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After the aftershocks, like a storm, subsided into gentle waves, Soohyun held Haein and lay down beside her. As his mountain-like body moved away, only then did Haein exhale deeply and catch her breath.
“Are you alright?”
Seeing her curl up like a shrimp with her knees raised, Soohyun hugged her from behind and asked. His tone, unable to hide his worry, felt unfamiliar.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Haein placed her hand on Soohyun’s arm that was wrapped around her waist and turned her body. When their eyes met, Soohyun opened his mouth with a rather tender expression.
“Chairman Park might be blocking the source of the treatment itself. He’s the kind of person who would do anything he wants. I’ll look into it, so don’t worry too much.”
His gaze was so warm that the sadness she had felt all along suddenly surged up. It was a feeling of resentment, asking why he had made things so difficult for her when he could change so easily.
“Why are you being so kind when...”
The feelings she couldn’t hide leaked out through her lips. Still, she trailed off because she felt like if she started complaining, there would be no end to it.
“From now on, please be kind to me. Like today.”
Haein slowly rubbed Soohyun’s arm with her palm and looked up at him.
However, upon hearing her words, Soohyun’s face hardened slightly and then turned cold. The light in his eyes, which had been shining dreamily, disappeared.
He made a determined expression and spoke quickly, as if to cut off Haein’s words.
“I know you’re going to the hospital. Tell me when you get the date. I’ll come home early that day.”
“Sunbae...”
“You don’t need to thank me. I haven’t been good to you either.”
“...”
Faced with Soohyun’s resolute expression, Haein could only look at him without saying a word.
The wall of his heart that he had built seemed to be still so solid and high.
Seeing Soohyun’s eyes waver slightly, Haein decided not to shake him any further. It was clear that his heart was in turmoil, contrary to his words.
I’ll give you time. I can wait.
Wouldn’t he recognize her sincerity someday? Even though fate had driven them into this cruel situation, if they remained faithful to each other within it, wouldn’t they have fewer regrets later?
Haein looked at Soohyun with affectionate eyes, hoping her feelings would reach him.
However, Soohyun, who had been looking at her, soon avoided her gaze and spoke. His deeply沉寂 voice was calm yet sad.
“...So don’t try so hard morning and night. Just live like this.”
“Like this...?”
“I’ll hold you on the day you want. But if you get pregnant, that’s it.”
“What do you mean?”
Haein, who had asked back, felt a bad premonition from the coldness in his face.
“Just get confirmation of the pregnancy from Chairman Park and then get rid of it.”
“Get rid of... the baby?”
“Yes.”
No emotion could be read on his face as he uttered those cruel words.
“I’ll look into a good facility, prioritizing your physical safety...”
“Why?”
It was a child she thought would grow up well in a wealthy family, even if she couldn’t hold it in her arms and raise it herself. Haein, unable to calm her sinking heart, questioned Soohyun.
“I don’t need children. How many times do I have to say it?”
“To that extent...”
“You’re the one who chose this. You want a pregnancy, and I don’t need it, so this is the best we can do.”
“W-what if the Chairman wants confirmation of the delivery?”
“Everything will be over before that, so it’s none of your business.”
Haein could only look at Soohyun without being able to speak. The man who had held her so tenderly just moments ago was now looking down at her with a completely unfamiliar face.
Her heart sank as if she were falling into water. It felt like she was sinking into an endless abyss, as if weights were tied to her toes.
“Then, good night.”
Soohyun looked at Haein, who was staring at him blankly, for a moment, then got up and left the room.
***
Haein woke up in the morning but couldn’t bring herself to get out of bed. She sat blankly for a while, staring at the disheveled bed.
The heavily wrinkled blanket and sheets seemed to tell the story of the intense night before.
They had held each other all night, rubbing their bodies together as if they would never be apart again. The spot where she had been touching him felt strangely empty this morning.
It wasn’t a dream, he was here.
He who had acted so incredibly tenderly.
And at the same time, he was the one who had ruthlessly shattered that dreamlike time and left the room.
‘You’re the one who chose this. You want a pregnancy, and I don’t need it.’
When he said those words, each syllable pressed down on her chest like a pile of stones.
“Haah...”
A sigh escaped her lips, and she slowly exhaled a long breath.
If she went to the hospital as Chairman Park instructed, got the dates, and diligently had relations, she would get pregnant as desired, and her younger sibling’s life could be extended as it was now.
They would get what they wanted, just like Soohyun said, but her heart was endlessly sad.
‘A mother struggling to conceive a life she can’t bear...’
Haein slowly got out of bed and went into the bathroom attached to the room.
‘Isn’t there any other way?’
Two eyes blazing with passion. Yet at the same time, tearful eyes that looked endlessly sad.
‘Sunbae, is this really... the best we can do?’
Calming her racing heartbeat, she turned on the water. As the water hit the top of her head and poured down her body, Haein closed her eyes and thought of Soohyun.
‘Why, when you loved me so much?’
Haein shook her head as if to shake off her stray thoughts, then quickly finished showering and came out.
***
She buried herself in the flowing routine, and another day passed that was no different from the day before.
Soohyun didn’t mention anything further, but Jung-in’s medication issue was resolved. When Haein expressed her gratitude, she was surprised by Soohyun’s puzzled expression, but she didn’t dwell on it.
One afternoon, Haein was organizing food ingredients as usual to prepare dinner. There was a sound at the front door, and a servant came to ask.
“Madam, a guest has arrived. Shall I show them in?”
“A guest?”
Haein looked puzzled at the news of a guest and asked the servant back.
Her parents had never visited Haein’s marital home. Perhaps the incident before the wedding had been too shocking, as they had never come near Taeseong.
Of course, they were also busy with hospital visits, but since Haein occasionally visited them, there was no real reason for them to come.
If it wasn’t her parents, there was no one else who would seek her out.
“Who is it?”
“They said you would know if they said it was Im Seyoung.”
“Ah?”
It was an unexpected person.
Haein found it strange that Seyoung had come to see her personally, but since she was at the house, she told the servant to let her in.
“Hello.”
Seyoung, who entered as confidently as if it were her own home, walked straight into the living room, passing Haein who was standing near the front door, without even asking.
“Ah... hello?”
Haein was taken aback by Seyoung’s rude behavior, but since she hadn’t grasped the situation yet, she followed her and sat on the living room sofa.
“I came to deliver this.”
“What is this?”
Seyoung, who had placed a sealed yellow envelope on the table, didn’t answer Haein’s question but asked back.
“Could I have a cup of tea first?”
“Ah, yes.”
Haein was flustered by Seyoung’s overly confident attitude. She obediently called a servant to order tea and then looked back at Seyoung.
“I don’t know if you know, but I’ve joined the secretarial office of the Strategic Planning Headquarters at Taeseong this time.”
“Oh, really?”
“You didn’t know?”
“My senior, no, my husband, hardly ever talks about work at home.”
It would have been more accurate to say that they had no conversation at all rather than just not talking about work, but Haein phrased it indirectly. Seyoung smiled knowingly at her words.
“Huh. Is that so?”
Feeling somehow ridiculed, Haein barely managed to suppress her expression from twisting.
“What is this?”
Haein asked, pulling the envelope on the table towards her. But Seyoung pretended not to hear and said something irrelevant.
“This house hasn’t changed even after all this time.”
Seyoung’s attitude as she sipped her tea clearly showed that this wasn’t her first time here. Haein realized that she was trying to provoke her into asking some kind of question.
“Is that all you came for?”
So, deliberately pretending not to know, she tried to end the meeting by asking if she was done. Then Seyoung put down her teacup and said,
“I heard you have a marriage contract.”
At Seyoung’s words, Haein put down her teacup.
It was not something to be said to someone she barely knew. Feeling that Seyoung’s question was rude, Haein narrowed her eyes and looked at her.
“What is the intention of your question?”
Haein asked, pressing down her voice to hide her displeasure. She was angry, but she was cautious because she didn’t know Seyoung’s position at Taeseong.
“You know that Soohyun oppa and I grew up in the same house since we were little, right?”
“No. I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? Anyway, oppa and I are quite close.”
“So?”
It was clear that she was openly trying to provoke her. Haein didn’t ask for more details about Seyoung’s answer to avoid being played by her word games.
“As you know, my husband and I have a contractual marriage, and I don’t know my husband well. But I don’t see any reason why I should know more. I received the document, and I will deliver it properly, so please leave now.”
Haein got up first to end the conversation. Seeing Im Seyoung hesitate and move her lips, it was clear that she had sat down to provoke her and draw something out.
But Haein was not the kind of fool to fall for such an obvious provocation.
She was a weak person who swallowed her words in front of Chairman Park, who held her life in his hands, but Haein herself had earned money by going through all sorts of hardships since childhood, so she wasn’t an easy-going person.
“Oppa tells me things he doesn’t tell anyone else. Don’t you want to know?”
“I wonder.”
Seyoung spoke with a rather urgent tone, but Haein paid no attention.
“Please leave now.”
Haein said firmly and nodded slightly, and Seyoung quickly added,
“He said he’s going to divorce you as soon as everything is ready.”
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