung stood up abruptly and asked loudly.
“Yes, I met her. I even slapped her across the face. If I had known you would act like this, I would have scratched her pretty face with a ring stone so she could never show it again!”
“Mother!”
“Why? Are you scared? What do you think I’ll do to her? Just leave her alone?”
“Eun-chae did nothing wrong!”
“Oh, she said the same thing herself. She said she did nothing wrong, held her head up high while saying it, you know?”
Seok-kyung gritted his teeth.
He was worried about the mark left on Eun-chae’s cheek and the wound left in her heart by his mother’s harsh words.
Had she cried? Was her face okay?
“The broken engagement has nothing to do with Eun-chae. Don’t harass her.”
“Why does it have nothing to do with her? If it weren’t for that girl, you wouldn’t be wavering like this.”
“I broke off the engagement because I didn’t want to go through with it.”
“I’m going to torment that girl to death.”
Madam Cha said, grinding her teeth with a terrifying expression, as if she hadn’t heard a word Seok-kyung had said.
“I’m going to ruin everyone around her so she regrets loving you and being loved by you her whole life! Do you understand?”
“Mother, please...!”
He had never imagined that he would ever be at odds with his mother.
Naturally, his mother was on his side, and he had always agreed with her wishes.
Was love such a terrifying thing?
He felt a surge of anger and hatred that his mother’s blade was aimed not at him but at the woman he loved.
“I clearly warned you. If you want to save her, apologize to Joo-eun and put all your effort into preparing for the wedding.”
Having said her piece, Madam Cha clicked her stiletto heels as she left the CEO’s office.
Seok-kyung slammed his fist on the desk.
Secretary Won, who had been hesitantly entering the CEO’s office, was startled by the sound and froze, then approached again.
“CEO, are you okay...? No, CEO! There’s blood on your forehead...! No, blood! I’ll call 911, I’ll call 911.”
Seeing the blood still flowing as if the bleeding hadn’t stopped, Secretary Won took out his phone from his pocket and made a fuss, trying to call 911.
“It’s alright. I can just go to the hospital.”
“No, but still...”
“I’m fine.”
“I’ll have the driver ready!”
Secretary Won rushed out.
Seok-kyung felt slightly dizzy, but he still put strength in his legs and went outside.
He frowned because of the pain and pressed the blood-soaked handkerchief against his wound again.
Passing employees looked at him with shocked and bewildered expressions.
But even amidst all that, Seok-kyung couldn’t believe that Eun-chae’s face wasn’t among the many people.
In the car heading to the hospital, Secretary Won handed him a clean handkerchief.
“I found out Lee Eun-chae’s new address.”
Seok-kyung, who had been leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Secretary Won.
“Where is it?”
“I’ll tell you after you finish your hospital treatment.”
“Secretary Won.”
“It’s not a good idea to go see Lee Eun-chae looking like this. I’ll have some new clothes prepared while you’re getting treated, so please get treated first.”
Secretary Won said with a worried expression, not backing down.
Seeing him express his opinion directly for the first time, Seok-kyung let out a short sigh and closed his eyes again.
________________________________________
The moment she switched her repeatedly ringing phone to silent, a message arrived from Seok-kyung.
Eun-chae clicked her tongue at his persistent contact and checked the message.
[I’m on the first floor of your officetel. Can I come up?]
He, he’s crazy.
Eun-chae swallowed hard. How on earth did he find out where she lived and come all the way here?
No, with his wealth, he could easily find out if he wanted to, but this was inconvenient right now.
It was because her mother was lying on the floor, giggling and watching TV.
[I’ll come down, wait for me.]
She quickly sent a message to Seok-kyung and checked her face.
Fortunately, her makeup hadn’t completely worn off, so the bruise looked like a light blush.
She looked shabby, but since she didn’t have many clothes, Eun-chae wore a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
“Mom, I’m going out for a bit.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Someone from work said they were nearby.”
“You said you were on annual leave? Why are they coming all the way to your place?”
Because she had made up an excuse about being on annual leave instead of saying she quit, her mother asked back as if something was strange.
“Just something... I need to confirm for them.”
“Was it that section chief from before? Tell him to come up.”
“It’s not the section chief. It’s another employee.”
“Really? Okay, go ahead.”
Her mother, hearing that it wasn’t Hyun-woo, turned her attention back to the TV.
Eun-chae sighed in relief and went outside, heading down to the first floor. As soon as she got off the elevator, she saw Seok-kyung’s back standing in front of the glass door.
It was a weekday evening, but he wasn’t wearing a suit; instead, he had on a polo shirt and chinos, which was unusual.
However, as he turned around at the sound of her, a large dressing band on his forehead completely erased any other thoughts.
“What happened to your forehead?”
“Hah-”
Seok-kyung sighed without answering and suddenly pulled Eun-chae into a tight embrace.
“Seok-kyung-ssi, let go of me.”
“Just for a moment. Let me stay like this for just a little while.”
“Seok-kyung-ssi.”
“I needed to recharge. I lost a lot of blood.”
Blood?
Eun-chae’s body stiffened. It meant the wound on his forehead wasn’t small.
Why was he hurt? What made him bleed?
She wanted to break free from the hug right away and bombard him with questions, but she couldn’t.
Eun-chae quietly waited until Seok-kyung let go of her again.
“Thank you.”
After a moment, Seok-kyung released her and smiled.
His gaze lingered on the bruise on her cheek for a long time, as if searching for it.
“If you’re done recharging, go back. I’ll pay back the money I borrowed in installments.”
“I heard you met my mother?”
Seok-kyung asked as Eun-chae turned away.
“Did you say you would break up?”
“We’re not even in a relationship to break up.”
“Don’t say that. I told you I love you.”
“I told you I don’t love you.”
Eun-chae looked straight at Seok-kyung and said coldly.
“I don’t love you. I can’t love you!”
“Why don’t you trust me? You can just hide behind me!”
Seok-kyung shouted.
Flames ignited in his usually cold eyes.
“Stop talking nonsense and go back.”
Eun-chae pretended not to see his gaze.
If she threw herself into those flames, she would die, and Seok-kyung would die too. At least she had to save him.
“Am I really someone who means nothing to you?”
Seok-kyung asked with a pained expression.
“Can’t it really be me?”
“Without Baedo Group, you’re nothing. My own life is too overwhelming right now to bet it on someone who is nothing. So, please come to your senses.”
Was she too cold? Or had she stabbed Seok-kyung with too big a knife?
Seok-kyung staggered slightly and grabbed the glass door with his hand.
She mustn’t waver. She mustn’t hold onto him.
Eun-chae desperately suppressed the urge to rush over, support Seok-kyung, and tend to his wound.
Just a little longer, then, he would give up.
“Okay.”
And finally, he spoke quietly with a darkly shadowed face.
“I’ll do as you wish.”
He turned and walked out.
Thump.
It felt like a boulder had dropped onto her chest.
Watching Seok-kyung’s figure disappear further and further away without looking back, Eun-chae’s heart shattered.
Should she run and hug him now?
Should she say she loved him, that she was wrong?
Her throat tightened with regret, and tears blurred her vision.
But she simply watched Seok-kyung get into the car, not once looking back.
As the thought that Seok-kyung was now tired of her and would never look for her again crossed her mind, her legs trembled.
“It’s okay. Everything will be fine... it will.”
Her voice cracked with rising tears.
She opened the emergency exit door, sat on the stairs, and swallowed her sobs for a long time.
________________________________________
After that day, contact from Seok-kyung completely stopped.
The dozens of calls and messages she used to receive every day ceased.
It was as if he had truly erased her completely from his life, as if the person named Baek Seok-kyung had vanished from her existence.
As if he had never been there in the first place.
With a lingering hope, she frequently checked the news, but there was no mention of Seok-kyung’s broken engagement.
Everything had returned to normal.
Everything.
To normal.
Mulling over those bitter words, Eun-chae carefully sealed a large delivery box with tape.
Her mother had cried and made a fuss, but in the end, the luxury goods she had left behind were inside.
She wrote Seok-kyung’s main residence address as the recipient’s address and Madam Cha’s name and contact information as the sender, then handed it over to the post office worker.
This was the end of her connection with Madam Cha. She would surely understand the meaning of Eun-chae sending these items back.
Eun-chae paid the delivery fee and hurried to the new office where she had started working.
“Hey, Eun-chae-ssi. Isn’t it too lax to be away from your desk during lunchtime? How can you just leave your seat like that?”
Chief Lee raised his voice at Eun-chae.
Google Sites
Report abuse