《Marriage With Your Older Brother》 CH 1 Divorce was easy. ¡°According to mutual agreement, case number #2020 announces the divorce verdict.¡± As soon as the judge uttered the words of divorce, I tightly closed my eyes. The divorce that had been making my life difficult ended in just a few minutes. After five years of marriage, there wasn¡¯t even a shred of meaning left. All my efforts for the past five years were reduced to a single piece of paper. ¡°It¡¯s finally over now¡­.¡± I raised my eyelids that had been tightly shut. I saw a man staring at me. He had been my husband for the past five years, but now he was someone else. Seo Ji-han. When I clenched my fist, my nails dug deep into my flesh. I had nothing left after a long and grueling fight with him. I lost all my family. My only support system had been shattered, leaving me a penniless beggar. And it was all because of that man who had been my husband. ¡°Why don¡¯t you entrust the in-law group to me? I am your husband, after all.¡± ¡°Rely on me, Yoon Yeo-jin. Let me help you.¡± Even though it might have been a strategic marriage, I trusted him. But that man who betrayed my trust whispered love to my closest junior for five years. ¡°Let¡¯s get divorced. If you step back now, I¡¯ll give you my share of Ho Jin.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use? You can¡¯t even protect W Group with your abilities. You know that, so you entrusted it to me.¡± ¡°Why are you so stubborn? It¡¯s your fault for trusting me. This is as far as I can go.¡± He had been forcing me to get a divorce, using his insignificant share as an excuse. He even told me to be grateful that I could get that much, even though I had lost the entire in-law group. ¡°I really trusted you.¡± The betrayal of the two people I trusted the most. Introducing Cha Seo-rin to my husband was not supposed to end my marriage like this. If I hadn¡¯t done that, my marriage wouldn¡¯t have ended so miserably. ¡°No, it¡¯s useless to regret now¡­.¡± I was walking out of the suffocating courtroom with quick steps. As I reached the intersection in front of the courthouse, someone grabbed my wrist tightly. It was Ji-han, who seemed to be panting as if he had been chasing me. ¡°Wait, let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about? We¡¯ve already said everything in front of the judge.¡± He had been pushing for the divorce aggressively. He looked at me with a frown, as I stood there facing my ex-husband. ¡°Yoon Yeo-jin.¡± He called my name in a low voice, and that¡¯s when I stood facing my ex-husband. ¡°Oppa.¡± I slowly turned around, hearing a harsh woman¡¯s voice from behind. As I expected, it was Cha Seo-rin. ¡°Waited for a long time outside.¡± She glanced at me before clinging to his chest. Ji-han seemed like he was about to say something to me, but when he saw her, he shut his mouth. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I wanted to greet him when he came out.¡± With a very affectionate reply, Seo-rin glanced at me quickly. Her behavior towards him provoked me, and I swallowed a bitter laugh. ¡°Cha Seo-rin, you¡¯re not even human.¡± As I couldn¡¯t bear looking at them anymore, I turned away. ¡°Unni.¡± I turned to the voice calling me with an awkward title. ¡°We¡¯re going to get married soon. We decided to start with the marriage registration. I¡¯m going to have a baby.¡± ¡°Stop it. What¡¯s the point of talking about it?¡± Ji-han grabbed Seo-rin¡¯s collar and raised his head. At the sight, Seo-rin¡¯s voice echoed in my ear, telling me about her pregnancy. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant. It¡¯s the baby of your husband, Unni.¡± She was the one who confidently claimed to have my husband¡¯s child. The memories that haunted me like a nightmare came flooding back, causing my lips to tremble uncontrollably. ¡°Thank you, Unni.¡± ¡°What?¡± I was speechless with gratitude. ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to meet oppa. I¡¯ll live my life being truly thankful to you, unni.¡± At that moment, Ji-han, who had been holding onto Seo-rin, let go and approached me. ¡°Take care of yourself. See you when I sort out the paperwork.¡± How shameless he was to tell me to take care of myself. It was you, of all people. ¡°I hope you can¡¯t live well.¡± Please, I hope your married life becomes unhappy. Like me. I left my last words and turned away. I tried my best to walk away as if everything was normal. As I got further away from Ji-han, memories of our past together became more and more vivid. In the large house, all I could do was wait for that man. He was a cruelly indifferent husband, but he was my last family. I was desperate to keep that marriage, but the price of that faith was the betrayal of the two people I cherished the most. In front of the crosswalk, I stopped walking as tears poured out uncontrollably. People were crossing the street according to the green light, but I couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Sob¡­.¡± Resentment, hatred, and betrayal flooded out as much as the deep trust had. At that moment, everything became blurred with tears. A car appeared in the distance, rushing towards me without braking. ¡°Is it coming towards me¡­?¡± As the car got closer, I remembered a man Jihan would call when he needed something done without getting his hands dirty. ¡°That person is¡­!¡± As soon as I saw the large mole next to his sharp eyes, I remembered him pa*sing by me once. He was the man Ji-han would call when he needed something done without getting his hands dirty. ¡°Ah!¡± Someone screamed, as if they were being torn apart in my place. As I felt pain rushing through my body like a wave, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of him, the one I once promised forever to. ¡°Is this¡­are you trying to kill me¡­?¡± Why¡­I gave you everything you wanted, so why¡­ And as if accepting what he had done, Ji-han looked at me with his face contorted. ¡°Someone got hit by a car!¡± The sound of an ambulance rushing from far away seemed to be getting closer. As I lost strength in my limbs and consciousness slowly drifted away, I extended my arm towards Ji-han, who seemed to be acknowledging what he had done, and he closed his eyes. *** With a jerk, her eyelids fluttered open. Emerging from the foggy darkness, she felt a strange sensation at her fingertips. ¡°Am I alive¡­?¡± She had been lifted into the air in a split second with a loud crashing sound. While drifting away in consciousness, she sensed impending death, but when she opened her eyes, she saw a smooth marble floor and a pure white rug. The sound of a camera shutter clicked in the distance. ¡°Bride, I¡¯ll take a shot of you facing forward this time. Hold the bouquet in the middle.¡± The rapid clicking of the shutter gradually ceased. In front of her, a photographer stared at her as she looked at him strangely, not taking any action. ¡°Bride?¡± CH 2 As she frantically looked around, she felt a shiver run down her spine. She recognized the space before her eyes all too well. Countless wedding photos on a long table, and wedding flowers lined up in a row. ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°Bride! Don¡¯t stand up suddenly. You might fall.¡± She almost tripped over her high heels as she stood up in a hurry. A helper auntie rushed over and caught her staggering form. Pushing the auntie¡¯s hands away, she picked up a frame on the table. There were numerous wedding photos of her and Ji-han, smiling brightly. ¡°Why are these photos here?¡± She felt as if she had been struck from behind. Then, she turned to the photographer, feeling a sudden sense of unease. ¡°What day is it today, not now, what day is it?¡± ¡°Today? It¡¯s May 28th. It¡¯s your wedding day, bride.¡± No way. Hearing that her wedding day was today, five years after the wedding she had had, made her body tremble. In a state of disbelief, she turned her head towards the mirror. In the full-length mirror, she saw a woman in a pure white wedding dress. When she met the woman¡¯s gaze, who had neatly tied up her hair, she was startled and had to cover her mouth. ¡°Ha!¡± A groan escaped her lips. The dazzling pure white wedding dress and the Swarovski jewels that adorned her amidst the billowing tulle. The dress that covered her neck was, irritatingly, the same one she wore at her wedding with Ji-han. ¡°What is this¡­ How is this possible?¡± She vividly remembered the car that rushed towards her. Unless this was a delusion, there was no way to explain her unscathed appearance. ¡°Bride?¡± A voice calling her snapped her back to reality. Right, let¡¯s go out and see for myself what¡¯s going on. ¡°Where are you going, bride?¡± Ignoring the two people calling out to her, she ran out of the bride¡¯s waiting room. Outside, she saw a vast hall filled with numerous crowds and journalists. ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± While gazing around absent-mindedly, she felt eyes gradually gathering on her. Her tense throat breathed out a sigh. If this is really my wedding, Ji-han should be here. Ji-han, who had killed me and taken away everything. All she could think of was grabbing him by the throat and asking him why he did it. As she looked around for him, she heard the murmurs of the guests around her. ¡°Where did the groom go?¡± ¡°Maybe he went to the restroom?¡± Come to think of it, she couldn¡¯t see Ji-han, who should be standing where he was supposed to be. As she looked around, her eyes fell on the elevator, which was just opening. The moment she saw Ji-han walking out from inside, she held her breath. The image of him staring at her while she was dying came to her mind, sending shivers down her body. ¡°Where were you just now?¡± Ji-han¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at her blocking his path. ¡°I went to the car for a moment. But why are you here?¡± Instead of welcoming the honored guest, did he go out in a car, dressed like that? For a moment, the thought was strange, and he gradually lowered his gaze to the tuxedo he was wearing. The end of his suit jacket, which should have been straight, looked crumpled. Not only that, a faint red mark on the edge of his white shirt collar caught his eye. ¡°Lipstick?¡± It was a very small smudge, but strangely his heart raced. ¡°No way.¡± Please, say it isn¡¯t so. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Approaching him, she pointed to the collar of his shirt. Ji-han seemed to be looking down where she was pointing and had an embarra*sed expression. ¡°Oh. I bumped into a woman in the elevator and got it on me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a place where you would get it by just bumping into someone.¡± At that moment, another elevator door opened. And the moment she spotted Seo-rin descending from the elevator, her heart sank. ¡°Really¡­ You were with her?¡± She walked out and stopped, looking at Ji-han. Seo-rin¡¯s expression was surprised when she saw me standing in the hall instead of the bride¡¯s waiting room. ¡°Unnie?¡± I clearly saw it on her face as she approached me with a pleasant expression. The same colored lipstick was smeared on her lips. ¡°You look so pretty, unnie. By the way, I was surprised to see the bride in the hall.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Her teeth chattered as Seo-rin spoke to me with a calm face. The image of the two people tangled impurely above her face came to mind. Ha. How could they be in my wedding hall¡­? She chewed on her trembling lips. They were whispering love to each other in the deserted parking lot after throwing me into hell. And you call yourselves human? Her heart pounded as if it would burst at any moment. How¡­? As she tried to unleash her uncontrollable anger, she shut her lips tightly. It wasn¡¯t the time for that. She couldn¡¯t just end up cursing at them here. They had taken everything away from her and betrayed her trust, causing her to feel like she was being killed. They should feel the same pain. ¡°Why did the two of you come up together?¡± Her voice, which she had managed to bring out with difficulty, trembled slightly as she looked at Ji-han and Seo-rin. Their awkward gaze lingered in the air for a moment. ¡°What are you talking about? You should go back to the waiting room instead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go in together, unnie. We should take a picture with you.¡± Seo-rin smiled brightly, linking her arm with hers. They had shared so much in their past lives, even though Seo-rin didn¡¯t know that she was with her husband now. How ridiculous I must have looked. She had hoped it was a dream, but her mind was becoming clearer. It felt like a delusion, but she had no choice but to believe it. If this wasn¡¯t a dream, if this was really happening¡­ I didn¡¯t die. She had returned, with all the memories of her past life intact. It was another chance at life. The painful betrayal of being stripped to the bone was enough for once. It wasn¡¯t going to be her who would fall into hell this time. She was willing to do anything for revenge. She would change everything this time. ¡°Everyone is gathering for the honored guests. What¡¯s all the commotion about?¡± She turned her body in the direction of the familiar voice. The elders of the household who had been chatting with the guests were coming towards them. It was Ji-han¡¯s father, Vice Chairman Seo Min-kuk, and his grandfather, Chairman Seo Mu-jin. ¡°I left my seat and this person came looking for me. It¡¯s nothing.¡± As Ji-han tried to dismiss the situation as trivial, she suppressed a snicker. ¡°No, something happened.¡± Her voice echoed through the hall, drawing the attention of those around her. ¡°What happened?¡± Ji-han asked with a furrowed brow, not understanding the meaning behind her words. ¡°Something is about to happen now.¡± She was going to give you the gift of a broken engagement. ¡°Dad, and Grandpa.¡± She looked at the two with a sly smile on her face, making them feel uneasy. ¡°I¡¯m not getting married.¡± CH 3 Chapter 3: Won¡¯t Forgive Leaving behind those frozen in their seats, I headed towards the bride¡¯s waiting room. When I came out with everything I needed, Ji-Han, who was standing in front of the waiting room, reached out his hand to me. ¡°You, what¡¯s going on?¡± Feeling the cold stares of numerous guests behind him, my heart began to beat faster. ¡°Yoon Yeo-Jin.¡± ¡°Are you literally saying that you¡¯re not getting married?¡± Ji-Han, who still seemed to not understand the situation, slowly blinked his eyes. I turned away from him, with an unbelieving expression on his face. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The bride has run away, apparently.¡± Apart from the murmurs of the reporters, the air that surrounded us also became chillingly frozen. The gathered reporters began to incessantly press the shutter button. ¡°Take pictures! It¡¯s a scoop.¡± As I stepped back, the reporters who had been wandering around murmuring began to rush towards me like a swarm. I ran towards the elevator, trying to escape from the reporters who were blocking my way. ¡°Follow me!¡± My parents¡¯ faces twisted as they saw me running in my pure white dress. As the reporters ran towards the elevator, I hurriedly pressed the close button. ¡°How could this happen?¡± The elevator doors completely blocked my view. I leaned against the wall, feeling as if I had collapsed. My heart was still beating anxiously from the moment I realized that I had returned to the day of the wedding. As I looked around the silent elevator with an inexplicable sense of unease, an unknown number appeared on the screen and a strange bell began to ring, piercing the silence. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Is this Yoon Yeo-Jin?¡± ¡°Yes¡­this is Yoon Yeo-Jin.¡± ¡°This is Daejin Hospital. We are calling to confirm with the family of Yoon Tae-Guk and Yoon Ji-Young, who were in an accident.¡± At the sudden words, my phone fell to the ground. ¡°Hello? Yoon Yeo-Jin, are you there?¡± The elevator doors opened with the announcement that we had arrived in the lobby. Had I suddenly come back to life?¡­ Or had I completely lost my mind? How could I forget my family¡¯s accident? ¡°Why now, of all times?¡± May 28th. It was the day of my wedding with him, but it was also the day my grandfather and parents were in an accident. The accident, which had come without warning, reminded me of the family members who had left me behind. While walking towards the main entrance, my legs trembled and I almost fell several times. At that moment when I was pulling open the car door that was parked in front of the lobby, I reflexively turned around due to the strong force that grabbed my wrist. Ji-Han, who I didn¡¯t know when he had followed me, breathed heavily and stared at me with a fierce gaze. He had never shown any emotions on his face before. Now he seemed like a bomb that could explode at any moment. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Let me go.¡± ¡°Get in the car, right now.¡± The more I tried to remove his grabbing arm, the more tightly he squeezed my wrist. As if my resistance to leaving was irritating him, his face twisted into an ugly expression. Yes, he would be angry. Because of who he had become through his hard-earned reputation. ¡°Yoon Yeo-Jin!¡± I lifted my wrist that he was holding, twisting it in the opposite direction. ¡°Let go of me. I have to go to the hospital.¡± Perhaps he had never expected the word ¡°hospital¡± because his face was now colored with confusion. Only then did the grip of Ji-Han¡¯s hand holding my wrist loosen. ¡°My family had an accident. My parents and grandfather are in critical condition.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°So, let go of me.¡± I turned around, wrapping my wrist that had barely escaped his grip, and urgently sat in the driver¡¯s seat, starting the engine. Through the side mirror, I saw Ji-Han on the phone with someone. His eyes glittered as if he had just heard about my family¡¯s accident. A bad child¡­ Even as I gradually moved away from the wedding hall, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him. The trembling hand that gripped the steering wheel was due to the flashing look in his eyes and what it meant. ¡°Please¡­stay safe.¡± I didn¡¯t want to experience the pain of losing my family twice. I had to bite my lips tightly to stop the tears that kept welling up. *** I parked the car in an empty parking lot near the hospital and ran inside. The piercing stares of the people around me didn¡¯t faze me as I hurriedly made my way through the bustling lobby and boarded the elevator that stopped at the VIP floor. Unlike the lively lobby, the VIP wing was quiet, and I ran to the innermost part of the corridor. A familiar middle-aged man, who had been my grandfather¡¯s lawyer for a long time, was among the guards gathered not far away. His name was Park Hyun-Ik. Mr. Hyun-Ik was sitting on a chair in front of the hospital room, but he lifted his head at the sound of my hurried footsteps. ¡°Ahjusshi!¡± ¡°Yeo-Jin, why are you so late¡­?¡± ¡°Late¡­? No way, something else must have happened.¡± CH 4 Chapter 4: Won¡¯t Forgive Anxiety washed over me at his words of being late. He had been dressed in a suit and on his way to the wedding when he suddenly turned his car to the hospital upon hearing the news. ¡°How are they doing now, all three of them?¡± Ajusshi rushed over to me and held my trembling hands with his wrinkled ones. His watery eyes met my white dress, and I could sense the sadness and deep disappointment in them. ¡°Ha¡­ The chairman has pa*sed away.¡± A cry escaped my lips, without me realizing it. It was all too similar to the pa*sing of my grandfather in my previous life. I stumbled into the hospital room, leaving ajusshi behind me, and burst into tears upon seeing my parents lying on the bed. How could this happen again? Was it my arrogance and delusion to think that I could prevent it from happening again? ¡°I thought we still had time¡­¡± Grandfather and my parents were people who were strict about keeping appointments on time. They were late to the wedding, and the meal was delayed for quite some time. And then came the news of the accident. It was an unfortunate accident, and after grandfather pa*sed away, my parents also eventually left us. Tears that had been held back streamed down my face as I approached my parents lying in bed. ¡°Why¡­ why can¡¯t I save them?¡± Even in my past life, I had heard news of an accident before the wedding and rushed out of the wedding venue. The Double U Group, which ranked fifth in the industry, was a company led by my great-grandfather. The news of the accident involving the Double U family had spread through numerous media outlets. The media, without any preparation, began to spread gossip about me, the only heiress of the large corporation. [Double U Group, the only heiress, will she succeed? What about the succession plan?] [¡°I thought it was a festival¡­but it turned into a mourning wedding.¡± How will the merger of the century¡¯s conglomerates go?] When I thought I was alone in this world, it was my husband, Ji-Han, who reached out his hand to me. He was the only family I had. ¡°I really believed in them¡­¡± As I tried to calm my heart, I told him that I would take care of the group¡¯s affairs. Amidst the turbulent inheritance and management disputes, under the pretext that I would protect him, I merged Double U Group and Hojin Group. I removed my parents¡¯ hands, who were using an oxygen respirator and unconscious. ¡°They probably thought I was an ignorant brat.¡± I am no longer the timid Yoon Yeo-Jin of twenty-nine years old. I cannot let the Double U Group, which my grandfather built and my parents dedicated their lives to, be taken away. ¡°I won¡¯t let you have your way¡­¡± I can forgive others, but I can¡¯t forgive you. You won¡¯t be able to have anything you want in this life. Beep. The door, which had been tightly closed, opened and the sound of footsteps stumbling behind me was heard. The man who came closer to me, holding my parents¡¯ hands, placed his hand on my shoulder. Feeling the firm yet warm touch, my heart quivered. He was the only person who had ever been on my side in my past life. ¡°Yeo-Jin, the chairman¡¯s funeral has been arranged.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I have also informed the shareholders, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be any major movements yet.¡± Shareholders¡­ The voices of those who sneered at me for being young, a woman, and an inheritor who had not received any succession lessons, still felt vivid. At the shareholders¡¯ meeting in my past life, the acquisition merger was decided under Ji-Han¡¯s leadership. ¡°Sir.¡± His hand on my shoulder trembled slightly at my faint voice. ¡°Please keep an eye on the shareholders¡¯ movements. An emergency general meeting will be held soon.¡± Although the shareholders did not show much movement at my grandfather¡¯s funeral, my parents stepped forward when their lives were in danger. If nothing changed, the management rights would be transferred to Vice Chairman Kim Young-Min, which was no different from giving the gun to Seo Ji-Han. ¡°And one more thing. Please investigate Seo Ji-Han¡¯s representative.¡± ¡°Why Seo¡¯s representative? He¡¯s your husband now.¡± The man already seemed to have heard the news of the wedding and asked with a worried expression. ¡°We¡¯re not going to pretend that the wedding didn¡¯t happen, are we?¡± I had always been obedient and submissive around him since I was young, never raising my voice. So when I acted differently than usual, the man¡¯s eyes shook with surprise. Furthermore, refusing to merge with the sturdy Hojin Group was practically impossible given the current situation. ¡°The situation isn¡¯t good. That¡¯s why, especially in times like this, it¡¯s best to establish a solid foundation through a merger.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Seo Ji-Han may be your fianc¨¦, but he¡¯s not the successor to Hojin.¡± ¡°No. I won¡¯t marry that man.¡± Such a weak foundation that could collapse at any moment was now irrelevant to me. ¡°We¡¯re going to break off the engagement.¡± The word ¡°break off¡± that came out of my lips left him speechless. ¡°The past cannot be changed, but the future can be different.¡± Seo Ji-Han would never become the head of the Hojin Group. I will stop him. CH 5 The Funeral Home. The parlor for grandfather¡¯s wake was as vast as his reputation, teeming with countless mourners. ¡°How did a wedding turn into a funeral?¡± ¡°I know, right¡­ We didn¡¯t expect the chairman to pa*s away so suddenly. I heard Chairman Yoon and his wife are both in critical condition.¡± The relentless stream of visitors each stole glances at me, whispering amongst themselves. Though I couldn¡¯t hear their words, I felt as though I could decipher their conversations just from their gazes. They must have been discussing the blazing headlines and media frenzy. After all, I had lost all my relatives in the blink of an eye and became the sole heir on my wedding day¡­ ¡°If both of them pa*s away too, it¡¯ll be a disaster. They left only their only daughter behind, with no son.¡± ¡°Who will be the successor? Will the daughter take over?¡± ¡°No way¡­ She¡¯s just an anchor, what does she know?¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time. The cold, calculating attitudes of people were something I had grown weary of in my previous life, so I was fine. However, occasionally my heart ached as I looked at Jihan, who was greeting the visitors by my side. He¡¯s not even my official husband yet. It was repulsive to see him standing next to me, welcoming people as if he were already my husband. As we continued to receive the visitors, a familiar group approached from afar. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Chairman Yoon pa*sed away like this¡­ Yesterday was the wedding¡­ Representative Seo is such a good person, helping out like this.¡± With a somber expression, the Vice Chairman of W Group, Youngmin, approached us, but took Jihan¡¯s hands instead of mine. Jihan seemed to glance at my reaction for a moment before nodding to Youngmin and leading him towards the parlor. ¡°No, Vice Chairman Kim, let me escort you to your seat.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ The lady might not know much about this, so let Representative Seo help her a lot. I feel relieved to have you around.¡± Kim Youngmin was a man with a heart as dark as a venomous snake. His gaze clung to me as he followed Jihan, and I could feel his eyes on me. He had also contributed significantly to the merger of W Group with Hojin. It seemed that both of them had been laying the groundwork for this for a long time. Swallowing the anger that threatened to explode, I turned to Jihan and asked, ¡°Are you close to Vice Chairman Kim Youngmin?¡± ¡°We¡¯re close enough. We¡¯ve met a few times for business.¡± A feeling of disillusionment welled up from deep within my heart at his calm lie. How could I have not seen through this shallow deception? ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a moment.¡± I left the bustling parlor and headed outside the hospital. Jihan followed me wordlessly, taking the lead. It had only been a few days since we had fled the wedding venue, and now we were in a funeral parlor. From the first day, he had come to stand by my side without any hesitation. The situation was eerily similar to my previous life. If things continued like this, Jihan would seize the opportunity of my parents¡¯ sudden death and try to take over W Group under the pretext of being my husband. As we stopped at a secluded walking path outside the sparsely populated ward, Jihan halted as well. ¡°Please leave now.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m not just a visitor; how can I leave?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t even complete the ceremony. We¡¯re not husband and wife yet.¡± Our engagement, which had been made only a year ago, was all we had. He furrowed his brows at my request for him to leave and clenched his jaw tightly. It was his habit when he felt displeased. At first, his eyes seemed to waver in confusion, but they soon settled down into a calm expression. ¡°Ah, I understand that you¡¯re not in your right mind to think rationally.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Both the chairman and vice-chairman are here to keep watch; how can I leave?¡± He spoke so tenderly to me that his demeanor seemed genuinely husband-like. ¡°We can redo the ceremony on a better day. You need me now; what does the formality matter?¡± Whether he believed in his own childish reasoning or not, his gaze was now more resolute than before. Jihan still seemed to believe that this marriage was valid. ¡°Just let me handle the troublesome inheritance and succession issues. You should rest.¡± Jihan pretended to comfort me with repulsive words while pursuing his own interests. In my previous life, I had been deceived by his sweet words, but now I could see him clearly. The first thing I noticed in his eyes as he reached out to hold my hand was deep-seated greed. The moment I pulled my hand away from Jihan¡¯s, a strange ringing sound echoed through the silence. ¡°¡­Wait a moment.¡± Jihan took out his ringing cellphone from the inner pocket of his jacket. He glanced at the unfamiliar number that hadn¡¯t been saved and bit his lower lip. Our eyes met for a moment, but Jihan quickly turned his head away. The temperature of his attitude had changed drastically from the rigid posture he had just a while ago. Why is he so fl**tered? It was as if he had received a call he couldn¡¯t take in front of me. As I stared at his deepening eyes, memories from my previous life slowly overlapped. Wait a minute. If my memory serves me right¡­ Five years ago, around this time, Jihan received a phone call and didn¡¯t return until the funeral was over. When he finally arrived, he was still in the same suit he had been wearing. My suspicion gradually became a certainty. ¡°It seems urgent. You should answer it.¡± At my blunt words, a myriad of emotions flickered across Jihan¡¯s eyes. Still hesitating with the ringing phone, he picked it up just before it disconnected. ¡°Hello. Uh. Now? I can¡¯t do it now.¡± Saying that, Jihan glanced at me as if to gauge my reaction and turned his body away. ¡°I said I can¡¯t.¡± His voice, now lower and more restrained, sounded unfamiliar. I faintly guessed who the person on the other end of the line was, the one who was making Jihan feel awkward. There was only one person who could make the great Seo Jihan so fl**tered. Chae Serin. CH 6 For a while, Jihan listened to the conversation on the other end of the line, his eyes trembling slightly. It was evident that Chae Serin held a special place in his heart that he wouldn¡¯t show to anyone else. ¡°Ah¡­ Okay. I¡¯ll come now.¡± ¡°What call was that?¡± ¡°It seems there¡¯s a problem at the company. Like you said, I think I should go for a while.¡± I know it¡¯s not the company. That call was from Chae Serin. The words rose to the tip of my tongue. My mouth felt dry from the truths that were gradually revealing themselves, truths I hadn¡¯t known in my previous life. A bitter laugh escaped me at the thought that I had been deceived by such blatant lies. I had believed this lie. I really thought there was an urgent matter at the company and saw his exaggerated behavior as merely worrying about me being left alone. ¡­Not knowing it was his anxiety about being caught cheating. With an awkward smile, he tenderly wrapped his arm around my shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t need to come back.¡± Just stay by Chae Serin¡¯s side forever. Jihan looked at me, who was speaking more firmly than before, and let go of my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as the meeting is over.¡± *** The hand that had been removing the sweat-soaked strands of hair clinging to my forehead fell limply in the air. ¡°Ha.¡± Only the sound of rushing water filled the bathroom. I let out a deep breath that had been running down my lips and leaned on the sink with both arms. The image of Jihan¡¯s retreating figure kept filling my head. ¡°Jerk.¡± The more you know, the more you see. After regressing, I realized how foolish I had been in my previous life. It had been an exhausting day, keeping watch over the empty funeral hall and greeting countless visitors on my own. I felt like I would fall asleep as soon as I leaned back, and my body felt as heavy as a water-soaked sponge. When I returned to the funeral hall, the clock¡¯s hands pointed to one in the morning. As the crowd of people quickly disappeared, a heavy silence settled over the funeral hall. Sitting alone, I closed my heavy eyelids, overwhelmed by the creeping feeling of loneliness. I was alone again. It was hard to bear that I couldn¡¯t save my family, even after coming back like this. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandfather¡­¡± My shoulders shook until my vision blurred, and then I fell into a tired sleep. In my sleep, I faintly felt something warm covering my shoulder. I woke up as someone gently shook my shoulder. ¡°Ma¡¯am, if you¡¯re tired, please go rest and come back later.¡± It was the housemaid who had brought some clothes from home on my behalf. As I slowly got up, the suit jacket that had been covering my shoulder slipped off. An unfamiliar, faint citrus scent wafted in the air. It was a soothing fragrance, as if I had smelled it before. ¡°Did you cover me with this jacket?¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me. It¡¯s a men¡¯s suit jacket. Maybe Mr. Jihan covered you while I was away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not him¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t Jihan. He wouldn¡¯t return until the funeral was over. In my faint memory, it seemed like there had been a similar incident in my previous life. Back then, I couldn¡¯t figure out who the owner of the jacket was either¡­ There was a rustling sound. I pulled something out of the inner pocket of the jacket I had picked up. ¡°A pa*sport?¡± With the pa*sport I hadn¡¯t seen in my previous life, a single business card fell to the floor. *** A black sedan pulled up in front of the man who was walking out of the hospital. The secretary, who had been glancing at Jaha sitting in the pa*senger seat, asked him about the absence of his suit jacket. He had definitely been well-dressed when he entered the funeral home. ¡°Mr. Jaha, what happened to your suit jacket?¡± ¡°It just happened.¡± Despite the secretary¡¯s question, Jaha¡¯s cut-off response seemed to have no continuation. With his mouth closed, Jaha appeared lost in thought as he looked out the window. ¡°Ah, right. Let¡¯s get going.¡± The car began to move along the empty road towards the hotel as dawn approached. The city streets were eerily quiet. The secretary glanced at Jaha, who was staring out the window, and asked him a question. ¡°By the way, Mr. Jaha, you came without letting the Chairman know¡­ Did you really have to attend the funeral?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it an uncomfortable relationship?¡± An uncomfortable relationship¡­ Jaha thought that might be true. She was no longer his fianc¨¦e, but the woman who would become his half-brother¡¯s wife. Jaha seemed lost in thought at the secretary¡¯s question, and then he opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Jaha swallowed the words ¡®I wanted to see her too.¡¯ It was the first time he had seen her since she rejected his marriage proposal. He thought about the jacket he had covered her with as she slept, huddled up. It was an uncharacteristically impulsive act for him. If it wasn¡¯t for that report, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to the funeral home. Jaha remembered the report he had received upon arriving in the country and tightly closed his lips. The secretary, who had been glancing at Jaha from the corner of his eye, casually brought up another topic. ¡°And I just heard this, but it seems that Chairman Yoon and his wife are in critical condition.¡± ¡°¡­How much?¡± Jaha, who had been looking out the window nonchalantly, finally turned his head. The secretary continued speaking to Jaha, who now seemed to show interest. ¡°The doctors have said there¡¯s little chance they¡¯ll wake up. And the movement among the shareholders is unusual too. I don¡¯t know what kind of conditions they put forth, but there¡¯s quite a group that wants to merge the two companies.¡± A merger¡­ As a husband who couldn¡¯t protect his wife, he was now in a difficult situation where he couldn¡¯t even protect his own share. It was a tough battle for a 29-year-old woman who had grown up sheltered and na?ve. Come to think of it, there was a pa*sport in the jacket pocket. The moment he recalled the pa*sport he had momentarily forgotten, Jaha furrowed his brow and hurriedly reached out to the secretary. ¡°Secretary Han, wait a moment.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Stop the car. We need to go back.¡± CH 7 Chapter 7: Just Strangers I picked up the business card that had fallen to the ground. It belonged to Seo Jaeha, with the name of Hojin Group imprinted on it. ¡°Seo Jaeha¡­.¡± Wasn¡¯t he Seo Jihan¡¯s stepbrother and the eldest son of Hojin Group? ¡°When did this guy even come?¡± Throughout my marriage, I could count on one hand how many times I had seen him. And yet, he was the man who had covered my jacket so casually, as if it was nothing. Moreover, he shouldn¡¯t even be in Korea because he was dispatched to the United States for work. Clearly, he wouldn¡¯t be back until two years from now. ¡°Then, this man was the one who covered my jacket¡­?¡± I had only question marks floating in my head about his inexplicable behavior. ¡°Did he try to look sympathetic to his ex-fianc¨¦?¡± As the thought reached that point, a melancholy smile formed on my lips. After all, the heir to Hojin Group was not Jihan, my husband. The marriage between the heir to Hojin and the granddaughter of W Group was promised in the year I was born. And at the time of our engagement, Hojin Group¡¯s heir was Jaeha. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would end up marrying Seo Jaeha¡­¡± One day, Jaeha flatly rejected the marriage that his grandparents had arranged for him. The memory of that day was as vivid as a dream I had last night. ¡°I¡¯m not getting married.¡± ¡°What¡­what did you say? Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t plan to get married in the future. Not with Yoon Yeojin over there, nor with any other woman.¡± ¡°Even if it means giving up the position of Hojin¡¯s heir?¡± The image of Chairman Seomujin staring at Jaeha with fiery eyes still lingered in my mind. He was so daring to speak up to the chairman like that. ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t do it.¡± What he refused was not just an inheritance, but the position of the head of Hojin Group, a conglomerate with many subsidiaries. So he resigned from being the heir and abruptly left for the United States. And one day, he returned home and took on the role of the largest shareholder of H Media Holdings, a holding company for KBC Broadcasting. No one had expected Jaeha to take over the broadcasting company. But he quickly led KBC to go public and made a name for himself. He was on the rise, ready to devour Hojin at any moment. ¡°Madam?¡± The voice of the housekeeper brought me back to reality. Later, Jaeha declared his independence from Hojin. The hatred and resentment towards him, who had appeared in Hojin, resurfaced. I directed my anger towards my stepmother and half-brother, who had taken everything from me, as well as my father, towards the Hojin they desired. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of this man before?¡± My grip on the jacket tightened as a small hope blossomed and my heart began to beat faster. If this man was really Seo Jaeha, I had to meet him. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± ¡°What? Where are you going at this hour?¡± Almost two in the morning. The housekeeper¡¯s face looked up at me with confusion as I got up with my jacket on. *** She might have already gone. Yet a faint scent lingered, suggesting she had not been gone for long. As he pa*sed through the empty lobby and stepped out of the hospital, the cold dawn air brushed against his cheeks. ¡°Of course¡­ she must have left.¡± He wiped his face in front of the deserted hospital entrance. Yes, he would call in the morning. There was still time. As he tried to console himself and turn away, the sound of footsteps echoed from beneath the stairs. It was a fleeting moment. His eyes met those of the slowly emerging man. ¡°You¡¯re awake. It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Seo Jaeha. The man she had desperately sought now stood before him like a mirage. The first time they met, Jaeha¡¯s face was still as dazzling as ever, even after all these years. She stood there, speechless, as unfamiliar emotions swelled within her. A chilly breeze teased the space between them. As Jaeha drew nearer, the heady citrus scent enveloping her threatened to intoxicate. ¡°When did you arrive?¡± ¡°I returned to the country yesterday.¡± ¡°But why did you leave without a word?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want anyone to know.¡± Jaeha responded nonchalantly to my questions, but at the last one, his eyes momentarily darkened. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I even left my jacket behind secretly. Though it seems I got caught because of that pa*sport.¡± Jaeha pointed to the pa*sport in my hand with a tilt of his chin. He must have heard everything from the overheated media by now. I handed the pa*sport to Jaeha, who showed no emotion. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Instead of examining the pa*sport, he asked me an unexpected question. ¡°What?¡± Did anyone ask me such a simple question to me, who had been tormented all day at the funeral hall? ¡°Are you alright? You look exhausted.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, yes.¡± His casual words unexpectedly stirred my heart. My lips curled inward, biting down to suppress the warmth that threatened to spill from my eyes. He seemed to accept my answer and turned away, saying nothing more. ¡°Alright, then. I need the pa*sport, so I¡¯ll take it.¡± As he turned to leave, the wind tousled his pitch-black hair. ¡°Ah, and¡­¡± Just as I took a step forward to stop him from leaving, Jaeha turned back around first. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Seo Jihan.¡± CH 8 Chapter 8: Just Strangers Suddenly, Jaeha whispered the name ¡®Seo Jihan.¡¯ His eyes, now closer and deeper, fixed on me. ¡°Don¡¯t trust that guy too much.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± What does he mean by don¡¯t trust? His sudden warning tangled my thoughts. In the midst of trying to decipher his cryptic words, my phone vibrated with a short buzz. [Urgent call needed. Shareholders¡¯ movements are suspicious. ¡ª Uncle Hyun Ik] A brief text message appeared on the screen. [Kim Youngmin, Vice Chairman, has made a move. ¡ª Uncle Hyun Ik] My eyes stopped at the three characters ¡®Kim Youngmin.¡¯ Finally, the shareholders were making a move, which meant Jihan was moving too. I looked up, and my eyes met Jaeha¡¯s, who had been staring at me. His once-serene gaze subtly shifted. I have to stop the shareholders¡¯ meeting. In a previous life, Jihan, my husband, had taken the representative seat in my stead at the shareholders¡¯ meeting. Jihan swiftly decided on a merger with Hojin Group, along with a*suming management rights. Under the leadership of Youngmin and Jihan, the agenda was unanimously pa*sed. ¡°Should I call you Chairman? It was nice seeing you after so long.¡± With a hint of a smile, Jaeha greeted me. My fingers, clutching the phone, began to tremble ever so slightly. How could I make this man an ally? ¡°Though it¡¯s a shame you lost your family¡­ Time will heal your wounds.¡± Jaeha¡¯s words, tinged with sorrow, wove through the air like a sinister lullaby, wrapping around the secrets that lingered between them. His enigmatic eyes held a promise of both hope and despair, as the cold morning breeze continued to dance in the space where they stood, united in the shadows of a haunted past. *** Perhaps it was something that came from experience. It was a brief moment, but Jaeha¡¯s pupils became darker. There was no better opponent to bring down Hojin Group and pressure Seo Jihan. Yes, maybe meeting Jaeha here was a chance given by the heavens, unlike in my past life. To change this sickening fate¡­ ¡°Mr. Seo Jaeha.¡± I called out to Jaeha, who had turned around. ¡°Please spare some time. Alone, in a quiet place.¡± The chilly wind blew again, causing a ripple between us. As if surprised that it was me who asked to meet first, his pupils gradually returned to their usual state. Jaeha¡¯s face, which answered indifferently, had a mischievous smile on it. ¡°Alone? Do we have something to talk about that requires just the two of us?¡± ¡°As Yoon Yeojin, the granddaughter of Double U Group, not as Hojin¡¯s daughter-in-law.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± After facing each other, for the first time, Jaeha¡¯s pupils had an interesting glint. ¡°And that meeting will be one without regret.¡± The mischievous smile on Jaeha¡¯s lips began to fade. *** After facing Jaeha in the early dawn, I spent the whole night awake, my mind in a jumble from the sudden shareholders meeting and his unexpected appearance. At last, after much contemplation, morning arrived. Like in my past life, Jihan returned only after his grandfather¡¯s funeral had ended. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have been there by your side.¡± Jihan shamelessly apologized while still wearing the suit he wore to the funeral home. As he approached me for a hug, I was taken aback by the overpowering scent of his cologne. Recalling that it was the same scent that Seorin wore, I felt nauseous. An engagement partner who was so caught up with my close junior, that he was late for his grandfather¡¯s funeral. ¡°A bad son.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let go.¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my displeasure towards Jihan this time, and turned my head away. Then the gentleman who had left to take a call returned. Mr. Hyun Ik had come after meeting with the shareholders and scheduling it to coincide with the funeral¡¯s end time. ¡°Are you both in danger?¡± ¡°No, how could we be? With Chairman Yoon gone and if anything happens to Jiyoung, Double U will be¡­¡± I never expected to see Chairman Seo¡¯s face, filled with sorrow from the sudden influx of bad news that even affected my parents¡¯ life and death situation. The Vice Chairman also remained silent, just keeping watch over the situation. ¡°Miss Yoon, no, young lady. You have to make a decision. We can¡¯t let the shareholders do as they please at this meeting.¡± The gentleman asked me with a firm gaze. When my grandfather pa*sed away, the shareholders showed no signs of movement. But when my parents¡¯ lives were in danger, they suddenly became desperate to hold a meeting. Predictable. As the granddaughter, who was now alone at twenty-eight years old, they thought I would be easy to manipulate. ¡°I¡¯ll go in her place.¡± Jihan, who had been quietly watching the situation beside me, wrapped his arms around my shoulder. ¡°This person will soon be my wife.¡± Jihan¡¯s pupils were full of conviction as he looked at the gentleman. We will get married. ¡°Since Double U is her family too, and we are one household, this is also a Hojin matter.¡± His eyes had a hint of ambition as he smiled faintly. It was so ridiculous that I had to force myself to suppress a wry laugh. I was killed by someone I knew, who was also part of my family. ¡°No.¡± With a smile mixed with melancholy, I lowered my arm that was being held by Jihan. ¡°If you go, you won¡¯t understand the complicated internal affairs of the company. I should go instead¡­¡± Seo Jihan stopped his lengthy speech as if taken aback. ¡°I am the rightful heir.¡± Watch carefully. ¡°And we are only strangers on paper, right?¡± CH 9 After all the funerals were over, Jihan silently opened the driver¡¯s seat of his car. He was heading towards Hyun-ik¡¯s car, which was parked not far from his. ¡°Get in.¡± Jihan¡¯s low voice stopped me in my tracks. He held onto the car door and pointed to the empty pa*senger seat with his chin. ¡°I¡¯ll go alone.¡± ¡°Get in, just listen. I have something to tell you.¡± He gave a faint smile to the worried-looking man and got into the driver¡¯s seat, staring straight ahead even after I sat in the pa*senger seat. ¡°Are you going to your honeymoon home?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going to my hometown in Seongbuk-dong.¡± ¡°Why your hometown?¡± Jihan finally turned his head and met my gaze. ¡°Again, it¡¯s because of their damn customs.¡± He seemed annoyed by my determined gaze, as if he believed that I was doing this because of our public image. Maybe I should just declare an official divorce from him soon. His contorted face involuntarily flashed before my eyes. It would be like shooting oneself in the foot with an ax to trust him. But it was worth exercising a little patience to see that comical face of his. ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient for you because of me, go to your honeymoon home. I¡¯ll be out anyway.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± I didn¡¯t want to face the traces of my family who were left in my hometown anyway. So I nodded my head in agreement. Jihan didn¡¯t say a word on the way to the honeymoon home. After driving for a while, we entered a familiar apartment complex, and Jihan¡¯s car slowly came to a stop. I was about to get out of the car without thanking him, but he turned to me and asked me to talk. ¡°If it had to be so unstable today, why did you have to do it? Running a business is not that easy.¡± ¡°Unstable?¡± His face was so stiff that he seemed to be talking about a shareholders¡¯ meeting. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to run the company yourself, you have to merge with Hojin. You¡¯re going to be a part of Hojin¡¯s family now too.¡± It was like listening to a dog barking incessantly. He really put effort into spewing such nonsense. I looked at him with indifference, feeling that it wasn¡¯t worth answering. ¡°You can¡¯t handle the elderly shareholders by yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± ¡°Ha, Yoon Yeojin! These people have been working for decades on this floor. What can you do in front of them, knowing nothing?¡± As the conversation went nowhere, Jihan grabbed my shoulder fiercely. I winced in pain, and he let go of me when he noticed. ¡°Trust me. I will be the man who becomes your husband. No, think of me as your husband.¡± What kind of past life did I have to believe you as my husband? ¡°You¡¯re wise.¡± Now he was either trying to persuade me or whispering sweet words while stroking my ego. ¡°If I do well, it¡¯s good for you too. We¡¯re married.¡± ¡°Married¡­¡± ¡°Yes, married. We have to register for marriage right away. It¡¯s uneasy to be alone.¡± The source of uneasiness wouldn¡¯t be me, but the vast fortune in my hand and the relationship with Cha Seorin that could be exposed at any time. I smiled at him, brushing away my hair that fell down. He had probably already promised the merger through a deal with Vice Chairman Kim Youngmin. With my permission, he could easily swallow up W Group ¡­Just like the past. If Jihan said something in the past, I took it at face value. It was the duty I had to keep as Hojin¡¯s insider, and I thought it was a role I had to endure. As a dignified person, Jihan was already convinced that he had won the game. But now, it was different. I had made up my mind to change, to change the future. I wouldn¡¯t play around between Seo Jihan and Cha Seorin anymore. ¡°You¡¯re right. I think Jihan should be at the shareholders¡¯ meeting.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Jihan finally said what I wanted to hear and hugged me with a smile. His hand, holding the hem of my dress, trembled, but he managed to suppress it. ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything and sleep well. I¡¯ll handle everything complicated.¡± My heart was pounding even when I entered the apartment from the car. In the elevator, I recalled his fake smile many times and felt overwhelmed. As the chilly air settled in the house, everything was brightly illuminated. The clean house was filled with new furniture, and I shuddered at the sight of it. The five years I spent here with him had pa*sed like a dream. ¡°Married?¡± I grabbed the wedding photo that was on the living room shelf. I couldn¡¯t bear the anger that was about to burst out, so I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. ¡°A married couple?¡± With a trembling heart, I raised the frame that I had grabbed. I almost threw it on the ground, but then I found myself holding Jihan¡¯s hand in the photo. As I looked at him, who was smiling so beautifully, I slowly lowered the frame, feeling a sense of emptiness washing over me. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡± I closed my eyes, which were shaking as if in a spasm. ¡°Seo Jihan, there¡¯s no chance I¡¯ll ever marry you again.¡± I opened my eyes. I grabbed all the frames on the shelf and threw them in the trash bin next to me. Jihan¡¯s face, smiling over the frames piled up in the bin, seemed to overlap. ¡°Never.¡± I twisted my mouth into a bitter smile, imagining his face, which would soon crumble once he found out everything. That night, I stayed up with eyes wide open and got up from my spot as the morning sun rose. As I looked at the dress room filled with plenty of homewear and simple clothes, it finally hit me that I was back home. ¡°When did I fill all these clothes?¡± I hadn¡¯t even been to our honeymoon home. Looking at the clothes that were undoubtedly filled by his secretary, I let out a deep sigh. The clothes he had bought for me, hanging in the closet, made me feel like they were made for him. My mouth felt dry. ¡°I should just get rid of them all.¡± In the end, I turned around and headed to the department store. CH 10 As I walked, I found myself at the regular shop from my announcer days. It had been over a year since I took a break from my anchoring job after the engagement ceremony, but the manager, the only one who still called me by my announcer title, warmly approached me. ¡°Oh my, Announcer Yoon. It¡¯s been so long, isn¡¯t it?¡± Despite my hesitation, I smiled at her welcoming embrace. ¡°What brings you to our store? Are you looking for something in particular, perhaps?¡± It was a brand that I used to love wearing during my announcer days. I gestured to her, giving her a look that confirmed her suspicions. ¡°No, not really. I haven¡¯t decided on anything yet.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. You must be considering something! Announcer Yoon, we hope you¡¯ll be back on TV soon. That way, you¡¯ll visit our store more often, right?¡± I was planning on talking to the director soon about returning, so I just smiled and nodded. As we talked at the entrance of the store, we made our way inside. There, I saw a woman sitting on a distant couch. ¡°That woman is a KBC weathercaster. Don¡¯t you know each other?¡± The familiar back view of the woman who quietly told me that she was a weathercaster gave me a sudden pang of frustration. ¡°Chae Seorin.¡± In a country with only one department store, why did I have to meet her here? ¡°I bet you were so thrilled to become an anchor. Our brand will surely become more famous thanks to the anchors.¡± ¡°Chae Seorin as an anchor? That¡¯s unlikely.¡± It was a sky-high probability for a caster to become an anchor in conservative KBC, where there was no solid backing. Moreover, she was nothing special. I walked up to Seorin with a raised brow. ¡°Shopping, were you?¡± It was very strange to see her in a luxury shop, and I couldn¡¯t help but ask. As I glanced over the clothes she had picked out, I could tell they were worth thousands. ¡°Oh, Unni. What brings you here?¡± ¡°Oh my. You two know each other? You¡¯re both from KBC, after all?¡± In a sudden burst, she looked up at the sound of my voice, her round eyes showing just how startled she was. The approaching manager seemed pleased to see Seorin and me, his grin suggesting they were old friends. ¡°My dear junior,¡± he said. ¡°As I suspected,¡± Seorin replied. ¡°Let¡¯s talk comfortably.¡± After whispering something to the employee next to Seorin, the manager disappeared outside. In front of her, I noticed a catalog and a card payment machine with a purple card stuck in it. It was a card that Seorin¡¯s salary couldn¡¯t possibly afford. ¡°A purple card? Can you even use this?¡± She had a black-grade card that only elite customers could use. It was a VVIP card that only the top 5% of W department store customers could use, so I was curious. As she watched my expression, she reached for the card in the machine. ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s¡­.¡± As I took the card from the employee who was paying in front of Seorin, I read the name on it. Seo Jihan? Why is my fiance¡¯s card here? As expected.The employee only rolled their eyes, seeming to understand the situation. They¡¯re even holding onto each other¡¯s cards, even before the wedding. I couldn¡¯t imagine how long the two had been meeting. Seeing Seorin¡¯s nervous eyes shaking with tension, it was clear that she was confused and anxious about their relationship being discovered. ¡°Oh,¡± I said, trying to contain my anger at her obvious behavior. ¡°I told you not to do something like this. And he, too.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Did you need something?¡± I asked, then added with a smile, ¡°He¡¯s asking his junior for a favor again, this time for a gift of clothes?¡± Seorin giggled and pulled out various clothing items she had picked out, as each one slid off her fingertips and onto the table, Seorin¡¯s face tightened. ¡°I don¡¯t like these flashy patterns. I guess Seorin is confused.¡± ¡°Haha..¡± She laughed at the sound of her own voice. ¡°Here you go,¡± I said, returning the card that she had taken from the employee. ¡°Would you like to proceed with this?¡± As the panicked employee rushed over, I smiled and said, ¡°No. Please refund everything.¡± Looking at the array of clothes on the table, it seemed like they were all from Seorin¡¯s favorite brand. ¡°Uh, all of them¡­?¡± The fl**tered employee looked at Seorin, unsure of what to do. But she firmly bit her lips and turned her head away. She must be angry and embarra*sed. ¡°Seorin, are you okay? I¡¯ll choose and pay for mine.¡± I patted Seorin¡¯s shoulder, noticing her worried expression. As I continued talking, her face turned red with embarra*sment. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s your treat, so go ahead.¡± Her nose was reddened, and her voice was trembling with shame. She then tried to smile and took the card from the employee again. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead.¡± Watching her frantically gather her coat and bag on the sofa, I quietly sat next to her. ¡°Oh, by the way, you said you became an anchor.¡± ¡°How did you know¡­?¡± Seorin looked up at me, startled. Her eyes were restless, and her lips were trembling as if she had been caught doing something wrong. ¡°It¡¯s Seo Jihan, right? Your boyfriend.¡± My vague guess was confirmed by her unusual reaction. ¡°Well, you won¡¯t be able to do it even if you wake up as an anchor.¡± I was going to take that spot. ¡°I know everything, Seorin. We¡¯ll see each other soon.¡± A cold smile spread across my face as I looked at her. ¡°Take care.¡± Seorin¡¯s face turned white as I left without even waiting for a response. She didn¡¯t have the strength to respond to my goodbye, as she ran away without looking back. Finally, I turned my head around and chuckled as I looked at the catalog. Her hurried escape was quite amusing. CH 11 ¡°Cha Seorin is becoming an anchor?¡± Is she even qualified, or is she just getting the job because of her connections? It seemed like Jihan was trying to force this absurd appointment, disregarding the procedures and regulations of the broadcasting station. All because Cha Seorin happens to be his girlfriend. ¡°Is that even justifiable?¡± I exclaimed, taken aback by Jihan¡¯s behavior, which was not just crossing the line but blatantly violating it. I arrived at a serene, upscale Korean restaurant with individual traditional houses. ¡°Are you Yoon Yeojin?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please follow me. He¡¯s been waiting for you.¡± As we pa*sed through the main building, a stillness that was only interrupted by the sound of our footsteps engulfed us. I walked along the long wooden floor, stretching out ahead of me with the employee leading the way. At the end of the hallway was the room, and as the employee stepped back, I cautiously opened the tightly shut sliding door with a brief knock. I saw a garden full of bamboo through the window, and then the man sitting in front of me, clutching his neck, lifted his head towards me. ¡°Welcome. I chose this place because I wanted to be alone with you in a quiet place. Is it okay?¡± said Jaeha, placing his teacup down slowly. His eye contact with me was intriguing as I spoke first. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s nice to have somewhere private without any prying eyes.¡± ¡°Good to hear that. Please, sit down.¡± His smile briefly crossed his lips as he pushed the menu towards me. As we faced each other under the light, it was a new experience once again. ¡°Are you going back to the U.S.?¡± I asked, closing the menu. It wasn¡¯t a place where we had come to eat. I asked casually, but deep down, I was worried that he might change his mind and leave again. If Jaeha left for the U.S. again, it would be difficult for me, and I was determined to find a way to keep him here. ¡°You have a look in your eyes that suggests you¡¯ll chase me to the U.S. if I do,¡± he replied. ¡°Well, maybe I will.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your husband, Seo Jihan is,¡± he lowered his head, smiling playfully at me. Jaeha¡¯s gaze, which had been staring at me without a word, suddenly changed. ¡°So, let¡¯s stop with the tasteless jokes here.¡± His face, which had been smiling, lost its smile. His lips slowly fell, and his straight pupils focused on me. ¡°I¡¯m curious as to why you brought me here,¡± Jaeha spoke as if he was telling me to show my hand. Feeling the tension rising, I quickly gulped down the drink in front of me. ¡°Seo Jihan is not my husband. I ran away during our wedding.¡± For a moment, Jaeha was silent, taken aback by my sudden confession. ¡°You¡¯re not considered a married couple until you share a meal together.¡± He continued to speak while still staring at me intently. ¡°Since the two of you have been engaged for quite a while, there must be some sort of emotional connection.¡± At Jaeha¡¯s words, a bitter smile formed on my lips. Was there really any emotional connection between Seo Jihan and me? Especially since he was the man who drove me to the brink of death. Even in my past life, Seo Jihan and I were only considered married on paper. During our five years of marriage, we never once shared a bed together. We were nothing more than a show window couple, not quite a real couple, but not quite a fake one either. Whenever I expressed my desire to have a child to become a true family with him, he was always cold. He always said that we didn¡¯t have the luxury to do that yet¡­ Seo Jihan and I were like oil and water, unable to mix. ¡°Cha Seorin had my child.¡± ¡°You know how important the Hojin family is. We can¡¯t raise a child without a father.¡± It was my husband who had divorced me, claiming that he had a child with Cha Seorin, the one I had longed for. As memories of the past flooded my mind, my hand trembled as I set down the cup I held. ¡°I can¡¯t forgive him¡­¡± Jaeha furrowed his brows in confusion, as if struggling to understand the situation. ¡°He had an affair with my junior. He claimed it was a pa*sionate love that made him consider divorce.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware, but I¡¯m the only heiress to the W Group.¡± His initial surprise was quickly replaced with a dark expression. ¡°And now he¡¯s eyeing my family¡¯s group.¡± Jaeha¡¯s gaze sharpened unexpectedly, as the merger between the W Group and their own was being carried out in utmost secrecy within the company. He must have been wondering why I was revealing this to him. ¡°Why are you telling me this? I can¡¯t see how it would benefit me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Jaeha, first and foremost, is my brother.¡± First and foremost. I knew the weight of the words that were left unspoken. Jaeha¡¯s words were casual, but his thin eyebrows rose sharply, betraying the intensity of his interest in my intentions. His eyes seemed to be scrutinizing my every move, trying to decipher my thoughts. I remembered the call I had received from him on the eve of his divorce from Jihan. Jaeha had asked to meet me after the divorce hearing, which seemed odd as we didn¡¯t normally keep in touch. But I knew this man well enough to understand that he wouldn¡¯t come seeking me for trivial reasons. It was a gamble, but I had enough leverage to make a move. ¡°Marry me, Mr. Seo Jaeha.¡±