71. Who Else Would I Marry Besides You?

When Se-hee arrived at the meeting place, Alicia was sitting there with swollen eyes. It was their first meeting since parting ways in Germany, but they didn’t even exchange greetings. After a brief silence, Alicia casually threw out the first words.

“I divorced Seo Kang-joon today.”

So this was why Seo Kang-joon insisted on meeting Alicia today. Divorce. Alicia had a reason due to the money she was to receive, but what about Seo Kang-joon?

“Seo Kang-joon’s secretary in Germany didn’t recognize me, but Seo Kang-joon recognized me right away, the moment he saw me.”

Se-hee had actually expected that. It was just Kang-joon’s next move that she couldn’t predict.

“He immediately told me to pack my bags, and I was so scared I thought I was going to die. He put me on his private jet, dragged me to Korea, confined me to a hotel, and told me to cooperate with the divorce. What else could I do?”

“Did Mr. Kang-joon ask you anything, Unnie?”

“It would have been better if he had asked something. It was scarier because he didn’t ask anything, you know? He acted like he knew everything, and I couldn’t say a word.”

Alicia’s words made Se-hee ponder deeply. Since returning from Germany, Kang-joon had perfectly managed his schedule. Even without trying to look it up, the media had been continuously releasing articles about the Hanshin heir’s movements. Despite being so busy, he immediately prepared for the divorce, found her, and even won over Director Kang. Perhaps, it was a plan he had set up before she even left. How far did that man predict? Beyond his extraordinary intellect, his drive was like a bulldozer.

“But why are your eyes swollen, did you cry?”

“I cried because of your ruthless man, what are you going to do about it?”

“...He’s not my man.”

“Then is he my man? I just lent him my name. You had the wedding, you lived together, you slept with him, so he’s your man!”

Instead of answering, Se-hee quietly looked out the window. Alicia was right. Seo Kang-joon was undeniably her man. But the world wouldn’t see it that way. Everyone would point fingers at her, calling her the bad woman who stole her stepsister’s man. It was a world that preferred tearing down to understanding, and that’s the world she lived in.

“I did everything you told me to do. You’ll give me the money now, right?”

“Yes.”

At her unhesitating reply, Alicia’s eyes widened.

“You’re really going to give it to me? If you don’t give me the money now, you’d be getting revenge on me too, you know?”

“I don’t intend to, but if Unnie wants it, I can do that.”

“Nooo!”

Alicia, who answered with a startled shout, was like a child. Se-hee sometimes envied that side of her. Alicia’s simplicity and innocence, which she absolutely didn’t possess. Se-hee extended the envelope she had prepared from her briefcase and spoke.

“500 million is in your account, and the remaining 1.5 billion is in a fund. There’s a financial advisor’s business card inside, so call them for help. You haven’t managed money before, have you? If I just gave it to you, you’d spend it all... Why are you looking at me like that?”

Alicia was looking at her as if she were seeing something strange.

“Did two similar people fall in love originally? Or did they become similar after falling in love?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you look closely, you and Mr. Seo Kang-joon are very similar. Your personalities, your auras. Should I say you’re both tenacious perfectionists?”

As Se-hee blinked, as if she couldn’t understand, Alicia laughed amusedly.

“Why didn’t you tell me? That you two were in love.”

“That’s all in the past.”

“Wow, you’re not denying it?”

“...”

“Then Joo Se-hee, you’re even more tenacious. That man still can’t forget you, but you abandoned him and left so conspicuously. How is that possible?”

It wasn’t that it was possible. It was because she was so desperate, so earnest, and had no other choice.

“Do you really have to get revenge on your mom so much that you’d abandon love? Can’t you just relax a bit?”

“If I quit, do you think Auntie would leave me alone?”

This time, Alicia couldn’t answer. Even if it was for revenge, Se-hee had been quietly subservient until now. Yet, it was Ms. Jo who was desperate to devour Se-hee. She was projecting everything she couldn’t do to her twin sister, everything she couldn’t do to her cheating husband, onto the innocent Se-hee. It was a relationship that would only end when one of them fell into ruin. Alicia sighed softly, took a ring out of her handbag, and held it out to Se-hee.

“And this is yours, why are you giving it to me? Your name, your initials, are engraved inside.”

J, S, H. She had only realized a few days ago that her initials were engraved inside the ring. She had examined the ring meticulously because it couldn’t have even a small flaw if she were to sell it. Since she had received something from both of them, she felt she had to return this ring. She wasn’t that much of a trash. Alicia picked up the two envelopes and stood. Then, looking at Se-hee, who was fiddling with the ring, she hesitated as if about to say something. But she felt she absolutely had to say this.

“Hey, tenacious one. Thank you.”

Because she knew that Seo Kang-joon gave up his revenge and showed kindness, and that she regained her freedom from her mother’s clutches, it was all because of Joo Se-hee. Thinking about it, she was a pitiful and heartbreaking stepsister. Yet, she was also strangely envious of her. She suddenly thought that Seo Kang-joon was the only man who could handle someone like her. She received two houses, so should she play cupid for once?

“Mr. Seo Kang-joon. I guess he’s thinking of marrying the youngest daughter of some group after divorcing me.”

“...”

“I saw an article by chance. I don’t know the details myself, so you should ask him directly.”

Since that tenacious woman wouldn’t express her feelings to Seo Kang-joon first, this was the only way to provoke her. If she just showed any reaction, Seo Kang-joon was smart enough to know. That it was jealousy, that it was still love. If Joo Se-hee just reacted, that man would take care of the rest. Just in case, should she send him a text before she gets blindsided? Still, she got two houses. Alicia, walking slowly while pondering, glanced back. Seeing Se-hee busily searching for something on her phone, a faint smile came to her lips. Look at her, still caring.

________________________________________

After parting ways with Alicia, Se-hee’s mind was complex as she waited for Kang-joon. Seo Kang-joon had divorced and insisted on meeting today, which meant he had something urgent to say. What could it be? It definitely wouldn’t be about marriage. That was proven by the rumors of the Hanshin heir’s marriage. Perhaps it was still too cautious, or not yet concrete, but it wasn’t treated as a main news article. However, as Alicia said, there were quite a few articles about the marriage pouring out from smaller media outlets. These were articles that didn’t appear when she searched for Hanshin Motors.

“Indeed, there would be a lot to handle if he married me.”

If he married her, the sordid secret that had been quietly buried would surface. There were no eternal secrets, and Ms. Jo would certainly not let it go. Furthermore, Chairman Seo and Yeon-suk, who had been fond of Se-hee, would obviously disapprove if they knew the full story. Even if the fraudulent marriage was exposed, bad rumors between corporations would ultimately tarnish the image of both parties. But what if a full-blown drama was added to that fraudulent marriage? Se-hee didn’t even want to imagine it. The more ugly and dramatic something was, the longer people would find it entertaining. In fact, there had been a few dramatic love stories involving corporate owners, and the results were never good. Honestly, compared to hers, those love stories weren’t even that dramatic. Yet, stock prices plummeted, the public boycotted, and ultimately, the owner who felt responsible was replaced. The world was that harsh and cold. Businesspeople were public figures just as much as celebrities, so the standard of judgment shown by the public was severe.

“So I have to cut him off cleanly.”

If Seo Kang-joon couldn’t do it, then she would, even for the baby in her womb. The life of a chaebol family, which she had witnessed and experienced firsthand while living as Yoo Tae-ryeong, was one of excess. There was enjoyment in an overflowing life, but happiness was nowhere to be found. Life itself was a show, and everything was pretense. Most were show-window couples, and due to being spoiled, their children’s personalities weren’t very good. Parents, siblings, blood ties, whatever, they were busy fighting over inheritance and only cared about themselves. Her biggest concern was the lives of chaebol children. From birth, they began early education and had to live a life predetermined by their parents. What if they’re not good at studying? What if their specs are bad? She suddenly recalled Yeon-suk’s stories about Kang-joon’s childhood. The precious grandson of Hanshin Group Chairman Seo, one of Korea’s top conglomerates. His educational path, from kindergarten to university, was decided by experts even before he was born. Fortunately, Kang-joon was born naturally brilliant and managed to handle it without difficulty, they said. Also, wherever Kang-joon went, reporters followed, and even the smallest things became news. Such excessive attention must have been a burden for him at a young age, no matter how strong Kang-joon was. Yeon-suk had said that the reason he controlled the media and didn’t reveal his face to the public since high school was because of that. The conclusion was that if a child was born into the Hanshin family, such immense responsibility and excessive attention were a natural course of events. Furthermore, because of her, the baby would carry a bad label for life. Se-hee lived in a small neighborhood, but the baby would have to face all of South Korea. She hated that terribly. She didn’t want to pass all that burden onto her baby just to fulfill her own love. Her maternal instincts twitched, and Se-hee’s hand instinctively clutched her stomach. My baby, at least.

“I will let you live a normal and happy life.”

So that they can experience everything children their age enjoy and grow up normally. So that they don’t have a dirty label attached to them because of their parents. That’s why Seo Kang-joon is even more out of the question. She decided there was no need to tell him about the baby either. It was clearly a gift from him, but it was wholly her child. Also, Seo Kang-joon wouldn’t be thinking of marriage anyway. *** Entering the cafe, he saw Se-hee sitting at a long table by the window. He suddenly remembered the time of the welcome-back party. His wife, who knew exactly how to sit to look beautiful. It was the same now. Her composed profile and upright posture were captivating. He approached right next to her, staring as if entranced, but Se-hee stubbornly looked straight ahead.

“Ms. Joo Se-hee.”

“...”

“Joo Se-hee.”

“...”

“Se-hee.”

No matter how he called, her only reaction was a cold, cutting silence, so Kang-joon quickly changed his strategy. It seemed she was angry with him, but he didn’t know the reason. Kang-joon had no choice but to sit next to Se-hee. Since she wouldn’t answer his calls, he had no option but to sit quietly. Sitting beside her, Kang-joon followed Se-hee’s gaze. There was nothing particularly interesting to see; what on earth was she looking at? Quickly losing interest, Kang-joon lowered his gaze. Seeing her small hands neatly gathered on the table, he suddenly remembered. It had been a long time since he had properly embraced her, but it had also been a long time since they had clasped hands. Even though their hand sizes were very different, interlocking their fingers felt like a puzzle fitting together. He slowly moved his hand across the table and lightly poked her slender fingertips. Still, there was no reaction, so this time, just as he was about to subtly interlock their fingers, Se-hee turned her head. He had planned to smile if their eyes met. But her glaring eyes were so fierce that he couldn’t speak. He instinctively knew that waiting for her to speak first was the best strategy in such moments.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

But her first words were surprisingly aggressive.

“You’ve divorced and you’ll be going on blind dates again and getting married. Then you shouldn’t be doing this to me.”

Her second statement was even more so.

“Or are you going to make me your mistress?”

Her last words went too far. Kang-joon was so dumbfounded that he was speechless. The resentful gaze he received just for trying to hold her hand, the sudden aggressive remarks. As he pondered how to interpret this, Kang-joon’s phone rang.

[Some small media outlets were covering the news of the Hanshin heir’s marriage, so I told Se-hee. She was busily looking through her phone, so if Joo Se-hee gets jealous, please explain it well.]

Kang-joon checked the message Alicia had just sent and gently furrowed his brows. Why would she do something I didn’t ask her to? But when he looked up again at Joo Se-hee’s face, full of emotion, he felt a laugh bubbling up. She acted as if she’d never see him again, but it seems she does care.

“Since I’m divorced, of course, I’ll marry again.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Se-hee stood up from her chair. As if nothing had happened, her gaze and expression were once again composed as she faced Kang-joon.

“I hope that today’s meeting will be the last time I meet with the CEO. That’s why I contacted you.”

Joo Se-hee’s ability to cut ties was something even Kang-joon admired. Not only that. Her pride was stubbornly high, her stubbornness was astounding, and she was annoyingly prim. This woman was making his heart ache. But what could he do when he was crazy about her?

“Congratulations on your divorce. And on your future marriage.”

“...”

“I sincerely wish you happiness, CEO.”

With a smooth and composed smile as her last gesture, Se-hee turned away, and Kang-joon also rose from his chair.

“Joo Se-hee.”

Calling the name of the woman he loved, Kang-joon slowly reached out his hand. He wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulling her close, resting his chin on her small, flinching shoulder, and whispered into her ear.

“Who else would I marry besides you?”

Who did I divorce for, you annoying succubus?