49. Tonight, will you hold me? - September 19, 2021

The warmth from the delicate, soft body pressed against his back was so faint. He couldn’t help but turn around and hold her again. Schedules and everything else could go to hell. It was at that moment, just as Kang-joon was about to turn his body, that Tae-ryeong whispered, hugging his firm waist even tighter.

“Don’t look back. If I see you, Kang-joon, I feel like I’ll ask you not to go.”

Then don’t say you love me. The tingling sensation spreading from his large fingertips, aching to hold his wife, was almost painful. But with superhuman patience, he somehow managed to endure, replying with a sigh, “…Alright.”

“Instead, will you tell me you love me?”

Was she telling him to go or to stay?

“If I hear you say that, Kang-joon, I feel like I can power through and finish today.”

He couldn’t take it anymore. With just a slight application of force, Kang-joon easily broke free from her slender arm’s grip and turned around. Pulling her slender waist close, he lowered his face and growled, “It seems my wife is determined to drive me crazy this morning.”

He leaned in as if to kiss her but couldn’t bring himself to do it. He felt like he wouldn’t be able to stop if he did. Like the beast within him would rampage. Instead, he crushed her in a hug and whispered huskily and sweetly into his wife’s ear, “I love you. You’re the only one for me.”

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One side of the traditional Korean seating room at Garim Hanjeongsik was decorated with a small indoor garden. It was a pleasant place to admire rare orchids and flowers and listen to the sound of water falling from a small waterwheel. Despite arriving 10 minutes earlier than the appointed time, Yeong-guk was already there. As soon as Tae-ryeong sat down, staff members entered as if on cue and began setting the food. Tae-ryeong gazed blankly at the dishes being arranged on the table. There were more dishes than what she had ordered. As if noticing her gaze, Yeong-guk said kindly, “You ordered a modest meal, so I added more. You’re too thin, how will you manage?”

Tae-ryeong stared at Yeong-guk with emotionless eyes. Before entering middle school, she had been pitifully short and underweight. She hadn’t even been able to breastfeed from birth, nor could she properly drink formula or milk. Because they were dirt poor. Her grandmother often teared up with apologies, habitually saying, “I wished you had starved to death, but you survived stubbornly, sucking on grains of rice as a child. It was desperate back then, but now I can’t look you in the face because I feel so sorry for you.” And the man who was her father had ignored and forgotten the existence of the daughter who was growing up so tough, just so he could live well alone. But why now?

“President Seo doesn’t like thin women, so you should eat even more.”

Of course. He was a man who never deviated from expectations. Quietly activating the recorder in her clutch, Tae-ryeong calmly began, “Vice Chairman, why did you want to see me?”

“Let’s talk after we finish eating. Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Vice Chairman and I are not on comfortable enough terms to share a meal, are we?”

“I admit I failed to be a father to you. But it was all for your sake. If I had paid attention to you, your aunt wouldn’t have stopped at just that.”

At Tae-ryeong’s indifferent reaction, Yeong-guk sighed and, as a matter of courtesy, put down his chopsticks.

“Seeing you reminds me of your mother. Though you and Yeong-hui look alike, your aura is so different. She was quiet, submissive, like a painting. I fell in love at first sight and loved her with all my heart.”

A sharp, blue glint appeared in Tae-ryeong’s eyes, which had been indifferently veiled by her long eyelashes. Her fists, clenched tightly under the table to suppress her rage, trembled violently.

“I tried to get a divorce. But I met with your grandfather’s opposition. He threatened to take everything away and disown me, so there was nothing I could do. Love doesn’t put food on the table, and I couldn’t starve.”

You wouldn’t starve if you were kicked out of Ino Group. So you should have died with Mom if you had to, or lived with her.

“To be honest, I thought I had no paternal love for you. But the moment President Seo’s wife tried to lay a hand on you at his house, I realized it. It wasn’t that I had no paternal love, but that I had deliberately ignored it.”

That paternal love probably developed that day because I’m doing such a good job of being Yoo Tae-ryeong. You’re a bat-like human who clings to whatever benefits you. And it seems there’s more to gain from me than from the useless Madam Jo and a useless daughter.

“Just tell me what you want.”

At Tae-ryeong’s blunt remark, Yeong-guk seemed slightly flustered. But he quickly composed himself and spoke again, “How about becoming the real Yoo Tae-ryeong? I mean, become my legitimate daughter.”

If he had wanted to apologize for his past mistakes, or even score a few points, Yeong-guk should have made a different offer. Something like, “I’ll put you on my family register as Yoo Se-hee right now.” But even if she would have refused that, what he said was truly absurd. If Yoo Tae-ryeong is a legitimate daughter, what is Joo Se-hee? An illegitimate, filthy existence he wants to hide until he dies, probably.

“As a father, I mean to be a dependable ally for you. I’ll make sure your aunt never bothers you again, not even touches a hair on your head. I haven’t done anything for you until now, but I should at least let you have one thing I desire, my daughter.”

The words “my daughter” made her feel nauseous. After slowly emptying a glass of water, Tae-ryeong asked, “Why don’t you think of it as love instead of desire?”

This is the truth you couldn’t see. Even though she told him the truth, Yeong-guk chuckled as if he had heard something amusing. “You don’t trust people, especially men, do you?”

She used to, because of you, Father. But now Tae-ryeong was in love. Enough to have momentarily considered becoming the real Yoo Tae-ryeong. At Tae-ryeong’s silence, Yeong-guk continued as if he had expected it, coaxing, “You must have rejected your aunt’s offer, thinking something big would happen if you accepted it. And it would have been easier to persuade President Seo than to convince your aunt. No man refuses a beautiful woman. The question is how long that feeling will last.”

Tae-ryeong was so dumbfounded that she couldn’t even laugh anymore. She wondered how he could be so slow-witted and unperceptive. This is why he was so lost in Madam Jo’s clutches.

“Becoming the real Yoo Tae-ryeong and your daughter, I can accept that. But having my aunt as my mother for life is horrifying. My aunt would feel the same way, of course. If you had to choose one of us, what would you do?”

The content of her conversation with Yeong-guk wasn’t particularly useful. Yet, she asked the question to use it later to mess with Madam Jo. To show her that her husband was stabbing her in the back like this. Was the question too strong? Yeong-guk’s expression twisted for a moment. Still, since Madam Jo was the one who helped his incompetent self get this far, it was naturally a dilemma for him. After a long pause, Yeong-guk spoke with a determined expression, “If you want me to, I’ll divorce her. I’ve been a good enough husband for a long time. Your aunt won’t feel wronged either.”

Tae-ryeong slowly closed and opened her eyes, thinking that both Madam Jo and her mother, the twin sisters, had terrible taste in men.

“As you know, Vice Chairman, I don’t trust people, especially men. So, contact me again after you divorce my aunt. I’ll give you my answer then.”

“To earn your trust, that would certainly be necessary.”

Wondering what he would say, she watched as Yeong-guk continued leisurely, “Before that, I hope you can give me some good news.”

Tae-ryeong desperately wished that the man who was her father wouldn’t reveal himself to be the absolute worst garbage. That he would at least harbor a faint illusion of having some regret for his daughter. But Yeong-guk shattered even that wish.

“Give me news of a second generation. Then I will immediately divorce your aunt.”

It was sickeningly hypocritical. Muttering to herself, Tae-ryeong slowly rose, and Yeong-guk called out to her again, “Tae-ryeong.”

To the very end, it was Yoo Tae-ryeong, not Joo Se-hee.

“I truly loved your mother. That one thing...”

Thud! Tae-ryeong closed the door without listening to the rest of Yeong-guk’s words. Until she arrived at the parking lot and got into the driver’s seat of her car, she was no different than usual: calm, composed, and indifferent. But the small hands gripping the steering wheel were trembling. She had secretly hoped when she came here that the man who was her father would have at least some remorse. Even if she couldn’t forgive him, it would have been some comfort. Tae-ryeong muttered cynically, “Tell your love to go to the dogs.”

Did you think I would believe your talk of love? Then you should have cleanly ended things and loved her. You shouldn’t have done things you couldn’t take responsibility for. So that neither Mom nor the child who was born innocently would be pointed at. If she had a sin, it was only the sin of being born to the wrong parents. But why should she bear and endure all the mistakes they made? Tae-ryeong started the car roughly. She desperately wanted to burn her mind to ashes so she couldn’t think of anything.

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Late at night, Kang-joon received a call from his wife while on a video conference with executives from overseas branches. It was unusual for Seo Kang-joon, who kept his professional and personal lives separate, to take a call during a meeting. Except for Director Yoon, that is.

[Honey, can you come to me?]

It was the first time he’d heard her call him “honey,” and the first time he’d heard her speak with a slurred voice. He left the meeting, agreeing that Director Yoon would finish it and send him a report. He rushed out, jacket in hand, his loosened tie still undone. As soon as he entered the bar at the Palace Hotel, Kang-joon’s eyes turned fierce. His wife, who had been drunk when she called, was sitting precariously on a bar stool. The problem was the leering wolves drooling behind her. It was understandable, given that a beautiful woman was sitting alone, completely drunk. But what had his wife said to them? The men were turning red and leaving one by one. Still, he couldn’t stand it anymore. His wife’s beautiful eyes looking at other men, and other men looking at his wife. Surprised by his intense possessiveness, Kang-joon approached his wife. She was sitting alluringly with her legs crossed precariously on the bar stool, looking captivating. Her hazy eyes, veiled by long eyelashes as she looked up at Kang-joon, were enchanting. No wonder men were crazy about her. His wife wiggled a slender fingertip and opened her lips.

“Want to list your specs?”

“31 years old, Seo Kang-joon. President of Hanshin Motors. And your husband.”

His wife gave a small “Pass” and then asked again, “188 centimeters tall, 78 kilograms, 14% body fat?”

How did she know that? Well, it wasn’t bad. It was his wife’s way of confirming her husband, pushing away the wolves while playing on a man’s pride. She was certainly sharp, even when drunk. Kang-joon chuckled and took his wife’s hand, placing it on his upper body, which was only covered by a shirt.

“Check for yourself.”

The firm muscles and distinct abs could be felt even through the shirt. Only then did his wife slowly blink her long eyelashes and murmur, “You really are my honey.”

And for the first time in his life, Kang-joon understood how sweet the title “honey” could be.

“Let’s go home.”

When Kang-joon opened his arms for an embrace, his wife stumbled up and nestled into his arms like a baby bird.

“Palace Hotel Suite 1003.”

“...”

“Let’s go there, not home. I want to see the night view.”

There was no reason not to go. Palace Hotel Room 1003 was always ready for Kang-joon. They rode the elevator up, walked down the long corridor, and entered the room. He gently whispered into his wife’s ear as she battled between sleep and reality, “Wash up lightly and sleep. I’ll wash you.”

“No, I’ll just sleep.”

At his wife’s petulant refusal, thick with sleepiness, Kang-joon reluctantly headed for the bedroom. As he tried to lay her on the bed, his wife didn’t release her arms from around his neck. So, he found himself inadvertently hovering over her. This moment felt like a déjà vu of their wedding night to Kang-joon. The only difference was that this time, it was his wife who was drunk, not him. In the dim light, her clear, moist eyes looked up at Kang-joon. Her slender arms wrapped around his neck, gripping tightly as if not wanting to let go.

“Tonight, will you hold me?”

Her trembling fingertips slowly approached, tenderly caressing Kang-joon’s jawline. It was clearly an amateurish seduction. One filled more with sorrowful desperation than deep desire. A poignant temptation that touched the heart within his chest rather than raw instinct. Kang-joon intended to resist this temptation again, somehow. Because the desire he had politely suppressed for so long would explode fiercely, precisely because he had held it back for so long. And his wife surely wouldn’t be able to handle him like that. His wife’s weight was still… it wasn’t the right time. That was why. Why he had endured and not held his wife. But the moment his wife’s fingertips brushed his lips, the moment clumsy temptation became an earnest plea, the moment a moist whisper spread through his chest…

“So I can’t think of anything.”

A spark ignited in his dark eyes.

“I wish you’d do that for me.”

Kang-joon lowered his face and took his wife’s lips.