“What on earth did you do at the airport that made Seo not come home?!”

Still glaring at Taeryeong, seemingly unable to shake off her anger, Madam Jo heard the words Taeryeong had prepared in advance.

“Presidential Suite Room 1003 at the Palace Hotel. We went there together the day I picked him up from the airport. He said the Hannam-dong house was uncomfortable and that he wanted to stay at the place he had been using for the past five years.”

It was just a matter of time; she had anticipated this situation.

“I also helped him prepare to go out, and Kangjoon-ssi said he would often ask for my help in the future. As you said, Mother, our relationship isn’t bad. And now that there are only a few months left, separately...?”

“Shut your mouth!”

Madam Jo cut her off as if she didn’t want to hear it. “Do you think I like telling you to live together? You’re so stupid you can’t understand, but Hanshin is misunderstanding that you’re living separately because you rejected Seo! What are you going to do about this?!”

“But Mother, in the current situation, it’s safer to live apart. Living in the same house as Kangjoon-ssi is too dangerous.”

Madam Jo’s daughter’s face, which resembled Taeryeong’s like a twin, their two encounters, and her husband’s long-term business trip, which meant he wouldn’t return until the contract ended. In fact, this marriage wasn’t difficult for Taeryeong at all. The torment she suffered from Madam Jo was nothing. But failing to account for the variable of her husband’s return was a fatal mistake. Especially if that husband was a man like Seo Kangjoon.

“If I hadn’t been desperate, would I have dragged you, a clueless substitute, in even while Seo was abroad? This was to prepare for such a situation, and yet you’ve made it turn out like this?”

Glaring at Taeryeong with eyes that seemed to want to tear her apart, Madam Jo continued, “Seo is the sole heir of Hanshin without any competition. Do you think a man like that would care about his wife’s abilities or wealth? You should be focusing on managing the household and supporting him, but you’re just working yourself to death like a ghost obsessed with work, so of course you wouldn’t be appealing as a wife.”

Taeryeong lowered her gaze even more, looking dejected, and carefully replied, “It’s all for our mother and daughter. If I lay a good foundation now, the company won’t be shaken even if the management changes later. And Ino Fashion’s stock price has soared, so Mother has also benefited greatly and received praise from the Chairman. It’s because I take after you... there are even rumors that I have good business acumen.”

Since it wasn’t wrong, Madam Jo’s eyes twitched. It was Madam Jo’s trick to put her substitute daughter in charge of Ino Fashion, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, right after the wedding. This was to prevent Hanshin from calling her daughter back, under the pretense that she was busy reviving the failing company. Since the company couldn’t possibly get any worse, she probably wouldn’t be called incompetent even if it went bankrupt. But that dreadful child had miraculously turned the company around. In ten months, it had gone from a deficit to a profit, and the company’s plummeting stock price had soared overnight. But that wasn’t a reason to tolerate that child’s arrogance.

“So, for the remaining time, I will work even harder and make Mother proud...!”

“You wretched thing, try being insolent in front of me one more time.”

Water dripped from Taeryeong’s face, and Madam Jo held a water glass in her hand.

“I truly loathe you to the point of revulsion. If I could, I would drain every drop of blood that flows in your veins, the same blood that flows in mine.”

Madam Jo, who was a twin, had been abandoned at birth instead of her younger sibling because she was physically weak. But from a young age, with her strikingly beautiful face and sharp mind, she was adopted as the only daughter of a small business owner couple instead of the boy they had originally intended to take in. Through relentless effort, she became the younger madam of Ino and was now the mother-in-law of the Hanshin Group heir. And she would continue to live an even more upgraded, perfect life.

“I won’t say it twice. I’m arranging a dinner with your in-laws this week, so make sure Seo comes home and comes with you.”

“I will try my best.”

Over Taeryeong’s small face, which replied demurely to Madam Jo’s words, another face overlapped. A loathsome face that resembled both herself and that child, a face that made her nauseous just by looking at it, a face that no longer existed in this world. How wonderful would it be if that child also died? But that wasn’t Madam Jo’s way. She would let the blood slowly dry up and let them die on their own; she would never stain her own hands with blood.

“Trying won’t be enough.”

Madam Jo swept out with a cold air. *** Taeryeong headed to the parking lot. Kim, her secretary, approached her, surprised by her wet face and clothes, but Taeryeong waved her hand to indicate she was fine. Getting into the back seat of the car, Taeryeong fell into thought. Today was Thursday, and the dinner appointment Madam Jo had demanded was on Sunday. First and foremost, she needed to meet him.

“What are the date and location of the party that Park Kyungjin from Daesang Electronics invited me to?”

Park Kyungjin, the eldest son of Daesang Electronics, and Jang Jaewoo, the second son of Seojin Group. The only friends her picky husband allowed by his side. So, he must have told them about the marriage. Taeryeong also knew that the new face, a handsome man who was sweeping through parties with the two party enthusiasts, was her husband. This industry was smaller and had more gossip than one might think, so it was impossible not to know.

“Friday evening at 5 PM, the outdoor hall of the Paradise Hotel.”

The two men had hosted the party under the guise of welcoming her husband’s return to Korea and had also sent an invitation to Taeryeong. Their intentions were obvious. Knowing this, she hadn’t intended to attend, but her mind had changed. Of course, she could ask her husband to meet through his secretary, mentioning their marital relationship. But since time was short, being rejected or having him delay further would be a setback. She had noticed at the hotel that her husband was the type to quickly catch on and join in if it meant making things difficult for Taeryeong.

“Adjust my schedule so I can attend that party at 6 PM.”

“Understood.”

Seo Kangjoon was a man like the eve of a storm. It was much more advantageous to deal with such a man in a place with alcohol and people than to be alone with him. People tend to be guarded in serious atmospheres but relax in more laid-back settings.

*** Friday evening, a cool night breeze gently blew. Kangjoon’s welcome party was being held in the outdoor hall of the Paradise Hotel, nestled between the Han River and the mountains. Kyungjin watched his friend, who had returned after three years, from a short distance and said to Jaewoo,

“He shows up after all this time and not only says he’s married but also asks us to invite his wife to this party. Jaewoo, do you understand that guy?”

“I haven’t understood him for 20 years, have I?”

The two men looked back at Kangjoon with expressions of exasperation. From childhood, Seo Kangjoon had been in a league of his own. He had never engaged in the kind of rebellious behavior that the children of wealthy families did as routinely as eating. He never did what adults told him not to do, and he was always number one in what adults told him he should do well in. Perhaps people said someone like Seo Kangjoon, who naturally reigned at the top without doing anything, had the face of a king. If one had to find a flaw, it would be that he was seriously rigid and boring. Having no intention of marrying, Kangjoon saw no reason to date and was indifferent to women; he had never even had a first love.

“Alright, let’s just move past that. But how should we interpret this?”

As soon as that guy got the title of a married man, he was acting like King Uija with his three thousand palace women.

“They say the fire that starts late is the scariest. He probably realized it after becoming a married man. He also feels wronged for not having had any fun before. Isn’t Seo Kangjoon a human being, a man?”

“Well, that’s true but...”

Kyungjin trailed off. Only the three of them knew that today’s party was a welcome party for Kangjoon’s return. Seo Kangjoon’s name had appeared countless times in the media, but his handsome face had never once been revealed. Just then, Jaewoo suddenly chuckled as if he had found something amusing.

“Ah, that guy is something else. Well, what else would you expect from a model citizen?”

“What is it? Let me laugh with you.”

“He doesn’t openly push them away, but whenever women try to get physical, he subtly shifts his posture to avoid it completely.”

Only then did Kyungjin notice. Kangjoon was responding to conversations but defensively avoiding any physical contact from the women with nonchalant movements.

“I understand that guy even less now. Why is he doing all that if he dislikes it?”

“It’s probably one of two things. Either he feels wronged for not having had any fun before becoming a married man, but it doesn’t suit him. Or...”

“Or?”

“It’s because of his wife.”

“Why would Yu Taeryeong...?”

“What else could it be but to provoke jealousy?”

Kyungjin burst out laughing at Jaewoo’s guess.

“Why would the great Seo Kangjoon do something like that? Maybe Yu Taeryeong would.”

“Then why would he tell us to invite his own wife and then act like that?”

Finding it plausible, Kyungjin fell silent.

“The important thing is that Yu Taeryeong will definitely not come. What kind of crazy wife would come here? Most women would be... wow.”

Jaewoo stopped speaking, his eyes widening as if they would pop out. Following his gaze, Kyungjin also gaped. A woman was just entering the hall. Striking makeup that caught the eye even from afar, a high ponytail pulled back even more haughtily. A breathtakingly beautiful figure extending below a white, masculine jacket that reached her hips. It was up to one’s imagination how stunning the dress was inside the generously sized jacket.

“......Yu Taeryeong.”

“Unbelievable, she actually came.”

The two men had no choice but to admit it. Ino Fashion’s Yu Taeryeong was definitely not just any woman. Despite the overwhelming attention pouring down on her, Taeryeong calmly moved forward. Inside the jacket that completely covered her to her hips was a daring backless dress with a revealing open back. Instead of buying a new outfit, she had simply chosen one of Madam Jo’s daughter’s dresses that filled the dressing room.

“I hope I won’t have to take this jacket off.”

Muttering softly, Taeryeong stopped in front of the two men who had sent the invitation.

“Taeryeong-ssi, you actually came... ahem. Nice to meet you. I’m Park Kyungjin, a 20-year friend of Kangjoon.”

“I’m Jang Jaewoo.”

They had sent the invitation and insisted she come, mentioning it was her husband’s welcome party. Now that she had actually appeared, the two men greeted her with awkward smiles. Taeryeong expressed her gratitude.

“You two took a risk to invite me, so of course, I had to come and show my appreciation.”

“Risk... what do you mean?”

“There’s no husband who would like his wife to come to such a fun party. Yet, you invited me to this party, showing more consideration for me, his wife, than for your longtime friend. I will never forget your kindness.”

Calm expression, a soft voice that clearly pierced their eardrums. Taken at face value, it meant thank you. But the two men perfectly understood Taeryeong’s warning. She would never forget today’s events, where they had plotted with her husband to trick her.

“So...”

Taeryeong calmly asked the two men, who were staring at her blankly, “Where is my husband?”

“Ah, he’s over there... eek!”

Jaewoo, who had been pointing somewhere, suddenly gasped in surprise. They saw Kangjoon accepting the physical advances of the women he had been skillfully avoiding. They wondered if they had seen wrong, but they had seen correctly. Good heavens, since when did that guy...?

“Thank you, you two.”

By the time the two men turned around, Taeryeong had already turned away from them.

“That crazy bastard, they say if a woman holds a grudge, frost will fall in the fifth and sixth lunar months. How does he plan to handle this?”

“He probably didn’t expect her to actually come. Anyway, let’s just watch. If he gets a good smackdown, he’ll either come to his senses and not do something like this again, or he’ll confide in us and ask for help.”

*** Her husband was surrounded by beautiful women. It was an expected situation, so she wasn’t surprised or flustered. It was probably her husband who had created this situation. That was the kind of man he was. He never revealed his true intentions unless it was what he intended. It felt like she had been staring for quite a while, but her husband hadn’t even glanced her way. At the hotel, he had openly tormented her; was he trying to torment her indirectly today? But it seemed like her husband had miscalculated today. Jealousy and pride only react when there is genuine feeling. For Taeryeong, who considered this marriage a contract, the current situation was like an entertaining drama. She wanted to watch leisurely, but today Taeryeong had something she needed to settle with her husband. Before that, however, she had to settle things with the women who were vying to take her husband. Revealing that they were a married couple would end it, but that was a card she couldn’t play.

“What would be good?”

A way to make her husband come to her on his own. Lost in thought, Taeryeong’s gaze turned to the woman sitting to Kangjoon’s left. The woman’s hands, with elaborate nail art, were wrapped around Kangjoon’s arm almost in an embrace. Watching that, a strange emotion welled up inside her chest. Seeing her husband surrounded by women and letting them touch him made her feel somewhat dirty. No matter how uninterested she was in an object, it was still hers. It was as if someone was touching her property without permission. That subtle feeling piqued Taeryeong’s curiosity. I feel this way, but how about you? To her husband’s provocation, Taeryeong decided to gladly respond with a challenge. She had to act submissive and grovel before Madam Jo. But with her husband, she just had to not get caught being a substitute and avoid getting divorced, as long as she didn’t cross the line. Of course, there was something she needed to confirm before challenging him. Taeryeong turned her body halfway and slowly took off her jacket. From this angle, her breathtakingly exposed back would be visible to her husband. She casually touched her nape as if tired and tilted her lowered gaze. And then she met them. The black eyes that were intently watching her.

“......”

“......”

Forcing herself to suppress a smile, this time Taeryeong pretended not to notice his gaze. Slyly and coyly. Seo Kangjoon-ssi, try pretending you don’t know me this time too.